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Updates from the HRC – June 28, 2024

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Human Resources Council (HRC)

Summer schedule for the Updates from the HRC

The Updates from the HRC is taking a well-deserved break in July and August. The next edition will be published on September 30, 2024. Thank you and have a great summer!

2023 Government of Canada HR Excellence Awards

The Human Resources Council (HRC) is pleased to announce the nominees and finalists of the 2023 Government of Canada (GoC) HR Excellence Awards. These awards recognize leadership and excellence in human resources management in the federal public service. It is an opportunity to highlight and showcase the work that has been undertaken in organizations to support outstanding people management.

The HRC Awards Selection Committee carefully reviewed the seventy-five (70) nominations, for all ten categories of awards, to select the finalists and recipients. This year’s nominees have “Illuminated our Values in Action”, this year’s theme, by demonstrating respect, inclusion, engagement, innovation and excellence in enhancing people management and strengthening our role as strategic partners throughout the federal public service.

The HRC will be holding a live hybrid Awards Ceremony on October 17, 2024, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET) to announce the recipients for each category.

This year, in addition to recognizing our deserving public servants, we are honored to welcome our senior leaders to present the awards, and to host a special virtual presentation by Dr. David Saint-Jacques, Astronaut, Canadian Space Agency.

Please register to join us on October 17th to celebrate the accomplishments of all nominees and to discover who will receive the award in each category.

Note:

  • In person attendance is open to GoC Deputy Heads, Heads of HR, HR Communities of Practice Leads, nominees, finalists and their guests (location: 395 Wellington St, Ottawa ON K1A 0N4) and
  • Virtual attendance is open to the entire GoC HR Community.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the Human Resources Council at HRCouncil/ConseilRH@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Congratulations to all GoC HR Excellence Awards nominees and finalists!

Empowering HR for Success!

Join the HRC GCXchange page, by following these steps, and access a wealth of HR tools and information, such as:

  • HR Functions Handbook: This job-aid explores the different HR disciplines and how they are connected throughout the employee lifecycle.
  • HR Resources Centre: One-stop-shop platform for finding legislation, policies, contacts, best practices, trends and tools related to the human resources function. Makes day-to-day work much easier!
  • HelloHR: Online toolbox of self-directed informational and developmental resources for all members of the HR community.
  • HR Learning Lounge: Suggested learning resources aligned with the HR competencies to enable HR professionals to develop their skillsets.
  • HRC SmartShops: To access recordings of recent Smartshops and find out about upcoming ones!

If you encounter any issues or have questions about GCXchange, please email support-soutien@gcx-gce.gc.ca.

Reminder – The Experienced Former HR Professional Inventory is Now Available!

The Experienced Former HR Professional Inventory is now available to support short-term hiring needs of organizations across the public service!  

Seize this valuable opportunity to leverage the expertise of retired HR professionals who are eager to help upskill your HR team and address complex people management files. 

Visit the HR Council’s GCXchange page to explore the inventory in 3 simple steps: 

  1. Review anonymous profiles to find retired HR experts who match your opportunity across six role types: 
  • Advisory support to senior management 
  • Community-building and horizontal projects 
  • HR administrative support 
  • Coaching and mentoring 
  • Workshop and training facilitation 
  • HR subject matter expertise 

2. Submit a referral request by e-mail to the HR Council and include the reference numbers of the profiles you’re interested in. Once we receive your request, we’ll provide you with their contact information. 

3. Work with your HR advisor to engage with HR retirees and follow your organization’s staffing process. 

Please note: the inventory remains open for applicants to submit their profiles. On a weekly basis, the newest profiles will be identified as “NEW” at the top of each page for ease of reference.  

Should you have any questions, please contact the HR Council.  

Have Your Say! Most Memorable Ways You’ve Been Recognized at Work

In preparation for our fall HRC Newsletter, please take a few minutes to complete this flash poll by August 2, 2024. We thank you in advance for your participation and we look forward to publishing the results!

HRC SmartShop Recordings Now Available!

