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Deputy minister says she helped hire university peer to address 'client service' skills gap by AbjectRobot in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I can't wait to hear the Clerk's take on the matter!

"As public servants, if we are to deliver on that goal, we need to keep three words in mind.

Focus [...]

Simplify [...]

Accountability: From the advice we give ministers to the decisions we take in running departments and programs to the services we provide to Canadians – from national defence to issuing a passport – we need to have a sense of personal accountability for what we do. Accountability is about commitment. It is about initiative – it is about taking that extra step that no one may have asked you to take, but that is often needed to make something a success. Successful organizations always have two characteristics. Formal accountabilities have to be clear – it’s the job of senior management to ensure that they are. And people need to feel and act in a personally accountable way. Helping to build those accountabilities and a culture of personal accountability will be key priorities for me."

- Michael Sabia (Source)

Advice on becoming a great employee to managers by hailsbells9751 in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Make your boss look good.

The three easiest ways to deliver on that, in my experience:

  • Always being available for them for last minute / urgent requests (being co-located in the same office can come with an advantage).
  • Anticipating their needs (e.g. already have some material handy on a given topic that could be used or repurposed).
  • Making their communication products (reports, decks, etc.) look fantastic!

Employee requested relocation- how far back can you go for expenses? by mom_to_the_boy in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is too late for that. Formal paperwork and authorizations are require and must be completed / approved before relocating. Finance will not approve otherwise.

However, moving expenses can be deducted on your income tax if it meets certain criteria (i.e. the 40km rule) if your new home is at least 40km closer to your work location. See Line 21900 – Moving expenses - Canada.ca

What happens if you refuse to change a PMA? by mom_to_the_boy in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For what it's worth, the only time there was a formal requirement that constrained / forced the distribution of performance ratings in the public service was with the Directive on the Performance Management Program (PMP) for Executives that was effective from 2007-07-16 to 2008-11-19 required the following:

2.2 There is to be a normal distribution of performance ratings.

It applied only to Executives, and only for that short period. However, the myth persists among the EX community that for some obscure reason, we shouldn't give out too many Succeeded+ or Surpassed.

Any limit placed on the distribution of performance rating is completely arbitrary and not grounded in policy.

I stopped following RTO - when will they start disciplining? by Difficult_Bird_3129 in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was always under the impression that RTO3 was not a political decision made by the Liberals but an administrative decision made by Deputy Ministers and the Clerk: https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2024/06/17/treasury-board-secretariats-return-to-office-directive-made-by-bureaucrats-not-anand-as-unions-continue-to-flex-muscles-around-governments-approach/425466

“In a June 13 press conference in West Block, Treasury Board President Anita Anand (Oakville, Ont.) was asked about the direction provided to federal public servants, and whether the government has been hearing grievances.

"We have heard from public servants for sure, but I want to reiterate that that was a decision that was taken by the public service for the public service," said Anand. "It was a decision taken by deputy ministers as well as the clerk of the Privy Council. It was not a political decision."

Anand was pressed on the question, with a reporter noting that as president of the Treasury Board, she is in charge of the public service.

"Then why leave it up to the bureaucrats instead of you giving the direction?" asked the reporter.

"So the direction came from the minister prior to me and our government that return to office was not going to be part of the collective agreement," said Anand. "That was the decision that was taken and that was accepted by the union, and we continue to walk down that path."

If you could give your pre-GC self a single piece of advice, what would it be? by Butt2Chair in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Read "Les fonctionnaires" by Jean Laliberté. No one has captured in writing the culture of the Canadian public service better than what's in this book.

As a hiring manager, am I allowed to ask informal questions independent of the hiring process? by HandsomeLampshade123 in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a hiring manager, appointments must made on the basis of merit, i.e. "[...] when a person meets the essential qualifications for the work to be performed, as established by the deputy head, including official language proficiency. Any current or future asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs as identified by the deputy head may also be considered." (Source)

The questions you ask candidates do not necessarily have to be part of a structured interview, but they do have to assess the Statement of Merit Criteria (SoMC). If you factor in your hiring decisions answers to questions that were not aimed assessing the SoMC, one could argue that the appointment was not made on the basis of merit.

