Fisheries and Oceans 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?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Values and Ethics (V&E) program has, since 2020, offered two awareness sessions for all employees called the General Overview and the Five Values. These sessions are advertised internally via the Intranet site, delivered upon request and are customized for the audience. Customization includes case studies for discussion with a focus on specific themes such as respect for people, duty of loyalty, conflict of interest and/or use of social media. Since 2020, over 5,300 employees have received tailored awareness sessions on values and ethics with their management table.

The General Overview session explores the five values of the code and how they relate to DFO mandate. The session also explains appropriate conduct expected of DFO employees and elaborates on how to use the values as a guide to ethical decision making.

The Five Values session dives deep into the five values of the public sector and explains why it is important for employees to question if they are in the right job should their personal values not align with those of the organization. The session explains the duty of loyalty and how it is essential as a representative of the Government of Canada.

Further, the two main themes that came out of the departmental consultations were the duty of loyalty and the appropriate use of social media. The V&E program will focus on providing additional training and support to employees in these areas. The V&E program has also developed and launched a new toolkit for managers on ethical leadership. Finally, V&E information is already provided as part of the onboarding process; however, a new values and ethics discussion will be now implemented to increase awareness of the Code.

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• Yes

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

The V&E program is well established within the Department and has been providing tailored sessions to employees for many years. The program has received excellent feedback on the quality and relevance of each session. These sessions are customized to suit the specific needs and duties of each group.

Requests for customized sessions have remained constant over the past years and interest has increased since the Clerk’s Prologue Report. We are developing more general information sessions on values and ethics to meet the needs of larger audiences in order to meet the increased demand. These will be launched in the Fall of 2024.

Furthermore, DFO’s foundational training, which the Department promotes, is the mandatory training for all employees on V&E through the Canada School of Public Service (School). 

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?

DFO’s V&E program has conducted consultations which will guide the review of the organizational Code. These consultations have taken place with various internal stakeholders, via group discussions, and via two surveys, one for all employees and a second one targeting employees who self-identified as members of diversity groups to evaluate whether there were greater challenges with EE group members.

Our target time for completing the review of the Code is December 2024. This considers the inclusion of information that will be presented at the Clerk’s Fall 2024 symposium and current ongoing consultations with various internal and external stakeholders. Key partners (e.g., employee equity networks, unions) will be engaged early in the spirit of co-development to ensure that the revised Code is aligned with the needs of their communities. Once revised, the Code will be disseminated to all employees. 

Question 5

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

• 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.

Based on DFO’s consultations, the V&E program is envisioning updates to DFO’s organizational Code in light of our current and future context; ensuring that expected behaviours are updated and consider today’s realities and challenges faced. DFO has many complex working environments including for example conservation and protection officers, scientific research and sea going personnel. Guidance around the use of social media, creating and maintaining an inclusive environment free from bias and harassment, duty of loyalty, etc., are all areas in which we anticipate updating our Code. 

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
• Specific values and ethics communications campaigns

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

DFO’s V&E program is well established within the Department. Discussions on V&E have been occurring throughout the Department for many years.

Recently, a town hall discussion led by the Deputy Minister, Associate Deputy Minister and the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard was held for all Executives. This town hall was a forum for Executives to hold discussions with senior management on V&E and to equip them to have similar conversations with their teams.

The Associate Deputy Minister also held dedicated interdepartmental consultation sessions for the enforcement community. There, participants shared their views of how V&E can be a challenging dynamic for employees who carry out enforcement duties (they are viewed to be on duty 24/7 in small communities) and the need for increased support from their senior management.  

The V&E program has also been leveraging internal communication channels to promote articles and engage staff on best practices about values and ethics in the Department and to remind them of their obligations and responsibilities pertaining to conflict of interest.

A V&E survey was sent to all staff, which included employees who identify as part of the various employee equity groups.

Tool kits are under development with the intention of equipping all executives to host mandatory discussions with their respective teams, thus ensuring smaller group settings in which managers and employees are free to ask questions or share their views. Executives will be required to complete this work by fiscal year end and measured against their efforts related to values and ethics within Performance Management Agreements.

