Support and communities
When part of this guide leaves you stuck, there is almost always a team, a community, or an online resource that can help. This page gathers them in one place. Most are open to anyone working in government; a few sit on the Government of Canada network. Some of these communities are moving between platforms right now (GCconnex is being retired), so a link may have changed since this was written.
By topic
Architecture. The Enterprise Architecture Community of Practice for architecture and review questions.
Cloud. The GC Cloud Information Centre is the one stop for cloud adoption and migration help.
Procurement. Start at the CanadaBuys Buyer's Portal, and ask a PSPC client account manager for help with a specific buy.
Security. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security answers security questions.
Privacy. Talk to your own department's ATIP or Privacy Coordinator first (find yours through the Access to information and privacy hub); the Office of the Privacy Commissioner is the regulator.
Accessibility. The Digital Accessibility Toolkit and its community directory, and a team you can email: the AAACT program at Shared Services Canada does training, adaptive-technology testing, and procurement advice (aaact-aatia@ssc-spc.gc.ca).
Building and platforms. The Canadian Digital Service runs shared platforms, GC Notify and GC Forms, and the GC Design System for a tested set of components.
Data. Your department's data or Chief Data Officer office, first. Government-wide, the GC Data Community (Canada School of Public Service) is the network of data practitioners you can join.
Records and disposition. Your department's information-management or records office, first. They handle disposition of government records, the Sunset checkpoint, with Library and Archives Canada.
Service design and user research. The GC UX Network connects designers and researchers across government, and the CSPS Digital Academy runs service-design and user-research training.
Service policy and the service inventory. Your department's service or CIO office, first. They work with the TBS Service Policy team on how your service appears in the GC Service Inventory.
Responsible AI and automated decisions. Your department's privacy, data, and legal teams, first, if your service automates a decision. Government-wide guidance is the Responsible use of AI in government hub.
Open government and open data. Your department's information-management or open-data lead publishes datasets to the Open Government Portal.
Information management. Your department's information-management office, first. Government-wide, the GC Information Management Community connects IM professionals.
Official languages. Your departmental Official Languages coordinator first; the Community of Official Languages and the TBS official languages pages.
GBA Plus and inclusion. Your department's GBA Plus focal point first; the GBA Plus hub and CSPS course INC101.
Identity and sign-in. Your departmental CIO or security lead (they bring in the identity and access-management teams); the online security and privacy hub.
Digital talent and hiring. GC Digital Talent, the government-wide recruitment platform for digital roles.
If your topic is not here, the GC Functional Communities directory lists the professional communities across government; one of them likely covers it.
Further reading
Assumptions this page makes
You are already working to the Government of Canada Digital Standards, design with users, iterate and improve frequently, work in the open, use open standards, address security and privacy, build in accessibility, empower staff, be good data stewards, design ethical services, and collaborate widely, and to the law on privacy, security, official languages, and accessibility. The standards say how the government works in the digital world. The six Government of Canada digital competencies say what every public servant has to be able to do to work that way, and the team page covers them. This guide builds on those.