Previous HRC SmartShop recordings and documents are available on the HRC’s GCXchange page.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)  

Pay Equity Update

Program and Administrative Services Conversion

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) has been working to develop pay equity plans for the CPA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as required under the Pay Equity Act, which came into force in August 2021. The pay equity plans, which are based on current occupational group structures, are designed to identify and correct any differences in compensation between female and male job classes of equal value. As such, any new occupational group structure changes, including the conversion of positions to the new Program and Administrative Services (PA) occupational group, would impede the development of a pay equity plan for the Core Public Administration (CPA) and the realization of this priority for the Government of Canada.

Therefore, the Pay Equity Act will be implemented first, and a new planned date will be determined for PA conversion based on departmental, systems and change management readiness, following pay equity implementation in the CPA and input from organizations.

Organizations are encouraged to continue to focus on activities that will help pay equity implementation and support future classification renewal exercises, as established through the Oversight strategy and action plan. The activities required include eliminating vacant positions, uploading job description documentation into Position and Classification Information System+ (PCIS+), using existing Standardized Job Descriptions (SJDs) and Interdepartmental Standardized Job Descriptions (ISJDs) to reduce redundancies and documenting anomalies and outliers.

Request for Extension on Pay Equity Plan Deadline

On May 31, 2024, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on behalf of the Treasury Board as the employer of the Core Public Administration (CPA), filed a request with the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner to extend the deadline to post the final pay equity plans for the CPA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Members of the joint pay equity committees continue to meet monthly to advance work for creating an inclusive public service where women receive equal pay for work of equal value through the implementation of the final pay equity plans.

Please consult the following websites for updates:

Preparing for the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) and the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) transition to Canada Life

As previously announced, the Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life) was awarded the contract to administer the PDSP and the PSDCP following a competitive procurement process. Effective November 1, 2024, Canada Life will begin processing all claims for the PDSP and will continue to process claims for the PSDCP under the new dental contract.

To learn more about the next steps in the PDSP and PSDCP’s transition to the new dental contract, members can:

The Pension Portal for Active Members got a makeover. Go try it out!

The modernized pension web portal for active members is launched. This portal is designed to help you plan for your retirement with ease and confidence.

Only accessible on the Government of Canada Network, log into your Compensation Web Applications and select the Pension Portal for Active Members.

The modernized portal allows you to:

  • View your pension information at a glance, using today’s value and projected calculations. You can see your accumulated pensionable service, how much you will receive, and your retirement date options.
  • Forecast your future pension with enhanced calculators to see how different scenarios and options could affect your retirement. You can adjust settings for your retirement date, salary, and accumulated pensionable service to see how they affect your pension.
  • Update your personal information and upload your Proof of Age documentation.
  • Designate your beneficiaries for your Supplementary Death Benefit and conveniently update their information directly on the portal.

The modernized portal is easy to use, accessible and intuitive.

Annual Report on Official Languages 2022–23

The President of the Treasury Board of Canada, the Honourable Anita Anand, tabled her Annual Report on Official Languages 2022-23 before the Parliament on June 17, 2024.

Language Training Framework

On June 17, 2024, the President of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat announced the launch of the first-ever second official language training framework to increase the bilingual capacity of the public service. This is one of the official languages reform initiatives announced in 2021 in English and French: Towards a substantive equality of official languages in Canada.

Bilingualism remains a priority for the Government of Canada, as both official languages contribute to the values of diversity and inclusion that characterize Canadian society. This is why a framework has been developed to support second official language training for all federal public servants.

The framework aims to provide second language learning options that are effective, flexible, accessible and learner-centred, and consider the needs of equity-seeking groups.

The framework includes the following three elements.

Guidelines on second official language training

The guidelines support federal institutions in providing equitable access to inclusive and standardized approaches to language training. They also provide advice on how to ensure the success of language training, notably through shared responsibility between the learner and their manager. 

Handbook on second official language training

The handbook includes best practices and recommendations to help institutions and managers implement the guidelines. 

