Changes

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In April 2016, TBS re-launched the newly branded GCTools at the 2016 Innovation Fair – showcasing simpler navigation, a totally revamped interface and integrated search between GCconnex, GCpedia and GCintranet.

In April 2016, TBS re-launched the newly branded GCTools at the 2016 Innovation Fair – showcasing simpler navigation, a totally revamped interface and integrated search between GCconnex, GCpedia and GCintranet.

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In May 2016, GCcollab was proposed to the TBS executive committee as one of four potential innovation projects out of the Deputy Minister Committee on Policy Innovation (they approved all four, btw). GCcollab was originally intended to create stronger bonds between the federal government and students and academics. A small-but mighty team (Sean Kibbee and Jeff Outram) was assembled in July, work started in August and GCcollab launched in the public cloud with three universities on September 1st, 2016.

In May 2016, GCcollab was proposed to the TBS executive committee as one of four potential innovation projects out of the Deputy Minister Committee on Policy Innovation (they approved all four, btw). GCcollab was originally intended to create stronger bonds between the federal government and students and academics. A small-but mighty team (Sean Kibbee and Jeff Outram) was assembled in July, work started in August and GCcollab launched in the public cloud with three universities on September 1st, 2016.

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All of this work was still occurring and funded by GC CIOs, on a team with four indeterminate positions.

All of this work was still occurring and funded by GC CIOs, on a team with four indeterminate positions.

<h2> A need to change </h2>

<h2> A need to change </h2>

In mid-2017, we started thinking about what needed to come next. The GCTools worked, but despite doing a lot of things, they didn’t do anything extremely well. The open source platform that GCconnex and GCcollab were based on, Elgg, was getting long in the tooth and the applications had grown so big that when we added a feature or fixed a bug in one location, we created two or three new ones someplace else. This slowed us down, frustrated users (and ourselves) and meant we spent more time fixing problems that doing more awesome things for you.

In mid-2017, we started thinking about what needed to come next. The GCTools worked, but despite doing a lot of things, they didn’t do anything extremely well. The open source platform that GCconnex and GCcollab were based on, Elgg, was getting long in the tooth and the applications had grown so big that when we added a feature or fixed a bug in one location, we created two or three new ones someplace else. This slowed us down, frustrated users (and ourselves) and meant we spent more time fixing problems that doing more awesome things for you.

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Even more important, despite putting a huge amount of effort into making GCconnex and GCcollab more accessible, the complexity of the applications meant that even though they technically meet WCAG usability requirements, the usability was practically nil.

Even more important, despite putting a huge amount of effort into making GCconnex and GCcollab more accessible, the complexity of the applications meant that even though they technically meet WCAG usability requirements, the usability was practically nil.

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As we were going through these lines of thought, we also reached out to our sister team in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Pleio) and discovered that they were living the same experience. So we decided to figure out a solution together.

As we were going through these lines of thought, we also reached out to our sister team in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Pleio) and discovered that they were living the same experience. So we decided to figure out a solution together. <br><br>

<h2> Exploration </h2>

<h2> Exploration </h2>

We spent the summer of 2017 working with Pleio to explore new technology, programming languages and looking at international best practices in development and project management. We continued to explore and develop our team’s skills until we had the framework for something new: an open and accessible digital workspace. We kicked off the actual work for what we started to call an open digital workspace with Pleio, poutine and passion in autumn 2017.

We spent the summer of 2017 working with Pleio to explore new technology, programming languages and looking at international best practices in development and project management. We continued to explore and develop our team’s skills until we had the framework for something new: an open and accessible digital workspace. We kicked off the actual work for what we started to call an open digital workspace with Pleio, poutine and passion in autumn 2017.

<h2> A digital workspace </h2>

<h2> A digital workspace </h2>

The concept of a digital workspace isn’t new. A team in TBS had done amazing work on developing the concept, requirements and storyline behind how and why it would help the Public Service to better serve Canadians back in 2015-16.

The concept of a digital workspace isn’t new. A team in TBS had done amazing work on developing the concept, requirements and storyline behind how and why it would help the Public Service to better serve Canadians back in 2015-16.

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* [https://account.gccollab.ca/profile/ Account Service] – single sign-on solution with two-factor authentication

* [https://account.gccollab.ca/profile/ Account Service] – single sign-on solution with two-factor authentication

* [https://gccollab.ca/newsfeed/ GCcollab] – legacy platform and hub

* [https://gccollab.ca/newsfeed/ GCcollab] – legacy platform and hub

* [https://message.gccollab.ca/ GCmessage] – an instant messaging and team chat service (open source Slack)

* [https://message.gccollab.ca/ Message] – an instant messaging and team chat service (open source Slack)

* [[Main_Page|wiki.gccollab.ca]] – a Government of Canada wiki, open to the public

* [https://wiki.gccollab.ca/Main_Page/ Wiki] – a Government of Canada wiki, open to the public

* [https://data.gccollab.ca/ GCcollab Group Stats] – a statistics dashboard that provides data on GCcollab groups

* [https://data.gccollab.ca/ GCcollab Group Stats] – a statistics dashboard that provides data on GCcollab groups