PACC Committee Report

Government Response to the Eleventh Report of
the Standing Committee on Public Accounts Regarding
the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program of the Federal Public Service

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts has tabled its Eleventh Report on December 6, 2001.  The Report contains recommendations for improved use and management of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program.  It is the Committee's response to Chapter 21 “The Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR) Program of the Federal Public Service”of the Auditor General of Canada 2000 report.

The recommendations of the Standing Committee's Eleventh Report are directed at the Public Service Commission, an independent agency.  Its mandate is to ensure that appointments to and within the Public Service are based on merit.  The Commission is also responsible for recourse in external and internal staffing processes, and for delivering training and development programs.  In the context of its core mandate, the Commission delivers and manages the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program, which recruits university graduates with qualifications needed for entry-level positions in federal government departments and agencies.

Since 1973, skilled recruits such as engineers, accountants, economists, financial auditors and others, have been hired through this program to meet the needs of federal departments and agencies.  The Post-Secondary Recruitment Program’s objective is to contribute to the creation of a competent, non-partisan, and representative Public Service.  To remain competitive and attractive in the tight labour market conditions expected in the future, the Public Service will need effective and efficient recruitment processes. 

Response to Recommendations of the Standing Committee’s Report

Renewal of the federal Public Service workforce through recruitment and retention of qualified individuals is one of the Government’s top priorities.  The Government welcomes the Committee’s recommendations to improve management and use of the Public Service Commission’s Post-Secondary Recruitment Program.  In line with the guiding principles for modernizing the human resources management in the Public Service, merit will remain the cornerstone of a competent, non-partisan federal Public Service workforce.  The Government can report on the undertakings of the Commission as noted below.

This response addresses each recommendation of the Standing Committee.  It provides the Government’s position on each of the recommendations and briefly outlines measures taken to address the issues. The Public Service Commission has agreed to the text of the Government Response to the Eleventh Report.

Recommendation 1

That the Public Service Commission immediately amend the practices and procedures of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program to ensure that all regions across Canada have an equal opportunity for recruitment in the federal public service. That the Commission describe these corrective measures and report their progress against expected performance targets in its departmental progress report to Parliament for the year ending 31 March 2002.

Response to Recommendation 1

An increased regional participation in the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program is a key objective.  The Government has discussed the issue with the Public Service Commission and agrees with this objective.  The Post-Secondary Recruitment Program is a national program that advertises entry-level jobs with a national area of selection.

The Public Service Commission has indicated to the Government that it has amended practices and procedures to increase the use of the program.  It has redesigned the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program to take full advantage of technology and to  increase its visibility.   The main elements of the redesign are: continuous year-round campaign (as of January 2002); efforts to increase departmental participation in the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program; efforts to increase the number of jobs made available in the regions; and, better co-ordination of federal presence on campuses across the country.  According to the Public Service Commission, the number of Post-Secondary Recruitment Program appointments has almost doubled over the past five years (from 339 in 1995-96 to 656 in 2001).  The Commission expects this trend to continue in the future years as retirement-ready public servants leave their organizations.

Through its regional offices, the Public Service Commission is engaging the Federal Regional Councils and regionally-based departments and agencies such as, Western Economic Diversification and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and others, in order  to raise awareness of the program and increase its use.  An inventory of pre-qualified candidates was established in November 2001, and was made available to departments and agencies across the country.

Other enhancements that the Public Service Commission reports as contributing to the use of the program include: links to web sites of 28 universities across the country, an electronic referral system, on-line application and electronic test corrections, information kits for managers, and a 24-hour web access to applicants and managers. 

Recommendation 2

That the Public Service Commission, the Secretariat of the Treasury Board of Canada and departments engage in a dialogue to determine their respective roles and responsibilities regarding human resource planning and management in the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program.  Once the roles and responsibilities are clearly established and the respective priorities are developed regarding the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program, that the Commission provide a statement describing specific responsibilities and priorities in its performance report to Parliament beginning with the report for the year ending 31 March 2002.

Response to Recommendation 2

Through the Task Force on Modernizing Human Resources Management in the Public Service, the Government is currently re-examining how human resources management is governed.  The President of the Treasury Board is the Minister responsible for this initiative, and is expected to table a proposal for legislative changes later this year.  Once the proposal is approved, the roles and responsibilities for human resources planning of the Public Service Commission, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and departments and agencies will be determined.  Roles and responsibilities in the management of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program flow from the roles and responsibilities of the key players in the overall management of human resources.

The Public Service Commission contributes to better human resources planning of departments and agencies by providing demographic and forecast data about their major occupational groups, including employment equity representation data.  The Public Service Commission also made available to departments and agencies findings from its recent studies (e.g. survey of new hires to the Public Service and a student opinion survey).  Those are helpful in planning of entry-level recruitment needs.

