Proposed public-service changes address long-standing complaints
In a bid to shed its image as a “cumbersome and outdated” employer, Ottawa is overhauling its entire HR framework.
Legislation introduced earlier this month proposes sweeping changes to staffing, labour relations and training practices — the first substantial changes in 35 years.
“It is a critical step in the ongoing process of public service modernization, providing the foundation needed to allow the public service to attract, retain and develop the people it needs, and to maintain a healthy and productive workplace to serve Canadians,” said Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board, as she presented the Public Service Modernization Act to Parliament.
The Task Force on Modernizing Human Resources Management was created by Prime Minister Jean Chretien in April, 2001, the results of which formed the basis for the legislation.
Proposals include:
•increased flexibility in staffing and managing people;
•more constructive, co-operative labour-management relations;
•more coherent training and learning to help employees pursue professional development; and
•clarified roles and strengthened accountability for the institutions and individuals responsible for managing the public service.
Long criticized for being slow moving and bogged down by red tape, a greater urgency infused calls for reform in recent years as the competition for talent grew fierce and the government faced looming staffing shortages, most notably at the senior and management levels.
“Recruitment at all levels of the public service will need to increase to fill the shortages that impending retirements and the changing nature of work in government will create,”said Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, in her 2001 annual report. She also said flaws in the recruitment process made meeting those challenges difficult. “Current general recruitment practices do not provide a strong enough foundation for meeting current and future requirements.
“The complex, rules-driven staffing system has been an obstacle to recruiting qualified applicants in the public service for 40 years. The government knows the system is broken. It has been broken for a long time, and it needs to be overhauled,” she said.
And in a position paper written last year, the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) called for fundamental changes to Ottawa’s HR framework. “Only meaningful, profound change in the management of people will enable the public service of Canada to remain relevant and effective for the 21st century,” it said.
Pierre de Blois, executive director of APEX, said they were “very pleased” with the new legislation. “I think there were a lot of skeptics out there who thought the government would never come out with new legislation and here we are with a totally revamped HR regime,” he said.
One of the most important changes deals with a revision of the staffing process, he said. To ensure a workforce free from political influence, public-service hiring decisions are based on a “merit” system. In an explanation of the proposed changes, the Treasury Board said the new system will stay true to the principles of merit hiring, while freeing managers to hire qualified and competent individuals more quickly.
de Blois said the changes are good news for hiring managers frustrated at losing highly qualified candidates because the old system was too slow.
“You had to demonstrate you have the best candidate. Trying to demonstrate ‘the best’ is practically impossible,” he said. It took far too long for hiring managers to present an offer, he said. Talented business school grads won’t wait five or six months for a job offer when they have the banks, high-tech companies and other private-sector businesses making attractive offers, he said.
The new legislation also proposes changing the labour relations framework, which the Treasury Board maintains would lead to more constructive dialogue between managers and unions.
The legislation calls for the creation of departmental labour-management committees, co-operation between management and labour when developing workplace improvements, and the elimination of certain automatic exclusions from collective bargaining — notably lawyers at the Department of Justice.
A new Public Service Labour Relations Board would be created to provide adjudication, mediation and compensation and analysis research.
Hopefully it will lead to more harmonious relations between union and management, said de Blois. At least there is legislation, now it’s up to the two sides to work on a culture of co-operation, he added.
Nycole Turmel, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the changes don’t address all of her union’s concerns.
“While it does contain some positive aspects, in its current form it will do little to support more constructive and co-operative labour-management relations and ultimately a better workplace,” she said.
“The proposed legislation leaves pensions, staffing and classification, which are of major concern to our members, outside the scope of negotiations and totally in the hands of the government. Much of the legislation is geared to enhancing management’s rights.”
Training and development in the public service will be improved through the creation of a new Canada School of Public Policy, amalgamating the Canadian Centre for Management Development with Training and Development Canada. This new school would provide a single point of access for employees to access learning resources.
