Providing misleading information about education and a falsified credential evaluation report for Canadian equivalency

Authority

This investigation was conducted under section 69 of the Public Service Employment Act, (S.C. 2003, c.22, ss. 12, 13).

Issue

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a candidate committed fraud in an external appointment process by providing false information about their education.

Conclusions

The investigation concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, the candidate committed fraud in order to increase their chances of being appointed when they:

• knowingly provided misleading information about their education in their application
• submitted a falsified credential evaluation report for Canadian equivalency

Facts

The candidate applied to an external appointment process, which required a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution. The job advertisement stated various acceptable specializations, including microbiology and food science. Candidates with foreign educational credentials had to provide proof of Canadian equivalency.

The candidate holds a bachelor’s degree in science, including credits in microbiology, and a master’s degree in food and nutrition from a foreign university. Their degrees were assessed against Canadian standards by a recognized agency for the assessment of foreign credentials. The agency determined that both degrees, combined, are equivalent to a 4-year bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition.

In their application, the candidate indicated that they hold a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a master’s degree in food and nutrition from a recognized university outside Canada. They also stated that their credentials had been evaluated for Canadian equivalency.

After their candidacy was placed in a pool of partially qualified candidates, a hiring manager considered the candidate for an employment opportunity. When asked for their proof of studies, the candidate reported having a graduate degree, representing a master’s degree, and sent a falsified credential evaluation report to the hiring manager. The falsified report mirrored their foreign degrees and contained the same terminology used in their application.

The department noticed variations in the fonts throughout the candidate’s document and asked for an official copy. The candidate agreed to request a new copy from the credential assessment service and to have it delivered directly to the department.

The candidate was eliminated from the appointment process due to inconsistencies between the information they provided and the official copy of their credential evaluation.

The investigation determined that the candidate provided misleading information about their bachelor’s degree in science, describing it as having a primary focus in microbiology.

Regarding their master’s degree in food and nutrition, the candidate argued that they had nothing to gain by lying about it, as only a bachelor’s degree was required for the appointment process. However, a reasonable person would know that a higher level of education could favourably influence the perception of a hiring manager towards a candidate, making them stand out among others, and have an impact on the hiring manager’s selection decisions.

The investigation found that the candidate:

• mentioned their master’s degree in food and nutrition, without clarifying it had been recognized as the Canadian equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, in order to increase their chances of succeeding in the appointment process
• knowingly submitted a falsified credential evaluation report mirroring their foreign education, in order to be appointed

Correctives actions

Following the conclusion of fraud, the Commission ordered the following:

• for a period of 3 years, the person must notify the Public Service Commission of Canada before accepting any position or work within the federal public service
  • failure to do so will result in the revocation of their appointment
• the person must complete the Values and Ethics Foundations for Employees course offered by the Canada School of Public Service, and then have a discussion with their director
  • failure to complete the course or to participate in the discussion will result in a letter being sent to their deputy head advising them of the non-compliance

 

File Number: 24-25-08