Public Health Agency 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?

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC or Agency) is undertaking efforts to broaden and revitalize a solid foundation for Values and Ethics (V&E) conversations within the Agency, but with a view to shaping a deep reflection on how V&E underpins our role as public servants.

In relation to Agency-specific V&E training, PHAC employees at all levels have an obligation to live to the core values of the public sector in their decisions, behaviours and work environments. They also need to understand how V&E is the foundation on which to deal with conflicts of interest (COI), ethical dilemmas, harassment situations and other issues of workplace well-being.

To support employees in identifying and applying the key principles and policies related to V&E, the Agency completed the following activities:

• Mandatory Training: All employees and managers were required to complete the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) V&E foundation courses by May 31, 2024 (even if they have completed it in the past). These courses are a mandatory learning requirement for the Agency. We saw a notable increase in the number of employees who completed V&E training since the beginning of May. The Agency will continue to promote the importance of completing the CSPS courses and will regularly report on progress at all required levels.
• Onboarding and Performance Agreements: V&E discussions are a regular element of PHAC’s online onboarding program for new employees. Information on V&E and COI obligations are included in all letters of offer. A link to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the Directive on Conflict of Interest is included in yearly performance agreements.
• Internal Workshops: We hold internal workshops on V&E where all PHAC employees can learn about tools and resources for addressing ethical issues in the workplace, including COI and the disclosure of wrongdoing. Our COI Office has also developed its own COI-specific training, reference materials and case studies.

Moving forward, we will:

• Continue to hold internal workshops on V&E so that employees can learn about tools and resources available to help them to address ethical issues in the workplace, including COI and the disclosure of wrongdoing;
• Maintain an evergreen inventory of V&E scenarios to support team discussions; and
• Roll-out a pilot of V&E training specific to our scientific communities, who are the backbone of the work we do at PHAC.
  • This targeted training will include a discussion about ethical considerations and scenarios applicable to science and will include input from the PHAC Chief Science Officer (CSO) and a strong consideration of scientific integrity. Given the Agency’s science focus, the aim is to provide employees with the tools and training they need to ensure their work is aligned with, and enabled by, our values. We expect to launch this pilot training in summer 2024.

Question 2

Has your organization fully implemented department-specific training plans?

• No

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

As noted above, we will roll-out out a pilot of V&E training specific to our scientific communities, who are the backbone of the work we do at PHAC. This targeted training will include a discussion of ethical considerations and scenarios applicable to science, and will include input from the PHAC CSO and a strong consideration of scientific integrity. Given the Agency’s science focus, our aim is to provide employees with the tools and training they need to ensure their work is aligned with, and enabled, by our values. We expect to launch this pilot training in summer 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?

PHAC will complete its review of the Code of Conduct (including consultations with relevant stakeholders) and launch the new Code by August 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 per the recent Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council, PHAC is revising its Code of Conduct. 

Our Code of Conduct is the central component of the Agency’s V&E framework and is meant to be a tool and practical guide that outlines the five (5) core values of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the expected behaviours of all PHAC employees. It also:

• Applies to every person employed at PHAC (including students and individuals on an exchange program) regardless of their level or position and is a condition of employment;
• Complements the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and serves as a practical guide to outline and describe the core values and expected behaviours of all employees including managing COI and disclosing wrongdoing in the workplace;
• Aligns with the emerging context and environment, and applies equity, diversity, inclusion, mental health, accessibility and scientific integrity lenses to its content and considerations;
• Amplifies our ongoing efforts to make progress on the Clerk’s Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, the Accessible Canada Act, the implementation of recommendations from the Emerging from the Purge Report to support Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual + (2SLGBTQIA+) people, support for official languages commitments and our efforts to meaningfully include the many equity deserving groups that enrich our organization; and
• Reflects the reality of the hybrid workplace and the modern environment, in which many employees use social media and team collaboration applications (e.g., MS Teams).

Consultations with executives, executive committees, champions, employee/manager networks, the COI Office, scientific integrity leads, etc. will be completed in August 2024.   

