Public Service Commission

www.psc-cfp.gc.ca

Common menu bar

• Français
• Home
• Contact Us
• Help
• Search
• canada.gc.ca

Breadcrumb

1. Home >
2. Annual Reports >
3. 2008-2009 Annual Report

Chapter 7

Enabling departments and agencies

7.1 With the delegation of almost all Public Service Commission (PSC) appointment authorities to deputy heads, departments and agencies now have the responsibility to customize staffing programs and processes to meet their operational needs. The PSC has a variety of powers and functions available to it to enable departments and agencies to manage their delegated responsibilities, as the PSC ultimately remains responsible for the overall health of the staffing system.

7.2 Departments and agencies continue to look to the PSC for direction and support to carry out their responsibilities, especially given the challenges in renewing their workforces. The PSC supports organizations by providing policy guidance, strategic advice, services and common systems and tools to enable them to exercise more fully their delegated authorities and achieve a values-based appointment system.

7.3 To ensure that policies remain efficient and effective, the PSC refines its policy suite on an ongoing basis. As issues emerge through organizational experience with the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), areas are identified for adjustment. This year, the PSC will also initiate a review of the PSC Appointment Policy Framework in preparation for the five-year legislative review of the PSEA. The goal of the Appointment Policy review is to ensure a harmonized suite of policies that meet legislative requirements and provide clear expectations and direction to delegated deputies and managers, with respect to their appointment responsibilities.

7.4 The PSC also provides staffing and assessment services to assist managers in carrying out their delegated staffing authorities and to support the integrity of the staffing system. Services such as jobs.gc.ca and post-secondary recruitment programs help connect hiring managers with job seekers, and standardized assessment products such as second language tests help ensure that managers hire qualified personnel. The PSC also has in place a variety of optional services designed to complement the staffing and assessment services available to managers from within their own organizations. On an ongoing basis, the PSC refines its service and product mix to best meet its statutory obligations and the needs of federal organizations across the country.

7.5 The PSC uses a mixed funding model of cost recovery and appropriation when offering staffing and assessment services to its client organizations. In 2008-2009, the PSC faced certain challenges in establishing the right infrastructure to support an expanding cost-recovery environment, as well as in meeting its increased authority for revenue targets under its cost-recovery model.

Refinements to the policy suite

7.6 The PSC has made adjustments to its policy suite as part of its ongoing commitment to ensure efficient and effective policies that support the legislative requirements and values of the PSEA. In 2008-2009, a number of policy amendments were made.

• The Assessment Policy was amended in 2007-2008 to allow exceptions to the Executive (EX) assessment requirements on a case-by-case basis with approval from the PSC. That year, 68% of the requests were for acting appointments over four months. In 2008-2009, the Assessment Policy was again amended to allow exceptions to the assessment requirement for acting EX appointments without seeking PSC approval. The PSC received 22 EX assessment exception requests this year, over half the number of requests received in 2007-2008 (42). Of the approved exception requests, 82% have been for indeterminate appointments while 18% have been for term appointments.
• The Assessment Policy was also amended in 2008-2009 to clarify that human resources (HR) specialists and other parties may participate on EX assessment boards.
• The Area of Selection Policy was amended to expand the requirement of establishing a national area of selection (NAOS) in all external advertised appointment processes, to all occupational categories, in all regions across the federal public service as of December 2008. This means that all indeterminate appointments and all term appointments of six months or more open to the public, as well as all full-time student appointments, will be made using a NAOS. This fulfilled the PSC's commitment to ensure access for all Canadians to public service jobs.
• The Area of Selection Policy was also amended to clarify or provide for exceptions to the requirement of establishing a NAOS. For example, part-time student appointments and appointments made using an area of selection limited to employment equity designated group members do not need to use a NAOS. In addition, deputy heads may request an exception to the requirement to use a NAOS on a case-by-case basis. Such requests must be approved by the PSC.