Playbook for second official language training

The playbook contains various learning paths, tools and resources tailored to the needs of learners in a variety of organizational contexts. It will help them acquire and maintain their second official language skills. A variety of self-directed online tools are available free or at minimal cost and are suitable for anyone looking to begin their second official language learning journey, maintain their proficiency level, prepare for second language evaluations and improve their skills.

Hopefully, this framework will help and inspire people to maintain and promote a culture of bilingualism in their institution.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Report on the Second System-Wide Staffing Audit

The PSC published the first system-wide staffing audit in 2018.

This second system-wide staffing audit (Results of the Second System-Wide Staffing Audit) focused on whether appointments and appointment processes between December 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, complied with specific legislative, policy and other requirements.

Overall, the PSC found high compliance on several requirements, particularly as it relates to ensuring that appointments are made on the basis of merit. However, the audit did identify an area of improvement with respect to official languages obligations in appointment process information. 

The PSC expects departments to have controls in place to ensure consistency between the official languages in key appointment process documents. This is critical to ensure candidates are not disadvantaged based on their first official language.

As part of the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument, the PSC will be requiring deputy heads to report on measures taken to address this persistent gap. The PSC expects deputy heads to include this risk area as part of their ongoing monitoring activities of their staffing system.

New GC Managers Hub for Recruitment Options

The GC Managers Hub, a webpage designed by the National Recruitment Directorate within the Public Service Commission of Canada has been launched. Tailored specifically for hiring managers across the Government of Canada, this intuitive page offers an all-inclusive repository of our products, tools, and services.

Why the GC Managers Hub?

The hub is here as a go-to resource for recruitment, and it features:

  • User-friendly layout
  • Comprehensive repository of essential recruitment tools and services.

Your help is solicited in promoting the hub to your managers and internal colleagues.

Recruitment of Policy Leaders

The 2023-2024 Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) Campaign candidates have been added to two pools: the RPL pool for EC-05-EC-07 or equivalent positions and Emerging Talent Pool for EC-04 or equivalent positions.

To access these pools, please click on the following link: Graduate and General Recruitment.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Toolkit Measure 1 to 4 – HR and Pay Best Practices

The Treasury Board Secretariat’s Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Services and Procurement Canada are asking departments and agencies to implement four new measures to reinforce best HR and Pay practices by July 1, 2024.

These are four of seven new measures that are being implemented by the end of this fiscal year to increase accuracy and promptness of pay for employees, maximize the use of the Phoenix Pay system’s automation and prepare the Government of Canada for the future state of HR and Pay.

A toolkit was developed to support departments and agency. The toolkit to is accessible on the HR and Pay Learning Community space on GCXchange (as well as on HR, Pay and Pension GCconnex).

Should your department or agency’s firewall prevent your or an employee from accessing this platform, send an email to SPAC.meilleurespratiquesrhetpaye-besthrandpaypractices.PSPC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca to request a copy of the implementation toolkit. Note that the toolkit is also accessible on the HR and Pay Learning Community space on GCXchange.

Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA)

New! Updated Word Version of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport

An updated Word version of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport is available on GCpedia and will be available on Canada.ca in the coming days. This version responds to user feedback to streamline the content. The Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA) has also refreshed its Orientation and Implementation Guides for the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport, which are now posted on the Passport GCpedia page.

OPSA has provided the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for both the digital and Word Passport. The PIA summary will be available online in the coming weeks. The digital Passport continues to be improved in an agile and iterative manner. It is currently being tested by AAACT/SSC to ensure it meets accessibility requirements. Once this review is complete and issues addressed, OPSA will move to the pilot phase over the summer/fall.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

Learning Paths, Courses and Tools

Equipping on Values and Ethics

In support of prioritizing the implementation of Values and Ethics, OCHRO and the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) make the following resources accessible to all HR professionals:

 Government of Canada Digital Talent Strategy

Last fall, the TBS OCIO Digital Talent and Leadership Sector published the Government of Canada’s Digital Talent Strategy, a path forward to attract, retain, and develop digital talent that can deliver digital services in a modern, coordinated, and sustainable way.

