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I am pleased to present the Public Service Commission's (PSC) 2008-2009 Report on Plans and Priorities
The PSC is an independent agency reporting to Parliament, mandated to safeguard the integrity of the public service staffing system and the political neutrality of the public service. In addition, the PSC recruits qualified Canadians from across the country
Our goal with this Report is to provide Parliament with detailed and accurate information about our organization's plans and priorities during this planning period and the strategies we will use to achieve our objectives
We also identify the risks, challenges, and opportunities inherent in our mandate under the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) and confirm the resources required by the PSC to fulfill our responsibilities
Our strategic outcome has remained constant - to provide Canadians with a highly competent, non-partisan and representative public service, able to provide service in both official languages, in which appointments are based on the values of fairness, access, representativeness and transparency
As part of our preparations for this planning period, the PSC's priorities were adjusted to reflect the progress made during the previous period, to more clearly state our statutory responsibilities to Parliament and to underline the role of the PSC in a modernized staffing and recruitment system
The PSC's key priorities for 2008-2009 are to:
We will continue to work with departments and agencies to build on the progress made in implementing the essential elements required under the PSEA. Through proactive outreach, the PSC is working with its partners and other stakeholders to ensure that managers and human resource practitioners are fully aware of the modernized approach to staffing and recruitment
The PSC has invested heavily in modernizing and transforming our services. Under the PSEA, we were directed to take on new activities and the demand for our services has continued to grow beyond what was expected in the delegated regime. Resources have been reallocated internally to priority areas. On December 6, 2007, Treasury Board provided us with some increased capacity to recover costs from departments and agencies. In the new funding framework, more of our services will be provided on a cost recovery basis and those revenues will be used to continue to deliver quality services to clients across government
The enduring strength of an organization is its people. Our success during this period of significant change would not be possible without the dedication of our employees. This year, we will be initiating a short survey to engage employees in improving our work and our workplace
The PSC will be marking its centenary in 2008. The Commission was established to oversee a merit-based, non-partisan public service and those values are as relevant today as they were one hundred years ago. Through this report, we are charting a course that will allow this important Canadian institution to fulfill its mandate, support public service renewal and help make the federal government an employer of choice for Canadians.
We submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2008-2009 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for the Public Service Commission (PSC)
This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2008-2009 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports.
The PSC's Executive Management Committee oversees preparation of the report and approves it after receiving advice from the PSC Internal Audit Committee.
Maria Barrados, PhD President January 24, 2008 |
Gerry Thom A/Senior Financial Officer January 24, 2008 |
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is dedicated to building a public service that strives for excellence. We protect merit, non-partisanship, representativeness and the use of both official languages
We safeguard the integrity of staffing in the public service and the political impartiality of public servants. We develop policies and guidance for public service managers and hold them accountable for their staffing decisions. We conduct audits and investigations to confirm the effectiveness of the staffing system and to make improvements. As an independent agency, we report our results to Parliament
We recruit talented Canadians to the public service, drawn from across the country. We continually renew our recruitment services to meet the needs of a modern and innovative public service
Values to Guide our Actions
In serving Parliament and Canadians, we are guided by and proudly adhere to the following values:
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent agency reporting to Parliament on matters under its jurisdiction. The Commission consists of a President and two or more part-time Commissioners appointed for a maximum period of seven years. The President and the Commissioners are appointed by the Governor in Council. The appointment of the President is made under the Great Seal after approval by the Senate and the House of Commons. The President's position is currently held by Maria Barrados; the two Commissioner positions are held by Manon Vennat and David Zussman. The President is the Chief Executive Officer and is accountable to the Commission under the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA). She is also accountable to the Minister of Canadian Heritage for specific duties and responsibilities under the Financial Administration Act.
Five branches headed by vice-presidents support the President in her role as Chief Executive Officer and contribute to the achievement of the PSC's strategic outcome. An organization chart outlining the PSC's internal structure and accountability is presented below. More information related to our organizational structure is presented in section IV.
