Amended interpretation related to the allocation of financial work and activities

Amendments

The purpose of this bulletin is to:

• Clarify group allocation requirements for the Financial Management (CT-FIN) subgroup and the Program and Administrative Services (PA) group (and its included Administrative Services (AS) and Clerical and Regulatory (CR) groups) regarding financial functions.
• Confirm the requirement to use the “Resources susceptible to influence worksheet” included in the CT-FIN job evaluation standard (JES).

Application

This updated bulletin replaces the FI bulletin which was published on April 1, 2015, and reflects the renaming exercise of the FI group to CT-FIN subgroup.

The bulletin:

• was amended on September 28, 2023, to reflect the renaming exercise to CT-FIN;
• continues to apply to departments and agencies in the core public administration (CPA);
• and is effective immediately.

Primary purpose of the position and group allocation

There can be only one primary purpose or "raison d'être" for a position. The Guide to allocating positions using the occupational group definitions can be helpful in determining the primary purpose of the work.

Financial management

When a position primarily provides financial advice, financial reporting, financial analysis, financial planning, assessment of financial implications or interpretation of financial policies, then the work must be allocated to the CT-FIN subgroup in accordance with the CT-FIN subgroup definition.

There may be a perception of overlap between the CT-FIN subgroup and the PA group financial work because in both cases, definitions refer to “finance” as an administrative field. Furthermore, the CT-FIN, CR and AS job evaluation standards and related benchmarks refer to financial functions, such as:

• budgeting
• financial control
• expenditures
• financial records, assistance, transactions and reporting

Positions with clerical, administrative and financial responsibilities

There are many positions that include a mix of clerical, administrative and financial responsibilities within the CPA.

In these situations, the determination of the primary purpose of the work may be difficult because:

• exclusion statement 1 of the CT-FIN subgroup definition refers to administrative services in support of public service policies, programs, services or other activities dealing with financial management.
• inclusion statement 3 of the PA group definition and inclusion statement 7 of the CT-FIN subgroup definition both refer to “two or more administrative fields,” one of which is financial.
• inclusion statement 1 of the PA group definition refers to “the provision of administrative services” in support of activities in various fields, including the field of finance. 

Group allocation analysis

In cases where positions include a mix of financial management duties and financial administrative support duties, the determination of the primary purpose of the work will require a discussion with management to assess the nature and the degree of financial responsibilities attached to the position.

The CT-FIN subgroup definition inclusion statement 7 and its three assessment criteria must be used to guide this discussion and determine whether financial management is the primary purpose of the job:

7. "the provision of services in two or more administrative fields, one of which is financial, when the financial work is, in the opinion of the employer, of primary importance. In allocating a position to the appropriate group, the purpose of the position must be assessed according to all of the following criteria:

1. the impact of the financial aspects of the advice and recommendations made on the overall achievement of the organization’s programs and objectives;
2. the degree of responsibility and complexity of the financial work of the position, including the availability of, and the need to provide, financial functional direction; and
3. the degree of specialized knowledge, skill and experience required in the work."

This assessment should be included in the job evaluation rationale to support group allocation.

If it is determined that financial management is the primary purpose of the work, the position must be allocated to the CT-FIN subgroup under inclusion statement 7.

If it is determined that the primary purpose of the work is financial in nature but is not financial management, the functions must meet:

• inclusion statement 1d) of the PA group definition, which maps to the CR group and states, “the collecting, recording, arranging, transmitting and processing of information, the filing and distribution of information holdings, and the direct application of rules and regulations;” or
• inclusion statement 3 of the PA group definition, which maps to the AS group and states, “the planning, development, delivery or management of policies, programs, services or other activities in two or more administrative fields, such as finance, human resources or purchasing, directed to the Public Service.”

The functions must also meet:

• exclusion statement 1 of the CT-FIN subgroup definition, which states, “the provision of administrative services in support of public service policies, programs, services or other activities dealing with financial management.”

Organizational context

The CT-FIN JES does not specify how departments and agencies organize CT-FIN work.

Use of the "Resources susceptible to influence – worksheet"

Organizations are reminded that the “Resources susceptible to influence worksheet” must be completed and authorized by management responsible for the position being classified as a CT-FIN position.

This worksheet is an integral part of the CT-FIN JES and is intended to assist evaluators in calculating the magnitude of resources to rate the “Nature of impact” factor.

The completed and signed “Resources susceptible to influence worksheet” must be placed on the position file when classification decisions are rendered, and when CT-FIN positions change reporting relationships.

Inquiries

All questions pertaining to this interpretation bulletin should be directed to your Organizational Corporate Classification team, who, if required, will direct their questions to the Workforce Organization and Classification Division of the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer: ZZORGCLA@tbs-sct.gc.ca.