Public Service Commission 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?

The Public Service Commission's (PSC) Values and Ethics (V&E) Training Plan is designed to provide comprehensive training tailored to the specific needs of our organization. It includes three essential steps.

Mandatory Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) V&E online courses

Employees will take the FON301 course, while managers will participate in the FON302 course. These online courses provided by the CSPS offer a solid foundation in values and ethics within the context of the public service. They cover topics such as codes of conduct, ethical decision-making and managerial responsibilities in terms of organizational ethics.

Non-partisanship sessions

Given the PSC's mandate, all employees will participate in dedicated sessions on non-partisanship. These sessions will be offered by the PSC (Political Activities and Non-Partisanship Division) and aim to raise employees' awareness about their rights and obligations with regard to political activities, the principles of impartiality and neutrality in the performance of their public duties, emphasizing the need to maintain public confidence in the integrity of our government institutions.

Facilitated discussions based on tailored scenarios

Discussions will be organized within each division, based on scenarios adapted to their daily work practices. These discussions, guided by trained facilitators, will enable employees to explore specific ethical dilemmas and discuss how values and ethics can be integrated into their day-to-day decisions and actions.

By combining these three steps, our V&E training plan aims to provide employees with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to act ethically and in alignment with our organization's values in all their professional interactions. This plan reinforces our commitment to a culture of integrity, transparency and exemplary public service within the PSC.

Deadline: third quarter (Q3) 2024-2025.

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?

PSC's goal is to complete the revision of the code of conduct by October 2024 and communicate the changes to staff by November 2024.

Deadline: Q3 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.

N/A

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
• Inclusion in employees’ performance and talent management cycle discussions

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

The PSC took two important steps in April 2024 to strengthen the dialogue on V&E within the organization. 

Firstly, the PSC has included a specific objective in executive performance agreements, focusing on promoting ongoing dialogue on values and ethics. This is intended to ensure that managers actively integrate these discussions into their management practices and decisions, and into interactions with their teams.

Secondly, at a meeting of all executives, the PSC presented the detailed action plan and specific expectations for the renewal of the dialogue on values and ethics in April 2024.

Starting in the third quarter, the PSC has planned a range of activities to strengthen organizational culture in terms of values and ethics, including:

1. Holding specific discussions on values and ethics at an all-staff meeting. This initiative aims to sensitize and engage all staff members in reflecting on and promoting the organization's ethical values.
2. Integrating personal responsibility for respecting values and ethics into discussions on the performance cycle, learning plans and the integration process for non-executives. This approach will ensure that every employee understands the importance of his or her role and implication in maintaining an ethical culture and feels invested in this objective.
3. Organize dedicated discussions to reinforce a culture of ethical leadership at sector, directorate and divisional meetings. These forums will offer leaders the opportunity to share best practices, deepen their understanding of ethical issues and reinforce their commitment to ethical leadership practices. One of these forums will be a one-hour panel discussion for executives on navigating the ethical landscape: balancing politics, public services an integrity.
4. Hold monthly organization-wide roundtables on various themes such as sectorial ethical dilemma, artificial intelligence, social media, misinformation, etc. These roundtables will foster knowledge sharing, raise awareness of emerging issues and promote a culture of continuous learning on V&E within the PSC.

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?

• Incorporated in employees’ professional development and mandatory learning plans

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

In addition to the discussions and training plan mentioned earlier, the PSC will integrate discussions on the importance of values and ethics into employees' mid-year performance reviews. This means that performance objectives and results will be assessed not only on quantitative outcomes, but also on how they reflect our organization's core values and ethical decision-making.

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?

Conversations and consultations with employees regarding these current topics (e.g. social media, emerging technologies, conflicts of interest) will take place in the fall of 2024.

By prioritizing the development and upgrading of values and ethics knowledge through training, we are laying the groundwork for more in-depth conversations and consultations with employees in fall 2024. This approach will ensure that all our employees have the knowledge and skills to actively participate in these important discussions and contribute to the culture of ethics and respect within our organization.