To clarify, this Strategy is designed to support digital talent, any person whose primary role is developing or delivering GC digital initiatives, products, or services. These folks work in many classifications and domains across government, like cyber security, information management, data management, data science, analytics, user experience, and service design, to name a few.

Note that the Strategy is now being implemented across the GC.

Some federal organizations are responsible for specific actions in the Strategy, and TBS OCIO has been in contact with them.

However, all federal organizations are responsible for supporting digital talent through the following seven actions: 

  1. Use existing enterprise recruitment and development services before developing new ones 
  2. Align with and comply with the Policy on Service and Digital and its digital talent component, the Directive on Digital Talent and Mandatory Procedures on Digital Talent 
  3. Review the department’s internal processes that impact digital service development and adjust those that are not fit-for-purpose
  4. Align with government-wide direction on building multidisciplinary teams and using flexible staffing options to recruit and develop digital talent 
  5. Create space for continuous learning through the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) or specialized training offerings
  6. Instill a human-centred, outcomes-focused and service-focused culture to help increase the GC’s digital government maturity
  7. Identify and communicate to the OCIO any barriers to recruiting, developing or retaining digital talent

More information on the seven actions and the implementation of the Strategy can be found on GCxchange: Implementing the GC Digital Talent Strategy (sharepoint.com)

If you have any questions about the Strategy or TBS OCIO Digital Talent and Leadership’s programs and services for the digital community, contact the team at iCommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

APEX Newsletter

Please stay apprised of APEX news via their monthly Newsletter.  

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

The June National Managers’ Community (NMC) newsletter is now available!

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What’s Coming Up

HRC

HRC Meetings

  • September 10, 2024 – HRC Executive Committee Meeting
  • September 18, 2024 – HR Council Meeting
  • September 18, 2024 – Special HRC- Deputy Clerk Conversation on Values and Ethics with Heads of HR and Values and Ethics Champions
  • September 23, 2024 – HR Community Talent Management Steering Committee
  • September 25, 2024 – HR Community Engagement Hub Meeting

Privy Council Office, PSPC and OCHRO

Government of Canada Update on HR and Pay

Since the launch of the Phoenix Pay System in 2016, work to stabilize Pay Operations has been ongoing. Despite significant efforts by the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), public servants continue to feel the impacts of its roll out eight years later.

On July 9th, 2024, Christiane Fox, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council will be joined by Associate Chief Human Resource Officer Francis Trudel and Associate Deputy Minister Alex Benay to discuss the pay file and provide an update to Government of Canada employees.

  • The French session will be broadcast live at 1:00 p.m. on July 9th , 2024, and will be available at the following link.
  • The English session will be broadcast live at 2:00 p.m. on July 9th , 2024, and will be available at the following link.  

The session will inform public servants of the continued work being done to stabilize operations and the current status of the transformation project to integrate pay and human resources into a central system.

A commitment has been made to move forward transparently on this file through regular updates, a revitalized webpage and user engagement. This will be the first of a series of quarterly updates that will be organized in the coming year.

APEX

Stay apprised of upcoming APEX events and resources from previous events.

CSPS

Upcoming Events

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

Upcoming Events

Stay apprised of NMC events and activities!

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HRC Meeting – June 18, 2024

Item 1: Opening Remarks

Darlène de Gravina, HRC Chair and Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), HR Services Branch, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) began by outlining some events:

She also highlighted that the HRC recently announced the nominees and finalists for the 2023 HR Excellence Awards, encouraging attendance at the hybrid Awards Ceremony on October 17, 2024, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET).

Concluding her remarks, Darlène de Gravina announced her upcoming retirement, reflecting on her fulfilling career in HR and her time with the HR Council. She expressed immense pride in the community’s achievements and the privilege of forming many friendships throughout her career. She thanked everyone for their dedication and wished them continued success and happiness in the future.

Item 2: Digital Competencies for All Public Servants

Len Bastien, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Anna Wong, Director, Digital Talent and Leadership Sector, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) introduced the new Digital Competencies for all Public Servants and solicited feedback and questions from Heads of HR.

