PACC Committee Report

·        Third, authority for human resources management should be pushed as far down in the organization as possible.

·        Fourth, managers should be held accountable for the exercise of their responsibilities.

The Task Force will engage in consultations with various groups on how to apply the above principles. Further, an external advisory group composed of representatives from the private sector, academia, and labour will be set up to provide professional advice on the recommendations of the Task Force.

The Committee wanted to know who was ultimately responsible for the modernization of the human resource management regime. Mr. Cappe told the Committee that the President of the Treasury Board was taking the lead in bringing forward the legislative and administrative reforms to the human resources management regime. The Privy Council Office is currently trying to coordinate certain elements of the reform and Mr. Ranald A. Quail is heading the Task Force on Modernization, which is expected to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the human resources management regime within the next 18 months. The Committee feels that some clarifications are in order and proposes the following:

RECOMMENDATION 11

That the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office clarify their respective roles and responsibilities in executing the modernization of the human resources management regime and that they prepare a detailed action plan of the current initiative together with a timetable of implementation, and that they table both the action plan and implementation schedule to Parliament no later than 31 March 2002.

The Committee was interested in efforts at finding innovative methods of attracting, developing, and retaining a highly skilled and motivated workforce in the federal public service. One approach being considered is the notion of “horizontal thinking” or breaking down barriers between government departments and agencies. Mr. Cappe indicated that a number of administrative initiatives are currently underway to encourage government officials to manage and coordinate activities and programs across departments and to “break down the silos in government.” Mr. Cappe told the Committee that one avenue that could be further explored is improving the mobility of public servants to migrate from one department to another. This alternative form of career progression could provide public servants with an altogether different and perhaps richer professional perspective and experience than going through the more traditional career path of rising through the hierarchy of a single organization. Adopting a more innovative approach of lateral transfers would involve the streamlining of procedures and processes of staffing personnel across departments and agencies. The Committee thus proposes that:

RECOMMENDATION 12

The Task Force on Modernizing the Human Resources Management in the Public Service consider legislative amendments to the Human Resources Management Framework that would enhance and facilitate the mobility of public servants across departments and agencies.

The federal public service must compete more and more with the private sector and other public sector employers (provincial, territorial and municipal governments) in order to attract the skilled and experienced workforce it needs to fulfil its responsibilities to all Canadians. To attract good potential candidates, one must make the public service a more challenging and stimulating working environment. One approach that could be considered would be to promote lifelong learning and professional development so that public servants can continuously improve their spectrum of skills, knowledge and experiences throughout their careers. Given the importance of maintaining excellence in the public service, the Committee proposes the following:

RECOMMENDATION 13

That Treasury Board Secretariat, the Public Service Commission and the Privy Council Office consider the establishment of a lifelong learning institution within the federal public service that would devote its activities to the continuous training and development of federal public servants.

The Committee raised certain concerns about the issue of “whistle blowing” or the reporting by public servants of significant fraudulent, illegal or unethical activities against the Crown. It enquired if the current initiative to modernize the human resources management regime would include a review of the adequacy of current policies and procedures designed to report fraud in the public service. Mr. Cappe agreed that it was important that public servants have the capacity to report illegal or unethical activities within their departments and government. Mr. Cappe told the Committee that the Treasury Board Secretariat is currently examining this question. The Committee considers this issue as highly important and thus recommends:

RECOMMENDATION 14

That Treasury Board Secretariat completes the review on the policies and procedures dealing with the reporting by public servants of fraudulent and unethical activities against the Crown. That the Treasury Board Secretariat prepare an interim report of its observations and recommendations on this issue and table it to Parliament no later than 31 March 2002.

CONCLUSION

From the testimony, the Committee noted that the federal government’s human resource management regime requires substantial reform. For almost 40 years, the regime has grown in complexity and has become too cumbersome to manage and administer effectively and efficiently. For many years, considerable efforts have been invested in investigating and reviewing human resource problems in the federal public service; all the participants have long been aware of the outstanding problems and there is now a certain convergence of opinion as to what needs to be done. Given the future challenges ahead for the federal government in terms of its human resource management regime, the Committee believes that there can no longer be any justification in delay and that a serious and comprehensive reform must now be taken.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting Nos. 12, 13, 16, 17 and 35) is tabled.

Respectfully submitted,

John Williams, M.P.
Chair