Housing, Infrastructure and Communities 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?

Yes, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) has developed department-specific values and ethics training plans down to the divisional level. This training plan is composed of two tiers.

The first tier is a values and ethics training plan targeting HICC employees at all levels. This learning plan outlines relevant courses on key topics specifically related to values and ethics, as well as job aids (articles, videos, podcasts). This training plan is accessible via the values and ethics page on HICC’s intranet. HICC plans to continue promoting this learning plan via various communications throughout the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

The second tier is a “train the trainer” style session that was provided to all first-line managers within the department on May 16, 2024. The goal of this session was to equip managers to lead an open dialogue with their direct reports regarding values and ethics. In addition to this session, a toolkit was developed in parallel to help managers guide these important discussions on values and ethics.

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?

HICC is currently in the process of reviewing its code of conduct.

This review will leverage feedback received from managers within the department subsequent to discussions within their teams on values and ethics. These discussions will be supported by the manager’s toolkit we have developed and will prompt meaningful discussions around core values and how to address various ethical dilemmas. This feedback will be gathered via a values and ethics pulse survey that was sent to managers after the Manager’s Forum presentation. This pulse survey will also gather information related to the perceived accuracy of the current core values, any gaps what we should consider addressing, and insight on the number of ethical dilemmas HICC managers have encountered within the last calendar year.

These discussions, and ultimately the receipt of the pulse survey results, will inform HICC’s decision as to whether an update to its code of conduct is required. We anticipate having completed the review by the fall 2024. 

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.

As noted in question 4, HICC is still in the process of reviewing its code of conduct. 

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)
• 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 management committee meeting

The HICC Manager’s Forum on May 16, 2024, was completely dedicated to values and ethics. The Director General of Human Resources provided opening remarks, some background on the Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk and introduced the department’s new Champion on values and ethics. The “train the trainer” session reiterated the responsibilities managers must uphold the core values, lead their teams by example and to keep the discussion alive. Furthermore, managers were equipped with the tools and knowledge required to lead in-depth discussions on values and ethics within their teams. This more personalized approach was selected to foster a “safe space” and receive more honest and detailed feedback from teams as employees are generally more open to sharing their insight in smaller settings.

All-staff engagement

HICC’s goal is for managers to have meaningful discussions with their employees on values and ethics. Although there are many ways to facilitate these discussions, HICC opted for a decentralized approach due to the belief that it will lead to the greatest possible impact and will lead to an improvement in awareness within the department. This is due to the fact that employees are generally much more comfortable sharing their perspectives and asking questions in a more familiar setting than a large townhall style session. Managers know their team best and it is important for them to create a safe space where employees can freely share their concerns.

Inclusion in employees’ performance and talent management cycle discussions

As part of the performance management cycle, all HICC employees are required to attest, on an annual basis, that they understand their obligation to comply with the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and Code of Conduct. Guidance is also being developed for employees and managers on the importance of values and ethics in the context of performance agreements.

Specific values and ethics communications campaign

HICC has developed a series of articles on trending values and ethics topics (including social media use, external employment and values and ethics in the performance cycle) that will be published throughout the remainder of this fiscal year to encourage additional discussions and increase overall awareness.

Appointment of a values and ethics champion

HICC appointed a new Values and Ethics Champion in May 2024. This new Champion will help bring visibility to the work being done and bolster the dialogue on values and ethics at all levels of the department (including the executive level). The Champion’s engagement approach for fiscal year 2024-25 is currently in development and is expected to be finalized and implemented in the near future. 

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.

HICC has taken action to ensure that conversations on personal accountability to uphold our public service values and ethics occur on a continuing basis. More specifically, managers have been asked to:

1. Make values and ethics a quarterly agenda item.
   • Adding these agenda items will keep discussions on values and ethics alive.
   • This is also an opportunity for managers to identify any new concerns or red flags.
2. Discuss values and ethics scenarios with employees.
   • The scenarios tackle trending topics such as diversity and inclusion, external employment, and artificial intelligence.
   • Managers can maximize the effectiveness of scenarios by leveraging and staggering them throughout the year.
3. Discuss the values and ethics articles posted on the intranet.
   • This will allow managers to answer any questions employees may have and identify any concerns that may exist.
4. Leverage the new guidance when onboarding new public servants.
   • Guide covers topics such as ensuring the employee completes their mandatory training, some of the most common situations where the core values are tested (i.e., seeking outside employment, accepting gifts, romantic relationships between colleagues, and the use of office equipment).

The toolkit on values and ethics will also be available to all managers via a manager’s corner page within the intranet. 

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?

HICC is seeking information on emerging themes via a pulse survey for managers. This survey is meant to be completed once they have led meaningful discussions on values and ethics with their teams.

Although HICC has not yet compiled the information gleaned from the pulse survey provided to managers in late May 2024, current public-service wide trending topics such as artificial intelligence, social media use, data management, and external employment have been included.

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)?

As HICC’s toolkit has been based on larger values and ethics discussions and trending topics, it has not yet been adjusted to address recurring themes. However, the intention is to consider adjusting the toolkit should information on recurring themes be gleaned from the department’s values and ethics pulse survey. 

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)?

One of the strategies being implemented by HICC is to equip managers, via train-the-trainer sessions, to lead the discussion on values and ethics within their own respective teams.

This decentralized approach aims to:

• Enable first-line managers to take ownership and a leadership role in increasing awareness and understanding of how to apply our values and ethics code.
• Maximize employee participation in the dialogue.
• Encourage an ongoing and practical dialogue on the key challenges and issues specifically impacting their day-to-day activities, and work environment.
• Ensure alignment and collective understanding amongst team members.

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 following indicators will be used to measure increased employee awareness.

HICC values and ethics pulse survey

Feedback will be gathered via a values and ethics pulse survey that was sent to managers. This pulse survey will gather information related to the perceived accuracy of the current core values, any gaps that HICC should consider addressing, insight on the number of ethical dilemmas managers have encountered within the last calendar year and employee awareness of available resources.

Public Service Employee Survey

HICC will be measuring the increase in employee awareness on the role of values and ethics via the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) in the fall. The survey results will be used to determine whether there has been an increase in employee awareness following the implementation of HICC’s values and ethics action plan.

Training completion rates

HICC will be monitoring the completion rate of mandatory training for employees who have a CSPS account to determine whether there has been an increase in the number of employees completing the mandatory values and ethics course (FON301). Managers were asked to encourage employees to take the course again to refresh their knowledge prior to the in-depth team discussions.

Intranet traffic

HICC is also considering using intranet web-page traffic statistics to determine whether there has been an increase in site visits (values and ethics webpage and learning plan) since the implementation of the department’s values and ethics action plan. 

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 department’s audit and evaluation team has also launched an advisory engagement on HICC’s Fraud Risk Assessment Framework. It is expected the consulting engagement will provide advice to senior management by supporting the (re)development of the departmental fraud risk assessment framework, including the establishment of clear roles and responsibilities for HICC employees regarding the prevention, detection, investigation, response and reporting of fraud, with a dedicated lens into departmental values and ethics practices.