The PSC's strategic outcome of providing Canadians with a highly competent, non-partisan and representative public service fully supports the Government of Canada's outcomes, as outlined in Canada's Performance 2006-2007 (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/reports-rapports/cp-rc/2006-2007/cp-rctb-eng.asp). The PSC plays a central role in safeguarding and fostering the integrity of the staffing system and the political neutrality of the public service through monitoring, audits, studies, evaluations and investigations in support of the government's public policy values of equity, transparency, fairness and representativeness. It is also a central enabler of the government's staffing system through the recruitment, staffing and assessment services it offers departments and agencies. The PSC reports annually to Parliament
The PSC also supports the Government's commitment for public service renewal. The PSC is supporting organizations in achieving their objective to significantly increase the number of post-secondary graduates appointed directly to indeterminate positions. The PSC is also reducing the time it takes to access second language oral interaction testing.We are also working with central agencies to minimize the reporting burden on departments and agencies to support the PSC's Staffing Management Accountability Framework (SMAF), the Treasury Board's Secretariat Management Accountability Framework (MAF) and the people component of the MAF
The PSC is also adapting its products and services to ensure that departments and agencies continue to have access to professional recruitment, staffing and assessment services and recruitment tools that Canadians and hiring managers use for employment opportunities in the public service. These tools provide timely assistance to departments and agencies to increase efficiencies in staffing processes at a time when recruitment is increasing
Finally, through its programs and services, the PSC directly contributes to the Government of Canada's outcomes of fostering a diverse society that promotes linguistic duality and social inclusion. It does so by ensuring that federal public service staffing policies protect merit, non-partisanship, representativeness and the use of both official languages, and by monitoring and assessing compliance with those policies.
Vote or Statutory Item | Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording | 2008-2009 Main Estimates ($ thousands) |
2007-2008 Main Estimates ($ thousands) |
---|---|---|---|
80 | Program Expenditures | 84,955 | 90,032 |
(S) | Contributions to Employee Benefit Plans | 11,673 | 13,174 |
Total Voted and Statutory Items | 96,628 | 103,206 |
Forecast Spending 2007-2008 ($ thousands) |
Planned Spending 2008-2009 ($ thousands) |
Planned Spending 2009-2010 ($ thousands) |
Planned Spending 2010-2011 ($ thousands) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
By Program Activity | ||||
Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | 18,580 | 19,334 | 19,826 | 20,410 |
Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality | 29,794 | 34,211 | 37,623 | 40,863 |
Staffing Services and Assessment | 60,832 | 57,083 | 48,212 | 44,389 |
Budgetary Main Estimates (Gross) | 109,206 | 110,628 | 105,661 | 105,662 |
Less: Respendable Revenue (Note 1) | 6,000 | 14,000 | 14,000 | 14,000 |
Total Main Estimates | 103,206 | 96,628 | 91,661 | 91,662 |
Adjustments | ||||
Supplementary Estimates (B) | ||||
- Second Language Evaluation | 655 | |||
Less: Spending authorities available within the vote | (655) | |||
Other | ||||
Operating budget carry forward | 4,916 | |||
Collective agreements | 550 | |||
Adjustment entry to reconcile to best estimate of expenditures | (1,974) | |||
Internal Audit | 214 | |||
Assessment and Counselling Services and Products | ||||
-Expenses | 3,500 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 |
-Revenues Credited to the Vote | (3,500) | |||
Public Service Staffing Modernization Project (PSSMP) reprofiled resources from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 | 1,082 | |||
Internal Realignment | ||||
-Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | (2,357) | (2,357) | (2,357) | |
-Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality | 1,895 | 1,895 | 1,895 | |
-Staffing Services and Assessment | 462 | 462 | 462 | |
Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) | 7,200 | 7,300 | ||
Total Adjustments | 3,706 | 2,982 | 9,100 | 9,200 |
Total Planned Spending | 106,912 | 99,610 | 100,761 | 100,862 |
Less: Non-Respendable Revenue (Note 2) | 1,340 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 |
Plus: Cost of Services Received Without Charge | 16,164 | 17,351 | 17,379 | 17,408 |
Total PSC Spending | 121,736 | 115,061 | 116,240 | 116,370 |
Full-Time Equivalents | 1,013 | 1,030 | 1,021 | 1,012 |
Note 1: The PSC obtained increased authority to respend revenues from increased Assessment and Counselling Services and Products for 2007-2008 and future years
Note 2: This non-respendable revenue corresponds to the employee benefit plan (EBP) component of the Assessment and Counselling Services and Products which is credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
---|---|---|
99,610 | 100,761 | 100,862 |
2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
---|---|---|
1,030 | 1,021 | 1,012 |
The PSC has identified five priorities that will be the focus for the period 2008-2009 to 2010-2011. The priorities have been revised and a new third priority added to reflect our progress over the last year and to highlight the emerging issues, changing operational environment and evolving roles introduced by the PSEA.