Through the joint Centre for Demographic Analysis, the Public Service Commission and the Treasury Board Secretariat are providing departments and agencies with workforce statistics, labour market data and other human resources planning information.

Recommendation 3

That the Public Service Commission, once having established its roles and responsibilities regarding the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program, build up its human resource capacity.  That the Commission describe these measures and report their progress against expected performance targets in its departmental progress report to Parliament beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2002.

Response to Recommendation 3

The Government agrees with this recommendation, and notes the measures the Public Service Commission has already taken in order to strengthen its human resources capacity.  Over the last year, the Commission has upgraded the knowledge and competency base in its own ranks by developing new competency profiles for its staff and by increasing participation in corporate development programs.  It also trained personnel and developed tools to help the Public Service Commission's officers become more adept at providing strategic advice and information on recruitment programs.

The Government notes that the Public Service Commission has reviewed and updated existing tools and produced new ones such as, the Manager’s Handbook on Staffing and Recruitment, Staffing Manual, and Staffing Modules.  These manuals provide essential information to human resources professionals and managers on the staffing process, options and recruitment programs, including the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program.  Under the Public Service Commission's leadership, some 30 departments and agencies have identified Recruitment Champions.  They advocate

effective renewal of the Public Service workforce and, in that context, promote the use of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program. Likewise, there are 35 student ambassadors on campuses promoting the Program.

According to the Public Service Commission, program redesign measures are already starting to show good results – the number of participating departments in the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program has increased from 16 to 22, and the number of applications has increased by 33%. With continued efforts in this direction, the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program will contribute more substantively to general recruitment and to the renewal of the Public Service. We recognize that continued and better use of this program is critical for successful renewal of the Public Service workforce in a highly competitive labour market.  In line with the guiding principles for modernizing the human resources management in the Public Service, the Government remains committed to the merit principle as a cornerstone of a competent, non-partisan Public Service.

Recommendation 4

That the Public Service Commission strengthen the content of its accountability documents, notably the Commission’s annual report, the report on plans and priorities and the performance reports to Parliament, with respect to human resource management matters, and that these reports contain information about results expected and achieved.

Response to Recommendation 4

The Government supports this recommendation.  In 2001, the Treasury Board Secretariat developed the Guide to Preparing the 2001 Departmental Performance Report.  This should assist departments and agencies in developing improved reports to Parliament.

The Public Service Commission reports on having taken several concrete measures to strengthen the content of its accountability documents.  For example, its Annual Report to Parliament now provides more information on how well the staffing system is functioning, and how staffing values are adhered to across the Public Service.  In its Departmental Performance Report later this fall, the Commission will identify the results and impacts of its activities in 2001-2002. The information and the analysis in the key accountability documents of the Public Service Commission supported by system-wide surveys on the quality of the appointment process, pre-audit investigations, evaluation of programs and thematic reviews. 

Since the spring of 2001, the Public Service Commission is asking participating departments and agencies to report electronically on the number of appointed Post-Secondary Recruitment Program candidates.  This will make it possible to provide an up-to-date picture of post-secondary recruitment outcomes, including the total number of Post-Secondary Recruitment Program appointments, appointments from designated employment equity groups, and number of recruits per official language group. 

Recommendation 5

That the Public Service Commission apply the results from the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program to develop a database of pre-screened candidates to be made available for referrals in other general recruitment processes.  That the database maintain a list of pre-screened candidates for at least six months before requiring re-registration.  That the Public Service Commission describe and report the progress against the expected timetable of implementation in its departmental progress report to Parliament beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2002.

Response to Recommendation 5

The Government fully concurs with this recommendation, as does the Public Service Commission.

In October 2001, using the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program data, the Commission established an inventory of university graduates and made it available to departments and agencies who may now request referrals via e-mail and select pre-assessed candidates at any time of the year.  Departments and agencies may also customize questions for specialized positions, which further enhances the quality of referrals.

Consistent with the Committee’s recommendation, departments and agencies can use the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program inventory whenever they are ready to staff a position with a recent university graduate.  Likewise, candidates interested in Public Service jobs can apply to the inventory at any time.  To keep the inventory up-to-date and accurate, the Commission is reminding candidates through e-mail every sixty days, to confirm their continued interest.  These new Post-Secondary Recruitment Program features seem to be working well.  On February 26, 2002, the inventory contained 4,372 available graduates pre-qualified and interested in Public Service jobs.  Speed of processing, ease of access, and more visible information about the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program, make the program more attractive to departments and agencies and potential recruits.  Efforts to support the Post-Secondary Recruitment Program through better use of technology and the creation of user-friendly, on-line features will continue to be pursued.