Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Part I. Values and ethics training plans

Question 1

Has your organization developed department-specific values and ethics training plans down to the divisional level?

• Yes

If not, to what level have department-specific values and ethics training plans been developed and what is your target time frame for completing this work?

N/A

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• Yes

If not, what is your target time frame for completing this work?

N/A

Part II. Codes of conduct

Question 3

Has your organization reviewed its code of conduct?

• My organization is in the process of reviewing its code of conduct.

Question 4

If your organization is in the process of reviewing its code of conduct, what is your target time frame for completing the review?

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Values and Ethics Code (AAFC Code) was reviewed and updated in 2020 as part of the People Management Strategy, to align with the direction provided by the Office of the Chief Human Resource Officer (OCHRO).

The current timeline for the review and update of AAFC’s Code is from April 2024 to February 2025.

Consultation Exercise

Updates to AAFC’s Code will be informed by an online survey which is part of a consultation exercise currently being planned and undertaken by AAFC. The results and analysis of the survey are expected to be completed by Fall 2024.

AAFC has already begun conducting initial consultations with various senior leadership groups/committees. The consultation exercise will reach all employees at all levels and across all fields within the Department. One goal of this exercise is to collect actionable feedback to specific questions about AAFC’s Code contents, that will in turn inform the additional updates. To ensure that all points of view are captured, consultations specific to the Code will also be conducted with AAFC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion network members, management groups and Branches with specific focuses. 

The online survey and a supporting communications plan will launch in June, for an analysis to be completed by October 2024. Following the analysis, the process of updating AAFC’s Code and all supporting documents and training will begin. 

AAFC celebrates V&E Awareness Month every February. The updated Code will be presented to employees during V&E Awareness Month 2025.

Question 5

If your organization has completed the review of its code of conduct, did this review lead to updates?

• Yes, my organization updated its code of conduct.
• My organization is in the process of updating its code of conduct.

Please briefly describe the nature of any updates made (e.g., to clarify expected behaviours, to align with the emerging context, to include emerging risks) or explain why no updates were deemed necessary.

The last update to AAFC’s Code was completed in 2020 as part of the People Management Strategy, to align with direction provided by OCHRO. AAFC is currently reviewing its Code in response to the recommendations in the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council.

Some areas of the Code have already been identified as requiring additional content development during this next review, including additional information on AAFC specific Conflict of Interest (COI) issues, more inclusive language, and more context on contacting and gifts and hospitality related to Indigenous protocols.

Content updates may also be required to address the recommendations of the Report on Science and National Security, aligning with direction that will be provided by OCHRO.

Updates to the current AAFC Code will help to address these issues and other issues of significance identified during the consultation exercise, as outlined in the response to question 4. Additionally, during the review, particular attention will be given to more inclusive/diverse language. We will leverage the feedback captured during the consultation exercise to shape the existing wording on the expected behaviours as they relate to the five values in the Code.

Furthermore, additional information on ethical decision making, appropriate use of social media, Indigenous protocols, and ethical leadership will be added. Lastly, formatting changes will be made (i.e. numbering sections of the Code) for easy reference.    

Part III. Discussions on personal accountability in upholding public service values and ethics

Question 6

What activities or actions has your organization undertaken to foster a conversation at all levels on personal accountability to uphold our public service values and ethics?

• Dedicated discussions at executive and management committee meetings
• All-staff engagements (e.g., town halls)
• Focused engagement sessions for specific functional areas (e.g., operations, finance, communications, policy, human resources)
• Focused engagement sessions on specific topics (e.g., conflicts of interest, social media, emerging technologies)
• Engagement sessions with equity groups, employee groups, networks and communities
• Inclusion in employees’ performance and talent management cycle discussions
• Specific values and ethics communications campaigns

Please provide additional details on activities that you have undertaken, including those not listed above.

AAFC is active in fostering conversations with employees at all levels to ensure awareness of their personal responsibilities to abide by and uphold the Code and the values therein, including:

One-on-one coaching

• Ongoing assessments and responses to COI disclosures and queries. Over the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Values and Ethics Policy Centre (VEPC) has received over 390 COI disclosures and queries, with over 130 additional disclosures received in April and May 2024 alone. This provides opportunities for the VEPC to engage in one-on-one discussions and coaching on V&E with employees and management across the Department.

Training

• In 2023/2024, in response to ongoing trends within the Science and Technology Branch (STB), the VEPC, along with STB Director Generals, engaged in country-wide armchair discussions geared to AAFC’s scientific community called I AM a Federal Public Service Scientist. Twenty-seven in-person sessions were delivered at 20 research centers with 433 participants. The sessions were designed to address the core values of the Code and employees’ personal accountability in abiding by the Code, using public service case scenarios pulled from the media for discussion. Other topics included: contracting, Intellectual Property, COI, science ethics and science integrity, collaborative agreements, foreign interference, trust, and breach of trust.
• Targeted training sessions (AdHoc Training) with teams across the Department are the most impactful and successful activity that results in fostering conversations on V&E. Eight adhoc targeted training sessions on V&E and COI during the 2023-2024 fiscal year which included open discussions using work-based case scenarios. There has been a significant increase of requests for adhoc training so far in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with 10 adhoc training sessions delivered in April and May 2024 alone to approximately 1000 employees, with several sessions being planned in the upcoming weeks.
• Focused workshops on COI, Professionalism in the Workplace, Political Activities, Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership were made available to all employees.
• Promotion of training activities such as: V&E mandatory training for all employees (CSPS and AAFC training), Science Ethics mandatory training for all STB employees (open to all AAFC employees), V&E modules in training for the Administrative Recruitment and Development Program and the Management and Leadership Development Program participants, and in AAFC Onboarding training for all new employees.

