Indigenous Services 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?

It is a partial “yes”.

Indigenous Services Canada’s training is based on the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, as well as the departmental Values & Ethics Code, published in 2019.

The training was developed by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada when it provided Human Resources Services to both departments (until April 1, 2024). It includes department-specific scenarios faced by employees and managers. While they do not go down to the divisional level, they reflect a cross-section of the work done in various sectors of the department.

The training is available to employees and managers at least three (3) times per month. The training was designed with a focus on real life scenarios, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and Social Media Use. This training is highly interactive and addresses issues that are most common in sectors and the department at large. We also provide customized training for sector specific issues when capacity allows. In addition to our in-house training, we developed “Social Media Use” training in 2021, with a focus on the balance between our freedom of expression (as Canadian citizens), and our Duty of Loyalty (as public servants). 

Almost 2,000 employees and managers have taken the departmental Values and Ethics training in the past three years. More than 2,000 employees have also taken the Canada School of Public Service training on Values and Ethics in the past two years. That said, we recognize that awareness is key and will be continuing to enhance promotion of the training.

As we move through the engagement activities and the conversations taking place over the next several months, we will be gathering more scenarios and including them in our training going forward.

We will continue to engage in these activities until the end of this fiscal year, and throughout the 2025-26 fiscal year, and our Audit and Evaluation (A&E) team will conduct an internal audit to ensure that these initiatives are embedded into our operations. Our goal is to ensure that the dialogue on Values and Ethics continues well past this initiative wrap up.

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• No

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

The conversations and engagement activities we will be conducting will take place over the 2024-2025 fiscal year. These will inform the department’s training plans going forward. As we gather sector, branch and division-specific examples of ethical dilemmas and situations of conflicting values, we will be introducing these into the training we provide. Following the engagement, conversations and review of the departmental Code, we will more thoroughly revise the training materials, resources and approaches, and implement strategies for broad training across the department.

We plan on developing distinctions-based training, tools, resources, approaches and materials to support employees in the delivery of the department’s mandate. 

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?

Indigenous Services Canada developed published its first Values and Ethics Code in 2019. It has been five (5) years, we have just stood up a new Human Resources Branch, and the timing is right for the department to review its Code. We plan on completing our review by the end of 2024-2025.

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.

Indigenous Services Canada created and published its Values and Ethics Code (Code) in 2019, as part of the standing up of the new department.

The ISC Code includes department-specific language to operationalize and explain the five values in our context. It reflects the culture, traditions and goals of both the public sector and the department while providing guidance on the expected behaviours and actions of its employees.

As previously mentioned, we are nearing the 5-year mark and it is time to review the Code, in line with the themes that have emerged and continue to emerge as we engage in meaningful conversations around values and ethics.

We will be conducting meaningful consultations, guided by Distinctions-based traditional Indigenous Teachings, in the revision of the Code. We anticipate that there will be revisions made to the Code, however, we do not want to pre-suppose any outcomes at this time. 

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.

The department’s Values and Ethics Champion has been true to the title, initiating conversations on what themes we should be discussing in more detail, and we have begun preliminary discussions and engagement activities.

We have had initial conversations at the Senior management committee to tease out some of the key themes we want to ensure will be explored.

There was an Executive all-staff event where Values and Ethics and leading with courage were central themes.

There have been initial discussions in certain sectors, including specifically with employees new to the department. 

We have engaged with the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Task Force, which represents all employee communities and departmental champions, to help us shape our engagement and consultations to ensure all employee voices were heard. We will continue to work with these networks as well as through our organizational structures to be able to explore issues based on our employee groups and our different branches and their unique responsibilities.

We are also working closely with the departmental Ombuds as there is a natural and strategic link with Values and Ethics.

We fielded a week-long Pulse Check Survey, to give us a sense around the awareness of the Code, whether they’ve taken training and other baseline questions. 20% response rate.

