Public Service Commission (PSC) - Overview of the Federal Public Service Staffing

Objectives

• Provide an overview of the federal public service appointment framework.
• Discuss the responsibilities of the PSC and Deputy Heads (DHs).
• Provide an overview of the PSC services and current initiatives.

Human Resources Management

A shared responsibility

• Privy Council Office
• Canada School of Public Service
• Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
• Departments and Agencies
• Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Public Service Commission of Canada

Overview

The role of the PSC is to safeguard non-partisanship and the integrity of the public service staffing system:

• Make public service appointments based on merit.
• Conduct investigations and audits pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) (the Act).
• Apply the provisions of the Act to the political activities of public servants and DH.

Public Service Employment Act

The cornerstone of staffing in the Public Service

Public service appointments are based on merit and non-partisanship, meaning the candidate must have the qualifications for the work to be performed.

The preamble of the act sets out guiding principles to ensure the integrity of the federal staffing system:

• Supporting employment equity objectives.
• Providing service to the Canadian public in the official language of their choice.
• Promoting fair and transparent employment practices.
• Delegating staffing authority to the lowest level possible in order to manage and supervise staff.

Employment Equity Act

Employment equity and diversity

The Employment Equity Act requires that public service sectors undertake to achieve equality in the workplace and correct the disadvantages experienced by the following 4 groups:

• Women
• Aboriginal peoples
• Persons with disabilities
• Members of visible minorities

The employer must ensure that employment equity is reflected by:

• Identifying and removing barriers resulting from systems, policies and practices.
• Instituting positive policies and practices and making reasonable accommodations to ensure that the number of members of designated groups is representative of their availability on the job market.

Non-Partisanship - Part 7 of the PSEA

Political activities of public servants:

• Public servants are entitled to engage in political activities that do not impair, or are not perceived to impair, their ability to perform their duties in an impartial manner.
• They must request and receive approval from the PSC before seeking to become a candidate in a municipal, provincial, territorial or federal election.

DHs are not entitled to engage in political activities, except to vote in an election.

This system, including investigations into improper political activities, is administered by the PSC and cannot be delegated.

However, organizations are responsible for administering the provisions of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector with respect to the non-partisanship of programs and services, and of employees not subject to Part 7 of the Act such as casual employees.

Public Service Employment Act - Priority Entitlements

Persons with a priority entitlement must be appointed before any other person when they have the essential qualifications for a position.

Statutory

Outlined in the Act (precedence over persons with regulatory priority entitlements):
Order of consideration for appointments:

• Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) released for medical reasons attributable to service.
• Surplus employees within their own organization.
• Employees returning from a leave/replacing an employee on leave.
• Laid-off employees.

Regulatory

Outlined in the Public Service Employment Regulations.
No order of consideration for appointments:

• CAF members released for medical reasons not attributable to service.
• Employee who becomes disabled.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police members discharged for medical reasons
• Reinstatement. 
• Relocation of spouse or common-law partner.
• Surplus employee from another organization.
• Surviving spouse or common-law partner if the death is attributable
  to the performance of duties.

Organizations are responsible for assessing persons with a priority entitlement and obtaining a priority clearance number from the PSC before considering other candidates for appointment.

Deputy Heads

Delegation

The PSC reports independently to parliament on its mandate.

• The PSC delegates its authorities to DHs via the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument.
• DHs can in turn sub-delegate most of their authorities to persons who report to them.
• DHs are accountable to the PSC for the use of the authorities they are delegated.

Staffing Support

• The human resources (HR) professionals in your organization are there to provide ongoing support.
• A PSC Staffing Support Advisor has been assigned to your organization to answer your questions and share resources.

Responsibilities

The DH continuously monitors their organization’s staffing system and ensures that corrective action is taken to correct any shortcomings.

The DH establishes the organizational staffing framework:

• Area of Selection policy for internal appointment processes.
• Instruction on the use of advertised and non-advertised processes.
• Requirements regarding selection decisions.

