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Working for the

Federal Public Service of Canada

Renewal and Transformation

Angelo Mangatal

- Branch President, NRCan Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

- Director Special Projects, NCVM

- Chairman VMAC NRCan

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Overview

Employer of Choice

Our Context

Public Service Renewal and Diversity

Public Service Vocation

FPS Values and Ethics

Renewal – 4 Priorities - Building a Diverse Workforce

Best Practices

Performance Management

Key Leadership Competencies – Employee Engagement

Bonus Information: Principles for Leadership and

Engagement

Conclusion

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Employer of Choice

Are you committed to making a difference?

Would you like to know that the work you do daily has a positive impact on the lives of Canadians?

Whether you work in an office or outdoors, in the far North, a rural area or a large urban centre, the public service will help you contribute to the future of a nation and even make a difference in the world.

No other organization contributes so much to so many areas of Canadian society.

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No other organization offers such a variety of

employment opportunities, some of which are even

outside of Canada. There is a career opportunity for

everyone.

Choice of Diversified Work

Access to Continuous

Learning

Attractive Compennsation

Packages

An inclusive Workplace

Opportunities for

Advancement

Balance between Personal

and Professional Life

Helping People in a Model

Organization

Acess to Employment

Security and Mobility

Employer of choice

The public service of Canaa is built on values important to all Canadians and is recognized

all over the world for its excellence. In fact, it is used as a model in countries that are trying

to develop their own public service.

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Our Context

To be effective public servants in an increasingly globalized and complex world– we need to understand our work and our responsibilities

We serve an increasingly diverse population

We face demographic challenges and a competitive labour market

We lead and manage an increasingly diverse workforce with needs of accessibility and accountability in service to the “public good”

Public servants are involved in hands on - high trust; very complex – high stakes business.

The public expectations for accountability in the FPS are far above that of other organizations in Canada and the world

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Average age of new (indeterminate) Public Servants:

Average age of new EX1’s:

Public servants who can retire with non-reduced pensions:

ADMs who can retire with non-reduced pensions:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1981 1991 2006

25-44

45-64

Other Core Demographics

Demographics of Public Service Executives

Ex-01 50.0

Ex-02 51.9

Ex-03 52.7

Ex-04-05 54.1

Ex Level Average Age

36 years

46 years

7%

28.5%

Demographics of the Overall Federal Public Service by Age Groups (% of total employees)

What are the Drivers of Change?

…Public Service demographics…

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THE PUBLIC SERVICE HAS A WIDE AND CHANGING SCOPE:

Canada’s largest employer (250K employees)

Canada’s most national employer (1600 points of service in Canada)

Canada’s most multi-skilled workforce

Canada’s most international employer (in over 150 countries)

Plus, Canada’s military (65K soldiers); reserves(25K); and RCMP (20K)

69 67

53 53

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Health Justice DFAIT RCMP CFIA

Changing Scope of the Public Service: Some Examples (Cumulative Employment Growth: March 1999 – March 2006, %)

0

20

40

60

(Research, PHA)

(Security, Crime

Prevention)

(Passport, Security)

(Civilian)

Public Service

Average: 23%

Public Service demographics

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Canada’s Changing Demographics

Canadian Labour force statistics - Early retirement is more common with the percentage of persons retiring before 60 jumping from 29% in 1990 to 43% in 2000.

Across the Public Service, 30% of employees retire as soon as they are eligible for an unreduced pension, and a further 35% retire within the next two years. However, 50% of executives retire as soon as they are eligible for an unreduced pension.

Increases in the representation of most EE designated groups in the Canadian workforce must be matched in the FPS.

Constant evolution of the level and types of skills required by the economy implies that workers and their employers need to invest in continual learning and skills development.

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Canada’s Changing Demographic

Approximately 70% of the recent growth in the labour force is due to immigration.

61% of immigrants of working age who arrived in the 1990s held trade, college or university credentials in 2001. The majority know at least one of Canada’s official languages.

66 per cent of Canadian employers indicate they already have difficulty filling positions.

