GC Collaboration Tools

Terms and Conditions of Use

The GC Collaboration Tools (GC Tools) are designed to connect you with the information and people you need to work with across the Government of Canada (GC). The GC Tools are comprised of the following platforms: GCXchange, GCConnex, GCCollab, GCPedia and GCWiki.

Who can access GCXchange and other GC Tools? 

GCXchange was designed for all public servants. Public servants registered through a secure registration process, or those registered through their departments, have access to the platform. 

The GC Tools, including GCXchange, GCconnex, and GCPedia, are intended for use exclusively by public servants within the federal government. In contrast, GCCollab and GCWiki are designed for broader collaboration and can be accessed by external users such as other levels of government, academics, and other stakeholders. Access to these external-facing tools is by invitation or through registration via a recognized institution. All users, irrespective of their role, must abide by these terms and conditions of use.

Interacting on the GC Tools 

Please be respectful and make sure your content is professional and relevant to where it is posted on the platforms. A good approach is to treat communication on GC Tools the same way you would a meeting or professional email. 

Remember that you are responsible for conducting yourself in accordance with the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the Directive on Conflict of Interest at all times.  If you are looking for examples or further information about acceptable use on the GC Tools, please refer to the Policy on Service and Digital and the Directive on Service and Digital, which provide examples of acceptable use (Appendix A) and unacceptable use (Appendix B) of networks and devices.

If you believe that a user is acting inappropriately or would like to flag inappropriate content, please contact us. The GC Tools team reserves the right to remove any content it deems inappropriate and/or ban participation of any user. 

Creating and collaborating on content 

The GC Tools are intended for communication and collaboration. Users must be aware of their obligations regarding the security categorization of the content they share or create. Unless otherwise specified by a community, all content on our platforms should be unclassified. Please refer to the Directive on Security Management (E.2) and Standard on Security Categorization (J.2) for information about security categorization. 

Responsibility and Ownership of Information 

All users are responsible for the content they share or create on the GC Tools platforms. While efforts are made to maintain security, each user bears accountability for the information they contribute. Therefore, users are expected to exercise caution when sharing information and ensure compliance with departmental security, privacy and information management policies and protocols. 

Users are subject to GC and departmental privacy policy instruments. Before sharing or disclosing information, users should ensure they have the legal authority to do so and that such sharing or disclosure is consistent with the original purposes for which it was collected or created.

Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP)

The GC Tools are not to be used as a records repository but rather as a sharing environment. It is imperative to adhere to this principle, especially when considering requests made under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Ownership of records and their management should align with departmental information management policies and procedures. 

For more on information management, please consult the Guideline for Employees of the Government of Canada: Information Management (IM) Basics- Canada.ca

Your Privacy and the GC Tools 

Any personal information you choose to share on the GC Tools should only be related to your duties and functions as a public servant and any views or opinions given should be in relation to exercising those duties and functions and given in the course of your employment.  We are committed to respecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act and its associated policies. For more information, read the Privacy Statement.

Security Awareness 

Users should remain vigilant regarding the sensitivity of the information they handle on the GC Tools. Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with security practices and guidelines to ensure the appropriate handling of information. 

For more information on determining and marking sensitive information, please consult: 

• Guidance on Security Controls 
• Directive on Security Management - Appendix J: Standard on Security Categorization

GC Tools Security

We routinely monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. We track network traffic information, e.g., the Internet Protocol (IP) address of each device, the date and time of visits, and the pages visited. This information may be used to conduct an investigation if an attempt is made to damage the site. We make no attempt to link the information with the identity of individuals unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

Security Categorization at a Glance 

Unclassified 

Non-sensitive information whose disclosure would not reasonably be expected to cause injury. 

Examples: purchase requisitions, contracts, inventories, company/product literature and general correspondence, manuals on policy and procedures containing general information, policy and general information. 

Protected A  

(Reliability Status with need to know required) Sensitive information whose unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause injury (loss of privacy, embarrassment) to an individual, organization or government. 

Examples: date of birth, home address and telephone number, contracts and tenders, exact salary, letters of offer, Personnel Record Identifier (PRI). 

Protected B 

(Reliability Status with need to know required) Sensitive information in the Non-National Interest whose unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause injury (prejudicial treatment, loss of reputation or competitive edge) to an individual, organization or government. 

Examples: solicitor-client privilege, contract negotiations, Treasury Board submissions, unless the contents indicate otherwise, performance evaluations and character references, information gathered in the course of an investigation, criminal, medical, psychiatric or psychological records. 

Effectively managing your content 

The GC Tools are most effective when they facilitate open collaboration, allowing users to contribute valuable content for the benefit of their colleagues. 

However, it's essential to understand that the GC Tools are not intended to serve as an official corporate repository or an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS). Therefore, all content created and shared within these platforms should be considered transitory.

Content on GCXchange Community SharePoint sites and Teams Channels will be deleted after two years of inactivity since last modification. Content in GCXchange Community Recycling Bins will be permanently deleted after 93 days. Microsoft Teams Chats between individual employees will be deleted six months after posting.

Users are responsible for ensuring that information of business value (IBV) is maintained within their departmental EDRMS or another designated corporate repository for managing IBV. GC Tools does not assume responsibility for data uploaded to or created within the platform. Each institution is accountable for the content, including the processing of access to information requests, associated with that institution. Documents shared on the GC Tools should primarily consist of working drafts or copies of official documents. 

To ensure the use of GC Collaboration Tools aligns with the Directive on Open Government, users are encouraged to consider structuring the data in a way that is ready to be released to the public, even when the content is first shared in one of the tools with limited access. 

For more on information management, please consult: 

• Guideline for Employees of the Government of Canada: Information Management (IM) Basics- Canada.ca 

Respecting Canada’s Official Languages 

We respect the Official Languages Act (OLA) and are committed to providing all functionalities of GC Tools in both official languages in accordance with the Policy on Official Languages and related policy instruments including the Directive on Official Languages for Communications and Services, the Directive on the Implementation of the Official Languages [Communications with and Services to the Public] Regulations and the Directive on Official Languages for People Management.

The GC Tools are meant to enable interdepartmental collaboration and thus when posting content, you should consider your role within your organization, your work responsibilities, and your intended audience. We advise that official content and content intended for broad dissemination be provided in both official languages. 

Formal communities and groups must ensure final published content and draft content intended for collaboration is made available in both official languages (English and French) and compliant with the applicable language requirements set forth in the Official Languages Act and related directives. Draft Content for information purposes only in the spirit of working in an open-by-default and transparent process, may not be classified as "regularly and widely used work instruments."

The Indigenous Languages Act, which came into force in June 2019, supports and promotes the use of Indigenous languages. Unlike the OLA, however, federal institutions have full discretion on whether to translate their published content into Indigenous languages.

Communications and Federal Identity Policy, and the Copyright Act

Any information that you post is subject to the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Copyright Act. 

Our Commitment to Accessibility 

We respect the Accessible Canada Act and are committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility as defined in the Standard on Web Accessibility and the Standard on Optimizing Web sites and Applications for Mobile Devices. You are encouraged to make your content as accessible as possible. 

Formal groups and communities – that is groups and communities supported by government funds and formal executive leadership – must ensure all final content and draft content for the purpose of collaboration meets the applicable accessibility standards at the time of release on a platform. We strongly encourage that draft content for information purposes produced by formal groups and communities meet accessibility standards.

For information on how to make your content accessible, please consult: 

• Digital Accessibility Toolkit 

Your GC Tools Team 

The GC Tools are the GC’s official digital workspace. The GC Tools team is here to support you if you have general questions or have technical issues, please contact us.