Canadians expect and deserve efficient and accurate government services. To meet these demands, the Government of Canada (GC) requires a workforce that possesses both digital proficiency and modern skills.

Currently, the GC faces a shortage in service and digital capabilities. The proposed solution fosters a service-oriented culture and enhances digital literacy across all public servants.

The newly developed framework, which emerged from a large number of consultations, identifies six key digital competencies based on the Public Service Competency Framework:

  • Digital Literacy: Understand and utilize modern tools, technologies, and methodologies to boost productivity, collaboration, and creativity.
  • Information and Data Stewardship: Manage and employ information and data strategically to inform decisions and measure outcomes effectively.
  • Cyber Security Vigilance: Personally commit to protecting data, information, and systems by consistently applying cybersecurity best practices and adhering to departmental protocols.
  • Digital Responsibility: Exhibit ethical and legal use of digital resources.
  • Inclusive Interactions: Ensure communications, documents, and engagements are accessible, inclusive, equitable, and user-friendly across all contexts.
  • Continuous Improvement: Continually enhance work processes through collaboration, feedback, and learning to address challenges and deliver value efficiently.

Future initiatives include engaging with functional communities, organizing outreach events for managers, soliciting feedback from employee networks, and planning to publish the competencies and Playbook on Canada.ca by the end of the year.

For further details, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 3: Action Plan for Black Public Servants

Anika Chassé, Executive Director and Aida Kamara, Director, Task Force for Black Public Servants, People and Culture (PC), Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO), TBS, provided an overview of the Action Plan for Black Public Servants and presented their approach to program design and strategic considerations.

The Action Plan is designed to promote forms of Black knowledge explicitly to counter systemic barriers and racism by establishing long-term solutions aimed at improving the mental health and career prospects of Black public servants.

To implement mental health, career development and leadership initiatives, the Task Force for Black Public Servants will coordinate with partners and stakeholders by:

  • Supporting research focused on the needs of Black employees and maintaining ongoing engagement with key partners.
  • Making sure that the needs of Black public servants are incorporated into Action Plan initiatives through interactions with networks of Black public servants.
  • Integrating lessons learned from engagement and research into program design and delivery.
  • Managing the disbursement of funding to deliver programs and supports.
  • Establishing and maintaining effective governance, leading mandated reviews, and assisting the President in reporting outcomes.
  • Tracking and reporting on the development, status and results of initiatives.

The Task Force is committed to ensuring that services and products significantly benefit Black public servants by basing proposals on solid, evidence-based strategies:

  • Both quantitative and qualitative data will be utilized throughout the program design process.
  • Programs will be designed with a focus on human-centric and user-specific methodologies.

Their approach to designing products and programs is built on four foundational pillars:

  • Nothing About Us Without Us – collaborating with partners on prototype solutions.
  • Black public servants are diverse – applying intersectional lens.
  • Black public servants are skilled and talented – designing products and programs to enhance and highlight their abilities.
  • Trauma informed approach – integrating mental health support into product design and implementation.

The Human Resource Council (HRC) is viewed as a vital partner in their change management strategy, and the Task Force plans to leverage this community for insights, regular updates, and opportunities to exchange best practices.

Additional details can be found in the accompanying PowerPoint presentation and on the Supporting Black Public Servants web page.

Item 4: Employment Equity Act (EEA) Review

Natasha Parriag, Executive Director, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO), TBS shared an update on the review of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) and forthcoming steps.

The Labour Program holds the lead on modernizing the EEA and is seeking input by July 31, 2024.

As the employer for the Core Public Administration, OCHRO is engaging with equity-seeking employee networks and organizations via 22 accessible sessions. Consultations are being adjusted following feedback received from participants, such as dedicating a session for racialized employees and developing rules of engagement to create a safe space for meaningful and respectful meetings.

Following the engagement sessions, OCHRO will prepare a “What We Heard” report to be submitted to the Labour Program by July 31, 2024. Departments, groups, or individuals are also welcome to send written submissions to the Labour Program by July 31, 2024.