Priorities | Type of Priority |
---|---|
I. Fully implement the new PSEA | Previously committed |
II. Provide independent oversight and assurance to Parliament on the integrity of the staffing system and the non-partisanship of the federal public service | Previously committed (revised) |
III. Enable organizations to manage their delegated responsibilities | New |
IV. Provide integrated and modernized staffing and assessment services | Previously committed (revised) |
V. Build on the model organization | Previously committed (revised) |
The PSC's strategic outcome is to provide Canadians with:
A highly competent, non-partisan and representative public service, able to provide service in both official languages, in which appointments are based on the values of fairness, access, representativeness and transparency.
This table presents the PSC's program activities, the expected results each program activity is to achieve and the planned spending over the next three years.
Program Activities | Expected Results/Outputs | Planned Spending ($ thousands) 2008-2009 |
Planned Spending ($ thousands) 2009-2010 | Planned Spending ($ thousands) 2010-2011 | Contributes to the following priority |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | Recruitment strategies and staffing practices, consistent with the new PSEA and PSC strategic outcome, are implemented across the public service | 16,977 | 17,469 | 18,053 | 1, 3 and 5 |
Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality |
1. Organizations have implemented PSC monitoring and audit recommendations 2. Enhanced risk-based oversight of the integrity of public service staffing |
36,106 | 39,518 | 42,758 | 2, 3 and 5 |
Staffing Services and Assessment | Staffing and assessment services and products meet the business needs of clients and are consistent with the PSEA and the PSC's strategic outcome | 46,527 | 43,774 | 40,051 | 3, 4 and 5 |
The following results chain links what we deliver to the results we expect to achieve in the short, medium and long terms.
Operating Environment
On behalf of Parliament, the Public Service Commission (PSC) safeguards the integrity of staffing and the non-partisan nature of the public service. In this respect, the PSC works closely with government but is independent from ministerial direction and is accountable to Parliament. The PSC's mandate has three aspects:
First, the PSC has the mandate to appoint, or provide for the appointment of, persons to or from within the public service. As it deems necessary, the PSC provides staffing and assessment functions and services to support staffing in the public service
Second, the PSC has the mandate to oversee the health of the staffing system and ensure non-partisanship. This oversight includes maintaining and interpreting data on the public service, carrying out audits that provide assurance and make recommendations for improvements, and conducting investigations that can lead to corrective action in the case of errors or problems
Third, the PSC has the mandate to administer provisions of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) related to the political activities of employees and deputy heads
The PSC has a long tradition and mandate of ensuring that Canadians and their government benefit from a qualified, non-partisan public service, staffed on the basis of merit. In 2008-2009, the PSC will celebrate the 100th anniversary of a permanent Commission
Working with Departments, Agencies and Other Stakeholders
The PSEA encourages the PSC to delegate its appointment authorities to deputy heads and through them to their managers. The intention is to give managers significant opportunities to hire, manage and lead their employees to meet the needs of Canadians within the legislative framework. Instead of prescribing rules and procedures, the PSC provides broad direction and expectations through its Appointment Framework to guide managers in making their staffing decisions
Since the coming-into-force of the PSEA legislation on December 31, 2005, departments and agencies have made progress and acquired experience with some of its new features. Ongoing implementation will require that senior executives, managers and human resources (HR) officers understand their new roles and the range of opportunities they have to staff positions in their organizations. They need to continue to work together to explore new approaches, share ideas and monitor their individual staffing decisions to be sure they achieve the necessary results and respect the staffing values. Deputies will need to show leadership and give priority to innovative hiring approaches, including ensuring that managers have the support they need to exercise their central role in the system
To facilitate this cultural change, the PSC continues to offer staffing and assessment services to departments and agencies in order to help organizations adapt to the changes and take on their new responsibilities brought about by the PSEA. The PSC is working in collaboration with individual departments and agencies, with the various committees and communities engaged in modernizing staffing such as the Human Resources Management Advisory Committee, the Human Resources Council and its subgroups, the National Managers' Community and the National Staffing Council. The PSC continues to work closely with the Canada Public Service Agency to address specific challenges that have arisen since implementation. The PSC maintains other key relationships with stakeholders such as bargaining agents and the Public Service Commission Advisory Council to discuss issues and receive advice, and consults with experts, academics and representatives from other jurisdictions and sectors to seek their perspectives for the development of effective and innovative practices. (More details on Key Relationships can be found in Section IV.)
