GC Digital Competencies for all public servants
GC digital competencies for all public servants
Digital is the way technology, people, skills and behaviours shape how we work and interact.
GC digital competencies for all public servants
Technology is part of your daily work. To serve Canadians well, you need to stay informed about new skills, tools and updates. To help you, the Government of Canada (GC) has developed six digital competencies for all public servants.
Competencies are a combination of:
- what you know (knowledge)
- what you can do (skills)
- how you act (abilities)
The six digital competencies for all public servants are:
- digital literacy: use and understand the power of modern tools, technologies and approaches to improve productivity, collaboration and creativity
- continuous improvement: improve work with ongoing collaboration and feedback and learn to solve problems and deliver value efficiently
- cyber security vigilance: take personal responsibility for safeguarding data, information and systems in your work environment by consistently using cyber security best practices and departmental standards
- information and data stewardship: manage, organize, and use information and data to inform decisions and achieve and measure outcomes
- digital responsibility: use digital tools safely and ethically
- inclusive interactions: ensure that documents, communications and interactions are accessible, inclusive, equitable and usable by all in any setting
Why GC digital competencies matter
What’s in it for you
GC digital competencies help you:
- build key skills to adapt to modern technology
- work with others across teams and organizations to improve government services
- stay competitive in your field
- stay up to date with technology
- grow as a leader to help drive change
- support public services that are inclusive, secure and accessible for the benefit of all Canadians
If you’re in a leadership role, developing your digital competencies can help you create the conditions for teams to put these competencies into practice consistently and confidently.
How the GC digital competencies were developed
Governments in Canada and around the world use digital competency frameworks to help public servants stay prepared for the future. To keep pace, the GC identified the GC digital competencies for all public servants.
GC digital competencies are based on:
- support from key government policies, including the GC’s Policy on Service and Digital, the Digital Ambition, the Digital Standards and the Government of Canada Digital Talent Strategy
- 30 months of research and best practices from Canada and other governments around the world
- feedback from over 13,000 public servants in over 50 departments across Canada
- the GC’s core competencies and key leadership competencies, adding a digital lens to strengthen digital ways of working
How the GC digital competencies and the key leadership and core competency frameworks work together
The key leadership competencies and core competencies are the GC’s official competency frameworks, embedded in performance management, talent management and promotional decisions.
Digital competencies are enabling and developmental rather than evaluative. They articulate the skills, mindsets and behaviours that strengthen digital thinking and application across roles and levels. They are also useful for determining learning and development opportunities.
Together, these frameworks work in an integrated manner: the key leadership competencies and core competencies establish what is expected and measured, and the digital competencies support how those expectations are met in an increasing digital environment.
How the GC Digital Standards and GC digital competencies work together
The GC’s Digital Standards provide principles and guidelines for how the GC should work in the digital world.
The GC’s digital competencies define the skills, knowledge and attributes the GC needs to put the principles into actions.
Together, the GC digital competencies and GC Digital Standards form a comprehensive framework that supports user-centred, agile, open, secure, responsible and digital-first services.
Learn more
To learn more about the GC digital competencies, refer to the Playbook: GC Digital Competencies for all Public Servants (accessible only on the GC network).
How you can help
This is a work in progress, and we will continue to improve it based on your feedback.
Share your thoughts and suggestions by email at icommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the President of the Treasury Board, 2025,
ISBN: 978-0-660-78987-3