The common purpose of policy practitioners in Canada’s public service is to be modern, relevant and responsive in how we work to address the needs of Canadians.

What does that mean? For the Policy Community, it means we need to be networked across departments and agencies and beyond, with awareness and skill with emerging approaches for doing our work. It also means that our policy advice-shaping efforts must keep sight of being timely, having impact and be attuned to our complex and diverse evolving context. 

For policy excellence, we need to convene, enable, and share knowledge between policy shapers and influencers. That is why we are formalizing support for the Policy Community to make it easier to find support, share experiences, collaborate, build skills, bridge the gap between policy and delivery, and improve outcomes for Canadians.

Our approach to community is all inclusive: If you are working to improve the way we tackle the challenges and issues that affect Canadians, you are part of shaping policy. (This includes Federal, Provincial/Territorial and Municipal Public Service, international governments, innovation hubs and labs, academics, and think tanks).

In 2017, the Clerk of the Privy Council, named two champions to support the Community and staff a small Policy Community Partnership Office to help deliver supports for the Community.

If you have questions on how to get involved, or would like more information, please email us: policommpoli@canada.ca

The Policy Community Conference is the Policy Community's gathering of the year!

Making integrated policy requires bringing together the right people with the right approach.

The Annual Policy Community Conference is about just that. It’s a place for policy makers and shapers from across the federal public service and beyond to connect, learn, and explore topics around modern policy making, together.

The 2020 Conference is trying something new: due to overwhelming demand from previous years, we are offering a one-day program, twice on back-to-back dates. The conference will be held in Ottawa (111 Sussex Drive) and available virtually.

Come to make connections, be inspired, learn and practice! A mix of learning opportunities will be offered through keynote speakers, workshops, a panel and activities.

The theme of this year's Policy Community Conference is "Integrated Policy: Let's Dance!" It will explore integrated policy between policy practitioners across the policy cycle, between departments within the federal government, and between the federal government and the broader policy ecosystem.

There are no registration costs for the 2020 Policy Community Conference. The program will be bilingual (e.g. simultaneous translation of speakers and bilingual sessions). There are ways to participate in the conference no matter where you are.

We will be holding a Policy Artifact Story Contest for your chance to win a ticket to the upcoming Policy Community Conference!

Our waitlist for general admission will open on February 5th, 2020. This waitlist is open to everyone, inside and outside the Government of Canada.Joining the waitlist does not guarantee you a spot in the conference. Only those the waitlist who receive a spot will be directly contact, no sooner than February 24th.

Even if you are not able to attend in-person, you can still participate in the Policy Community Conference! We will be webcasting the keynote speakers and the panel so you will get the chance to watch the conference LIVE! Better yet, ask your departmental ticket coordinator if they are hosting group viewing of the conference near you. More information about virtual participation will be released in the coming weeks.

Information on our previous conferences