HR info RH Bulletin

It's time to register for Data Week!

Learn to #DoMoreWithData! There's something for everyone.

ESDC's first Data Week is happening from October 18-22, 2021. This year's theme is "ESDC's Data Journey: From collection to insights". Join us for up to five days of virtual presentations and interactive sessions focused on finding and using data in an ethical, secure and meaningful way. ESDC Data Week is a great opportunity to connect with ESDC leaders and learn about how data impacts our work, modernization and Canadians.

Registration is now open and will give you access to the complete agenda, including a Data and Ethics Panel, an event on the First Nations Labour Market Information (LMI) survey, and more! Check in with your manager and attend the sessions that suit your schedule. On the agenda, you will find:

• ESDC data projects, including the Skills and Employment Branch (SEB) Data Lake and Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
• A Data Storytelling workshop
• Automated Decision Making and the Algorithmic Impact Assessment
• Canada's Changing Demographics, Decision Making and Client Service
• Daily drop-in lunches with different Chief Data Office Divisions to learn how they can help you #DoMoreWithData
• A data visualization game and data scavenger hunt
• And more!

Register now on the CDO Website!

Back to top

2021-2022 Mid-Year Cycle of Performance Management for All Employees (non-EX)

It is time to meet with your employees!

The mid-year cycle of performance management is a time for managers to:

• Review the employee's progress in achieving work objectives (the "what") and competencies (the "how").
• Provide constructive feedback on the employee's performance and give recognition for a job well done.
• Discuss the Learning and Development Plan and any necessary updates.
• Identify any issues affecting the employee's performance and discuss possible steps to support improvement.
• Identify any other necessary adjustments to the employee's mid-year Performance Agreement (PA), such as the work objectives or the employee's personal information.

Remember the deadline! Mid-year review discussions must be completed and PAs must be finalized and signed in the Public Service Performance Management Application (PSPM App) for non-executive employees by October 29, 2021.

Flexible Administrative Approach:

In order to continue to support our managers, a flexible approach is being offered again for this mid-year review exercise.

ADMs/Branch Heads have the option to offer, at their discretion, within the particular context for their respective branches or regions, the following flexible "light-touch" administrative approach, pertaining to the PSPM App:

• A written mid-year narrative assessment and comments would not be required for employees who are on track to meet their work objectives. However, if specifically requested by the employee, it is recommended that managers still provide a written mid-year narrative assessment of the employee's performance, at a level of detail mutually agreed upon between the employee and the manager.
• The requirement for managers to input a mid-year narrative assessment and comments in the PSPM App continues to apply for employees whose performance indicate a need for improvement.
• Your respective member of the Performance and Talent Management Branch and Regional Coordinators Network will advise managers of the approach to be adopted for your respective branch or region.

Other Important Reminders:

• ESDC Essential (formerly Mandatory) Training must be included in all employee Learning and Development Plans. Managers are responsible for ensuring that the list of employees assigned to them in Saba is correct and that they regularly validate and/or update their Saba manager profile as needed. This will help to improve quarterly Essential Training reports for ADMs.
• If you need to address unsatisfactory performance and are anticipating a difficult conversation, managers are strongly encouraged to seek advice from Labour Relations as soon as possible.
• The Office of Informal Conflict Management (OICM) also offers Conflict Prevention and Resolution Services to both managers and employees.

Did you know?

The most common error that managers make is entering an incorrect date in the field "Fiscal year start" when adding an employee's PA in the PSPM app. This error leads to the closing and opening of the wrong PAs in the PSPM app, meaning that the PAs will no longer follow the normal flow of the cycle.

Whether at the beginning of the year, mid-year or year-end, the start date to be selected from the drop down menu must always be April 1, regardless of when the employee started working in their current position. For example, when adding an employee's PA during the 2021-2022 fiscal year, regardless of the cycle, the date to be selected should always be April 1, 2021.

Contact your branch or regional PSPM App Administrator for assistance if required, or consult the document 'Changing an Incorrect "Fiscal Year Start" Date of a PA in the PSPM App.'

Are you looking for resources?

• There are various resources on iService's performance management Mid-Year Review and Reference Tools pages available for you and your employees.
• Have a look at ESDC's "2021-2022 Mid-Year – Performance Management Checklist" which lists all actions to undertake at mid-year from both a manager's and an employee's perspective.
• The PSPM App User Guide for Executives and Managers/Supervisors and the Quick Start Guide for Managers are great tools to have on-hand to learn how to better use the App.

Do you have questions?

Members of the Performance and Talent Management Branch and Regional Coordinators Network are your contacts for branch- or region-specific questions.

For additional information on the Performance Management Program and associated mid-year requirements, please contact the Non-Executive Employees Performance Management team na-performancemanage@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.

Let us continue to engage our employees through respectful, honest, and constructive feedback, informal and formal recognition, and performance support to demonstrate to them that everyone's contribution matters.

Back to top