Staffing Accountability Framework

Table of Contents

 

Preamble

An effective staffing program is one that supports Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in hiring and retaining top talent with the skills required to deliver on both current and future business priorities within a fast paced and dynamic environment.

The Public Service Commission’s (PSC) Appointment Framework that will take effect April 1, 2016 is less prescriptive in terms of how staffing should be conducted and enables the Department to customize its staffing system to its unique operating context and business needs.

ESDC’s new staffing direction is anchored by robust workforce planning that includes clear communications surrounding how staffing will be conducted and will enable the achievement of business and workforce objectives through an appropriate balance of supporting career opportunities and mobility for existing ESDC employees, recognition of high-performing employees through talent management, and achieving renewal of the ESDC workforce through strategic recruitment.

ESDC’s new staffing direction will also enable managers, in partnership with the Human Resources Services Branch, to make principles-based staffing decisions in building ESDC’s workforce of tomorrow. In exercising their accountabilities, managers will be supported by an effective governance and accountability structure and by a staffing policy and guidance framework to make decisions that best enable the achievement of desired business and workforce outcomes.

A. Vision Statement - ESDC’s Staffing System

ESDC is committed to have a merit-based staffing system that is nimble, a key enabler of a high-performing ESDC workforce, supports sub-delegated managers in the delivery of departmental mandates and priorities, fosters diversity and linguistic duality, and upholds ethical hiring practices.

B. Guiding Principles

The achievement of the vision of an effective ESDC staffing system is anchored through the following guiding principles:

  • Each Assistant Deputy Minister will develop and communicate a workforce plan and Chair a Workforce Management Committee (WMC) in their respective organization.
  • Sub-delegated managers will be accountable to the Deputy Minister for their appointment and appointment related decisions.
  • In exercising staffing authorities, sub-delegated managers will be expected to make values-based staffing decisions that respect the ESDC Code of Conduct and the principles outlined in the preamble of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA).
  • All staffing activities conducted by sub-delegated managers will respect the PSEA, Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER), and other applicable PSC/ESDC policy/legislative instruments.
  • Sub-delegated managers will be expected to remain competent to exercise staffing authorities by maintaining their knowledge and remaining current with respect to ESDC staffing frameworks.
  • In exercising their sub-delegated authorities and making informed risk-based decisions, managers will be supported by strategic and professional human resources advice, guidance and tools.
  • Linguistic duality and diversity will be critical to the Department’s success in fostering a workforce that is representative and reflective of the Canadian public it serves.
  • ESDC will strive to continually improve its staffing approach to enable efficient hiring that is responsive to business needs and to ensure the overall integrity of its staffing system.

C. ESDC Staffing Governance and Accountability Structure

Various responsible officials and governance mechanisms play a key role in supporting an effective staffing program within ESDC. In order for such governance to be effective, all stakeholders should be clear on the functions and process of governance mechanisms, their own roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and those of others, and act in a manner that is consistent with those roles.

Effective governance and achieving the vision for ESDC’s staffing system is also contingent on there being ongoing, substantive dialogue across all responsible officials and stakeholders involved in staffing within the Department.

Roles and Responsibilities

Managers with Sub-Delegated Staffing Authority:

  • Are accountable to the Deputy Minister for their appointment and appointment related decisions.
  • Are accountable for accessing human resources advice and guidance to ensure that staffing activities respect the PSEA, PSER, and other applicable PSC/ESDC policies and guidance documents.
  • Are accountable, in exercising their sub-delegated staffing authorities, for making values-based staffing decisions that respect the ESDC Code of Conduct and the principles outlined in the preamble to the PSEA.
  • Are accountable for conducting a risk assessment in consultation with Human Resources Consultants and for recommending staffing actions, including choice of appointment process, to Workforce Management Committees (as required in accordance with Branch/Region WMC Terms of Reference).
  • Are accountable to document appointment and appointment-related information and for ensuring that selection decisions are documented in accordance with departmental expectations.
  • Are expected to remain competent to exercise staffing authorities by maintaining their knowledge and remaining current with respect to PSC/ESDC staffing policies and guidance.
  • Are accountable to follow WMC decisions related to specific staffing actions and any additional Branch/Region-specific staffing policies, directives or expected practices.
  • Must sign an attestation form (see Annex A) prior to exercising sub-delegated appointment and appointment-related authorities.