Overseeing the Integrity of the Staffing System
The PSC reports annually to Parliament on the integrity of the system and may make special reports to Parliament on urgent or important matters
In a highly delegated staffing system, the Commission's oversight role is geared to ensure that deputy heads exercise their delegated staffing authorities appropriately and adhere to the values and principles in the new legislation. A variety of accountability mechanisms and oversight tools are in place to accomplish this. The oversight tools include our appointment policies and delegation agreements. The PSC monitors whether the appointment system overall is operating effectively, and conducts audits, studies, evaluations and investigations. When the PSC identifies risks to the appointment system, it recommends changes. It can also sanction organizations or impose conditions on how they exercise delegated authorities. In exceptional cases, the PSC can withdraw those authorities
Safeguarding Non-Partisanship
Protecting a non-partisan public service has been the tradition and mandate of the Commission since its inception in 1908. Under the new PSEA, a strengthened political activities regime has been established to balance the right of public servants to participate in the political activities with the need to preserve the impartiality of the public service
The PSC has developed political activities regulations that define the process for requesting permission and approving requests from public servants who wish to be candidates in federal, provincial, territorial and municipal elections. The PSC has also developed a guide and self-assessment tool explaining employees' rights and obligations in this area. Employees must seek the PSC's permission in order to become candidates in an election. The PSC also investigates allegations of improper political conduct by public servants, for example, becoming a candidate without permission or disrespecting conditions that have been placed on a candidacy in order to preserve public service impartiality. The PSC's investigators carefully study the facts of each situation and work with the department or agency to determine if an allegation is founded and if corrective action is required
Experience in 2006-2007 with the higher volume of requests from public servants to run as candidates in municipal elections indicates that additional efforts are required to clarify, communicate and monitor the requirements of this process. The PSC will solidify its role in protecting and preserving the impartiality of the public service
A Complex Environment
The public service of Canada faces significant challenges and risks in attempting to modernize the staffing system. The public service is facing significant challenges with respect to its demographics. At a time when Canada's population is becoming increasingly diverse, the recruitment rate of visible minorities remains below one that would ensure a public service that represents workforce availability. The recruitment rate of visible minorities actually saw a marked decrease in 2006-2007, from 9.8% the previous year to 8.7%. Retirement of the "baby boom" generation will also create a challenge for the staffing system. Retirements will have a particularly acute impact for leadership since many of the cohort that is positioned to replace the executive group are of the same age. The increased focus on transparency and accountability directly impacts on the staffing system and the need to find the appropriate balance of managerial flexibility and accountability. Ongoing innovation and efficiencies available by leveraging technology will ensure recruitment approaches are modernized and allow the public service to effectively compete for the talent it needs to renew its workforce
The PSEA is a key enabler for modernizing the staffing system and HR management in the public service – the largest reform of the HR management in the past 35 years. As is to be expected with a change of this magnitude, it will take time for managers to adjust to the opportunities available to them under the new legislation
The PSC, central agencies and organizations put considerable effort into initial implementation of the new legislative regime. However, the magnitude of this change means it will be an ongoing process
Change will require a concerted and collaborative effort across several elements. Through its policy, delegation and accountability framework, the PSC provides expectations and requirements for deputy heads related to the appointment system and non-partisanship of the public service. By monitoring and measuring progress along key elements, the PSC will ensure that we continue to move forward with implementation of the PSEA and modernization of the staffing system. The PSC will also be benchmarking federal public service practices against other sectors, which will provide useful input to deputies and Parliament. The challenge will be to maintain momentum and to continue to share new approaches and successes across the public service