7.7 The PSC continues to work on regulations and exclusion approval orders in several areas:

• Collective appointments — Candidates who do not possess an essential qualification are eliminated from any possible appointment through collective processes. Nonetheless, they must be notified of each appointment made from a pool. In order to improve the efficiency of collective processes, the PSC is developing an exclusion approval order to enable informal discussion for such persons at the time of elimination and recourse for such persons when the pool is created. This work is at the consultation stage and will continue in 2009-2010.
• Spousal priority — The PSC is continuing its work on amending the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER) to create an appointment priority for the spouses of public service employees, Royal Canadian Mounted Policy (RCMP) members and Canadian Forces (CF) members whose deaths are attributable to service to Canada. Such persons, if found qualified, would be granted a priority appointment over others for appointments made as a result of external advertised processes. The PSC is working with the Department of Justice to develop this proposed amendment.
• Other priorities — Following suggestions from the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, the PSC has proposed amendments to the PSER to clarify the priority entitlement start date for employees and members of the CF and the RCMP who become disabled or who are released or discharged for medical reasons. The PSC also proposed amendments to correct a typographic error in the priority for employees who have taken a position at a lower level because of their surplus or layoff priority.
• Organization-specific exclusion approval orders — Consultations have been held with two organizations, the Canadian Security Establishment and Staff of the Non-Public Funds, which are currently covered by exclusion approval orders (EAO) issued under the former PSEA. The existing orders are "blanket" exclusions. With the greater flexibilities inherent in the current PSEA, such a blanket approach is no longer necessary. The PSC is working with these and other organizations, including the Department of Justice and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, to finalize the proposed orders.
• Census Exclusion Approval Order — Consultations are under way with Statistics Canada to determine which provisions of the PSEA are to be excluded for term employees hired for the 2011 census. Such an order is necessary to ensure that census work is completed within legislated time frames.
• Student Programs Exclusion Approval Order — The existing Student Programs EAO was established under the former PSEA and is a blanket exclusion. The PSC is proposing a more tailored EAO that reflects the greater flexibilities inherent in the current PSEA. The EAO is expected to be in effect by fall 2009.
• Locally Engaged Staff Exclusion Approval Order — The Departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and National Defence are the two organizations that make the most use of locally engaged staff, i.e. staff locally engaged outside Canada. The proposed EAO and related regulations have been developed in consultation with both departments to respond to their operational needs. This work is currently in progress.
• Office of the Secretary of the Governor-General Exclusion Approval Order — Amendments to the Regulations will provide excluded employees appointed on or after the date of registration of the amendments with the right to participate in internal advertised appointment processes open to employees of the federal public service. This right would also include recourse to the Public Service Staffing Tribunal. It is anticipated that this EAO will be in effect by fall 2009.

7.8 Changes to support tools — In 2007-2008, the PSC concluded consultations on proposed revisions to the guidance for informal discussion. Revisions were made to provide clarification on setting time frames, establishing criteria for additional discussions and providing group discussions for common issues in collective staffing processes. This should address organizational concerns that all candidates needed to be provided with multiple informal discussions.

Priority administration

7.9 The PSEA and the PSER govern appointments to public service positions. Both instruments contain special clauses that give, for a specific period of time, specified classes of persons meeting certain conditions the entitlement to be appointed in priority to others. These priority entitlements help people cope with changes in their lives and careers brought about by events such as workforce reduction, becoming disabled, relocating with their spouses or common-law partners or being medically released from the Canadian Forces. Such entitlements also assist the public service in retaining competent employees.

7.10 The PSC is responsible for ensuring that departments and agencies apply the provisions of the PSEA and PSER related to priority entitlements in a fair and transparent manner and that priority persons are provided with opportunities to be considered ahead of all others for positions for which they may be qualified. To do so, the PSC has put in place the Priority Information Management System (PIMS), an automated inventory of priority persons that departments and agencies must search before making appointments to and within the public service.

7.11 On April 1, 2008, there were 1 223 priority persons and, over the course of 2008-2009, the PSC confirmed the registration of an additional 1 248 priority persons (see Table 41, Appendix 7). By March 31, 2009, some 711 of these individuals found employment through the priority system, while the priority entitlements of 242 individuals expired. The majority of the latter had found employment at a lower level through priority consideration, but were unsuccessful in being reinstated at their substantive level of work. When taking into account these individuals, as well as those who resigned, retired or were removed for other reasons, the 2008-2009 period ended with 1 220 persons remaining in the priority administration system.

