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Privacy Notice

The Government of Canada and the Canada School of Public Service (the School) are committed to providing websites that respect the privacy of visitors.

All personal information collected by the School is governed by the Privacy Act. This means that you will be informed of the purpose for which your personal information is being collected and how to exercise your right to access that information.

Personal information collected by the School

The School collects your name, email address, telephone number and billing address, as well as information about the job that you hold (your classification group and level, your job title), the identifying number that your sponsoring organization has assigned to you (such as your personal record identifier, your military service number or your RCMP regimental number), your language of work, the course or training that you want to take, the results of your training and the department that you work for. If you are a federal public servant, some or all of this information may be sent to the School by your department or agency or you may provide it yourself. The School may also ask you for information about any special needs that you have or, depending on your learning and training needs, collect information about your aptitude for language learning or your prior learning experiences.

It is your responsibility to ensure your personal information is accurate. If at any time you need to update your personal information, please contact the Client Contact Centre.

The School also collects information about your training experience, such as your progress, assignments, answers, comments, opinions and recommendations. This information may be analyzed and used to determine the quality and complexity of the courses and will only be accessible to a minimum of employees on a need-to-know basis. It may also be used as a reason to reach out to you to offer support.

The School may have some of your personal information on paper, such as paper records of assessments of your language aptitude or previous training with another employer.

Further details about how your personal information is handled are described in the School's Personal Information Collection Statement.

Retention period

If you are a federal public servant, the School keeps information about each training activity that you attend electronically in your learner profile. The profile, a unique record assigned to you, will follow you throughout your public service career. It is destroyed, as are all of your employment records, five years after you leave the federal public service.

If you are not a federal public servant, the School keeps information about you and your training experience for five years.

Protection of information

The School treats all of your personal information as "particularly sensitive" a classification that requires, as a matter of federal government policy, additional safeguards (e.g. restricted access and password protection). The School's database application is known as the "Integrated Learning Management System (I-LMS)."

Data sharing for hosted learning products

This course is a learning product that the Canada School of Public Service hosts on its learning platform on behalf of a federal public service organization for the purpose of providing access to eligible employees from the federal public service. As part of delivering learning products and services, the School collects and uses information about registered learners.

This information may include, but is not limited to, learner names, affiliated organizations, personal record identifiers or other employment identification numbers, work addresses, courses taken, dates of registration, completion status, dates of completion, number of attempts to pass a course, the mark obtained when a course is completed, participant groups and levels, results from level 1 evaluations, work phone numbers, and email addresses.

When a learning product hosted by the School is owned and maintained by another public service organization, learner data collected by the School may be shared with this organization for research and statistical analysis, to improve product quality and learner experience, and to grant occupational certification.

Your privacy and the Internet

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about visits to websites, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when a visitor requests a web page, such as the page or pages visited and the date and time of the visit.

The School does not automatically gather specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or email address. The School would only obtain this type of information if you or your organization explicitly supplied it.

In cases where services are provided by organizations outside of the Government of Canada, such as social media platforms or mobile applications, IP addresses may be recorded by the Web server of the third-party service provider.

Communicating with the Government of Canada

The information you provide to the School will only be shared with another government institution if your inquiry, request or message relates to that institution. If your training has been sponsored, the School may advise your employer electronically of the results of your training and invoice your department. The School does not disclose the information to anyone other than to those in the federal government who need to provide you with a response, pay for your training or keep records of your training on file. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

If you choose to send the School an email or complete an online feedback form, your personal information is used by the School to respond to your inquiry (e.g. create an account, register you for a course). The School is subject to the reporting requirements set out in the Directive on Mandatory Training. The collection and sharing of training and development information between the School and certain institutions is also described in the Personal Information Bank Training and Development (PSE 905).

The School uses information about your special needs and/or aptitude for learning to adapt its courses, programs and events. Information about your prior learning experiences is used to determine the right level of training for you. Evaluations are used to adjust content and structure, provide feedback to instructors and ensure the best possible training environment.

Aggregate information about the School's courses, programs and events is used to produce statistical reports (e.g. number of learners, types of courses provided).

Emails and other electronic methods used to communicate with the Government of Canada are not secure unless it is specifically stated on the Web page. It is recommended that you do not send sensitive personal information through non-secure electronic means.

