FAQ

What is DPI?
DPI was the original name of the association when it was created in 1963, and it stood for “Data Processing Institute”.  In 1997, the association was officially registered as a non-profit organization and the name was changed to the “Association of Public Sector Information Professionals”.  Today DPI stands for “Developing Professionalism in Informatics”, and is the motto of our Association.

What is the Association of Public Sector Information Professionals?
The Association of Public Sector Information Professionals is a Federally Incorporated, not-for-profit organization, consisting of many volunteers and supported by a few contractors.  The Association is governed by a Board of Directors and works with the assistance of portfolio committees and departmental representatives to deliver world-class training events all year around.  In other words, the Association of Public Sector Information Professionals is IM/IT public servants helping other IM/IT public servants.

What is the mission of the Association?
The mission of the Association is to support the development of its members and to enhance their beneficial influence on the greater IM/IT community, and to promote effective IM/IT in all levels of the Public Service.  We provide seminars throughout the year and deliver Professional Development Week (PDW) once a year.

What are DPI Seminars?
Throughout the year, the Association offers seminars to help public servants continue to learn and develop their careers.  The speakers and subjects are chosen based on three tracks: people, business and technology.  Information on seminars and other DPI events is available under the “Events” section of our website.

What is the cost to attend a Seminar?
DPI offers its seminars free of charge to DPI members.

What is Professional Development Week (PDW)?
PDW is the premier training event for IM/IT Professionals.  Every year, we deliver world-class training to our membership over a three day period.  Your attendance at PDW should first be specified in your training plan.  If it is not, do a quick update to your plan today!  Discuss your desire to attend with your immediate supervisor and obtain his/her commitment to approve your attendance.  

What is the cost to attend PDW?
The cost for Professional Development Week varies with the date of purchase, and your membership status.  Please consult our “PDW” page under the “Events” section on our website for further details on PDW and the “PDW Registration Fees” page for further details on the costs.

What is the process to purchase a pass?
There are different ways to purchase a pass(es) for PDW.  The preferred method of payment is by credit card but we also offer other alternatives, like Local Purchase Orders (LPO).  Your organization can contact the DPI Office at (613) 7-DPI-DPI to discuss the purchase process.  Talk to your training coordinators to inquire about this cost effective way of delivering training.  

What forms of payment does DPI accept?
DPI accepts credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, or American Express) and corporate cheques.  DPI will also accept personal cheques, when substantiated by proper identification.

Are PDW passes transferable and how does DPI support the sharing of passes among individuals?
The sharing of passes is permitted – even though each pass will be issued in either one person’s name, or with a general department name DPI recognizes that there will be situations where managers wish to have their employees share passes even though full attendance is of great training value for an individual.  To facilitate this, passes can be left at the PDW registration desk.

Is there any way I could still attend parts of PDW without having the costs allocated to my individual training allowance dollars?  I want to use my training dollars for other specific IM/IT training.
Discuss your situation with your immediate supervisor.  Even though the pass is registered to a specific individual, the pass can be shared.  As such, it is likely that the cost could be allocated to your division’s training dollars rather than just your individual allowance.  Another possibility is that this training expense allocation could be shared equally by the number of people sharing the pass.  In this case, only a portion of your training dollars would be applied to the cost of the pass.

Is the cost of parking included in DPI events?
No – the cost of parking is not included in DPI events.  The cost of parking will vary depending on where the event is taking place.  Most venues have available parking facilities and often there is a fee to park.  Check with the specific venue directly for more details.

Who can become a DPI member?
Membership in DPI is free and open to any public sector information professional, 18 years of age or older, who is an employee (Indeterminate, Term, or full time) of a federal, provincial, or municipal government, public sector agency, Crown Corporation, educational institute or other public authority.  The term “employee” does not include contractors or people hired though an agency.

Is membership to DPI limited to only those employees who are in the CS (Computer Systems) classification?
Any public service employee working in the IM/IT field, whether they are CS, AS, PM or from another group, are eligible for membership in DPI.  The organization provides a wide variety of seminars and workshops that we are sure to have something that would be of interest and value to all IM/IT professionals.