Communications

• Continuous communications campaigns via internal communications tools on employees’ personal responsibilities related to topics such as political activities, respect for people, social media use.
• V&E Awareness Month 2024 campaign launched to reinforce employee awareness of and compliance with AAFC’s Code. The campaign included targeted communications via internal communications tools to executives, managers, young professions, students, and all employees.

Other significant steps taken to ensure AAFC fosters conversations on personal accountability related to V&E at all levels include:

• Appointment of a V&E ADM Champion and a V&E Network Champion.
• Discussions on V&E at the opening of performance management agreement (PMA) cycles.
• Incorporating V&E as a topic of discussion at Deputy Minister (DM) All-Staff meetings, Executive Town Halls, and AAFC Executive Retreats. This continues into 2024 with several executive retreats already in the works.

Question 7

Has your organization taken any actions to ensure that conversations on personal accountability to uphold our public service values and ethics occur on a continuing basis?

• Included as part of the onboarding process for new employees
• Incorporated in employees’ professional development and mandatory learning plans

Please provide details on activities that you have undertaken, including those not listed above.

AAFC has taken several actions to ensure that conversations on personal accountability to uphold our public service values and ethics is understood by employees and occurs on a continuing basis, including:

Training

• The VEPC has delivered 8 ad hoc targeted training sessions on V&E and COI over the 2023-2024 fiscal year, these sessions included open discussions using work-based case scenarios, with an additional 10 sessions already delivered in 2024-2025 to over 1000 employees. 
• Delivery of workshops on topics such as Political Activities, AAFC’s values, Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership. Each session contains a component on the values of AAFC’s Code and the duty and responsibility that employees must abide by and uphold the values, in addition to a questions and answer/open discussion component. 
• Although now concluded, the I AM a Federal Public Service Scientist armchair discussion campaign will be adapted to be delivered to those not targeted during the initial roll-out. Following each session, the VEPC saw increases in queries, employees seeking V&E guidance and COI disclosures, which allowed the team to continue the conversation on V&E. Managers and executives were also seeking more information on V&E tools and resources to continue the conversation.
• Delivery of V&E training as part of AAFC’s Management and Leadership Development Program. Targeting this group ensures that all developing and aspiring managers have a V&E foundation to maintain an ongoing dialogue on V&E within their units.

One-on-one conversations

• All employees sign Letters of Offer containing a V&E statement with a link to AAFC’s Code as an acknowledgment of adherence to the Code; hiring managers are to discuss the requirements of the Code when providing the Letter of Offer.
• V&E discussions between employees and managers at the beginning of the performance assessment cycle. Employees certify, by checking a box, that they have read the Code and the Directive on COI and Post-Employment. The mid-year and year-end assessments continue the conversation by addressing core competencies such as integrity and respect.

Tools and resources

• Tools and resources are available to managers and employees on AAFC’s intranet to keep the V&E conversation going. This includes a manager's tool kit (currently being updated), and Ethical Dilemma Cards that can be used as conversation starters.

Part IV. Additional information

Question 8

What recurring themes (e.g., social media, emerging technology, conflicts of interest) have emerged from conversations with employees (e.g., students, new public servants, front-line service providers, managers, executives, members of functional/horizontal communities/employee networks) across your organization?

Identifying recurring themes facing AAFC employees is ongoing and one of the main objectives of the consultations exercise being undertaken via online survey. The consultations will also help identify gaps in training and/or tools and resources available to employees.

AAFC has already identified some recurring themes through feedback and dialogue during various V&E related training sessions, initial consultations with AAFC leadership, conversations with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion network members, and questions posed via queries to the VEPC. Themes include:

• Social Media Use: Employees are concerned about what they can say online. This can be challenging when employees are engaged in political or activist activities outside of work. Clarity is required on how to effectively and fairly manage the right to freedom of expression and participation in political discussions at large, while also upholding the values of Respect for Democracy, Integrity, and Stewardship (public trust).
• Political Activities: In today’s political climate, polarization and digital platforms redefine the landscape of civic engagement. Employees sometimes grapple with balancing their Duty of Loyalty to their employer and their rights to engage in political activities.  
• Conflict of Interest: Employees have an increasingly diversified list of outside activities that can cause concerns in regard to creating a COI situation. Managers have expressed concern about implementing and managing mitigating measures related to these COI situations.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Employees have expressed the desire to see themselves more closely reflected in the language used in the Code.