Third-party social media

The School's use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media accounts are public and are not hosted on Government of Canada servers. Users who choose to interact with the School via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications that are used to access them. The School uses LinkedIn and Twitter. For information on how the School uses Twitter, please read the Social Media Terms of Use and Social Media Commenting Guidelines.

Information that you provide to the Government of Canada via social media accounts is collected under the authority of paragraph 4(f) of the Canada School of Public Service Act. This information is collected to capture conversations (e.g. questions and answers, comments, "likes," retweets) between you and the School. It may be used to respond to inquiries or for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes. Posted comments that violate Canadian law will be deleted and disclosed to law enforcement authorities. Comments that violate the School's Social Media Terms of Use and Social Media Commenting Guidelines will be deleted.

Improving your experience on Government of Canada websites

Digital markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitor's browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or a subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

  • they allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site; and
  • they track what information is viewed on a site, which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

When you take an online training course, cookies may be used during your online session. During your visit to the School's website, your browser exchanges data with the School's Web server. The digital markers used do not allow the School to identify individuals.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with the School's website or take online courses.

Web analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement and reporting of data about web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing web use. Information in digital markers may be used for the purpose of web analytics to remember your online interactions with the School's website.

The School uses analytics software to improve its website. When your computer requests a page on the School's website, the following information is collected:

  • originating IP address
  • date and time of the request
  • type of browser used
  • page(s) visited

The School uses and retains information collected for web analytics for a maximum period of 18 months. After this period, the information is disposed of in accordance with the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics and as authorized by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. The information is not disclosed to an external third-party service provider.

External service providers

In order to effectively operate its website, the School occasionally uses service providers external to the department. Such service providers are bound by a contract with the School to treat any personal information as confidential.

Protecting the security of Government of Canada websites

The School employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the IP address of the computer that has contacted the School's website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. The School makes no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting its site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security-related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting and is included in Personal Information Bank Electronic Network Monitoring Logs (PSU 905).

Inquiring about these practices

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act and privacy policies regarding the School's Web presence may be directed to the School's Access to information and privacy requests.

If you are not satisfied with the School's response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

Privacy Code

Purpose

At the Canada School of Public Service ("the School"), the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act provide the legal framework for the management of personal information.

The purpose of this Code is to establish, in an era in which technology increasingly facilitates the circulation and exchange of information, rules to govern the collection, use, retention and disclosure of personal information by the School in a manner that recognizes the right to privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information and the need for the School to collect, use retain or disclose personal information in the course of an activity or service.

Code

As a federal government institution, the School is responsible for managing personal information that it collects. Records, regardless of the format, held under the control of the School are subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. This Code outlines best practices for meeting the School's obligations under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

It is the obligation of the School to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information in its custody and control, including that of its employees, learners, contractors partners and the public.

The School recognizes that effective systems and measures to protect such personal information are important to safeguarding the interests of its employees, learners, contractors, partners, the public, and other identifiable individuals who share their personal information with the School.

The School will manage its personal information holdings in a responsible manner. It will control the collection, use, retention and disclosure of personal information, and protect that information from unauthorized access.

Definitions

This Code adheres to the definition of "personal information" set out under the Privacy Act. As such, "personal information" in this Code means information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form. It is important to know that certain types of information are excluded from the personal information definition under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Application

This Code applies to the School in respect of personal information that:

  1. the School collects, uses, retains or discloses in the course of an activity or service that relates directly to an operating activity or service of the institution; and
  2. is about an employee of the School, a learner, a contractor, a partner and a member of the public, and that the School collects, uses, retains or discloses for the fulfillment of its mandate.

Guiding Principles

The School adheres to a number of principles that inform its activities and services associated with the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. Such principles are set out in this Code and are very important for the School's employees that handle personal information in the course of their employment, and their related responsibilities and accountabilities at the School.

Principle 1 – Accountability

1.1 The School has a legal obligation to ensure that its collection, use, retention and disclosure of personal information is compliant with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

Key responsibilities of the School's senior management and employees are outlined in the School's Privacy Management Framework.

1.2 The School ensures the collection, use, retention, maintenance and sharing of personal information in its possession. The School uses contractual (e.g. information handling requirements in an information sharing agreement with a third party receiving personal information from the School) or other applicable measures (e.g. technological) to provide a comparable level of protection for a third party receiving personal information from the School.