7.12 Support for former Canadian Forces and RCMP members — In conjunction with the Veterans Charter, in 2005 the PSC expanded its priority entitlement for CF and RCMP members who are released or discharged from service for medical reasons. The aim of the priority entitlement is to provide, for a limited period, these former CF and RCMP members with the opportunity for priority appointment to positions in the public service for which they meet the essential qualifications.

7.13 As indicated in Table 18, the demand for this priority entitlement has remained steady as the number of persons being medically released from the CF has grown. It is worth noting that the number of indeterminate appointments resulting from this priority entitlement has increased over the past fiscal year, with an additional 49% finding indeterminate employment in the public service. As of March 31, 2009, there were 241 medically released priority persons remaining in PIMS. All were former CF members except for three, who were from the RCMP.

Source: Priority Information Management System

7.14 Unlike most other persons with priority entitlement, former CF members who meet the criteria laid out in section 8 of the PSER are not public servants and generally do not have an understanding of the federal public service and its staffing system. The PSC continues to work closely with the Department of National Defence to help increase their knowledge and awareness.

Enabling infrastructure

7.15 The PSC continues to support departments and agencies by facilitating the recruitment to the public service of talented Canadians drawn from across the country. The PSC also continues to support deputies, managers, employees and Canadians by providing efficient approaches to staffing, standardized assessment products and modern electronic tools and systems. The ongoing demand for PSC services in 2008-2009 demonstrates a continued need for a central service provider. The PSC also acts as a centre of expertise in offering innovative staffing and assessment services.

7.16 In order to ensure that the services it provides meet the needs of organizations on an ongoing basis, in 2008-2009 the PSC, with the support of the Clerk of the Privy Council, created a Deputy Minister Advisory Committee on PSC Staffing and Assessment Services. The Committee advises the PSC on issues concerning the delivery of its staffing and assessment services.

Recruitment of post-secondary graduates

7.17 The PSC offers two programs for the recruitment of post-secondary graduates: Post-secondary Recruitment (PSR) and Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL). These programs support organizations seeking to hire new, highly qualified public servants and provide efficient and effective testing and assessment of candidates.

7.18 The Post-secondary Recruitment program — The PSR is an annual campaign that supports staffing on a national scale for departments and agencies, as well as for functional communities. The Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) supports this program by accelerating the screening process and allowing for the efficient management of applications.

7.19 The PSR has two components: career choices to attract graduates to specific areas of employment; and the general inventory, which offers a broader range of opportunities. The career choices are determined in consultation with hiring organizations. Applicants may apply to both components, allowing departments and agencies to staff a wide range of jobs from a large pool of candidates.

7.20 The fall 2008 PSR campaign was the largest one to date, with 38 targeted career choices advertised, including one functional community job stream. There were 26 492 applicants in the 2008-2009 campaign; over 35 000 tests were administered in more than 100 locations across the country and abroad. In addition, the PSC invited graduates to submit their applications to the PSR general inventory.

7.21 Approximately two thirds of PSR applicants identified their first official language as English (66%) and one third French (34%). The PSR program also contributes to building a representative public service. In 2008-2009, the proportion of visible minority applicants was well above workforce availability (41.4% versus 12.4%), while the percentages of applicants from the three remaining employment equity groups were somewhat below workforce availability, as illustrated in Table 19 below.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer for workforce availability figures

7.22 As a result of the PSC's PSR services, about 1 700 graduates were hired in 2008-2009, approximately 42% of the public service renewal target of 4 000 graduates. In fall 2009, the PSC will again promote the PSR campaign to help federal organizations work towards achieving the recruitment targets set out by the Clerk of the Privy Council in the 2009-2010 Public Service Renewal Action Plan.

