Top areas of interest for federal identity

Rules on the use of logos

Treasury Board policy prohibits departments that are subject to the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity from adopting identifying logos without the prior approval of the Treasury Board. This applies to identifying logos for a department's programs, services, assets, products, and internal and external activities.

The following practices are not permitted:

• Displaying external logos or marks such as awards, certifications, memberships, and symbols for processes, services or technical formats.
• Acknowledging an external sponsor of a government activity beyond the simple inclusion of its corporate identifier, i.e., promotional text or other proprietary imagery is prohibited because it could potentially be perceived as an endorsement.
• Inserting a text credit or external identifier on government communications about the products or services procured under contract. Note: This does not pertain to the standards manufacturer's mark on commercial supplies and equipment procured by the government or the corporate identification of a consultant, unless specified in the applicable contract.

Approvals to seek special authorities regarding the Federal Identity Program

The following authorities and activities require Treasury Board approval:

• an exemption from the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity;
• exceptions to portions of the policy;
• the use or adoption of a special logo for use government-wide or by a single department; and
• amendments to authorities or uses previously approved by the Treasury Board.

Requests for approval must take the form of a Treasury Board submission and may be included as part of a submission seeking other authorities or approvals. While Federal Identity Program officials are involved in many stages of the submission process, the principal contact for the department remains its Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat program sector analyst.

The information detailed below is essential to aid Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat analysts in assessing when a submission is sufficiently complete to proceed to Treasury Board for decision and evaluating the proposal and preparing advice and recommendations for the Treasury Board.

In addition to the guidance on submission requirements provided in the Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions, the submission should include the following detailed information:

• a clearly articulated proposal that specifies the authority and activity for which approval is being sought;
• a compelling justification for the proposal, i.e. how it serves the public interest;
• the impact on the Government of Canada's established visual identity;
• the impact on service to the public;
• an assessment of potential liability or legal risks;
• how the proposal meets legislative and policy requirements related to official languages;
• the costs of developing, testing and implementing the proposal and the projected annual costs related to management and oversight;
• how the department will monitor the implementation and management of the proposal (in order to report to Treasury Board or Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat when required);
• a comprehensive guide demonstrating all fields of corporate identity application (as an appendix to the submission); and
• any other information that may be requested, on a case-by-case basis, to support the proposal (i.e. research and analysis of alternatives to the proposal).

Federal Identity Program requirements when partnering with an external organization

Collaborative arrangements with other levels of government and the private sector comply with Policy on Communications and Federal Identity requirements. In brief, this means that departments are responsible for ensuring that the Government of Canada receives fair and visible acknowledgement for its contributions of public funds and that all partners are fairly acknowledged in partnering and collaborative arrangements.

Treasury Board submissions pertaining to such activities must assure ministers that the government program or activity complies with Policy on Communications and Federal Identity requirements and that the government contribution will be clearly visible in all communications with the public.

The terms and conditions of agreements must provide for the visual acknowledgement of the Government of Canada. The following standard clause contains all of the required visual acknowledgement elements for such agreements:

It is the department's responsibility to provide the approved form of acknowledgement and to ensure it is used according to the terms of the agreement. The department's Federal Identity Program coordinator or communications branch should be consulted to ensure the correct graphic files are provided.

Visual acknowledgement for contributions or partnering arrangements

Despite the fact that every department has two official symbols (a signature and the Canada wordmark), federal institutions observe the general principle of "one logo per partner" when providing an approved copy of an official symbol for inclusion in a funding recipient's public communications or as part of a joint initiative with other partners.

Choice of symbol

As figures 1 to 3 illustrate, there are three general options for presenting a visual acknowledgement. The Canada wordmark is the preferred option since it can be displayed larger than either the signature of the Government of Canada or of a department. The wordmark is also highly recognized by the Canadian public as a symbol of the Government of Canada.

Because multiple signatures cannot be used in the same application, for visual acknowledgement of two or more federal institutions, either the Canada wordmark or the Government of Canada signature is used. For international applications, the Government of Canada signature is the preferred option.

Composing a text credit

Text credits should be brief and to the point. As illustrated in Figure 4, there is no rule for the inclusion of a text credit; however, a text credit is recommended when the government is the sole contributor or where the symbol would otherwise be displayed by itself. Communications or official languages advisors should be consulted about the language requirements and wording of the text credit, if necessary.

Endorsements

For the purposes of the Federal Identity Program, an endorsement is defined as the inference, expression or declaration of a preference, sanction, or favour for any private sector enterprise, organization, activity or product. An endorsement or what could be perceived by the public as an endorsement may be created, either by a department or an individual, through written text, public statements, or the use of names, logos and proprietary imagery.

Endorsements are commonplace in the private sector because they have commercial value and can provide a competitive advantage. For the Government of Canada, however, providing an advantage to one interest is unfair to all others. It directly conflicts with requirements in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and its principle of treating all members of the public with fairness, impartiality and objectivity. Unchecked, the practice can undermine public confidence in the sound administration of federal institutions.

An endorsement should not be confused with the fair, objective and equitable acknowledgement of sponsors, partners and institutions participating in a joint initiative. Nor should it be confused with providing factual public information or data pertaining to contracts or contractors.

Ordering or updating a sign for a building

The Government of Canada signage system covers virtually every type of sign needed for federal facilities and services. This signage system is key to ensuring that the public can recognize federal facilities and access government services and that both the public and employees are well served with clear directions and warning signs.

One of the responsibilities of facilities management is to ensure that all signs are well maintained and their messages are up to date, accurate and bilingual. While Public Services and Procurement Canada is the largest custodian of federal office space, there are many departments and contractors with custodial responsibilities for structures and spaces owned or occupied by the government.

To ensure quality manufacturing, durability and consistent application of the mandatory government standards, a National Master Standing Offer for Government Signage has been in place for more than a decade. The services provided through the standing offer are available in all regions of the country and include site assessments, design and layout, manufacturing, shipping and installation. Standard signs are kept in stock, whereas signs with variable messaging require time to design and manufacture. Signage services also include decals for motor vehicles and specialty signs that are created in consultation with the Federal Identity Program.

The standing offer is managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada. All institutions are strongly encouraged to make use of this service to ensure the quality, consistency and durability of government signage as well as its compliance with policy. Public Service and Procurement Canada provides advice on and support in using the standing offer. Enquiries may be directed to Public Service and Procurement Canada by email: TPSGC.Enseignes-Signage.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.