1.3 The School's privacy framework and related instruments ensure compliance with the principles of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, including:

  1. procedures to protect personal information;
  2. procedures to receive and respond to inquiries and complaints;
  3. raising awareness, training employees and communicating information to employees and the public about the School's privacy practices and procedures; and
  4. materials to explain the School's privacy practices and procedures.
Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes

2.1 The School identifies the purposes for which it collects personal information at or before the time of collecting from an individual, and collects only the information necessary for the purposes that have been identified and consented to by the individual. The School obtains meaningful consent and provides a notice to individuals for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. Consent is considered meaningful when individuals are provided clear information explaining the purpose for which the School is collecting their personal information, and what it is doing with their personal information. This normally occurs through the completion of a paper or an electronic form or other document, and may also be done orally or by means of implied consent.

2.2 Through its Info-Source portal, the School discloses publicly to all learners, employees and Canadians the inventory of its information holdings to assist all interested parties in identifying the information that the School has under its control, and in making an access to information request or a personal information request.

2.3 When the School wishes to use personal information for a purpose not previously specified, it will identify and communicate the new purpose to the individual(s) whose personal information will be collected prior to such use. The individual(s) whose personal information is at issue must consent to the new purpose before the School can use the information for this new purpose, unless the use is to comply with Section 7 or 8(2) of the Privacy Act.

Principle 3 – Consent

3.1 For all activities and services that require the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, a privacy notice which includes a consent from the individual will be provided.

Principle 4 – Limiting Collection, Use and Disclosure

4.1 The School collects, uses, retains and discloses personal information to third parties for the purpose for which the information was originally obtained or compiled, for a use consistent with that purpose or for a purpose permitted under the Privacy Act.

4.2 The amount and type of information collected by the School will be limited to that which is necessary to fulfil the purpose(s) identified. The School's Info Source portal provides individuals with relevant guidance to access personal information about themselves held by the School and allows them to exercise their rights under the Privacy Act.

4.3 The consent of the individual in question must be obtained before his or her personal information is collected, used, retained or disclosed, unless the use is to comply with Section 7 or 8(2) of the Privacy Act.

4.4 Any disclosure of personal information to third parties will be done pursuant to agreements setting out the requirements for the use, safeguards, retention and disposal of such information, or as required by law.

Principle 5 – Safeguards

5.1 Security safeguards are to protect personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification regardless of the format in which it is held.

5.2 The nature of the safeguards vary depending on the sensitivity of the information that has been collected, the amount, distribution, and format of the information, and the method of storage.

5.3 The methods of protection used include:

  1. physical measures (e.g., locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices);
  2. organizational measures (e.g., security clearances and limiting access on a "need-to-know" basis); and
  3. technological measures (e.g., the use of passwords and encryption).

5.4 The School supports its employees in understanding the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and security of the personal information it holds and fulfilling their information security and privacy responsibilities.

Principle 6 – Retention and Disposal of Personal Information

6.1 The School retains and disposes of personal information in accordance with TBS's Policy on Service and Digital and Directive on Service and Digital, which meets the requirements set out in applicable legislation (i.e. the Access to Information Act, Privacy Act and the Library and Archives of Canada Act.

6.2 Retention schedules for personal information held by the School are described in its School's Info Source portal.

6.3 The School ensures that personal information in its possession is destroyed in a manner (including technological) that prevents unauthorized parties from gaining access to such information.

Principle 7 – Individual Access

7.1 An individual can make written request under the provisions of the Privacy Act to view their personal information in the School's custody. When a request is received, the School will identify if it possesses personal information about the requestor and will provide access to that information under the provisions of the Privacy Act, which may be subject to restrictions due to legal obligations.

7.2 Upon request, the School shall provide an individual with timely access to his or her personal information contained in records under the control of the School. Individuals may also request correction to their personal information which is under the School's control. Requests can be made in writing to the School's ATIP Coordinator.

7.3 Likewise, an individual make a written request under the provisions of the Access to Information Act to view records in the School's custody. When a request is received, the School will identify if it possesses any records responsive to the request, process the records pursuant to the Access to Information Act, and prepare a release package. However, the School will not release personal information under an Access to Information Act request and will redact the information it is legally obligated to withhold pursuant to the Access to Information Act.

Principle 8 – Accuracy

8.1 The School will take appropriate measures to ensure that personal information collected is as accurate, complete and up-to-date.

