Interchange Canada

From: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

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Benefits of Interchange Canada

Interchange Canada facilitates temporary work assignments of individuals in and out of the core public administration of the Government of Canada to:

  • transfer knowledge and expertise
  • meet organizational needs
  • contribute to the professional development of participants
  • build a better understanding and improve networks between the core public administration and other sectors

Find an assignment opportunity

View available opportunities on the Interchange Canada Assignment Opportunities webpage.

View assignment opportunities

Participant Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in an Interchange assignment, you:

  • are employed and have occupied your current position for at least 6 months
  • have not participated in an Interchange assignment in the last 2 years
  • meet the requirements of the position, such as experience, security clearance and/or professional designations
  • agree to follow all relevant codes of conduct of the host organization

Duration

Interchange assignments are:

  • part-time or full-time
  • up to 3 consecutive years

How it works

As an Interchange participant, you:

  • remain an employee of your home (sponsoring) organization
  • continue to be subject to the terms and conditions of employment of your home organization
  • continue to receive the same salary and benefits from your sponsoring organization (the host organization typically reimburses these costs to the sponsoring organization)
  • follow the business hours and vacation schedule of the host organization

Initiating an assignment

  1. An opportunity presents itself (by means of the individual, organization, or Interchange site).
  2. Open negotiations between host and sponsoring organizations.
    1. If you’re not a member of the core public administration, your host organization will send you the template Letter of Agreement.
  3. Include the core public administration departmental Liaison Officer to support negotiations and policy adherence.
  4. Sign the completed assignment agreement.

Post an assignment opportunity

Organizations may post an assignment opportunity on the Interchange Canada Assignment Opportunities webpage.

Complete an assignment opportunity form

Host Organization Eligibility

The host organization is:

How it works

The host organization typically reimburses the sponsoring organization for the participant’s salary and benefits. It is also responsible for covering any job-related costs, such as training or travel. Depending on the assignment agreement, different reimbursement options may be negotiated.

Initiating an assignment

  1. Even if you’ve identified a participant through your professional networks, it is still recommended that you post an assignment opportunity on the Interchange Canada Assignment Opportunities webpage. Complete an assignment opportunity form, including information about the duties, duration, and required qualifications of the assignment.
  2. An Interchange Canada representative will respond within 72 hours and publish your assignment on the Interchange Canada Assignment Opportunities webpage.
  3. Once your assignment has been posted, participants will be able to contact you directly and you can select the participant you’d like to host.
  4. Contact the Departmental Liaison Officer for the template Letter of Agreement.
  5. Use the assignment agreement template to confirm the details of the position, including reimbursement options, with the participant and their sponsoring organization.
  6. Sign the completed assignment agreement.

Contact us

If you are part of a core public administration organization, for more information, contact your Departmental Liaison Officer:

or

If your organization is outside of the core public administration, you may contact us by email: interchange-echanges@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

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