For engagement session registration and meeting materials, please visit the GCwiki page.

Item 5: Review of the Directive on Telework

Christopher Lebrun, Senior Director, Workplace Policies and Programs, PC, OCHRO, TBS, provided an update to Heads of HR on the review of the Directive on Telework.

The Directive on Telework, effective since April 1, 2020, outlines the framework for managing telework within the Core Public Administration (CPA). It details the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders and provides a template for drafting comprehensive telework agreements.

Currently, OCHRO is collaborating with bargaining agents and organizations to review the Directive on Telework, which defines telework practices in the CPA. For more information on ongoing consultations, please refer to Item 5: Review of the Directive on Telework in the Updates from the HRC – January 31, 2024. 

49 out of 76 organizations in the CPA, representing approximately 237,000 employees, have provided input. The feedback indicates that organizations are using different tools to track telework arrangements, suggesting a centralized system may support a more consistent application of the Directive on Telework. Additionally, organizations have adjusted their tools and provided supplemental guidance, such as internal guidelines, policies, and Q&As. Mechanisms or strategies have been put in place to ensure an inclusive, healthy, accessible, respectful, and fair workplace for all employees, as well as to ensure consistency with standardized approval processes and guidelines related to telework.

Some identified challenges and opportunities include adjusting language to support telework as a common work arrangement, reiterating telework’s voluntary nature and employer expectations, providing more clarification on occupational health and safety requirements and costs for equipping employees at the telework location, and supporting a consistent application of the Directive on Telework.

Three key takeaways have emerged from consultations:

  1. The hybrid work model has significantly impacted how telework is managed in organizations.
  2. Feedback received is consistent across all stakeholders and
  3. The Directive requires amendments to reflect the current work environment. 

Over the coming months, TBS will be finalizing consultations and analysis to be able to proceed with approvals and governance by February 2025.

Additional information is available in the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 6: Review of the Directive on Conflict of Interest

Mary Anne Stevens, Senior Director, Integrity and Ethics, OCHRO, TBS, consulted with Heads of HR on the proposed changes to the Directive on Conflict of Interest. The goal is to ensure the requirements are clear and effective, particularly for employees engaging in outside employment, including contracts with the Government of Canada.

On March 20, 2024, the President of the Treasury Board announced actions to strengthen financial and procurement management. These actions include a targeted review of the Directive on Conflict of Interest and additional guidance for deputy heads.

The initial review highlighted areas needing clarification and expanded guidance. The three proposed amendments are as follows:

  1. While paragraph 4.2.9 of the Directive is clear in French, it needs to be reworded in English (see the proposed version on slide 3).
  2. Add a section to Appendix A titled “Procedures for Engaging in Contractual Arrangements with the Government of Canada.”
  3. Develop clear guidance for deputy heads, managers, and employees.

The next steps include continuing to engage and consult on the proposed amendments in the summer of 2024. In the fall, a final draft of the amendments to the Directive and new guidance will be distributed. The proposed amendments will be presented to the CHRO and the President of the Treasury Board in November. The amended Directive will be published in December 2024.

For more information, please visit the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 7: Break

Item 8: Enterprise Integrated Strategy HR and Pay – Human Capital Management (HCM) Feasibility Analysis Project

Kim Steele, Chief Technology Officer, Human Capital Management Solutions, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) provided an overview of the HCM Feasibility Analysis Project, including assessment criteria and identifying key activities and risks.

The NextGen HR and Pay Initiative was tasked with assessing the viability of adopting a commercially available, integrated HR and Pay Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, considering the complex HR and pay requirements of the Government of Canada (GC).  In September 2021, the GC entered into a contract with Ceridian to test their Dayforce SaaS solution.

The Final Findings Report (FFR) outlines the results and findings from the testing conducted by the Initiative, concluding that the Dayforce HCM solution is technically viable. However, the report identified certain gaps, and the feasibility needs further evaluation on an enterprise scale.