8.2. The School expects individuals that have concerns about the accuracy or completeness of their personal information to provide updated information, as appropriate. To provide updated information, to verify the accuracy or completeness of the School's records containing your personal information, or to request a correction to your personal information, please reach out to the School's ATIP Coordinator.

Principle 9 – Openness

9.1 The School will be open and transparent about its procedures and practices regarding the management of personal information. Individuals will be able to acquire information about its procedures and practices upon request. 

9.2 The information made available will include:

  1. the name or title, and the address, of the person who is accountable for the School's procedures and practices and who receives inquiries or complaints;
  2. the means of gaining access to personal information held by the School;
  3. a description of the type of personal information held by the School, including a general account of its use;
  4. a copy or other information that explains the School's procedures, practices, standards, or codes; and
  5. what personal information is made available to related organizations.

9.3 The School will provide information about its procedures and practices through its website.

Principle 10 – Challenging Compliance

10.1 The School will inform individuals that make inquiries or lodge complaints of the existence of relevant complaint procedures.

10.2 The School will investigate all complaints related to its compliance with privacy principles. If it concludes that a complaint is justified, the School will take appropriate measures to amend its procedures and practices, if necessary.

10.3 If the matter is not resolved, clients and employees have the right to file a formal complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada.

Contacting the School in Respect of Personal Information and Privacy Inquiries

The ATIP Coordinator and the ATIP Office are responsible for the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act at the School. They also ensure compliance with related Treasury Board Secretariat Policies and Directives.

The ATIP Coordinator and ATIP Office are also responsible for ensuring that any access to information requests or personal information requests received by the School are responded to in accordance with applicable legislation and regulations.

Comments and questions regarding this Code or its administration should be forwarded to the School's ATIP Coordinator.

Personal Information Collection Statement

Personal information is collected pursuant to paragraph 4(f) of the Canada School of Public Service Act.

Provision of the information requested is voluntary. The Canada School of Public Service will use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • facilitating and processing registration for a School learning activity;
  • confirming that an individual is a government employee;
  • gathering contact information to respond to a visitor's request, as submitted through the School's website; and
  • distributing products or email communications at the individual's request.

The information collected is described in the following Personal Information Banks: "Individual Data Base" (CSPS PPU 010), "Course Registration and Information" (CSPS PPU 050) and "Learner Registration and Management System" (CSPS PCE 732). The information in the Individual Data Base is retained for as long as the information is still valid. The information in the other two banks is retained for five years and then destroyed. As stated in the School's Privacy Notice, the School's website does not automatically gather any specific personal information from you, such as your name, phone number or email address. The School would only obtain this type of information if you or your organization explicitly supplied it.

Your personal information is protected under the federal Privacy Act, which states that you have the right to access your personal information and request changes to incorrect information. If you wish to avail yourself of this right or require clarification about this Statement, contact the School's Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator. For more information on privacy issues and the Privacy Act in general, consult the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website or call 1-800-282-1376.

Using Files Located on Non-Government of Canada Servers

Third-Party Server Notice

To improve the functionality of Government of Canada websites, certain files (such as open source libraries, images and scripts) may be delivered automatically to your browser via a trusted third-party server or Content Delivery Network. The delivery of these files is intended to provide a seamless user experience by speeding up response times and avoiding the need for each visitor to download these files. Specific privacy statements covering these files are included in the School's Privacy Notice, where applicable.

Providing Content in Our Official Languages

Official Languages Notice

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when the Canada School of Public Service uses both English and French to provide services to or communicate with members of the public. When there is no obligation to provide these in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by entities not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of the School's website visitors.

Linking to Non-Government of Canada Websites

Hyperlinking Notice

Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are provided solely for the convenience of the Canada School of Public Service's website visitors. The government is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content. The government does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-government websites before providing personal information.

Ownership and Use of Content

Copyright/Permission to Reproduce

Publicly available works from the Canada School of Public Service were produced for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada.

You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

Non-commercial reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may reproduce the materials in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes and in any format without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

  • exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced and the author (where available); and
  • indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available on this website and provide the URL where the original document can be found.

Commercial reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials the School shares, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the School.

Some of the content shared may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where information has been produced or the copyright is not held by the Government of Canada, the works are protected under the Copyright Act and international agreements.

