Canada Energy Regulator

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?

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has mandatory Code of Conduct training offered to all staff during onboarding. In spring 2024, the CER’s Ethics Committee undertook extensive internal consultation and delivered a presentation to all CER Business Units on ethics at work. The presentation included example scenarios, the role of the Ethics Committee and how it can support CER staff.

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?

• Yes, my organization has reviewed 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?

N/A

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.

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 Code of Conduct for CER Employees (Code) underwent a complete review in June 2019. Key elements of the new Code included:

• identification of values and guiding principles, which guides the way we conduct our work and exercise our judgement, and against which ethical issues can be resolved
• clarity on how to raise and resolve ethical issues or concerns, including the creation of an Ethics Committee (successor to the Conflict of Interest Advisory Committee) that is available to provide confidential and neutral advice
• an express obligation on leaders and the Ethics Committee to champion a positive culture of ethics and trust at the Canada Energy Regulator (CER)
• an express expectation that employees and their leaders will speak openly about ethical issues, work diligently to resolve them, and responsibly disclose unethical behaviour
• a less prescriptive approach to engagement activities and protecting adjudicative independence, and instead using general principles and behavioural expectations

In February 2022, further revisions were made to the Code. Areas of the Code that were improved and clarified included:  

• Acceptable engagement with external parties around projects
• Ethics Committee’s role and procedures
• Disclosure of wrongdoings under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act
• Explicit reference to various CER policies and protocols

While there is currently no formal review of the Code underway, the CER is committed to continual improvement and updates the Code based learnings from the Ethics Committee and staff feedback, such as further guidance on social media, how the Code applies to conduct outside of work, and additional information on how the Code supports Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. 

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)
• 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.

Dedicated discussions at executive and management committee meetings. The Ethics Committee provides a verbal and written report of trends and statistics to the Senior Management Committee and Board of Directors annually.

All-staff engagements

A Values & Ethics moment was shared at the CER’s town hall and included an overview of the Ethics Committee’s purpose and introducing current members.

In spring 2024, the Ethics Committee presented “Values and Ethics at Work – A Conversation” to all CER Business Units. This activity included presentations tailored to each Business Unit. The Ethics Committee collected feedback from staff while also promoting the Code and the work for the Ethics Committee.

At any time, employees may request advice regarding ethical issues or concerns from the Ethics Committee through a confidential, monitored email inbox. The Ethics Committee is approachable and is not punitive. To promote use and encourage staff to ask questions, the Ethics Committee is supportive to staff, available by email at any time, welcoming of questions, and ready to act as a resource.

Focused engagement sessions on specific topics

From 2020 to 2023, the Ethics Committee hosted learning events on specific topics like ‘the Respect for People value’, ‘revisions to the Code’, and ‘conflicts of interest’.

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the CER brought all people leaders together to participate in an in person “Leadership Engagement Day”. Daniel Lee Quan Watson, retired Deputy Minister, provided more than one-hundred employees with a presentation on Values and Ethics.

Performance and talent management

Inclusion in employees’ performance and talent management cycle discussions

Communications campaigns

The Ethics Committee posted an invitation on the CER’s intranet (iweb) encouraging employees to register for the March 1, 2024, Conversation with John Hannaford, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, on Values in Ethics. In November 2022, the Ethics Committee worked with Communications to put out an iweb feature story: “I don’t know what to do!” Ethical dilemmas at work and how to deal”. Other relevant iweb postings include the roll-out of Code revisions, promotions of learning events, member-at-large recruitment and appointments, and annual Code sign-off reminders. The Ethics Committee has also increased transparency by posting non-confidential versions of its annual updates and meeting minutes on the iweb for employees.  

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

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

As part of onboarding, employees are required to fill out an Employee Certification Document confirming that they have read and understand the Code. Employees must also declare conflicts of interest arising from assets and interests or outside activities in a Confidential Report. There is a mandatory Code of Conduct training course for CER employees.

After onboarding, CER employees must complete a Code sign-off annually to confirm they have read the Code and declare any new conflicts of interest.   

The CER encourages leaders to ensure that ongoing conversations are had with their staff on the importance of upholding our public service values and ethics, and candidly discussing illustrative scenarios, whether real or hypothetical, to support these discussions. All employees are encouraged to reach out to leaders or the Ethics Committee if they have any questions or concerns. 

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?

Recurring themes include:

• conflicts of interest arising from outside work (such as volunteering, family members working in industry, and former employment in industry),
• investment restrictions,
• conflict of interest requirements application to contractors,
• personal use of work devices,
• staffing,
• field operations and inspections, and
• social media. 

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)?

Yes, the CER is committed to continual improvement, and this includes making sure staff are informed. For example, the Ethics Committee presentation on “Values and Ethics at Work – A Conversation” included content on recurring themes that have shown to be relevant to CER employees. A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ was also developed. The Code is regularly reviewed and updated to accommodate trends or provide clarification. Any change is communicated to staff.

As trends emerge, the CER will continue to adapt and provide appropriate training and support to employees.

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)?

The Ethics Committee’s presentations were successful to date in reaching staff and encouraging conversations on ethics and values. The CER received valuable feedback, including recommendations for future training that is interactive (i.e., not an online course), includes scenarios and case studies and highlights values specific to each Business Unit’s work. Staff feedback also showed an interest in being engaged further and more often to build awareness of ethics. Some suggestions included more frequent iweb articles, “ask me anything” sessions, and to include an “ethics moment” in meetings. Staff recommended making Code sign-off more engaging and user-friendly and are interested in further events to encourage conversations on ethics. This feedback will be helpful in fostering future conversations.

The confidential, monitored email inbox is also an effective tool that enables employees to request advice from the Ethics Committee in an accessible and informal manner. 

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)?

The CER uses the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) to measure effectiveness. The PSES results are also used to inform the Ethics Committee’s workplan. The CER also tracks statistics on the number and types of new files reviewed by the Ethics Committee, as well as the number of informal inquiries to the Chair or Committee members. 

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)?

The CER is in the process of reviewing the recommendations in this report.