Aboriginal population is younger and growing at a rate almost twice that of the Canadian population. By 2016, it is projected to reach 280,000, up 62% over 1996. (Statistics by Manpower Inc., an international employment services company

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Public Service Renewal and Diversity

The Federal Public Service is a national asset

Diversity in the Public Service is a business and values imperative – the result is better policy, programs and services

An inclusive and accessible public service is core to FPS Renewal – non Canadian - you may apply however, preference is given to

Canadian citizens (living in Canada or abroad). A Canadian citizen is a person who was born in Canada or who has attained Canadian citizenship certificate via Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Enabling the contribution of equity groups – including visible minorities, women, aboriginals and persons with disabilities is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and excellence

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Public Service – A Special Vocation

Public service is a special calling. It is not for every one. Those who devote themselves to it find meaning and satisfaction in their work that are not to be found elsewhere;

The rewards are not material. They are moral and psychological, perhaps even Divine;

They are the intangible rewards that advance from the sense of devoting one’s life to the service of the country, to the affairs of state, to public purposes, great or small, and to the public good.

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Public Service – A Special Vocation

The rewards of this special calling, like those of other public

office and professions, come at a price:

the price is submitting to very high standards of professional conduct;

accepting public scrutiny and accountability;

learning to hold a public trust and to put public interests ahead of one’s self;

respecting the authority of law and of democratic will;

and entering into a community that values these as the foundations of good government. The values of public service are both its price and its reward.

Excerpt from the Tait Report (1996)

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Public Service Values and Ethics

Values and ethics performance cannot be separated from the overall management of the Public Service

A non Partisan FPS - needs to relate to values and ethics in everyday work and life –this is an ongoing dialogue between FPS employees and managers/politicians

We need to move away from the wrongdoing focus (corrective actions) – more on ‘right-doing’ (knowing where to draw the line before wrongdoing occurs)

Ensuring that employees understand … and avoid assuming that they do (I.e. regular review and discussions on policy and program performance for the “Public Good”)

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Public Service Renewal – Four Priorities

Planning - Integrating business and human resources

Recruitment -Renewing and sustaining capacity at all

levels - the right people and skills it needs now and in the

future

Employee Development - leadership at all levels and

ensuring that employees have meaningful work in a

supportive work environment

Enabling Infrastructure - Putting in place the systems

and processes to support efficient, user-friendly planning,

recruitment and development

A

C

C

E

E

S

S

F

O

R

C

A

N

A

D

I

A

N

S

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Renewed Policy Instruments

Employment Equity Policy – The objective of this policy is to achieve equality in employment for members of the designated groups under the Employment Equity Act: Aboriginal Peoples; persons with disabilities; visible Minorities; and women

Duty to Accommodate Policy – This policy informs deputy heads of their duty to accommodate the needs of employees pursuant to the Canadian Human Rights Act

Directive on the Duty to Accommodate - This directive outlines the responsibilities of managers and employees in the accommodation process

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Best Practices

Departments establish strong direction, shared principles,

and enabling processes and guidance - Senior

management forums and other networks led by line

departments

Maximize use of existing levers and tools; technology,

communication and interpersonal skills developing and

encouraging - Fair, Transparent and Equitable processes

Credible, achievable and monitored results - accountability

frameworks including staffing: The public service offers

access to a variety of learning opportunities, experiences

and programs that will encourage you to learn and to help

you build a successful career.

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Best Practices

Access expert advice NCVM, CHRC, Department Networks and PCO, TBS direction on Employment equity.

Dialogue – employees, managers talking to executives and working through case studies and grey areas

Training for Hiring Managers: CSPS -“Diversity: Vision and Action” - Leadership Courses –Workshops (anti-discrimination)

More than 75 federal organizations are searching for people with the skills to serve Canadians.

We have jobs ranging from geologists to test pilots, from economists to ships' crews, from computer specialists to program managers.