Sub-delegated persons:

• Receive information and HR guidance and services from their HR team
• Must respect the requirements of the PSC Appointment Framework, the PSEA and other applicable legislation and regulations, as well as policies and other organizational requirements.

The DH and sub-delegated persons strive to ensure a merit-based non-partisan public service.

Oversight Framework

Two levels

PSC Oversight*:

• System-Wide Staffing Audit.
• Staffing and Non-partisanship Survey.
• Horizontal risk-based audits, as needed.
• PSC investigations (fraud and political influence).

Organizational Oversight*:

• Continuous monitoring.
• Cyclical assessment, at least every 5 years.
• Requirement for DHs to report annually to the PSC on:
• Use of the Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order.
• Exceptions to the national area of selection approved by the DH.
• The results of all internal investigations.
• Measures taken following all PSC investigations or audits.

*See Annex A for more information on recourse

Public Service Commission Services

Outreach Activities

The PSC conducts outreach activities for educational institutions and employment equity and official language minority associations, in partnership with federal organizations, in order to attract strong candidates to the public service.

Central Recruitment Programs

• Student recruitment
• Federal Student Work Experience Program
• Research Affiliate Program
• Post-Secondary CO-OP/Internship Program
• Graduate recruitment
• Post-Secondary Recruitment
• Recruitment of policy Leaders
• Pools for the entire public service, in collaboration with federal organizations

Personnel Psychology Centre

• Standardized assessments and tests for positions at all levels, for both selection and development.
• Public service second language evaluation.
• Accommodations for people with special needs.
• Guidance, expert advice and seminars on assessment.
• Executive Counselling Services.

New Direction in Staffing

On April 1, 2016, the PSC launched a new Policy Framework for staffing in the Federal Public Service:

• Streamlines requirements to focus on core obligations by consolidating twelve policies into one.
• Reduces the administrative burden on organizations.
• Offers greater flexibility and accountability.
• Encourages agile and customized approaches to staffing and policies.
• Increases focus on outcomes and less on process.
• Introduces a new oversight model that focuses on continuous improvement and aligns with organizational risk.

Supporting organizations as they customize their approach to staffing and attract talent in an innovative and timely fashion.

From Policy to Practice - Continuous Improvement

Our goal is to create an intuitive and transparent experience for candidates and hiring managers by determining:

• Strategies to better attract candidates by reaching out not only to people actively looking for employment (Employee Referral Pilot Program).
• End-to-end recruitment solution that meets the needs of all users.
• Tailored strategies that target specific hiring segments (Employee Referral Program, Official Languages ​​Evaluation Pilot).
• New methods of assessing candidates that take into account the complexity and nature of positions.

In order to respond to constantly evolving recruiting trends, we are moving ‘’from policy to practice’’.

Deputy Minister University Champion Initiative

The Deputy Minister University Champion initiative is aimed at strengthening linkages between the Government of Canada and Canadian Universities.

Working with key partners

• Building relations between the Government of Canada and universities in order to identify shared priorities and move forward together.
• Aligning university research/curricula with federal public service priorities and promoting and facilitating exchanges on public policies and programs.
• Building awareness of career opportunities in the federal public service and facilitating recruitment and branding activities.

To attract the next generation, the federal public service needs to position itself as an attractive employer that offers and enables:

• Diverse and meaningful career opportunities and paths.
• Inclusiveness and diversity.
• A respectful and supportive work environment.

Annex A - Potential Recourse

Internal processes:

• Informal discussions: Unsuccessful applicants may request an informal discussion with the sub-delegated manager at any stage of the internal appointment process.
• Complaints: Applicants have the right to file a complaint with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board after the appointment or proposed appointment.
• Investigations: The DH may investigate internal appointment processes (advertised and non-advertised).

External processes:

• Investigations: The PSC may investigate external processes (advertised and non-advertised).

The PSC may also investigate:

• Internal processes, at the request of the DH.
• All appointment processes (internal or external) in the following cases: fraud, political influence or improper political activities by public officials.