GCDigital community: about us

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the Government of Canada (GC) is dedicated to enhancing our services and technology to better serve you. As Chief Information Officer of Canada, I’m excited to share the opportunities ahead and invite you to help shape Canada’s digital future.

At the core of our efforts is the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition, our strategic blueprint for advancing government services, technology, data and culture. This plan is essential as digital tools and services become a bigger part of our work. To stay effective, we must build our digital skills and practise strong online security practices. Improving our public service capabilities and following cybersecurity best practices is crucial.

To help civil servants use these tools effectively, we need to focus on digital skills training. This isn’t just about keeping up with technology; it’s about serving Canadians more efficiently. Without these skills, we risk over-relying on external help, making it even more important to develop our own talent within the public service.

The President of the Treasury Board’s 2021 Mandate Letter underscored the need for a Public Service Skills Strategy to increase digital skills among public servants. Similarly, the Minister of Citizen Services’ 2023 Mandate Letter directed us to support this strategy by identifying, recruiting and retaining employees with digital and customer service skills across all management levels. To better serve Canadians, every public servant should have some level of digital skills, whether it’s basic technology understanding, the ability to innovate or maintaining cybersecurity.

Guiding the digital community, my office, the Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada, leads these initiatives. We’ve developed strategic direction and policy instruments, including the GC Digital Talent Strategy and the Directive on Digital Talent, to make sure we have the talent, processes and culture to deliver human-centred, secure and sustainable digital services for all Canadians.

A key part of this effort is the GC Digital Talent Platform. It simplifies the application process for individuals looking for digital careers in the GC and helps managers to find pre-qualified digital talent that matches their needs.

As part of our commitment to enhancing digital services for Canadians, we’re taking specific actions to improve key areas of our strategies:

• Enhancing the Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service: Following this strategy leads to better decisions and more efficient public services, which will positively impact your daily interactions with government services.
• Implementing the Government of Canada’s Enterprise Cyber Security Strategy: Following this strategy brings peace of mind by quickly and effectively resolving vulnerabilities and combating cyber threats with safeguards that protect your personal data and strengthen the resilience of government services.
• Refining the Application Hosting Strategy: Our goal is to provide smoother online experiences, faster service delivery and reduced downtime when accessing government platforms.
• Revamping the Information Technology (IT) Modernization Strategy: We’re working to make government services more accessible, speed up response times, and help the government adapt to evolving needs and expectations.
• Advancing the Directive on Automated Decision-Making: This directive guides the Government of Canada in using artificial intelligence responsibly for administrative decisions. It upholds core principles of administrative law – transparency, accountability, legality and procedural fairness – while adapting to the rapidly evolving technology landscape.

As we continue to push the boundaries of digital innovation, we need passionate and skilled individuals to join our team. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a recent graduate, there’s a place for you in our digital community. Help us build a more accessible, secure and user-friendly government for all Canadians.

Join us in making a tangible impact in the digital age and shaping a more inclusive Canada for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Dominic Rochon
Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer of Canada