National Research Council of 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?

N/A

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• No

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

Significant work has been done over the past 3 years to strengthen the NRC’s Values and Ethics (VE) learning program. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) continues to develop and offer learning activities tailored to its mandate as a research and innovation organization, including formal learning and various tools and activities to raise awareness. The target date for full implementation of the VE learning plan is March 31, 2025. The plan is structured as a campaign of touch points to provide reinforcement of messaging through a variety of channels and to reach different audiences within the NRC.

Examples of learning activities include the following:

1. Current learning activities:
    
   • NRC online courses: mandatory conflict of interest (COI) learning module for employees; informal conflict resolution; equity, diversity and inclusion; and managing bias in hiring.
   • Supervising at the NRC: fundamentals online training package includes a module on ethics, integrity and respectful workplace.
   • Workshops: group dialogue sessions on VE and COI were offered to all employees in 2022 and 2023.
   • Supervisor toolkits: toolkits are available for workplace wellness and workplace harassment and violence prevention.
   • Guides and tools: employees can find relevant and accessible information on the NRC’s intranet and through the COI declaration system, including:
     • Post-Employment Guide
     • Adjunct professor management checklist and approval form
     • Guides on COI and intellectual property; gifts, sponsored travel, conferences and events; political activities; working with relatives and associates; and COI and staffing.

   Communications: VE topics and learning activities are promoted quarterly in the NRC’s internal newsletters for employees and supervisors, as well as via updates to the NRC’s intranet and external website.

   The NRC COI declaration system raises employee awareness of COI requirements as they complete the declaration. It includes an automated search function by topic.

2. Planned learning activities:
    
   • Online learning modules: “Research and Scientific Ethics and Integrity” and “Values and Ethics for NRC Employees” following the launch of the revised NRC Code of Conduct.
   • Workshops: “Supervisor Essentials” clinic on a supervisor’s role in applying the NRC Code of Conduct and having VE dialogue with their team.
   • Awareness sessions: VE and procurement; VE and the staffing process and VE and social media.
   • Toolkits: Toolkit for supervisors to engage in ongoing dialogue on VE with their teams.
   • Communications: articles on implementing the updated NRC Code of Conduct and tools to support its implementation and to engage in VE dialogue will be published in the NRC’s internal newsletters for employees and supervisors.

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?

The timeframe to review the NRC Code of Conduct is December 2024, following completion of the current collective bargaining cycle.

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 NRC Code of Conduct (Code) has been under review since 2022. The updated content reinforces the NRC’s commitment to:

• health, safety and security
• conflict of interest management
• equity, diversity and inclusion
• reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
• security and protection of NRC information and
• support to those who report misconduct.

The updated Code includes new expected behaviours under the NRC values and reflects important new organizational functions like the NRC Ombud.

Bargaining agents were consulted. Further consultations are planned following the conclusion of collective bargaining.

The NRC is engaging with employees across a range of functions and divisions on emerging values and ethics issues. Feedback will be incorporated into the new NRC 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)
• 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.

In addition to above, the following are other activities we have undertaken:

• Executive and management committee meetings:
  • Values and ethics (VE) dialogue sessions on emerging issues were held with the NRC president, vice-presidents, director generals and executive directors in April 2024 and in May 2024.
• All-staff engagements:
  • An all-staff town hall presentation on conflict of interest (COI) was held in 2021.
  • VE and COI scenario-based training and dialogue sessions were held with all NRC Research Centres, Corporate Branches and Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) teams in 2022 and 2023.
  • The NRC Ombud held regional visits and online sessions with employees (ongoing).
• Focused sessions on specific topics:
  • A supervisor toolkit for workplace wellness was developed and promoted to support dialogue at the centre/corporate branch/division/team level (2023-2024).
  • A supervisor and manager toolkit for workplace harassment and violence prevention was developed and promoted to support dialogue at the centre/corporate branch/division/team level (2023-2024).
  • Focused sessions for key functional areas (Human Resources, Finance and Procurement Services).
• Sessions with equity groups, employee groups, networks and communities:
  • Engagement with NRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee on NRC Code of Conduct review.
  • Engagement with NRC Indigenous Engagement Network on Indigenous research ethics.
  • Ombud engagement with NRC Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Network.
• Inclusion in employee performance and talent management cycle discussions:
  • NRC executives are accountable for promoting a workplace culture that protects the security of people, information, infrastructure and research, and for respecting the NRC COI Policy and behaving in a manner that mitigates COI risks. This accountability was assigned to all NRC executives for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in the NRC's performance management system.
  • Executives ensure that through the performance management cycle, their employees are committed to delivering their commitments, while meeting the highest standards of ethics and integrity in their work.
• The following communications campaigns on VE:
  • harassment and violence prevention and resolution policy and tools
  • Ombud services and informal conflict resolution session promotions
  • COI: new online learning module and declaration system
  • post-employment requirements for reporting and toolkit for supervisors
  • NRC research security policy awareness campaign

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.