Within this environment, the HR community continues to play a critical role. Their role continues to evolve, and by providing expert support and services to managers, they allow managers to focus on their strategic HR decisions and responsibilities. However, the HR community continues to experience high rates of mobility that cause challenges for knowledge management and stable
operations. In the PSC's assessment of departmental efforts in
2006-2007, capacity in the HR community was the most frequently cited barrier to progress in completing HR plans, implementing policies and developing monitoring and controls
Because the PSC is responsible for overseeing the integrity of the staffing system, these challenges are also the PSC's challenges and risks
At the same time, the PSC must deal with its own internal challenges: building capacities in key areas of its mandate, introducing essential technology, continuously strengthening management practices, engaging employees and ensuring stable funding
The PSC must fulfill its statutory obligations to Parliament while supporting organizations and agencies, particularly in a time of transition and public service renewal. It has received authority to expand its use of cost recovery to meet demands from organizations for its services. This will help stabilize the PSC's financial capacity to meet demands and will help drive service quality
The next section explores these challenges and risks.
The PSC has identified the primary challenges and risks emerging from the complex environment in which it operates, with the main one being a loss of momentum in moving to the new hiring culture that Parliament foresaw in the Act. (More detail on risks, and strategies to address them, is available in Section IV, Corporate Risk Profile and Challenges.)
Deputy heads and their hiring managers are not making full use of the new flexibilities provided by the PSEA. Increased managerial discretion under the PSEA also means there is a risk that managers may inconsistently apply the staffing values. Insufficient HR planning and staffing strategies results in incomplete direction to guide managers in their staffing decisions. Weak departmental monitoring and reporting systems only make these tasks more difficult, and affect the PSC's capacity to provide assurance to Parliament on the integrity of the staffing system. The PSC will continue to communicate its expectations and work with departments and agencies to identify practices that could pose risks to the system and to enable continuous learning through timely feedback
The public service also risks losing momentum for modernizing staffing and expanding access to jobs for Canadians if it does not put effort into improving the enabling systems infrastructure. To address this, the PSC will implement its vision for improved services and move forward with the development of comprehensive staffing solutions and e-tools for both internal and external staffing processes
High rates of movement in the community of HR specialists are placing at risk the ongoing support managers need to effectively take on their new roles in staffing envisaged by the PSEA. This puts stress on a system that is both new and that is experiencing increased levels of staffing. To help managers, the PSC will continue to clarify policy expectations and communicate best practices through information sessions and ongoing communications and products
If the PSC fails to bolster its own capacity in such areas as audit, investigations and policy, it will have difficulty in fulfilling its statutory responsibilities. To address capacity issues, the PSC continues to build its capacity and professional standards for audits, strengthens its capacity and processes to ensure it carries out investigations effectively, and consolidates resources and functions for political activities. Succession planning and learning plans have been implemented and will be key to engaging and retaining employees. The PSC will implement succession planning and recruitment and development programs for staff in critical areas
In order to address its statutory responsibilities for oversight, the PSC has reallocated resources from within and expanded its cost recovery approach to address the increasing demand from departments for PSC services. Managing in a cost recovery environment presents its own challenges, in particular since demand for services is difficult to predict. The PSC will need to develop methods of predicting and anticipating demand based on experience and better forecasting. Fluctuations in revenues will necessitate adjustments to the PSC's resource allocation on an on-going basis.
