Horizontal Initiatives - 2013–14 Departmental Performance Report - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Horizontal Initiatives

Name of horizontal initiative: Workplace Wellness and Productivity Strategy (WPS)

Name of lead department: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (Secretariat)

Lead department PAA Program: People Management

Start date: November 2013

End date: Ongoing

Total federal funding allocation (from start date to end date)

The amount of $25,010,838 of total funding has been allocated over a four-year period for the Secretariat, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Health Canada to carry out a range of activities in support of modernizing the current system for disability and sick leave management. The total allocated funding includes an amount of $21,092,649 in funding from the fiscal framework along with $3,918,189 from existing departmental reference levels.

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement)

The WPS initiative is in its initial phase of development. The objective of the initiative is to modernize the management of disability and sick leave in the federal public service. Following three years of research and analysis undertaken by the Disability Management Initiative in 2009, several structural problems in relation to the existing disability management framework were identified. These include lack of active case management with return-to-work support, gaps in income coverage during disability, and increasing system costs.

A business case was developed to identify options for addressing the structural gaps in the current system based on leading industry practices and those adopted by other public jurisdictions. Drawing from the business case and additional research and consultation, the Secretariat led the development of a Memorandum to Cabinet for the Ministers’ consideration, which was finalized in early 2013. Funding for the initiative was subsequently earmarked in the fiscal framework and supplemented by resources from existing departmental reference levels.

Shared outcomes

The targeted result to be achieved by the Secretariat and its partners is the modernization of key elements of the disability and sick leave management regime in the federal public service, with a view to creating a seamless, integrated and sustainable system to support employee wellness and productivity. The project will aid in the prevention and improved management of employee disability, will return a higher percentage of employees back to work than is currently the case, and will reduce or contain overall system costs associated with disability and sick leave management across the federal public service.

Specifically, all employees in the federal public service will have:

• Appropriate incentives and access to services to maintain their mental and physical health; and
• Support to recover and stay at work, if possible, when illness or injury occurs, or to return to work as soon as it is safe to do so, including with all necessary accommodations. If return to work is not possible due to the severity of the disability, employees will have assurance of reasonable income security.

Governance structures

A Memorandum to Cabinet dated February 2013 mandated the Secretariat to lead the WPS initiative in collaboration with its federal partners PWGSC, ESDC (then Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)) and Health Canada. A subsequent Treasury Board submission in fall 2013 (signed by the Ministers responsible for the Secretariat, PWGSC and HRSDC) approved the overall funding and the project plan.

A Project Charter and Brief, prepared for the initiative and reviewed by senior officials from each of the partner organizations, provides project details and spells out the roles, responsibilities and deliverables of each of the partners.

In addition, the WPS initiative has put in place a detailed governance structure to support effective, collaborative and timely decision making regarding the resolution of emerging issues. The governance structure includes oversight at the highest levels, through a Deputy Minister Project Governance Committee, an ADM Steering Committee and a working-level group of work stream committees covering each of the initiative’s major activities.

The chair of each of the work stream committees is responsible for monitoring work, directing corrective actions to be taken when required, reporting regularly on progress, and submitting deliverables as completed to the Project Management Office. This office has core responsibility for monitoring progress, directing any required corrective actions and approving deliverables. As the senior project director is responsible for overall project progress, he or she is the chair of the project management office.

Performance highlights

Following Cabinet and Treasury Board approval, the WPS initiative was successfully launched in 2013–14. Going forward, continuous reporting and monitoring (as described above) is expected to ensure that progress is closely tracked using evidence-based information.

Federal partners

PWGSC’s Acquisitions Branch and Accounting, Banking and Compensation Branch: The Acquisitions Branch provides procurement expertise in the retendering of the long-term disability plan, as well as in the procurement of a new short-term disability plan. The Accounting, Banking and Compensation Branch supports the development of the technological solution required for interoperability with the PeopleSoft-based absence management system and human resources and pay systems in the federal public service.

ESDC – Labour: This organization identifies options for improving the administration of occupational claims under the Government Employees Compensation Act.

Health Canada: This organization’s activities support the provision of an updated Policy on Employee Assistance Program and related departmental advice. Its activities also support a streamlined application process for medical retirement under the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA).

Comments on variances

The WPS initiative and funding were approved in late fall 2013. The planned activities described in this supplementary information table cover the period between December 2013 and the end of the fiscal year 2013–14 (i.e., March 31, 2014). The planned activities were rolled out over that period, reflecting the actual funding committed for fiscal year 2013–14. A majority of these activities are ongoing, which will be reflected in fiscal year 2014–15.

Results achieved by non-federal partners (if applicable): Not applicable.

Contact information:

Ashique Biswas, Senior Director
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
4th Floor, 222 Nepean St.
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0R5
Telephone: 613-948-5075