7.23 The PSC promotes the use of its post-secondary recruitment programs and the PSR general inventory to all departments and agencies, through the Human Resources Council, regional federal councils and special public service renewal initiatives.

7.24 The Recruitment of Policy Leaders program — Introduced in 2005, RPL enhances the capacity for policy analysis and development in the federal public service. The program attracts exceptional Canadian graduates with significant expertise in a number of areas, including national security, health, social development and environmental concerns, and allows departments and agencies to appoint candidates to policy positions. These graduates have not only achieved academic excellence and acquired previous policy-related experiences, but they have also demonstrated leadership through their work, volunteer activities or academic studies. Since its inception, the PSC has led five annual RPL recruitment campaigns.

7.25 Four federal departments and agencies have made the greatest use of the RPL program: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Heritage Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency and Environment Canada.

7.26 In 2008-2009, 48 candidates were qualified into the program and 26 were appointed to the public service. The PSC and its RPL partners also undertook a pilot recruitment strategy for the Economics and Social Science Services community. Candidates screened into the RPL assessment phase will be considered not only for the program, but also for a partially assessed pool. This pool will be available to all managers interested in staffing entry-level policy positions and will be marketed by the PSC and its RPL partners to all organizations.

7.27 An evaluation of RPL conducted last year recommended permanent funding and a developmental component to complement the program. The PSC is currently awaiting the identification of a new Deputy Minister champion for the RPL program and will follow up with the new appointee on the implementation of the evaluation's recommendations.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System for the number of campaigns and number of applicants and program recruitment files for the number of qualified candidates and the number of appointments
^* Represents the number of qualified candidates at the time, and before the reference checks were completed.

Recruitment of students for temporary employment

7.28 The PSC manages three recruitment programs to hire students on a temporary basis: the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) and the Co operative Education and Internship Program (CO-OP). The PSC's policy to use a NAOS now applies to all student recruitment programs.

7.29 Federal Student Work Experience Program — The FSWEP is the primary vehicle through which federal departments and agencies recruit students for temporary jobs. Candidates must be full-time secondary or post-secondary students at an accredited institution. They must also be returning to full-time studies in the next academic term and have reached the minimum age to work in the province or territory in which the job exists.

7.30 In 2008-2009, the FSWEP attracted 63 100 applicants, which led to 9 932 student hires. Compared to last year, this represents a 7% increase in students applying to the FSWEP. These students submitted a total of 150 123 applications to be considered for the general FSWEP inventory as well as for the 23 targeted departmental student programs.

7.31 The federal Budget released in January 2009 allocated $20 million for student employment over the next two years. This funding will create opportunities for departments and agencies to access students in greater numbers, increasing work experience for students and, at the same time, providing a valuable labour market for departments and agencies.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System and PSC hiring and staffing activities files

7.32 Research Affiliate Program — The RAP recruits post-secondary students looking for research experience. It is a unique program that matches a student's particular research interests with federal public service projects. The program was designed to help the public service conduct research, retain possession of intellectual property and patents and promote the transfer of scientific findings. The RAP continues to grow in popularity and has attracted highly qualified researchers, including one who was selected to be one of the 16 finalists for the astronaut program at the Canadian Space Agency. Some organizations have indicated that this program is more tailored to their hiring needs. Consistent with this, an increase of 29% in initial hires was observed in 2008-2009, as well as a 100% increase in re-hires.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System and PSC recruitment files
^*Of the 122 hires, 23 students were paid through a stipend or bursary and as such are not included in the student hiring figures reflected in Appendix 7, Table 43.

7.33 Several special RAP initiatives were conducted in 2008-2009, including the following notable successes:

• Students Providing Aligned Research and Knowledge (SPARK) is a program that provides the means to better match the intellectual capacities of students and professors in academia with public service research needs. SPARK is a new pilot initiative launched in fall 2008 by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) in co-operation with the PSC. The program is targeted at university graduate students and, in its pilot phase, was limited primarily to those public service organizations with a Deputy Minister University Champion. There were 248 student referrals to the initiative. The pilot will be extended for another academic term and will also be expanded to include all federal organizations.
• The Department of Natural Resources will be using RAP students as part of their Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals Program. The program is funded at $100 million over five years and is focused on public geoscience in Northern Canada. The opportunities for the program were posted in 2008-2009 and referrals will be completed in the next fiscal year.

