Consultation profile pages template: Canada.ca design

Consultation profile pages provide access to Government of Canada consultations and engagement activities.

Consultation profiles:

• provide a plain-language description of a particular consultation or engagement activity, including its objectives
• consolidate information related to the status of the consultation or engagement activity, including background materials, data, and planned and completed events
• provide consolidated access to the outcomes of the consultation or engagement activity, including any documentation or data generated as part of the process
• relate consultations to Canada.ca topics and institutions, as well as other related consultations or engagement activities

On this page

• How to use this template
• User navigation

How to use this template

1: Consultation title

Provides the title of the consultation

• Content

  • the H1 heading should start with a verb phrase oriented to the users. Options include:
    • Share your thoughts (this is the default verb phrase)
    • Share and view ideas
    • Comment on
    • Join the discussion
  • add the name of the consultation after the verb phrase. For example:
    • Share your thoughts: Accessible Transportation
    • Share and view ideas: Nutrition North food subsidies
    • Comment on Pyrimethanil, Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2016-38
    • Comment on proposed revisions: Canadian Transportation Agency General Rules
    • Join the discussion: Open Government action plan 2.0
  • when the consultation closes, the verb phrase should be removed from the heading, and "Closed consultation" should be added after the consultation name. For example:
    • Accessible Transportation: Closed consultation
    • Nutrition North food subsidies: Closed consultation
    • Pyrimethanil, Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2016-38: Closed consultation
    • Canadian Transportation Agency General Rules: Closed consultation
    • Open Government action plan 2.0: Closed consultation
• Presentation

  • the consultation title must be a unique H1
  • must be the first component on the page

2: Status message

Indicates whether the consultation is upcoming, active or closed

• Content

  • indicates how long the consultation will continue to be open, or indicates the start and end dates if closed
  • provides a link to the consultation outcome report, if a report is available
• Presentation

  • appears below the title

3: Social media channels

Features consultation-specific social media channels

• Content

  • use the Social media channels block (follow box) pattern
• Presentation

  • appears to the right of the status message

4: Consultation description

Provides a plain language description of the consultation and its objectives

• Content

  • keep the introductory description short and concise
  • must include the objectives of the consultation
• Presentation

  • appears below the status message

5: How to participate

Lists ways in which interested parties can participate in the consultation

• Content

  • recommended format is a set of doormat links, in which each item corresponds to a different method of participation, including any relevant links
  • written for a grade 6-8 reading level
  • this component should be removed from the page once the consultation has closed
• Presentation

  • appears below the consultation description

6: Consultation details

Provides a plain language description of the groups being targeted by the consultation, the key questions/themes that are expected to be topics of conversation, and the details of when/where any meetings will be held, if applicable

• Content

  • content provides indication of upcoming opportunities to contribute; if appropriate, use a table
  • recommended format is a “who/what/where/when/why” structure for quick comprehension
  • written for a grade 6-8 reading level
  • content for this component must be drawn from a feed if one exists
  • remove meeting dates/locations from the page once the consultation has been closed
• Presentation

  • appears below the “How to participate” section

7: What we are hearing

Links to interim reports and shared ideas/comments

• Content

  • use this component as ideas and reports become available
  • if consultation meetings are being conducted in multiple locations, place the summaries from all meetings onto a single page, rather than splitting them up across several pages
  • when consultations are active, the recommended heading is labeled “What we are hearing”. For closed consultations, the recommended heading is labeled “What we heard”
  • when a consultation is closed, a link to the final “What we heard” report should be placed here as well
• Presentation

  • appears below the consultation details, on profile pages for consultations that are still open
  • on profile pages for closed consultations, this component should be moved up to appear just after the consultation description, near the top of the page

8: Related information

Links to related consultations, reports and information

• Content

  • when used, the heading is labeled “Related information”
  • do not use this section for anything about this specific consultation
• Presentation

  • appears below What we are hearing
  • use the Related links pattern

9: Contact us

Provides relevant contact information for the consultation

• Presentation

  • use the Contact information pattern

User navigation

Figure 3 – Text version

Consultation pages can be accessed from the Canada.ca Open Government home page.