Assistant Deputy Ministers/Directors General/Directors:

  • Are responsible for developing and maintaining a workforce plan for their respective organization to enable the achievement of business and workforce objectives, and for communicating to employees the principles by which staffing will be conducted within the Branch/Region, including in which circumstances non-advertised appointment processes may be used.
  • Are accountable for ensuring the overall integrity of staffing performance within their respective organization.
  • Are accountable for ensuring that managers with sub-delegated staffing authorities are properly trained, and that appropriate action is taken to correct undesirable performance with respect to the exercise of such authorities identified through complaints to the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board, staffing investigations, monitoring or other means.
  • Are accountable for ensuring that proposed staffing activities are managed within current and future year salary limitations and will not create unmanageable liabilities to the Department.

Human Resources Consultants:

  • Are responsible for providing strategic advice and guidance, including the identification of potential impacts and risk assessment of proposed staffing approaches, to support sub-delegated managers in exercising staffing authorities and to support WMC decision making.
  • Are responsible for reviewing staffing processes to ensure they respect the PSEA, PSER, other applicable PSC/ESDC policies and guidance documents, the ESDC Code of Conduct and the principles outlined in the preamble to the PSEA.
  • Are responsible to support managers in ensuring that appointment and appointment-related information and written selection decisions are documented.
  • Are expected to foster flexible staffing approaches and outcomes that meet the business and workforce needs of the organization and the manager.
  • Are responsible to support WMCs with advice on workforce planning and staffing strategies to enable business and workforce objectives.
  • Are responsible for sharing with WMCs information related to available departmental/central agency-led pools and innovative staffing practices being used within the organization.
  • Are responsible to identify staffing actions being undertaken in the Branch/Region which are not following the spirit of WMC discussions.

Workforce Management Committees or other HR/Planning Committees:

  • In accordance with departmental WMC parameters, are responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of staffing and recruitment activities, taking into consideration staffing and operational business risks, and business line footprint considerations to support the hiring and retaining of top talent with the skills required to deliver on organizational core business priorities and transformational objectives.
  • Are responsible for reviewing proposed staffing actions in light of the Branch/Region workforce plan to ensure an appropriate balance between recognition of employee performance/talent management, supporting career opportunities and mobility for existing ESDC employees, and the renewal of the ESDC workforce through strategic recruitment.
  • Are responsible for ensuring a consistent approach in the application of talent management elements in the context of staffing within their respective organization.
  • Are responsible for identifying and promoting collective staffing opportunities.
  • In some organizations, Management Services units play a dedicated role with Workforce Management Committees to support workforce planning and consistency in decision making within the Branch/Region.

Human Resources Services Branch:

  • Is responsible for monitoring and reporting to the Deputy Minister and departmental senior management on overall departmental staffing performance.
  • Is responsible for providing recommendations and developing action plans to address deficiencies identified through complaints to the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board, staffing investigations, monitoring or other means.
  • Is responsible as the Office of Primary Interest (OPI) for the maintenance, storage and disposition of departmental staffing records/information resources of business value (IRBV) electronically or through other means for a minimum period of five years after the last administrative action (as applicable) for each appointment.

Internal Audit Services Branch:

  • Is responsible to provide an independent and objective assurance service to departmental Senior Management regarding the department’s staffing program and for working with the Human Resources Services Branch in the establishment of a revised ESDC Staffing Monitoring Framework and to conduct a comprehensive cyclical assessment of the department’s staffing program.

Employees:

  • Are responsible for actively participating in the Performance Management/Talent Management process at ESDC.
  • Are responsible for their career progression.

Candidates in an Appointment Process:

  • Are responsible, when requested, to provide information on their Performance Agreement to the selection board in a timely manner in order to enable an assessment to take place.