Here are a few highlights from the results:

• Over 2,000 responses – 20% of Indigenous Services Canada’s employee population, and 94% of respondents said they were aware of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector
• 79% of respondents say they are aware of the 5 Public Sector Values
• 94% responded that the Public Sector values completely (47%) or mostly (47%) align with their personal values
• 79% have said they have taken training, however, 32% have said it’s been at least 1 year, and 15% said it’s been over 5 years
• 32% of respondents said it’s been a year since they last consulted the Values and Ethics Code (the Code), 32% said they consulted this past year, and 25% have never consulted it.
• 42% of respondents say their teams discuss the Values and Ethics Code a few times per year to navigate ethical issues, while a full 30% said their teams never discuss the Code to navigate ethical issues. 6.1% discuss ethical dilemmas daily, using the Code.
• Regarding the proper and consistent application of the Code within work units, 69% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed. 21% were neutral.
• Regarding whether respondents felt that the Public Sector and Indigenous Services Canada Codes were being effectively applied in the department, 12% strongly agreed, 35% agreed, 35% were neutral, 13% disagreed, and 5% strongly disagreed.
• Regarding whether they are applied equitably across the department, 10% strongly agreed, 30% agreed, 39% neutral, 15% disagreed and 6% strongly disagreed.
• 67% of respondents said the Code should be revised (49% maybe, 18% yes).
• Regarding whether respondents felt the Public Sector and departmental Codes reflected the organizational culture in the department, 13% strongly agreed, 39% agreed, 30% were neutral, 13% disagreed and 5% strongly disagreed.

These results will inform the department’s conversations and consultations going forward.

We have proposed some language to be inserted in executives’ performance agreements, which is being considered.

We have developed engagement tools for teams to conduct their own conversations, and this includes a standard way to capture the feedback.

We will be launching focused engagement sessions on specific topics (e.g., conflicts of interest, social media, emerging technologies).

We will be working with Indigenous colleagues and experts, and Elders, to ensure the departmental Code is a true reflection of the unique mandate it has, in serving Indigenous Peoples exclusively.

Specific values and ethics communications campaigns in the past year or so include:

• To celebrate the 11th anniversary of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, the pop-up initiative was developed for employees to promote a healthy and safe working environment. The initiative allowed employees to participate in a short quiz (2 questions) on the Code upon sign in.
• Communications plan developed to strategically support employees with Values and Ethics issues (gifts messaging during the holidays, political activities messaging times with elections calendar from the Public Service Commission of Canada).
• Champions message to promote A Conversation with John Hannaford on Values and Ethics event
• Values and Ethics Champion message/contest to promote Global Ethics Day
• Frequent messages in the employees weekly newsletters to promote Training

We will lean on the conclusions from the Internal Audit of the Values and Ethics initiative to ensure continuous improvement of our services and supports to Indigenous Services Canada employees. This audit is set to take place during the 2025/26 fiscal year. 

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.

Included as part of the onboarding process for new employees:

• Adhering to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector is a condition of employment. As such, all letter of offers and Performance Management Agreements indicate that Public Service of Canada employees are required to adhere, as part of their terms and conditions of employment, to Indigenous Services Canada Values and Ethics Code, the new Directive on Conflict of Interest, as well as the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.
• In addition to this, the letter of offer indicates that employees should complete a Confidential Report within 60 days and submit it to the Values and Ethics team. Advisors are readily available to support employees and managers determine if they are in a real, apparent or potential conflict of interest and develop mitigation measures if necessary.
• Mandatory training is promoted during the onboarding process, as well as during establishment of performance management agreements.
• A proposed objective and performance indicators have been proposed for executive performance agreements.

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?