Question 9

How have you adjusted your learning activities to address recurring themes (e.g., adjusted training plans, developed specific case studies, invited expert speakers to focus on emerging themes)?

Training and learning activities delivered by the VEPC are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of the client and, oftentimes, the client’s needs reflect an ongoing trend within their units. Before delivering training, the VEPC meets with management to discuss focus/concern areas. This preliminary conversation allows for a training session more suited to the specific work of the client.

With various elections on the horizon, AAFC, in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, offered training on Political Activities to ensure that employees are aware of their responsibilities should they engage in political activities.

Additionally, with the return to the office, themes surrounding professionalism and civility in the workplace have surfaced and have been addressed through focused learning engagements open to all employees.

Currently, AAFC is piloting  new learning activities centered around ethical decision making and ethical leadership, as there has been significant interest from AAFC leadership for training in regards to these subjects.

AAFC is also identifying current and ongoing themes faced by the Department through the consultation exercise as described above. The information collected from the online survey will be used to further adapt existing learning activities and design new learning products to meet ongoing and emerging trends.

Question 10

Are there any actions or learning activities that have been particularly successful in fostering conversations within your organization (e.g., new tools, creative approaches that have resonated well with employees and managers, meeting with small groups, equipping managers to lead conversations, equipping values and ethics office/practitioners)?

AAFC has consistently found that targeted training sessions with units across the Department are the most impactful and successful activity that results in fostering conversations on V&E. The effectiveness of this approach can be seen by the usual increase in inquiries following the delivery of a targeted session.

Feedback received from participants of the I AM a Federal Public Service Scientist campaign demonstrated that executive leadership, in this case the Director Generals’ involvement in the campaign, served a positive, meaningful, and impactful purpose.

The VEPC also received positive feedback on Ethical Dilemma Cards developed for managers to use to facilitate discussions on V&E within their units. As AAFC continues to identify recurring themes and gaps, additional cards will be developed to address those issues.

Lastly, AAFC is piloting new learning activities on Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership. Discussions about these subjects with potential client groups have generated a lot of interest and eagerness to participate.

Question 11

What indicators will be used to measure increased employee awareness of the role of values and ethics in their daily work (e.g., Public Service Employee Survey, pulse surveys, engagement with focus groups)?

AAFC will use several tools and approaches to measure the level of employee awareness surrounding V&E, such as an annual survey and a comparison exercise conducted with the help of the VEPC’s new data dashboard.

• Data dashboard: This tool captures all metrics relevant to the VEPC, including the volume of disclosures and queries received, the disclosure type, by Branch, and location. Using the information being captured, it is possible to determine the impact of V&E activities. As an example, the I AM a Federal Public Service Scientist campaign resulted in the largest year over year increase of COI disclosures and queries from the Science and Technology Branch in the last 5 years.
• AAFC’s consultation exercise: The online survey will become an annual occurrence allowing the VEPC to compare the data to that of previous years. By also maintaining specific indicator questions from year to year, AAFC will be able to monitor any increases or decreases in employees’ level of awareness of the role of values and ethics in their day-to-day work. 
• PSES results: The VEPC uses PSES results related to V&E to monitor employee awareness of V&E in their daily work. Action plans are developed to address trends in the data received.
• AgriCampus: Through AAFC’s online learning Campus, the VEPC can now monitor the completion rates of V&E mandatory training and track employee participation in the targeted training sessions to units across the organization. This allows for timely follow-up of incomplete training.

Question 12

Will these indicators be disaggregated by identity factors?

• No

Question 13

Is there any additional information that you would like to share regarding your organization’s work on values and ethics (e.g., to advance particular recommendations of the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report)?

In response to the recommendations in the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report, AAFC has developed a plan to be rolled out across all areas and levels of AAFC.

This plan focuses on three key activities requiring a suite of accompanying communications and tools:

• Ongoing dialogue with all employees: An annual online survey will be launched during AAFC’s Values and Ethics Awareness Month. Using the results from the survey, opportunities to continue the dialogue will be created, such as guided or facilitated consultations with certain groups, armchair discussions with organizational leaders, specialized training sessions, etc. 
• Review and update of AAFC’s V&E Code: After consolidating preliminary feedback and assessing current needs of AAFC employees, a review and update of the Code is planned. The specific purpose of the update will be to add language addressing various COI concerns related to contracting, science, gifts and hospitality, ethical decision-making, ethical leadership, social media use, and making language more inclusive. 
• Launch of an Ethical Decision-Making Model (EDMM): The EDMM will be provided as a guidance tool for employees and managers when navigating ethical dilemmas. It will also be used as the framework to develop V&E leadership training.

Other tools and resources include:

• Updated Manager’s Toolkit that equips managers with the tools needed to guide their teams in V&E conversations, facilitate ethical decision making and understand the role of V&E in their everyday work.
• A storytelling activity where AAFC executives share experiences managing ethical dilemmas with lessons learned. Internal communications tools will be used to share these stories, including articles and videos.
• Leveraging the V&E Champion to help with information sharing, events, and announcements.
• A return to printed versions of AAFC’s Code distributed to new employees as part of the onboarding process.