Priority I - Fully implement the new Public Service Employment Act
The new Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) makes it possible for public service departments and agencies to transform their staffing processes to address their own situations and needs
Although organizations have made progress in implementing the PSEA, continuing effort is required. The goal is to change the culture for human resources (HR) management so that deputies can sub-delegate staffing authorities to managers who will be accustomed to their new roles, have access to information that will help make staffing decisions, and staff in the context of strategic HR planning that addresses both current and future organizational needs, including employment equity objectives. Delegated managers must assume greater responsibility and accountability for their staffing decisions. Change of this magnitude is an ongoing challenge and takes years to implement. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has a continuing responsibility to assist in this process of transformation:
Priority II – Provide independent oversight and assurance to Parliament on the integrity of the staffing system and the non-partisanship of the federal public service
The PSC, on behalf of Parliament, oversees the integrity of the staffing system and the political impartiality of the public service. Its position as an independent agency reporting to Parliament was strengthened under the new PSEA
To fulfill its accountability to Parliament for overseeing the integrity of public service appointments and protecting non-partisanship, the PSC has developed a continuum of accountability mechanisms and oversight tools. The PSC monitors and assesses departmental and agency performance and provides feedback to deputy heads so they can improve their appointment processes. Audits, evaluations and statistical studies allow the PSC to examine the staffing activities of departments and agencies and analyze government-wide issues. The PSC conducts investigations of external appointments under the new PSEA, staffing processes where fraud is suspected, or alleged improper political activities by public servants. It can also conduct investigations into internal staffing at the request of deputy heads. Over the planning period, the PSC will continue to strengthen these mechanisms and tools. The PSC will:
The PSC is completing the appeals carried over from the old PSEA and refocusing its investigations function to address the demand for investigations under the new PSEA. In the planning period, the PSC will:
Under the new PSEA, the PSC has been assigned standing before the new Public Service Staffing Tribunal. This provides the opportunity to encourage Tribunal decisions that protect staffing values and respect the policies and practices in the PSC's Appointment Framework.
The PSC has larger and more complex responsibilities for safeguarding non-partisanship in the public service. To strengthen its mandate with respect to protecting the political impartiality of the public service, the PSC will:
Priority III – Enable organizations to manage their delegated responsibilities
While organizations have made progress in implementing some provisions of the new PSEA, ongoing efforts are required to fully transform the practices and processes for recruitment and staffing in the public service. The success of complete PSEA implementation will depend in large part on ensuring managers are able to play the role expected of them. Managers need a variety of information, tools, support and services to take on their new responsibilities, notably support to explore new and innovative approaches for staffing. This cultural change also requires leadership from deputy heads so that individual managers will design staffing processes that not only address their immediate needs but also achieve corporate objectives such as longer-term resourcing needs and employment equity objectives
The PSC is committed to supporting organizations as they manage their delegated responsibilities. To sustain momentum and focus efforts to move to the next level of PSEA implementation, the PSC will:
Priority IV - Provide integrated and modernized staffing and assessment services
Under previous staffing legislation, departments and agencies were required to obtain certain staffing services from the PSC. Now, for the most part, they can develop staffing services internally or seek them elsewhere
Contrary to expectations of this highly delegated staffing system, the demand for PSC services has continued to increase
The ongoing demand for PSC services points to a continued need for a central service provider, even in the context of delegated staffing authorities. This is especially true in the case of high-volume transactions and interdepartmental processes such as collective staffing processes. Common services and systems, such as electronic staffing, are more cost-effective across the public service than departments' and agencies' duplicating HR services and Information Technology (IT) solutions. The PSC will:
With the expansion of its cost recovery authority to deliver services, the PSC will:
Priority V – Build on the model organization
To ensure it operates at peak effectiveness and achieves maximum value for taxpayers' money, the PSC continues to strive for a model organization that includes management excellence, employee engagement and stable funding. This is particularly necessary during a period of significant change for the PSC and its employees. The underlying goal is continuous improvement in our work and our workplace.