For the fiscal year 2024-25, the HCM Feasibility Analysis Project will concentrate on validating the feasibility of the Dayforce solution. This includes testing business processes and achieving key milestones related to pay validation and post-payroll procedures. The project will culminate in a report that will provide recommendations to the GC regarding future investments in HR and pay systems.

The final decision to implement the Dayforce system across the GC will hinge on meeting several transformational conditions:

  • System readiness: Is Dayforce HCM ready for the GC?
  • Enterprise readiness: Is the GC ready to adopt Dayforce HCM?
  • Departmental readiness: Is each department or agency ready to onboard its employees to Dayforce HCM?
  • Data modernization: Can the GC modernize its data strategy for HR and pay?

To support these conditions, the Feasibility Analysis Project will conduct an evaluation based on five criteria. For an overview of these criteria, please see slide 5 of the PowerPoint presentation.

For more detailed information about the Feasibility Analysis Project, refer to the full PowerPoint presentation.

Item 9: Best HR and Pay Practices – Key Performance Indicators

Mathew Myre, Acting ADM, Strategy and Integration, alongside Chantal Herault, Director, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), outlined the implementation of the four Best HR and Pay Practices measures.

TBS-OCHRO, in collaboration with PSPC, introduced four measures to reinforce best HR and pay practices that must be implemented by July 1, 2024.

The four measures are as follows:

  1. Maximize the use of Phoenix self-serve functions (for Pay Centre departments only).
  2. Align core employee information in departmental HR Systems to pre-defined standards.
  3. Hire new term employees for at least seven months if an extension is anticipated and
  4. Have predetermined HR Actions take effect the day after a pay day (when possible).

Key performance indicators (KPIs) have been established for each measure to assess improvement.

For more comprehensive details about these measures and KPIs, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation and the implementation toolkit, which is available on the HR, Pay and Pension GCconnex page.

Item 10: 2023 Staffing and Non-Partisanship Survey (SNPS) Federal Public Service Results

Nael Hajjar, Principal Analyst, and Wafa Hassainya, Analyst, Survey Team, Public Service Commission (PSC), shared highlights from the 2023 Staffing and Non-Partisanship Survey for the federal public service.

Launched in 2018, the biennial Staffing and Non-Partisanship Survey aims to collect opinions from employees, managers, and staffing advisors across the federal public service on various staffing-related topics. These topics include perceptions of merit, fairness, and transparency; biases and barriers in staffing processes; organizational staffing policies, practices, and support; consideration of priority entitlements; and political activities and non-partisanship.

The 2023 edition of this online survey, conducted by the Canadian market and social research firm Advanis on behalf of the Public Service Commission of Canada, was distributed to employees across 77 federal departments and agencies. It garnered a total of 84,741 responses, achieving a response rate of 31.7%.

For detailed insights from the 2023 survey, please review the PowerPoint presentation and the Report on the Results for the Federal Public Service, published on June 12th. The online interactive data visualization tools have also been updated with the 2023 data and made available simultaneously.

The thematic report, which will detail the findings for employment equity groups and equity-seeking groups, is scheduled to be published in the fall.

Item 11: Central Agencies and Partners Updates

OCHRO – People and Culture (PC)

Natasha Parriag, Executive Director, OCHRO, provided updates on the following items:

  • Executive Talent Management

The 2023-2024 Assistant Deput Minister (ADM) talent management cycle has concluded following endorsement of the results by the Committee of Senior Officials on June 6. In the coming weeks deputies and Heads of HR will receive communiqués advising of the final talent outcomes and sharing key messages to assist deputies in offering feedback to their ADMs and list of ADMs available for mobility.

A communiqué will also be sent to ADMs to advise of the close out activities and share information to enable career management.

A reminder that the deadline for the executive talent management cycle, EX-01 to EX-03 and equivalents, is September 13, 2024.

  • Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) 

The ADM ELDP selection was recently approved by the Committee of Senior Officials. Deputies, Heads of HR, and selected participants will be advised in the coming weeks.

As communicated on June 10, the nomination period for the first two ELDP cohorts dedicated to Black executives is underway. We invite you to promote this initiative within your organizations. The deadline for submission of nominations is June 28, 2024.