The department collects data that the Values and Ethics team can analyze in order to identify the biggest areas of risk, and the themes generating the most volume. For Fiscal Year 2023-2024, ISC’s risk areas or themes most often coming up were:

• External Employment
• Outside Activities
• Personal & Family Relationships in the Workplace
• Gifts, Hospitality & Other Benefits
• Interchange Assignments
• Post-Employment Measures

That said, other key themes that have also been brought forward recently include:

• The notion of Duty of Loyalty, and wanting to recruit large numbers of Indigenous people to work for the department. This may be hard to reconcile with balancing freedom of expression and individual rights, and with what it means to be a public servant. Fearless advice and loyal implementation.
• The notion that for some, the Code can be perceived to be used as a weapon against equity-deserving groups and used for compliance rather than nurturing a healthy, respectful workplace.
• The tension that exists between professional codes of conduct and hierarchical decision-making, where decisions are based on a range of inputs, not just one, i.e. scientific.
• The Codes, the Duty of Loyalty and the Directive on Conflict of Interest are seen as lists of “do nots” and it could be presented more positively as a list of “dos”.

We look forward to other themes being discussed during the consultation and feedback gathering phase of the review of 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)?

Social Media Use training sessions were developed in the beginning of 2021 with the objective of supporting employees focus on the balance between our freedom of expression (as Canadian citizens), and our Duty of Loyalty (as public servants). It gives practical advice on how to use good judgment when using social media, with the objective being to prevent conflicts of interest through criticism of the Government of Canada on public forums.

An evaluation tool is used at the end of the training to gather participants feedback.

We expect more themes will emerge as we continue the dialogue in the department. This information will be useful to tailor our training, outreach and other potential initiatives to integrate Values and Ethics within the organization in more comprehensive ways.

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)?

As Indigenous Services Canada gathers the feedback from employees, key partners and employee communities, we will develop a plan that reflects the result of our consultations, as well as great practices that we’ve identified along the way.

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)?

Public Service Employee Survey results are used as a tool to identify where the employees of the Department experience a gap in understanding the Code and related issues.

The recent Values and Ethics Pulse Check Survey will also be used to inform our priority setting and will provide general themes that demonstrate awareness across the department and potential gaps where focused attention is required. 

The partnership between the Ombuds and the Values and Ethics team allows for sharing of information at an aggregate, high level basis to inform areas of risk and intervention.

We will track the numbers of engagement activities, the number of employees attending these activities, the number of employees trained within certain time periods, the number of interactions the employees have with the Values and Ethics team, the number of Conflict of Interest Declarations, especially “NIL” declaration, and the feedback we receive from training session participant feedback forms are all indicators that we will consider to measure increased awareness amongst employees.

Another source will be the conclusions from the Internal Audit of Values and Ethics. This audit is set to take place during the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Regarding the disaggregated indicators, this is something that has yet to be decided. We believe doing so could provide more detailed information from which to make decisions.

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)?

Indigenous Services Canada puts a lot of emphasis on respect. In fact, it has developed a Respect Charter.

Developed through the collaborative efforts of Indigenous Services Canada's senior management and union officials, the Respect Charter reflects a shared commitment to foster and uphold respectful and safe work environments. We are hoping that employees across the department will join our pledge to recognize how our own roles and actions contribute to a healthy, happy and respectful workplace.

It is with respect, humility and courage that we wish to move forward in this journey to re-think values and ethics with a new mindset, using story-telling as a way to best understand what our roles as public servants are.

We want to do this in the right way, and we will take the time we need to ensure we achieve this objective. 

The process we follow to achieve our objectives in this initiative will be as important as the achievement of the objectives. We must be thoughtful as we embark on these conversations, the review of the Code and the training and tools that will guide us in our day-to-day work, striving to achieve the department’s mandate.

Working “collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our vision is to support and empower Indigenous peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities.”

This unique mandate compels us to have courageous conversations and ensure the department’s Code can continue to support its employees in the achievement of this mandate. It also means that unions and employees hold us to account on how decisions are made, transparency and adherence to the values with for example, decision on the return to the workplace and expecting flexibility and consideration of work-life balance.