7.34 Co-operative Education and Internship Program — The objective of the CO-OP program is to provide post-secondary students with on-the-job training. Co-operative education alternates classroom instruction with work placements in the student's field of study. The internship program offers supervised, on-the-job training assignments designed to give students the required skills and knowledge for entry into a trade or profession. More than 4 200 placements were made in 2008-2009.

7.35 One of the PSC's roles is to confirm that the CO-OP programs offered by post-secondary institutions meet the eligibility criteria for work placements in the federal public service. In 2008 2009, two new CO-OP programs were determined to be eligible: the Masters Bilingual, Public and International Affairs Program at the Glendon Campus of York University and the Experiential Learning Program at the University of Ottawa.

7.36 The CO-OP program has seen an increasing number of appointments over the years, due to greater outreach by the PSC to both organizations and educational institutions.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System and PSC hiring and staffing activities files.

Recruitment statistics and volumes

7.37 The PSC continues to connect potential employees with federal public service jobs. The PSC Policy on Advertising in the Appointment Process requires that opportunities open to the public be advertised on the PSC Web site at jobs.gc.ca and on Infotel or another toll-free telephone service that allows Canadians to hear the same advertisements.

7.38 Job seekers are making increased use of the Internet when seeking job opportunities in the public service. The PSC tracks the total number of visits to jobs.gc.ca and the number of calls to Infotel and related services. Over the last five years, use of the Web site has increased, while use of Infotel and related services has decreased. In 2008-2009, there were 26.5 million visits to the Web site, an 82.2% increase over five years. In comparison, there were 57 325 calls to Infotel, a 50.7% decrease over five years.

7.39 In 2008-2009, 4 995 advertisements for an anticipated 10 332 positions were posted on the jobs.gc.ca site by the PSC and by departments and agencies with direct access to the PSRS, an e-staffing system for all external and student hiring for the Government of Canada. In response to these advertisements, more than 300 000 job seekers submitted approximately 1 million applications. Based on the number of applications for known vacant positions, there was an average of 100 applications per vacancy.

7.40 The availability of applicants for public service occupations varies greatly. Table 24 presents the ten occupational groups advertised on jobs.gc.ca with the highest ratios of applications to positions available in 2008-2009 and the ten groups with the lowest such ratios. For those groups with a high ratio of applications to positions available, hiring managers might benefit from volume management strategies. Collective staffing may be more appropriate, efficient and cost effective when used for hiring into entry levels or when there is a significant number of similar positions to be staffed. For those groups with a low ratio of applications to positions available, managers may benefit from using an outreach strategy that goes beyond advertising on the PSC's Web site.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System

7.41 Educational profile of applicants to external advertisements — Of the more than 300 000 individuals who responded to advertised external opportunities in 2008-2009, approximately 74% reported having at least a post-secondary diploma or degree. Table 25 shows the distribution of academic level by employment category.

7.42 Notably, approximately 66% of applicants to positions in the Clerical and Secretarial category (e.g. Clerical and Regulatory group, levels 1 through 5) indicated that they had at least a post-secondary diploma or degree, whereas the minimum educational requirement of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's Occupational Groups Qualification Standards is for two years of secondary school or employer-approved alternatives.

Source: Public Service Resourcing System
Note: Educational information for applicants who applied to multiple employment categories is included in each of the five employment categories to which the applicant applied. A single applicant may be included in the table up to five times, depending on the number of categories to which they applied.

7.43 Applicants continue to come from across Canada, with the majority (64.7%) residing in Ontario and Quebec. Although applicant residency figures in 2008-2009 fluctuated slightly from those reported in 2007-2008, the overall distribution remained unchanged, with applicant figures for nine of the country's provinces/territories being equal to or greater than their share of Canada's population (i.e. Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut). Again in 2008-2009, the four provinces in which the percentage of applicants was lower than their share of Canada's population were Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan, reflecting a highly competitive labour market in these regions during the reporting period (see Table 34, Appendix 7).

