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.

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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 the GC Digital Competencies matter

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What's in it for you

The 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 all Canadians

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.

The GC Digital Competencies are based on:

  • guidance from the President of the Treasury Board (2021) and the Minister of Citizen Services (2023)
  • support from key government policies, including the Policy on Service and Digital, the Digital Standards and the GC Digital Talent Strategy
  • eighteen months of research and best practices from Canada and other governments around the world
  • feedback from over 10,000 public servants in over 30 departments across Canada

How the GC Digital Standards and GC Digital Competencies work together

  • GC Digital Standards provide principles and guidelines for how the GC should work in the digital world
  • GC 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 agile, open, secure and digital-first services for Canadians

Learn more

To learn more about the GC Digital Competencies, visit the Playbook: The GC Digital Competencies for all public servants (accessible only on the GC network).

For any questions, email: icommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca

How you can help

This is a work in progress, and we will continue to improve on it based on your feedback.

Share your thoughts and suggestions by email: icommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca

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