Finally, DFO has asked all employees to re-submit their conflict of interest declarations for additional review as required. The Department is prioritizing those employees who submitted a conflict of interest declaration related to contract employment with another government department. The V&E program will ensure that all declarations are reviewed to ensure that no employee is in a conflict of interest.

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.

As part of the communication strategy, DFO has promoted the School’s learning path on V&E which includes mandatory learning plans.

The V&E program also participates in regional events which are held on a regular basis throughout the year (ex: Newfoundland and Labrador Wellness Meeting, Fishery Officer Conservation and Protection Program training, Coast Guard Training Week, Regional Management Meetings).

Many messages were sent out to managers and employees to encourage an ongoing dialogue on V&E. Reminders on responsibilities and obligations concerning conflict of interest were disseminated, including from the Deputy Minister in official messages and at senior management tables. 

In addition, our department has increased controls and strengthened overall reporting on professional services contracting.  

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 which emerged from internal consultations and our employee survey highlighted the same findings as outlined in the Clerk’s prologue report. Key themes included: frustration with lack of management accountability (leadership role vis-a-vis values and ethics, walking the talk), being asked to do more with less, as well as a lack of trust in management/leadership to act when needed in certain situations.

Employees also expressed a desire to have V&E conversations regularly to better understand their obligations and not just as new public service employees.

Employees also emphasized that they want to see themselves in the DFO Values and Ethics Code and they want it to better relate to the jobs they do. 

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)?

The V&E program has been evergreening its products by continuously adjusting and revising the learning and training activities to reflect the ever-changing themes and needs of employees. For example, during the pandemic, the program created the Five Values session, which focuses on seeing yourself, as a public servant, in the five values of the public service, and what happens if you no longer do. This centres on the theme of respect for democracy and duty of loyalty (“Am I in the right job?”).

All V&E sessions have a portion of customizable case studies which are tailored to fit the audience or the topic of conversation (i.e. Conservation & Protection Officers, reconciliation, Coast Guard or science-based positions).

The V&E program has also launched the Managers Toolkit which focuses on Ethical Leadership.

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 V&E program works closely with managers to ensure that their needs are understood and reflected in the types of sessions delivered by the V&E program. This has been a very beneficial way to ensure that the sessions are relevant to the audiences. This is accomplished through tailored training such as specific case studies that relate directly to the work of the group.

DFO has recently appointed a national V&E champion who will focus on supporting and bringing more visibility to department-wide efforts.

In addition, Regional V&E champions assist the program in promoting values and ethics. They liaise directly with the national V&E program to support regional activities and sessions.

As mentioned above, the Associate Deputy Minister also held dedicated interdepartmental consultation sessions for the enforcement community. A report that summarizes the conversation was shared with participants to support them in holding the same conversations within their department.   

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)?

Results from pulse surveys and the Public Service Employee Survey will be used to measure employee awareness and help identify areas that require attention.

Satisfaction survey feedback following our sessions will also be used to collect information to adapt and evergreen our program products.

Feedback from unions as well as from members of employee equity and diversity networks, including their champions, will also be helpful in determining the increased awareness of V&E responsibilities by our employees.

Question 12

Will these indicators be disaggregated by identity factors?

• Yes

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)?

DFO held interdepartmental consultations, led by our Associate Deputy Minister, with the enforcement community. A high-level summary report was sent to the participating departments summarizing the key themes and discussion points following the sessions. The goal was to equip senior managers who participated in the sessions to continue the conversation within their home department.

We recognize that more work is required to fully integrate V&E within our, often complex, operational work environment. Notably in how we onboard new employees, how we train them and how we sensitize them early in their career to values and ethics and their personal responsibility, to ensure all employees understand and apply our values in their everyday work. Furthermore there is much work to do to help better support those working in environments such as science and law enforcement where the issues grappled with are broad and complex. To achieve our goal, it will be key for us to review and adapt our programs, policies and processes so we operate in a way that reflects the Code of values and ethics in the public service. To support this transformative work, we have implemented a multiyear plan which includes elements that will continuously reinvigorate the conversation on values and ethics, equip managers and employees appropriately to embrace and promote these values, and embed the core values in all our actions.