7.44 Official language profile of applicants to external positions — Applicants for public service jobs remain representative of Canada's linguistic duality. In 2008-2009, English was identified as the first official language by 74.1% of applicants, up only slightly from 73.3% in 2007-2008. French was identified as the first official language by 25.9% of applicants, compared to 26.7% in 2007-2008.

PSC-led pools

7.45 In modernizing its services, the PSC strives to proactively use the flexibilities of the Act to respond to common needs and increase efficiencies in staffing, such as through the support of collective staffing approaches and the creation of candidate pools or inventories. As a common service provider, the PSC can take advantage of the economies of scale offered by its established role, expertise and investments in resourcing services, technology and its seven offices across Canada.

7.46 Hiring optimization analysis — Occupations with an ongoing need to staff are particularly suitable for collective staffing approaches. With this in mind, in 2008-2009 the PSC examined entry-level positions for the Clerical, Administration and Program Management Groups to verify whether these groups could benefit from such an approach. The PSC analysed merit criteria in a sample of advertisements for entry-level positions (CR-3/4/5, AS-1/2 and PM-1/2) in seven departments. The analysis revealed that, while some requirements differed, there were also many similarities (e.g. ability to communicate, ability to organize and plan, ability to prioritize, effective interpersonal relationships and client service focus). Job requirements were similar both within and across occupational groups and across different organizations and types of processes (internal or external). For example, 93% of all advertisements that were reviewed included "ability to communicate" in their requirements. As well, 64% of advertisements for the CR-4, AS-1 and AS-2 groups and levels included "ability to prioritize" in their requirements. These similarities suggest that cost-effective opportunities exist to develop standardized assessment instruments with portable results for positions sharing common requirements.

7.47 PSC-led pools of pre-qualified candidates who meet the necessary minimum criteria are a good resourcing option for managers to find candidates quickly and for candidates to be referred for similar positions. Managers not only meet their hiring needs but can also be assured that the processes have been designed to respect the values of access, transparency, fairness and representativeness.

7.48 PSC-led pools and inventories are created to meet the hiring needs of federal government organizations to staff similar positions. The pools are comprised of candidates who have met the necessary minimum criteria to be included in the pool. Inventories are created without any candidate assessment but allow hiring managers to proceed with their own assessment methods.

7.49 In 2008-2009, 43 PSC-led pools and 4 inventories were created, most of which focused on entry-level positions in the Program and Administrative Services groups. The level of assessment for PSC-led pools varied in response to the needs of the organization for which the pools were established. Further pools and inventories are under development and will be made available to organizations in 2009-2010.

Executive resourcing services

7.50 While deputy heads have been delegated to make appointments at the senior executive levels, the PSC continues to offer executive resourcing services for appointments at the EX-1 to EX-3 level on a cost-recovery basis. This long-standing service continues to be a highly efficient staffing model and includes essential staffing components such as advice and guidance, posting of advertisements, creation of assessment tools and support to the hiring manager during the assessment phase (e.g. during the interview and/or the integration of assessment information phases). In 2008-2009, the PSC received 189 requests for its services in this area.

7.51 Following the government's Human Resources Horizontal Strategic Review, staffing services for EX-4 and EX-5 were transferred to the PSC from the Canada Public Service Agency (now known as the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer). These staffing services will be provided to organizations on a cost-recovery basis, consistent with the service offered for EX-1 to EX-3 levels.

7.52 Following the release of the government-wide Audit on Executive Appointments last year, the PSC committed to reviewing the services it provides to departments and agencies. In 2008-2009, the PSC completed a review of the EX resourcing services that it offers to federal organizations. In 2009-2010, the PSC will implement additional quality control assurance mechanisms based on the findings of this year's review.

Assessment services and products

7.53 The PSC provides a range of mandatory and optional assessment services and products to federal organizations. Mandatory instruments include the PSC's Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests, which must be used by federal organizations subject to the PSEA when staffing bilingual positions. Optional assessment instruments and services include occupational tests, management tests, executive counselling services and other customized assessment services, for both the executive and non-executive levels. These latter tests and services are offered to federal organizations on a cost-recovery basis.