We conducted a “Have Your Say” survey, and based on the responses, here are the top 5 topics related to V&E that employees indicated they would benefit from learning more about:

1. What to do when they encounter unethical behavior in the workplace
2. Where to seek assistance when confronted with V&E related questions or dilemmas
3. Recognizing conflict of duties situations
4. Practicing responsible use of social media (pertaining to the duty of loyalty and political impartiality)
5. Identifying conflict of interest scenarios

We will prioritize addressing these topics in our upcoming discussions with employees.

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)?

The PSC has reviewed its priorities and has decided to prioritize the development and upgrading of basic knowledge in values and ethics through training provided by the School of Public Service. Simultaneously, an Advisory Committee composed of representatives from various sectors of the PSC is working to develop learning activities and tools to assist divisions in developing scenarios specific to their reality, as well as to develop scenarios that will be discussed at the PSC level in larger forums. As mentioned above, by prioritizing the development and upgrading of knowledge in values and ethics through training, we are laying the necessary groundwork for deeper conversations and consultations with employees in the fall of 2024. This approach will ensure that all our employees have the knowledge and skills necessary to actively participate in these important discussions and contribute to a culture of ethics and respect within our organization.

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)?

Activities for this type of measure are planned for the Fall 2024.

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)?

In addition to the Public Service Employee Survey, we plan to use pulse surveys as additional indicators to measure the increased level of employee knowledge about values and ethics. In addition, we will be holding focus groups to obtain more detailed and qualitative perspectives on progress. Here's how we'll do it.

We plan to periodically send brief surveys to employees to assess their understanding and commitment to values and ethics. These surveys will focus on specific topics related to ongoing awareness initiatives and will track progress over time and will be designed with targeted questions to assess specific aspects of employees' ethical knowledge and behaviors. This could include questions on understanding the organization's values, recognition of ethical dilemmas and trust in mechanisms for reporting unethical behavior.

In parallel, we will be holding focus groups with representative samples of employees to deepen our understanding of the issues and challenges related to values and ethics. These discussions will enable us to explore topics in greater depth and gather qualitative feedback on the impact of awareness initiatives.

By combining these different measurement approaches, we will be able to holistically assess the effectiveness of our efforts to increase employees' knowledge of values and ethics. This will also enable us to identify areas where adjustments are needed to achieve our objectives of promoting an ethical and respectful organizational culture.

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)?

To complement the activities listed above, the PSC has set up a Values and Ethics Advisory Committee, in line with the Clerk's expectations. This committee is composed of representatives from each sector of our organization, and its objective is to provide advice and recommendations on values and ethics initiatives. Its role is to promote an organizational culture based on integrity and respect for fundamental values. The committee will also contribute to the development of scenarios specific to the PSC's sectors and divisions, working as a committee and also with sector management teams.

In addition, we recently completed the exercise of updating confidential reports for all executives by the end of March 2024. These confidential reports are essential for assessing executives' ethical compliance and professional integrity, as well as identifying areas where further support or development is required.

By establishing this advisory committee and updating the confidential reports for executives, we are reinforcing our commitment to ethical governance and professional conduct within our organization. These initiatives help maintain high standards of ethical behavior and promote a culture of integrity and accountability at all levels of the organization.

Finally, the PSC, through its Political Activities and Non-Partisanship Division, offers the following services to the entire federal public service:

• Administers the provisions of the Public Service Employment Act and regulations that relate to the political activities of employees and deputy heads.
• Processes requests for permission to seek nomination and be a candidate in federal, provincial, territorial or municipal elections, as well as a leave of absence without pay.
• Provides guidance, information and tools to employees on their legal rights and responsibilities related to political activities and non-partisanship.
• Administers the mobility provisions for former ministers’ staff and for persons formerly employed in an excluded position at the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

As part of the modernization of its programs and services offered to the entire public service, the PSC is developing its expertise and putting in place mechanisms to ensure the robustness of its assessment methods, i.e., to protect them against new documentary falsification techniques and artificial intelligence applications that could facilitate cheating.

In this way, the PSC intends to contribute actively to the discussion and to the collective federal efforts that will protect its integrity while improving its performance.