Why should I join DPI?  What are the benefits?
The primary benefit the Association has to offer is the excellent opportunities in learning, career development and networking.  We provide free access to seminars throughout the year and reduced registration costs to our annual learning event (PDW).  We fully support and provide access to the Information Systems Professional (ISP) certification (through DPI’s affiliation with the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS).  We provide a merchant incentive program, through discount arrangements with several organizations.  Benefits may vary from year to year; visit the “Get Engaged” section of our website to find out more.

How much does it cost to become a member?
Membership in DPI is free.

I just started with my organization; is DPI for me?
Absolutely – DPI has so much to offer that you are certain to find something to suit your career development needs.  DPI also offers you networking opportunities with colleagues that share the same passion for the IM/IT and is a great way to meet other IM/IT professionals from your own organization.

How do I register to become a DPI member?
Registration is simple.  Visit the “Become a member” page under the “Get Engaged” section of our website, and use the online registration form.

How can I become a volunteer?
DPI is always looking for energetic public servants who would like to help their colleagues learn and grow.  Visit the “Get Engaged” section of our website to find out more.

Is the “Members Only Dinner” included in the PDW event?
No – This is a separate function from the PDW event and is reserved for our members and special invited guests.  Advance registration is required as space is limited, and reservations are accepted on a first come, first served basis.  Visit the “Events” section of our website to find out more.

I am a member, but I lost my DPI membership card or my membership number, what should I do?
A few years ago, DPI made the “green” decision to no longer issue DPI membership cards.  You only require your number to register for DPI events.  To recover your DPI membership number, simply contact the DPI office at (613) 7-DPI-DPI or by email at info@dpi-canada.com.

I have information to share with DPI members.  How can I participate in your events as a speaker?
You can contact the Program team by email at program@dpi-canada.com.  Please indicate your desire to be a speaker, as well as any background information that describes the subject matter and content you wish to present.

How do I become a sponsor of DPI and what are the benefits?
Corporate sponsorship assists DPI in offering free seminars throughout the year and providing PDW at such a low cost to participants.  Our sponsorship portfolio will be more than happy to provide you with the latest information on the benefits of working with DPI.  For further details, you can contact our Sponsorship team at sponsorship@dpi-canada.com.

Can I volunteer to assist at PDW?
Yes, if you are a DPI member, you can volunteer for PDW.  If you are interested in volunteering for PDW, please visit the Volunteer section of the website.

Is lunch included in PDW?
Yes, lunch is included in the price of your PDW pass and provided for each day PDW.  The social event is also included.

Where do I find the Lost and Found?
If you have lost an item at one of our events, please contact the facility at which the event was held at.  If an item is turned into us during one of our events we will leave it with the facility's lost and found.

When will I receive my PDW pass/badge?
For local Public Sector Organizations your pass(es) to PDW will be distributed one month prior by your DPI departmental rep. To find out who your departmental rep is please click here.  If they are not picked up by your departmental rep we will contact you to make arrangements to get them to you.  If you do not receive your passes they will be available at the Registration Desk (Entrance) starting at 8:00 am on the first day of PDW.

Out-of-Town, Late Registrations and Others - Your pass(es) to PDW will be available at the Registration Desk (Entrance) starting at 8:00 am on the first day of PDW.

Special Requests - If you have a special request regarding your pass(es) please contact our office at info@dpi-canada.com or by phone at 613-737-4374 to further discuss.

What is the ticket in the badge for?
The ticket in the badge is to receive the PDW delegate kit onsite at PDW. As passes can be shared one ticket is provided with each name badge so DPI can ensure that only one delegate kit is provided per pass purchased.

What are the IM Community Recognition awards and the IT Community recognition Awards?
As part of the Members Only Dinner presentation ceremony, the Government of Canada IM Community Recognition Awards and IT Community Recognition Awards are presented by the Government of Canada’s Chief Information Officer.  These awards acknowledge and honour federal public service employees for excellence in IM or IT practices and leadership in the following categories: Leadership at all levels, Community building, and Shareable business improvement.  To learn more about the awards click here.

Is the social Event included in the PDW pass?
Yes – The social event is included in the PDW pass.  The event is FREE to all PDW delegates who have a badge and registrants to the DPI Members Only Dinner.  The Members Only Dinner  is not included in the PDW Pass.

Can I register and make a payment with funds from this fiscal year?
Yes – Your department can take advantage of DPI’s early registration offers, and pay with funds from the current fiscal year.  There is even a financial incentive to do so as we offer an early bird rate and encourage early registration.  The relevant TBS Policy can be found here.