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 early May 2024, our President sent a message to all employees introducing the renewed conversation around V&E and asking them to ensure they have read the recent Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council. The message also:

• Reminded employees of their responsibility to uphold and exemplify their actions and behaviours based on the core public service values of respect for democracy, respect for people, integrity, stewardship, and excellence; and
• Noted that conversations around V&E will continue for the foreseeable future and that employees at all levels would be engaged.

The President and Executive Vice-President also led an executive level townhall to engage senior leaders about V&E. This session was an opportunity to share direction and expectations from the Clerk and share tools to enable conversations across branches on V&E.

As a follow up, branch management teams across the Agency held V&E sessions with over 1,900 seasoned and new employees at all levels. These dialogues helped build awareness on how to apply V&E consistently and served as forums to have open discussions about personal V&E choices and decisions in daily and complex situations.

We created a dedicated V&E MS Teams channel to support employees in their discussions; it included a toolkit with a discussion deck, the inventory of potential scenarios for discussion, links to relevant resources, and a standardized feedback form to capture outputs from employees and managers at all levels. The information compiled will inform future V&E training, Code of Conduct updates, support employee conversations and more.

Finally, V&E content on our intranet site (mySOURCE) is being updated to reflect the Clerk’s direction on V&E and our renewed focus in this area.  

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 noted above, V&E discussions are a regular element of PHAC’s online onboarding program for new employees and information on V&E and COI obligations are included in all letters of offer. A link to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the Directive on Conflict of Interest is included in yearly performance agreements. These serve as reminders to engage in regular discussions regarding employee obligations and expectations.

To ensure the ongoing V&E dialogue throughout the Agency, and to maximize employee participation at all levels, we created a dedicated V&E MS Teams channel which includes a toolkit with a discussion deck, the inventory of potential scenarios for discussion, links to relevant resources, and a standardized feedback form to capture outputs from employees and managers at all levels. The information compiled will inform future V&E training, Code of Conduct updates, support employee conversations and more.

Once our new Code of Conduct is finalized and published, we will kick-off a series of communications highlighting the new Code, as well as the public service values that guide our work and behaviours.

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 that have emerged include:

• Conflict of interest and stewardship
• Respect for people
• Excellence
• Use of social media
• Ethical advice and policy
• Respect for democracy
• Integrity
• Procurement
• Personal relationships

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)?

All employees and managers were required to complete the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) V&E foundation courses by May 31, 2024 (even if they have completed it in the past). These courses are a mandatory learning requirement for the Agency. We saw a notable increase in the number of employees who completed V&E training since the beginning of May. The Agency will continue to promote the importance of completing the CSPS courses and will regularly report on progress at all required levels.

To ensure the ongoing V&E dialogue throughout the Agency, and to maximize employee participation at all levels, we created a dedicated V&E MS Teams channel which includes a toolkit with a discussion deck, the inventory of potential scenarios for discussion, links to relevant resources, and a standardized feedback form to capture outputs from employees and managers at all levels.

Our inventory of scenarios will be evergreen, and we will add new and timely scenarios regularly to continue to address the ever-evolving context and organizational environment, including new and recurring themes raised.

Finally, to meet the needs of our scientific communities, we will roll-out out a pilot of V&E training specific to their needs. This targeted training will include a discussion of ethical considerations and scenarios applicable to science, and will include input from the PHAC CSO and a strong consideration of scientific integrity. We expect to launch this pilot training in summer 2024. 

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 mentioned above, the President and Executive Vice-President led an executive level townhall in early May to engage senior leaders about V&E. This session was an opportunity to share direction and expectations from the Clerk and to share tools to enable conversations across branches on V&E.

To ensure the ongoing V&E dialogue throughout the Agency, and to maximize employee participation at all levels, we created a dedicated V&E MS Teams channel which included a toolkit with a discussion deck, the inventory of potential scenarios for discussion, links to relevant resources, and a standardized feedback form to capture outputs from employees and managers at all levels. The information compiled will inform future V&E training, Code of Conduct updates, support employee conversations and more. 

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
• Pulse survey
• Regular reporting to senior management
• Engagement with employees and networks
• Mandatory training completion data

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)?

At PHAC, V&E is core to what we do and is built into our decisions, actions, policies, processes and systems. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standard and, as a result, contribute to a stronger ethical, inclusive and respectful culture of the public sector and to public confidence in the integrity of the Agency.