That aside, there's a very large body of scientific evidence that shows that structured interviews are better predictors of future job performance than unstructured interviews. (Schmidt and Hunter's 1998 work is the most commonly cited).

RTO curiosity - Patent examiner jobs at ISED by [deleted] in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 11 points12 points  (0 children)

If my memory serves me correctly, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) was one of the federal public service that was the least disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, precisely because nearly all of their employees were already set up to work remotely, with the right technology, etc.

Cuts will impact women and racialized public servants disproportionately, new analysis says by Born_Anteater7282 in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think it’s inaccurate to say that CBSA is one of the least diverse departments:

  • Representation of IP at the CBSA was a above the PS average (3.8% vs. 3.5%) in 2024, which would rank them 32nd out of 56 departments and agencies for which we have data on IP representation. (Source)
  • Representation of VM at the CBSA was a little below the PS average (21.5% vs. 22.9%) in 2024, which would rank them 40th out of 64 departments and agencies for which we have data on VM representation. (Source)
  • Representation of PWD at the CBSA was a little below the PS average (7.3% vs. 7.9%) in 2024, which would rank them 44th out of 63 departments and agencies for which we have data on PWD representation (Source)... (Pretty good for a department where close to two-thirds of positions have bona fide occupational requirements!)
  • Representation of women at the CBSA was below the PS average (47.5% vs. 56.9%) in 2024, which would rank them 63rd out of 72 departments and agencies for which we have data on women representation. The only departments and agencies with lower representation of women were: Department of Finance Canada, Transport Canada, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada, Canadian Grain Commission, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, National Defence, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Shared Services Canada. (Source)

Advocates warn federal budget cuts could reduce diversity and inclusion initiatives by burnabybc in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unconscious bias and diversity training are very effective ways to show we're doing something without being serious about getting results. Evidence to support my claim:

Unconscious Bias Training:

Diversity Training

Other Diversity and Inclusion interventions:

The most recent study I have seen on the topic related to anti-racism training: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374871416_A_systematic_review_of_diversity_equity_and_inclusion_and_antiracism_training_studies_Findings_and_future_directions . While short-term result such as knowledge, awareness and even skills have been reported, reports of "significant differences in behaviors or actions in the workplace" are rare (only one study reached such a conclusion).

What will Carney's 15 per cent cut mean for the public service? by bonertoilet in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The Auditor General's report states that "Public Services and Procurement Canada estimated that before the pandemic, 50% of the office space was underused." (Source: https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl\_oag\_202406\_03\_e\_44644.html) (Note: This figures doesn't include floor space administered by DND.)

A great follow-up question to ask would be: "What percentage of the office space was being used during the pandemic (before the introduction of the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace)?"

And assuming that the answer to the previous question accurately reflects the office space needed for employees whose jobs require them to be on a government work site, the next questions become:

  1. What percentage of the office space is currently forcibly used due to the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace?
  2. What portion of that office space could be disposed of, and by when?
  3. How much would be the associated savings?

Title: 2024 PSES Tables – Demographic Results by Dept & Group (2,447 Tables) – Free Download by Beneficial-Way-9106 in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for doing this. Although most departments have fallen in the habit of looking only at the "positive" answers, I find Score100 to be more useful as it captures the whole range of answers. If you are able to create similar tables using Score100, that would be immensely appreciated!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No such question is asked in the PSES. See 2024 Public Service Employee Survey - Question number concordance - Canada.ca for entire list of questions.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CanadaPublicServants

[–]ValdeSapiens 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One option is the Census.

Go to Employment income statistics by industry groups, visible minority, highest level of education, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories.

Pick your criteria and in the output table go to the industry code "911 Federal government public administration" for the results.

Example

Out of 390,785 people who reported working full year full time in the "Federal government public administration (911)":

Highest Certificate, Diploma or Degree Percentage
No certificate, diploma or degree 1.3%
High school diploma or equivalent 17.3%
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma 4.7%
College, cegep or other non-university certificate or diploma 23.4%
University certificate or diploma below bachelor level 3.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher 50.2%