D. Departmental Parameters for Workforce Management Committees (WMC)

In order to appropriately enable the implementation of the ESDC’s new staffing direction, it is critical that each Branch/Region within the Department have a consistent level of strategic leadership and oversight towards staffing and recruitment activities, taking into consideration staffing and operational business risks, to support hiring and retaining top talent with the skills required to deliver on organizational core business priorities and transformational objectives.

Governance and Membership

  • Each Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) will be responsible to have in place, within their respective organization, a Workforce Management Committee (WMC).
  • Each ADM will serve as the Chairperson of the WMC for their Branch/Region.
  • The committee membership will be confirmed by each ADM and must include, on a mandatory basis, a representative from the Human Resources Services Branch (HRSB).

Guiding Principles

  • It is expected that staffing strategies and actions be discussed with Human Resources Consultants prior to requests being brought to WMC to ensure proposed submissions comply with legislative and policy requirements.
  • Staffing decisions reviewed at WMCs should align with workforce planning objectives and principles communicated to employees surrounding how staffing will be conducted to enable the achievement of business and workforce objectives of the Branch/Region.
  • WMCs should document and share with Human Resources Consultants any additional policies, directives or expected practices related to staffing that managers within their Branch/Region are expected to follow.

Records of Decision

A complete listing of staffing actions included in the Record of Decision of the WMC must be documented and provided to the Human Resources Services Branch following each meeting.

Staffing Actions Requiring WMC Review and Approval

At a minimum, the following staffing actions must be reviewed by WMCs on a mandatory basis:

  • All indeterminate non-advertised appointments;
  • Acting appointments of 12 months or more;
  • Term appointments of non-public servants (external) through non-advertised processes (excluding the appointment of former students or former ESDC employees);
  • Non-advertised talent management appointments (indeterminate appointments and acting appointments longer than four months duration) – i.e. appointment of employees made on the basis of a proven track record, as part of an identified Branch/Regional Talent Management Process, or linked to a Talent Management Plan;
  • Non-imperative staffing of a bilingual position;
  • Requests to initiate new advertised selection processes (excludes advertised assignments, secondments and deployment opportunities);
  • Requests for exemption to the National Area of Selection (NAOS) requirement for external advertised appointment processes.

Each ADM will continue to confirm any additional staffing actions, beyond those mandatory requirements noted above, to be reviewed by the WMC for their respective organization.

 

ANNEX A: Employment and Social Development Canada Staffing Sub-Delegation – Attestation Form

I, insert name of sub-delegated manager, hereby attest that in exercising my sub-delegated appointment and appointment-related authorities:

  • I will be accountable to the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for my actions and decisions.
  • I will, when establishing qualifications, ensure that individuals are not personally favoured in appointment processes.
  • I will consider employment equity objectives.
  • I will ensure that the rights of persons with a priority entitlement are respected.
  • I will ensure those conducting the assessment are competent and that qualifications are assessed in the official language(s) of choice of the candidate.
  • I will ensure the assessment is conducted in good faith, free from bias and personal favouritism, and in a manner that is supportive of an individual’s right to accommodation.
  • I will disclose any personal relationship I may have with candidates participating in appointment processes and ensure that the nature of this association, if any, is such that a decision can be rendered in an impartial manner.
  • I will make appointments based on merit without undue influence from any individual, group or political body.
  • I will make values-based appointment and appointment-related decisions that respect the ESDC Code of Conduct and the principles outlined in the preamble to the Public Service Employment Act.
  • I will adhere to all the terms and conditions outlined in the Department’s Table of Human Resources Authorities and respect the conditions that apply to specific
    sub-delegated appointment and appointment-related authorities.
  • I will access human resources advice and guidance to ensure that staffing activities conducted within my authorities respect the Public Service Employment Act, Public Service Employment Regulations, and other applicable Public Service Commission/ESDC policies and guidance documents.

Failure to comply with the terms of this attestation may result in the revocation of or limitations to sub-delegated appointment and appointment-related authorities.

SIGNATURE:

________________________
Name of sub-delegated person

DATE:

________________________