The onboarding process for new employees involves the following:

• all new employees must complete an online conflict of interest (COI) declaration.
• employees in positions designated high risk for COI must complete a declaration every 2 years.
• The National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program conducts pre-employment COI conversations with prospective candidates prior to hiring.

Incorporated in employees’ professional development and mandatory learning plans: all employees must take mandatory training on COI, security, health and safety, equity, diversity and inclusion as well as harassment and violence prevention and resolution in tracked online modules.

Offboarding: a post-employment guide and toolkit for supervisors to support their discussions on the subjects of integrity, values and COI with departing employees.

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 following recurring themes have emerged across our organization:

• artificial intelligence and digital transformation
• research security
• use of social media and communication of research
• conflict of interest risk areas for the NRC
• importance of recognition and celebration of success
• equity, diversity and inclusion, reconciliation and accessibility
• fostering a culture of openness, transparency and accountability
• communication is critical: leaders play an essential role in promoting ethical discussions and creating a culture of openness in the workplace

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)?

Learning activities are being adjusted to address the following recurring themes:

• Values and ethics (VE) learning plan, online learning products and dialogue sessions updated to address emerging issues and recurring themes.
• Significant guidance and tools have been provided in identified conflict of interest (COI) risk areas for the NRC.
• Speakers are invited to divisional all-staff meetings to address key themes, including: diversity; inclusion; intersectionality and neurodiversity; accessibility; harassment and violence prevention; official languages; health and safety; and informal conflict resolution.
• Tech X, an annual NRC learning event, offers our researchers and employees the opportunity to learn about research and technology projects happening within our organization. One theme for 2024 was digital technologies, which included presentations on research in digital twinning, modeling, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, generative AI, digital innovation and transformation techniques.
• The NRC hosted “Celebrating the Success of Women in STEM Symposium: 100 years of women's research across Canada” to enable scientific discussions and networking with colleagues from government and academia.
• NRC Research Ethics Board members and other NRC employees attended the Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards Conference on “The Future of Ethics: Navigating the Changing Landscape.”
• The NRC launched a research security awareness campaign.

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)?

• Ombud in-person visits across regions were effective to help employees know what to do it they face a difficult situation, to get to know the Ombud and understand the position’s role.
• The conflict of interest (COI) awareness sessions held with all teams across the NRC, supplemented by the NRC’s COI online training module and COI guidelines, knowledge base, and declaration system are effective initiatives to help employees understand their ethical obligations and where to go for advice and guidance.
• Toolkits for supervisors provide just-in-time guidance to supervisors to fulfill their various responsibilities and provide leadership and support to their teams.
• The Industrial Research Assistance Program holds impactful pre-hiring conversations with candidates in staffing processes who are at higher risk of COI because of their past work experience and connections to industry. These conversations foster dialogue and understanding about the values and ethics and conflict of interest considerations and requirements for NRC IRAP, the NRC and the federal public sector.

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 (disaggregated by identity factor).

The conflict of interest declaration system includes reports that can be used to monitor policy compliance at all levels of the organization. 

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)?

The NRC will launch a promotional campaign on values and ethics (VE) in 2024-2025 with the launch of the updated NRC Code of Conduct. 

The NRC has added additional resources to the VE team over the past few years to better support employees and their supervisors and to develop policies, systems, training material, guidance documents and other tools related to public sector and VE.

In 2023, the Ombud’s function was separated from the manager of VE role to strengthen the independence and impartiality of the Ombud role and to enhance the effectiveness of both the Ombud and the VE teams.

The NRC has made a significant investment in the development of a conflict of interest declaration and case management system, which has enhanced declaration workflow and reporting, and could be adapted for use by other federal government organizations.