About
Federal Field Notes is a newsletter about digital transformation in the federal Government of Canada (GoC), drawn from first-hand experience (although very occasionally in the third person). It discusses digital government in Canada in a way that’s honest, insightful, and a little irreverent. Subscribe for occasional updates about interesting gov tech stuff.
Federal Field Notes is the brainchild of Paul Craig, a former Canadian civil servant whose friends do not care about the subject matter of this newsletter. Paul has always wanted to try writing in the third person.
Paul is (like every other Developer you know) an AI Engineer and Technical Strategist who helps government teams succeed. Paul built a key part of the COVID Alert app and a GoC-branded AI chatbot for the federal Courts Administration Service (CAS).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the views and opinions expressed here reflect the views of your teammates or employers?
No.
“I want to email you about ____”
Sounds good. I’m easy to reach.
“I have a comment about ____”
I am around on Twitter (@pcraig3), and I have opened up Discussions on Github.
“What are you hoping to achieve by this?”
The goal was always that you would end up on this About page.
Why a newsletter?
It sounds more serious than saying “it’s a blog”.
Why is it called “Federal Field Notes”?
Because “Maple Story” was already taken.
What happens if I subscribe?
Expect great content in your inbox 2-4 times a year!
Also, if you are my 1 thousandth subscriber, you win a gift card to Canadian business!!
What happens to my data if I subscribe?
I am using Buttondown for the mailing list. If you subscribe, you will get emails from me sometimes. If you unsubscribe, you are gone.
Are you serious about the gift card?
Yes.
What if I continually subscribe and then unsubscribe to keep increasing my chances of winning the gift card?
No, that is not allowed.