Archived - Appointment Policy Considerations - Informal discussions

Informal Discussion

In making a decision on Informal Discussion, deputy heads may want to consider that:

• Providing sufficient information as soon as possible after a decision is made to eliminate a person from consideration, at any stage in an internal appointment process, may help to avoid unnecessary delays in the appointment process.
• Informal Discussion provides an opportunity for managers to resolve issues, correct any errors or oversights and complete the appointment process in an efficient manner; preparation by managers is crucial to the quality and the outcome of the discussion, as well the credibility of the process.
• The information provided during an individual Informal Discussion should relate only to the person eliminated from consideration who has requested an Informal Discussion.
• Identifying reasonable timeframes for an Informal Discussion (when there is no new information).
• Setting up group Informal Discussion sessions to address issues of common concern.
• When the reason why a person has been eliminated from consideration has not changed, one opportunity for an Informal Discussion is sufficient. It is important to note that if the other merit criteria applied for a particular appointment are different, then this may have an impact on the reason for a person's elimination.
• Possible flaws in the assessment may be raised that could lead to the person being reconsidered and reinstated in the appointment process; for example, the marking of an assessment instrument may have been incorrect or inconsistent.
• Corrective measures taken in regard to one person may have an impact on other participants in the process; for example, to ensure fairness, it may be necessary to reassess others if it is determined that an assessment tool is flawed.
• Although an Informal Discussion is intended as a forum for a manager and the person who requested the Informal Discussion to have a productive dialogue with respect to the appointment decisions, either or both may wish to involve another person to assist in the discussion.
• Although the purpose of an Informal Discussion is to deal with decisions made in the course of the appointment process, the person requesting an Informal Discussion and the manager may agree to discuss matters such as training, development, or performance as appropriate.
• The guiding values of fairness and transparency are promoted when persons who are eliminated from consideration have the opportunity to discuss decisions about their participation.