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Challenges in the Public Service

Significant behavioural and cultural changes are required at every level of leadership and supervision; - effective and rigorous performance management needs to be the norm

Create a strong culture for truthful, consistent feedback and assessment

Eliminate the fear & avoidance of dealing with difficult situations and program/people performance issues

Embrace the need for common assessment tools, training and managerial support - comprehensive, coherent performance management policy, programs and practices across the public service

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Challenges in the Public Service

Building common awareness and understanding on

the issues and the opportunities

Consistency of implementation

Finding the right balance between accommodation and

productivity, and between the needs of the individual and

the needs of the team

Discomfort with grey areas and new issues

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Performance Management

Experience of high performing private and public sector organizations has shown that performance management is vital to individual and organizational success

Performance management is a critical part of public management

Performance of every employee needs to be managed effectively and consistently

Effective performance management will drive renewal and excellence in the Public Service

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Performance Management

Setting clear goals to align individual work with departmental

and whole-of-government purposes, and being clear about the

weight that will be given to both the “what” and the “how” (up

front investment in this discussion is critical)

Rigorous ongoing monitoring, honest feedback and

performance assessment, supported by constructive coaching

and learning opportunities to build employee development

Managing the whole spectrum of performance - rewarding

good and excellent performance, improving average

performance, managing underperformance

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Key Leadership Competencies (KLC)

Key leadership competencies for the employee level are valuable

Broaden the definitions to include leadership for employees without supervisory responsibilities

The right behaviours for employees have now been identified

Leadership competencies for employees, managers and executives should form part of a coherent continuum

Integration of an Employee Profile into the KLC Profile permits a coherent and continuous approach

Employee Profile leverages an established and well known KLC approach

Communications on how to use the new Employee profile is important

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…identifies roles for all employees…

Key Leadership Competency Role

Profiles Core Competency Role Profiles

Employee

Supervisor

Manager

Director

Director General

Assistant Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister

Generalists

Specialists Managers

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Employee Engagement - The Six Pack

Lessons Learned - People want:

Meaningful work;

Good leadership;

Fair compensation practices;

Learning and development opportunities;

Career opportunities;

Policies and practices that create a flexible

workplace

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Employee Engagement

Lessons Learned - Employee Engagement comprises two factors:

1) Employee Satisfaction - Level of contentment or happiness a person assigns to their job/position, their organization and the general overall way they feel about their employment

2) Employee Commitment - Pride people feel for their organization as well as the degree to which they intend to remain with the organization, desire to serve or to perform at high levels, positively recommend their organization to others, and improve the organization’s result

The research suggests that employee engagement is a powerful

predictor of workforce performance (productivity) and retention,

as well as citizen service satisfaction and confidence in the FPS.

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Bonus Information

Leadership & Engagement:

Communicate your meaning and intent

Explain the history, the bigger picture, the context

Anticipate where things are moving

Provide clarity of vision, purpose and direction

Communicate and validate repeatedly

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Bonus Information

Leadership & Engagement:

Establish conditions & environment for success

Lead to maximize the contribution of every employee

Use the levers at your disposal

Have a concrete plan – hope is not a method

Establish the conditions for success rules of engagement: expectations, roles, accountabilities and values

Make accountabilities clear and real

Establish your presence immediately

Being respected is essential; being liked is a bonus

Have a strategy when entering a well-established culture

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Bonus Information

Leadership & Engagement:

Humility is an essential quality The flip-side of self-confidence

Recognize the need for others to succeed in order for you to succeed - help your team to understand this

Keep learning, make mistakes, achieve success, and share all of this experience with others

Equip, trust and empower others

Credibility and confidence – the bring/learn ratio

Know yourself and excel in your areas of expertise

Build and celebrate different and complementary talents

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Bonus Information

Leadership & Engagement:

Never underestimate your impact on others Align intentions and behaviours

Create the best work environment possible – that embraces humour, humanity, and trust

Create space and safety for dialogue

Ongoing recognition of individual and team progress – move the agenda one small step at a time

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CONCLUSION

We all have choices to work with/for government – eventually we will all be required to lead and fully participate as citizens in making decisions on the issues facing our country in order to promote the socioeconomic well-being of Canadians;

Consider the public service as your employer of choice!

“Life has meaning when you are engaged in a purpose that you deem to be MIGHTY! ….The joy in life comes from being loved and respected for undertaking it!”

Angelo Mangatal, PIPSC NRCan Branch President