Annex A: Upcoming Priority Information Management System Enhancements

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Effective March 20, 2013:

1. A standardized résumé template
   The résumé is used to screen priority persons for potential job opportunities.  Clear and current information in their résumé ensures that they are accurately matched to positions for which they have the necessary experience.  The new résumé template is structured in a format that allows for the priority person’s education, work experience, and other qualifications to be more easily found in Priority Information Management System (PIMS).  The template is designed to increase consistency in the way that qualifications are presented in PIMS and should lead to a more efficient and effective screening and referral process for term and indeterminate employment opportunities.  Priority persons were provided with the new résumé template as well as detailed instructions on how to use it and have been asked to update their résumé by April 5th, 2013. The Résumé sections of PIMS will be updated to reflect this change as of April 6, 2013.

Effective April 6, 2013

1. Revised Priority Clearance Request Form
   The Priority Clearance Request Form has been streamlined to make it simpler for organizations to seek referrals or appoint a priority before contemplating a staffing process.
2. Enhanced Priority Registration Form
   The revised registration form will provide improved navigation for users of the system. This change will also make it easier for organizations to assist their priority persons with the registration process.
3. New search function for previous priority registration
   This new feature will enable organizations to search for existing registrations of priority persons prior to initiating or completing a new registration.  This function will merge historical files, prevent duplicate registrations, and ensure that priority persons have only one Priority Record Number assigned to them.
4. Automatic activation of full priority registrations
   Organizations will no longer have to undertake a two-step process to activate a priority registration. Where a home organization completes a full registration for a priority person (where a priority person is not able to register via the Portal), PIMS will now automatically activate the file once the PIMS user clicks on the “Submit” button.  

Effective May 4, 2013

1. Revised experience codes
   To improve the matching of priority persons to employment opportunities, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is revising and updating the skills codes, starting with the most widely used codes, those that relate to the AS, CR, CM, DA, IS, OE, OM, PM and ST occupational groups. Some codes have been removed, some have been added, and others have been revised.  The updated codes, known as experience codes, will include guidelines, outlining the skills and experience that may be required to do a specific type of job.  This will lead to a more accurate and consistent application of the codes and more targeted referrals of priority persons.  The revised codes and associated guidelines have will be shared with Priority Administration Contacts and PIMS Super Users across organizations and will be available on the PSC Web site and in PIMS.
2. New mobility codes
   New mobility codes will more accurately reflect the areas where job opportunities are located, and geographical areas will be divided more intuitively. Priority persons would be referred to jobs in locations to which they have indicated they are mobile, leading to a more efficient and effective referrals.

Questions and Answers

1. What are organizations and priority persons expected to do?
   Priority persons who have not registered via the Priority Portal are being strongly encouraged to do so. Home organizations will need to provide the résumé template to priority persons who are not able to use the Priority Portal.  Home organizations are expected to provide support to their priority persons who request help in creating or updating their résumé.  Detailed information on the priority person’s education and work experience is required for referrals.
   
   As mentioned in the e-mail to priority persons sent on March 20, 2013, priority persons who are in (or have experience in) the AS, CR, CM, DA, IS, OE, OM, PM, and ST occupational groups are being asked to access the Priority Portal and verify both new experience and mobility codes on (or shortly after) May 5, 2013.  They will be able to request code changes or additions if they believe there is missing/inaccurate information.
   
   Home organizations are responsible for approving or declining any requests for changes to mobility or experience codes in a timely manner.  While position locations are relevant to all priority types, home organizations determine what is reasonable in terms of mobility for their surplus employees as per the Work Force Adjustment Directive and related agreements. 
2. What happens if priority persons don’t update their résumé?
   Regardless of whether priority persons update their résumé, they will continue to be referred to jobs by the PSC (if they are available for referrals).  However, they will only be referred to jobs where the experience required for that job is a clear match to the experience codes in their profile.
3. How will priority persons be assigned the new experience codes?
   During the month of April, the PSC will carefully review priority persons’ résumés and will select the appropriate experience codes that match the priority person’s experience.  All files of priority persons in (or have experience in) the AS, CR, CM, DA, IS, OE, OM, PM, and ST occupational groups will be reviewed and recoded by the PSC, including those of priority persons who are currently unavailable for referral.  It is important that priority persons update their résumé by April 5, 2013.  Experience codes will only be assigned to their profile if there is clear description of the experience, in depth and breadth, in their résumé.
4. How will the new mobility codes be assigned to priority persons?
   An electronic upload of the new mobility codes will be conducted in PIMS by the PSC.  The mapping methodology will ensure that a priority person is not overlooked for opportunities in their current stated area of mobility. For instance, a priority person who indicated mobility to Ottawa/Gatineau (Greater) will continue to be referred to all positions in the Ottawa/Gatineau (Greater) area even though this region will be divided into two districts, with twelve new possible position locations as of May 4, 2013.  Should a priority person not wish to be considered for this entire region, he/she can update their mobility choices through the Priority Portal as of May 5, 2013.
5. What support is being provided to organizations to help with implementation?
   The Priority Portal User Manual and PIMS User Manual will be updated on the PSC Web site to reflect the upcoming changes.  “Train the trainer” sessions were conducted with organizational PIMS Super Users on March 21, 2013.  A link to the PIMS testing site was provided to all PIMS Super Users to familiarize themselves and others within their organization with the new functionalities before they are implemented.