“Learning is key to renewing the public service,” said Robillard. “Better learning strengthens accountability. It fosters innovation. It helps ensure that we have the skills we need.”
Legislation introduced earlier this month proposes sweeping changes to staffing, labour relations and training practices — the first substantial changes in 35 years.
“It is a critical step in the ongoing process of public service modernization, providing the foundation needed to allow the public service to attract, retain and develop the people it needs, and to maintain a healthy and productive workplace to serve Canadians,” said Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board, as she presented the Public Service Modernization Act to Parliament.
The Task Force on Modernizing Human Resources Management was created by Prime Minister Jean Chretien in April, 2001, the results of which formed the basis for the legislation.
Proposals include:
•increased flexibility in staffing and managing people;
•more constructive, co-operative labour-management relations;
•more coherent training and learning to help employees pursue professional development; and
•clarified roles and strengthened accountability for the institutions and individuals responsible for managing the public service.
Long criticized for being slow moving and bogged down by red tape, a greater urgency infused calls for reform in recent years as the competition for talent grew fierce and the government faced looming staffing shortages, most notably at the senior and management levels.
“Recruitment at all levels of the public service will need to increase to fill the shortages that impending retirements and the changing nature of work in government will create,”said Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, in her 2001 annual report. She also said flaws in the recruitment process made meeting those challenges difficult. “Current general recruitment practices do not provide a strong enough foundation for meeting current and future requirements.
“The complex, rules-driven staffing system has been an obstacle to recruiting qualified applicants in the public service for 40 years. The government knows the system is broken. It has been broken for a long time, and it needs to be overhauled,” she said.
And in a position paper written last year, the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) called for fundamental changes to Ottawa’s HR framework. “Only meaningful, profound change in the management of people will enable the public service of Canada to remain relevant and effective for the 21st century,” it said.
Pierre de Blois, executive director of APEX, said they were “very pleased” with the new legislation. “I think there were a lot of skeptics out there who thought the government would never come out with new legislation and here we are with a totally revamped HR regime,” he said.
One of the most important changes deals with a revision of the staffing process, he said. To ensure a workforce free from political influence, public-service hiring decisions are based on a “merit” system. In an explanation of the proposed changes, the Treasury Board said the new system will stay true to the principles of merit hiring, while freeing managers to hire qualified and competent individuals more quickly.
de Blois said the changes are good news for hiring managers frustrated at losing highly qualified candidates because the old system was too slow.
“You had to demonstrate you have the best candidate. Trying to demonstrate ‘the best’ is practically impossible,” he said. It took far too long for hiring managers to present an offer, he said. Talented business school grads won’t wait five or six months for a job offer when they have the banks, high-tech companies and other private-sector businesses making attractive offers, he said.
The new legislation also proposes changing the labour relations framework, which the Treasury Board maintains would lead to more constructive dialogue between managers and unions.
The legislation calls for the creation of departmental labour-management committees, co-operation between management and labour when developing workplace improvements, and the elimination of certain automatic exclusions from collective bargaining — notably lawyers at the Department of Justice.
A new Public Service Labour Relations Board would be created to provide adjudication, mediation and compensation and analysis research.
Hopefully it will lead to more harmonious relations between union and management, said de Blois. At least there is legislation, now it’s up to the two sides to work on a culture of co-operation, he added.
Nycole Turmel, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the changes don’t address all of her union’s concerns.
“While it does contain some positive aspects, in its current form it will do little to support more constructive and co-operative labour-management relations and ultimately a better workplace,” she said.
“The proposed legislation leaves pensions, staffing and classification, which are of major concern to our members, outside the scope of negotiations and totally in the hands of the government. Much of the legislation is geared to enhancing management’s rights.”
Training and development in the public service will be improved through the creation of a new Canada School of Public Policy, amalgamating the Canadian Centre for Management Development with Training and Development Canada. This new school would provide a single point of access for employees to access learning resources.
“Learning is key to renewing the public service,” said Robillard. “Better learning strengthens accountability. It fosters innovation. It helps ensure that we have the skills we need.”
