Innovation, Science and Economic Development 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?

Department-specific values and ethics training plans have been developed at the branch level with expected completion date of December 2025. However, for these sessions, all directors are being asked to develop division specific scenarios to be added to the training and they are also required to co-lead the values and ethics (V&E) training sessions. To date, 13 branches out of 86 have been completed. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) considers the training plan, as previously described, to be divisional level specific.

This fiscal year, all employees, managers and executives are required to add the Values and Ethics Learning Path offered by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) to their learning plans and complete it by March 31, 2025. Mandatory courses for all ISED employees also include:

• Values and Ethics Foundations
• Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant

These mandatory courses are part of the Onboarding process and have to be completed by all new ISED employees within 6 months of their hiring.

All ISED employees are also required to complete, before September 30, 2024, ISED’s new online Fraud Prevention and Conflict of interest training.

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• No

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

Executive’s Performance Management Agreements (EX PMAs) for 2024-2025 include a clear objective on nurturing a values-based work culture across ISED. Every executive is being asked to demonstrate ethical leadership by advancing awareness and initiating discussions about individual accountability in applying values and ethics within their sectors.

For the tailored training at division level (grouped by Branch), given there are 16 sectors and 86 branches at ISED, the expected completion date is December 2025, based on one resource fully dedicated to training at an average of four to six branches per month.

The ISED Values and Ethics Sector Network representatives are also being leveraged to create divisional level conflict of interest case studies for their branch in collaboration with the Values and Ethics Office.

Target completion date is December 2025.

The CSPS training offered and made mandatory for all ISED employees will be completed by March 31, 2025, and the ISED new online Fraud Prevention and Conflict of interest training will be completed by September 30, 2024.

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?

As opposed to a code of conduct, ISED has an official Values and Ethics Code (Code) which is a condition of employment. Any changes made to the Code would require significant consultations, including with bargaining agents. As such, ISED’s time frame for completing the review of its Code is December 2025.

Consultations have started with sectors and are being incorporated in the sector engagement exercise led by Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs). These sessions will continue until September 2024 when the official announcement of the Code review will officially be launched at the Deputy Minister’s Townhall.

The highlights of employee feedback received during the Sectors engagement exercise will also feed into ISED’s code review process.

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.

The Code will be reviewed and is expected to be finalized by December 2025.

ISED’s Management Response Action Plan presented at our Departmental Audit Committee in March 2024 was accepted. Recommendations and opportunities were provided and will be taken into consideration in the Code revision.

ISED’s intention is to provide more concrete guidance and to include high-risk conflict of interest scenarios related to ISED’s specific mandate and its unique relation with the private sector and industries.

Any new direction and/or guidance provided by the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer on how to mitigate particular conflicts of interest such as the usage of social media (including LinkedIn), artificial intelligence, political/ministerial role vs. the public service and on Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) process will also be included.

Feedback from employees, employees networks and bargaining agents will also be reviewed.

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.

ISED has undertaken lots of activities on a personal accountability in upholding public service values, including, but not limited to:

•  A Deputy Minister’s (DM) message was sent to all employees on April 25, 2024, to launch the Engagement conversations on Renewed Accountability on public service values.
• Six videos were created with the Deputy Ministers (DMs) to support and promote ethical leadership across the organization. First 3 videos were launched on May 21, 2024, featuring the DMs speaking to 1) what the public service values mean to them, 2) what Integrity means and the third one on Stewardship. Three other videos will be launched in early June on Respect for democracy, Respect for people and Excellence.
• A communication plan for more videos on other values and ethics themes scheduled for September 2024.
• A Sectorial Townhall used a values and ethics (V&E) fishbowl approach where three employees each described an ethical dilemma they faced in their career.
• Several sectors led Townhall engagement sessions devoted to conflict of interest and engaging employees by using an anonymous conflict of interest quiz to test knowledge.
• Two Sector Townhall’s presentations on Public sector’s values with a focus on the meaning of Respect for people were held in February 2024.
• That same presentation was also presented at the Champions and chairs network in January 2024.
• Regional leaders and managers participating in a discussion with the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of Privy Council on values and ethics and engaged in an interactive session on that topic with the CSPS. This was organized by the Ontario Federal Council of which ISED’s Ontario-Region office is a member. This respect for people discussion was tailored to our community’s lived experiences, and how to navigate the balance between their obligations as public servants and their lives.
• Message sent by ISED’s Managers community (ISEDMC) to all managers in May 2024 to reinforce the need to foster ongoing conversations within their teams to demystify and promote strong practices and to uphold values and ethics in their day-to-day work.
• Coffee Chat hosted by ISEDMC in September 2023 on the topic of Delivering fearless advice up the chain of command. It was designed as an informal opportunity for members to chat about their experience and share ideas related to Respect for democracy.
• Session held by ISED’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Network on values and ethics with the Canada School of Public Service just for the Network’s members.
• Engaging with Indigenous Communities discussion session in September 2023.
• Understanding Safe Space and Microaggressions in the Workplace session in January 2023.
• Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Supporting Neurodivergent Individuals at Work hosted in April 2024.
• A DM Townhall scheduled in September 2024 to share all comments and feedback received during the Sectors engagement sessions.
• In 2024, ADMs will start to engage new employees on Values and Ethics at the monthly “New Employee Meet and Greet” meeting.