To obtain permission to reproduce the Canada School of Public Service for commercial purposes, or for additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact us at copyrightdroitsdauteurs@csps-efpc.gc.ca.

Reproduction of Government Symbols

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the "Canada" wordmark, the Arms of Canada and the flag symbol may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization. Requests for authorization from the Treasury Board Secretariat may be addressed to

Federal Identity Program
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R5
Email: information@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Social Media Terms of Use

The Canada School of Public Service (the School) uses social media as a way to communicate with federal public servants about learning and development opportunities and other relevant information pertaining to their work and the public service in general. These terms of use describe how the School will communicate with federal public servants through social media.

Content

The School uses its social media accounts to inform public servants about useful information that can help them in their daily work, and upcoming events and courses to help them upgrade their knowledge and skills. It also provides an opportunity for public servants to network and learn from one another.

Some of the School's faculty and program specialists may use their own personal social media accounts during or outside regular work hours. Despite their affiliation with the School, the posts of these individuals in their personal capacity do not represent the School's official position.

Links to other websites

From time to time the School may include in its social media posts links to websites that are not under the control of the School or the Government of Canada. These links are provided solely for the convenience of the users. The School is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content provided through these links, nor does the School endorse the sites and their content.

Availability

The School aims to update and monitor its social media accounts during regular office hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST/EDT, with limited monitoring on weekends. Any activity during holidays, after core hours and on weekends would be urgent in nature and of significant value to the School's followers.

Third-party social media channels' services may be unavailable occasionally. The School apologizes in advance for any inconvenience.

Following and unfollowing

The School follows other organizations which it feels are relevant to the mandate of its work, such as other educational organizations, associations and other governmental agencies and departments. The School may also follow individuals. The decision to follow a particular organization or individual on social media does not imply endorsement of any kind.

The School will only take steps to remove or block followers if they do not abide by these Terms of Use or the School's Social Media Commenting Guidelines. Users may also be reported to the respective social media channel if they do not comply with the service provider's terms of service.

The appearance of an individual or organization as a follower of a School social media account does not imply endorsement.

Sharing content

The School may share relevant material posted by its faculty or program specialists, other Government of Canada accounts, and other accounts determined to be relevant to the School's followers and of significant value. This may include cross-linking, research findings, statistics and relevant events and conferences.

Direct messages and @replies

Feedback and interaction is highly encouraged. All @replies and direct messages sent to the School's social media accounts will be read, and any emerging themes or helpful suggestions will be forwarded to the relevant people at the School. Although the School is not able to reply to all messages individually, they will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will be responded to when deemed appropriate.

If the School feels that a comment or a question posed to the School is of significant business value or requires a greater level of detail, it may develop a formal response and distribute the information through other channels such as its website or other social media channels.

Journalists are asked to refrain from submitting questions through social media and instead, send questions directly to the School's Media Relations team at media@csps-efpc.gc.ca.

The School does not engage in issues of party politics or answer questions that break the rules of its Social Media Commenting Guidelines.

Accessibility

Social media sites, as third-party service providers, are not bound by Government of Canada policies for Web accessibility.

The Government of Canada is committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility and is working to address issues with third-party service provider platforms.

Copyright

Publicly available works from the Canada School of Public Service were produced for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada.

You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

Non-commercial reproduction

  • exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced and the author (where available); and
  • indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available on this website and provide the URL where the original document can be found.

Commercial reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials the School shares, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the School.

Some of the content shared may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where information has been produced or the copyright is not held by the Government of Canada, the works are protected under the Copyright Act and international agreements.

To obtain permission to reproduce the Canada School of Public Service for commercial purposes, or for additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact us at copyrightdroitsdauteurs@csps-efpc.gc.ca.

Official languages

The School respects the Official Languages Act and is committed to ensuring that information products are available in both French and English, and of equivalent quality. The School's social media posts are available in both official languages.

Through the very nature of the social media forum, content will vary between the English and French accounts, particularly where messages and comments are concerned. Responses to direct messages and @replies will be made in the official language of origin.

Some links will direct users to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act and are only available in the language in which they were written.

Privacy

The School's social media accounts are not Government of Canada websites. They represent the School's presence on social media sites, which are third-party service providers. Users are encouraged to read each platform's privacy policy.