Announcements for ELDP Cohort 15 (for EX-1 to EX-3) is coming in the next few weeks.

  • Executive Performance Management

An information session will take place on June 27 for delegates responsible for the preparation of EX Performance Pay reports, to answer questions on completing the Budget Tool.

As a reminder, Core Public Administration organizations are expected to submit their preliminary EX Performance Management Program report to OCHRO, for review and feedback by July 12, 2024.

  • Special Deployments

OCHRO held an Open house on Special Deployments on June 4 attended by 105 participants. The presentation and FAQ on Special Deployments may be found on the Executive and Leadership Development GCpedia page.

  • Definition of an executive

OCHRO published FAQs related to the definition of an executive within the Core Public Administration in relation to the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace. This FAQ can be found on the Executive and Leadership Development GCpedia page.

  • Term Employment

As per the information provided last month on term employment, Deputy Heads are responsible for determining whether to exclude periods of specified term employment from the calculation of the cumulative working period based on two scenarios: sunset funding, or when conversion would result a workforce adjustment situation in the organization overall. They are also responsible for ensuring that term employee(s) concerned, the responsible bargaining agent(s), and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer are informed in writing when a decision, or change in decision, is made regarding whether to exclude periods of specified term employment from the calculation of the cumulative working period for the purpose of converting an employee to indeterminate status.

Should these scenarios occur, Deputy Heads are required to provide the OCHRO the following high-level information, at a minimum:

  • Number of employees affected;
  • Responsible bargaining agents representing these employees;
  • Planned duration;
  • Confirmation of when the bargaining agents were informed;
  • Reason why the period of term employment will not count towards the calculation for conversion; and,
  • Date in which calculation towards conversion resumes, as departments can reduce or extend the period past the original planned duration.

This information should be sent directly to the Workplace Policies & Programs team: wpp-ppt@tbs-sct.gc.ca

  • Update on Expected Behaviours within the Competency Frameworks 

OCHRO’s work to modernize the Key Leadership Competencies to reflect current and future needs and expectations of the Public Service continues. 

In late 2023, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) released an audit on inclusion in the workplace for racialized employees, which recommended that TBS establish expected behaviours needed for an inclusive and anti-racist work environment to assess employee performance. As part of TBS’s response, we have committed to reviewing the expected behaviours in the Core Competencies and Key Leadership Competencies to ensure they better reflect inclusive and anti-racist behaviours.  

OCHRO will soon be sharing guidance on assessing anti-racist and inclusive behaviours in performance management. This guidance will highlight the current state related to expected behaviours in the workplace, i.e., what is prescribed in existing directives and competency frameworks. The guidance will serve as a starting point for identifying potential gaps in expected behaviours.

Next, we will conduct engagement in the Fall to review the expected behaviours in the existing competency frameworks.

Based on the audit timelines, the intention is to have revisions to the expected behaviours approved for the launch of the 2025-2026 performance management cycle. 

  • Values and Ethics

Mary Anne Stevens, Senior Director at OCHRO, shared that the Deputy Clerk exchanged with interdepartmental leads on values and ethics (V & E) on June 10, 2024. She confirmed that V&E must be an on-going commitment, a continual conversation, particularly because it provides a foundation for many of the other people-centred GC priorities and is key to maintain the public’s trust. Future deliverables may include guidance and training on social media, artificial intelligence, embedding V&E training throughout an employee career and commitment to dialogue. The Deputy Clerk concluded by stating that the sharing of stories and solutions have brought us together and made us stronger.

Item 12: Closing Remarks

Darlène de Gravina, HRC Chair and ADM, HR Services Branch, ESDC expressed her gratitude to the presenters and attendees and announced that the next regular hybrid HRC meeting will be on September 18th, from 9:00 to 10:45 am ET. This meeting will be followed by the Special HRC Meeting on Values and Ethics with the Deputy Clerk, CHRO and Values and Ethics Champions.

She wished everyone a peaceful and relaxing summer and expressed her hope to see them at the Awards Ceremony on October 17.

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