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
• Integrated in career succession planning (e.g., supervisor, manager, director)

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

• Introduction of an annual conflict of interest attestation form for sections 32 and 34 managers is currently being finalized. The form will ensure managers fully understand their responsibility and disclose any conflict of interest situation. The form is developed to raise awareness on what constitutes a conflict of interest and the potential consequences of not disclosing.
• Creation of an online Fraud Prevention and Conflict of Interest mandatory course was launched and must be completed by Sept 30, 2024.
• Regular reminders are and will continue to be sent to managers during Performance Management Agreement (PMA) season to reinforce the need to talk about conflict of interest and values and ethics competencies in their performance management discussions.

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?

• An ISED Values and Ethics network was created in March 2024. Since then, they have met three times to exchange on various V&E topics, including common conflict of interest risks, training needs and scenarios, etc. They also met to discuss the current assessment.
• The network felt there was a need to adjust tailored training to ensure it speaks to the business lines of each branch, given ISED’s varied mandate (regulatory work, policy, research, grants and contributions, patents, law enforcement, financial business lines, interactions with private sector and the public. Innovation sector which provides public information to support economic development in private enterprise, etc.
• Stressors to V&E include technology, e.g., Artificial Intelligence; lack of public trust; increased political partisanship; tension over prioritizing certain values e.g., stewardship vs excellence; similarly how to maintain excellence with diminishing resources and increased workload; lack of diversity in the public service and in leadership positions; 
• Open and Accountable Government guidance needs to be updated for our current work context.
• The intrinsic connection between our renewed focus on values and ethics and our collective endeavors to enhance workplace wellness, advance accessibility, combat racism, promote equity and inclusion, and foster reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
• The main feedback and questions by employees were related to conflict of interest prevention within procurement processes, putting emphasis on positive examples of upholding values and ethics to foster respect and integrity within government, a better understanding of the mechanisms in place to update or adapt the ISED’s Values and Ethics Code for greater accountability and overall transparency challenges related to major decisions within the department.
• Evolving contexts and expectations for the federal public service. Employees felt that while the Public service values and ethics remain relevant, but their application at work has changed, given increasingly complex policy environments (e.g., rising polarization, individualization, decreased public trust, new technology, etc.).
• A need for the public service to adapt amid resource pressures, complex decision-making processes, and tightening timelines.
• Concerns about the relationship between political offices and public servants. 
• Balancing public servants' ability to speak on important issues with the need to remain impartial.

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)?

To address recurring themes, we have adjusted and tailored our training by developing an anonymous, online pre-conflict of interest training quiz that focuses on scenarios relevant to the employee’s line of work and serves to identify the gaps in conflict of interest knowledge. Following the quiz, we have built in our training, time for management to discuss the answers to the quiz with their management teams and propose mitigation strategies.

Important to implement a conflict of interest process when hiring new employees who may have had substantial work experience in the private sector before joining ISED.

It was decided to impose a mandatory annual conflict of interest disclosure form, which is currently being finalized

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 model of co-presenting the conflict of interest training to branches with respective director generals, leadership teams and the Values and Ethics Office (VEO) has been successful because it allows employees to witness ethical leadership in action and see that the mitigation of conflict of interest risks necessarily requires an honest conversation between management and the VEO in order to give the best guidance to the Deputy Minister.

The fishbowl exercise model was very effective.

Anonymous quiz helps to assess the audience’s comprehension.

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)?

• Ethical Workplace, ethical leadership subset questions in the Annual Public Service Employee Survey;
• Number of conflicts of interest cases per fiscal year, number of recurring themes and topics;
• Annual mandatory conflict of interest attestation form for sections 32 and 34 managers;
• Training completion rate in PMA’s and reports to be tracked by CSPS;
• Post-training feedback and evaluation forms;
• Ongoing list of common questions and answers from values and ethics training and engagement sessions;
• Values and ethics maturity model (as designed by the practitioners of the Values and Ethics Inter-departmental Network) will be guiding Department’s progress.

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)?

To address recommendations stemming from both the DM Science and Security Task Force and ISED’s Insider Threat Strategy, ISED has created a Horizontal Workforce Management Committee, in which the Values and Ethics Office participates regularly.

DM has appointed an ISED Values and Ethics champion to promote conversations on values and ethics across the Department including in Senior Management Committees, Townhalls, and various presentations, etc. ADMs have also appointed Values and ethics champions for their respective sector.