LHHR 15-17: New Direction in Staffing – Removal of requirements under the current Appointment Framework

2015-12-31

Dear Colleague:

As part of our ongoing efforts to implement the New Direction in Staffing (NDS) on April 1, 2016, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is removing some existing requirements to help your organization prepare for the new framework.

The following changes are effective immediately:

1. Amendment to the Assessment Policy:
   Minimum requirements to assess qualifications for appointment to or within the EX Group are removed. As a result, the requirement to obtain approval from the PSC for exceptions on a case-by-case basis is also removed.
   
2. Amendment to the Choice of Appointment Process Policy:
   The requirement to monitor specific elements found within this policy is removed.
   
3. Amendment to the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument:
   1. The requirement to report on the indicators found in the Staffing Management Appointment Framework is removed.
      
      Nota: Monitoring and reporting will continue to be required on the use of the Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order and on progress made to implement corrective actions following a PSC investigation.
      
   2. The Appointment Framework Knowledge Test (AFKT) was decommissioned on December 1, 2015. Therefore, the requirement to validate human resources (HR) advisors' knowledge through the test is removed.
      
      The PSC is working with the Canada School of Public Service to enhance staffing training courses and explore the introduction of an on-line test for HR advisors.

For further details on these changes, please refer to Annex A. Should you have any questions related the removal of these requirements, please contact your dedicated PSC staffing support advisor.

To provide additional support to organizations as they prepare to implement the NDS, members of the PSC senior management team and the staffing support advisor assigned to your organization would be pleased to attend one of your Executive Committee meetings in the New Year to respond to any questions. Your office will be contacted shortly to confirm your interest and availability.

Thank you for your continued engagement as we prepare for this New Direction in Staffing.

Sincerely,

Christine Donoghue
Acting President

ANNEX A

Assessment Policy

The following requirement has been removed:

Deputy heads must… assess qualifications for appointment to or within the EX Group:

• With a structured interview and a structured reference check; and
• With any additional assessment tools necessary to provide clear evidence for appointment decisions (such as SELEX);
  
  OR
  
  
  • Obtain approval from the PSC for exceptions to the EX assessment requirements on a case-by-case basis, except for acting EX appointments over four months;
  • For acting EX appointments over four months, the acceptable alternative to the structured interview and structured reference check is a narrative assessment that:
    • Assesses all of the merit criteria for the position, including the Key Leadership Competencies;
    • Uses concrete behavioural examples; and
    • Is signed by the hiring manager or another manager who is sufficiently familiar with the applicant's performance and accomplishments to attest to the accuracy of the information provided;
• Establish EX assessment boards comprised of members at, or equivalent to, a level above the position being staffed, as well as other parties, as necessary, for a comprehensive assessment. Human resources (HR) specialists may assist EX assessment boards in an advisory capacity.

Policy on Choice of Appointment Process

The following requirement has been removed:

Deputy heads must…establish a monitoring and review mechanism for the following appointment processes:

• Acting appointments over 12 months;
• The appointment of casual workers to term or indeterminate status through non-advertised processes; and
• Appointments to the EX Group through non-advertised processes.

Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument

1. The conditions listed in 5(c) of the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument have been removed:
   
   5(c) Deputy heads must report to the Public Service Commission (PSC) in the specified manner on:
   1. The indicators that are defined in the PSC Staffing Management Accountability Framework, including:
      • The analysis of the results of monitoring, such as file reviews, internal audits or other control mechanisms that the organization has undertaken and action taken in response to these results; and
      • The progress made by the organization to implement corrective actions following a PSC investigation, recommendations identified by a PSC audit or other PSC oversight activity; and
   2. Any reporting requirements identified in the PSC's Appointment Policies.
   Although the entirety of 5(c) is being removed for the sake of clarity, monitoring and reporting will continue to be required on the use of the Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order. In addition, the PSC requires that organizations continue to monitor and report on progress made to implement corrective actions following a PSC investigation, recommendations identified by an audit or any other oversight activity.
   
2. The requirement under paragraph 9(c) to validate HR advisors' knowledge through the Appointment Framework Knowledge Test (AFKT) has been removed.
   
   The AFKT was decommissioned on December 1, 2015. The PSC is currently working with the Canada School of Public Service to enhance staffing training courses and explore the introduction of an on-line test for HR advisors.