Information shared with the School through social media is subject to the provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, which means that the information you share with the School's social media accounts may be captured, stored, accessed and disclosed in response to a request under either of these acts.

The personal information you share with the School through its social media accounts is collected under the authority of the Financial Administration Act, in accordance with the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity. This information is collected to capture conversations between you and the School via its social media accounts. "Conversations" include questions and answers, comments, "likes", shares and other interactions where you provide feedback on content that the School has posted, or when the School provides you with information based on content that you have posted. The personal information collected is described in the Personal Information Bank entitled Public Communications. Under the provisions of the Privacy Act individuals have the right of access to, correction of and protection of their personal information. Instructions for obtaining your personal information are provided on the School's Info Source webpage.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, the School recommends that you do not include personal information in your comments or other content that you post. Personal information includes home addresses and telephone numbers, photographs containing images of identifiable individuals and any other information consisting of personal information as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act. Should you have any questions about your privacy rights as explained in these Terms of Use, please contact the School's Access to Information and Privacy office.

Contact information

The School's Twitter accounts are managed by the School's Communications and Marketing team, located at:

373 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6Z2
Email: marketing@csps-efpc.gc.ca

Media enquiries

Media representatives can contact the School's Media Relations team during regular working hours at media@csps-efpc.gc.ca.

Social Media Commenting Guidelines

The Canada School of Public Service is pleased to provide social media tools to encourage information sharing, collaboration and interactivity. These tools help ensure audiences get important information on the School's courses, events, programs and services. Comments are welcome on most social media tools, although you may need to log in or create an account with the specific social media tool before you can provide your comments. As well, you must abide by the School's social media commenting guidelines.

The School's use of social media tools is intended to facilitate interaction between the users of these tools and the School, and in no way verifies or confirms either the accuracy of the comments submitted by outside individuals or their compliance with the School's guidelines. The School does not endorse any of the views in the comments that are posted and reserves the right to report or block followers who do not adhere to the guidelines listed below.

What is and isn't acceptable

You are fully responsible for everything that you submit in your comments. All posted comments are in the public domain. Please keep your submissions relevant to the topic and be civil.

The School will not tolerate comments that are offensive to an individual or an organization, rude in tone or abusive. The School does not discriminate against any views, but it reserves the right to report or block followers who post comments that are:

  • racist, sexist, hateful, slanderous, insulting, offensive or life-threatening messages
  • serious, unproven, unsupported or inaccurate accusations against individuals or organizations
  • abusive, aggressive, coarse, explicit, vulgar, violent, obscene or pornographic in nature
  • personal attacks and/or defamatory statements
  • against copyright rules (e.g. posting excerpts from other sites without permission and attribution)
  • in violation of someone's privacy (e.g. providing personal information such as phone numbers and email addresses)
  • announcements, solicitations, advertisements or endorsements of any financial, political, labour, commercial or non-governmental organizations and agencies
  • irrelevant messages
  • written in all CAPS (it is difficult to read and is interpreted as yelling)
  • written in a language other than English or French
  • spam
  • press releases or commercial promotions
  • illegal or suggest illegal activity

In short, be respectful and make sure your comments are relevant to the section where they are posted. If you have any questions about these guidelines or how the School applies them, please contact the School's Communications and Marketing team at marketing@csps-efpc.gc.ca.

A few other important notes:

  • The School cannot commit to reply to every comment posted. It will, however, attempt to engage in conversations when possible.
  • The views of participants commenting on these pages do not necessarily represent the views of the School.
  • You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information you provide. To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comments.
  • Media representatives are asked to refrain from submitting questions through social media. They should send questions to the School's Media Relations team directly: media@csps-efpc.gc.ca. Questions from the media will not be posted nor replied to.

How comments are moderated

All comments are moderated. Some may be pre-moderated or screened beforehand, which means that the School will read the comments before they are published to make sure they adhere to these guidelines. The School will do its best to post the comments promptly.

The School will not edit comments, but to ensure that your comments are posted, the School asks that you follow these guidelines.

Comments will be moderated during regular working hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST/EDT, and occasionally during holidays, after core hours and on weekends.

What if I see a comment I don't like?

If you disagree with a comment, you are welcome to respond. If you feel that someone has violated these guidelines, click on the "Report" link found beside every comment and indicate the problem.

Can I post School photos and videos on my own website or elsewhere?

Refer to the Terms and Conditions on the School's website.

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