7.54 The PSC also offers instruments for assessing management and leadership competencies, including in-basket exercises, simulations and assessment centres such as Simulations for Executive Selection. These instruments provide hiring managers and candidates with significant information about a candidate's management strengths and developmental needs. The PSC also provides career-oriented assessment and coaching services to the executive cadre and to the executive feeder groups

Assessment volumes

7.55 In 2008-2009, testing volumes increased slightly for SLE and remained relatively stable for a number of other assessment services, such as executive counselling services. However, for the first time in several years, organizational use of PSC occupational tests decreased by 28%. This decline is likely associated with the transition of occupational test services to a cost-recovery basis, which began in 2008-2009. In 2009-2010, the PSC will continue to explore alternative assessment approaches that are more economical yet still effective for hiring managers and organizations.

7.56 The PSC provides executive reference checking services on a cost-recovery basis. Executive reference checks are required by policy and are an integral part of appointment processes at the executive levels. When conducted appropriately, they can be invaluable in identifying and averting potential hiring problems and associated costs. In 2008-2009, the use of PSC EX reference check services remained stable.

7.57 Demand from departments and agencies remained strong for developmental assessment tools such as the Simulations for Identification of Leadership (SIL). SIL evaluates a candidate's competencies in relation to the Key Leadership Competencies Profile and is a rich and valid source of information for the development of leadership competencies.

7.58 In 2008-2009, demand remained relatively stable for PSC coaching and counselling services. The PSC served 938 individual clients in 2008-2009, and demand for specific developmental services such as the Identification of Paths to Executive Development (IPEX) continued to grow (102 in 2008-2009). Introduced in 2006-2007, IPEX provides participants with comprehensive, multi-session feedback from registered psychologists and executive coaches on their leadership potential and competencies. The service is relevant for both employees interested in executive career progression and organizations engaged in organizational and succession planning.

Source: Test Scoring and Results Reporting System, Assessment Centre Integrated Information System, Personnel Psychology Centre as of March 31, 2009

Tailored assessment tools and services

7.59 On a fee-for-service basis, the PSC offers a wide range of customized assessment services to departments and agencies with specific assessment needs. These services include the development and administration of tailored assessment products and services. For example, in 2008-2009, the PSC customized its simulations for several organizations, developed specialized selection instruments for identifying future leaders at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and created specialized selection instruments for specialists with Environment Canada.

7.60 In 2008-2009, the PSC noticed increased interest in lower-cost selection tools such the Career Achievement Records (CAR). The CAR is a competency-based tool that can assist departments and agencies with the assessment of candidates during the initial stages of the selection process. In the CAR, candidates describe their competencies by giving examples of relevant achievements. These descriptions are scored by assessment boards comprised of experienced executives and psychologists, who ensure that the scoring process is standardized, fair and reliable. In 2008-2009, the PSC administered over 175 CARs in the context of two organizational appointment processes at the EX-1 level.

Since 2006-2007, the PSC has been assisting Environment Canada (EC) with their annual Meteorologist Recruitment Program campaign. In 2008-2009, EC meteorologists and the PSC finished the third year of assessment operations assessing candidates for entry-level meteorologist positions using a standardized tool. By using a standardized PSC simulation, EC is better able to find qualified recruits with both the scientific knowledge and the person-environment fit required for these unique, often high-stress positions.

Test accommodation

7.61 Federal organizations are obligated to accommodate persons with disabilities under the Employment Equity Act and the joint PSC / Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Policy on Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service. The PSC establishes accommodation measures for its tests and produces alternate test formats as required.

7.62 In 2008-2009, the PSC continued to establish accommodation measures for PSC tests for persons with disabilities and to provide advice on a fee-for-service basis to departments and agencies on accommodation for organizational tests. Overall, the PSC observed an increase of 6.5% in the number of requests for accommodation for PSC tests — 2 442 requests were received in 2008-2009, compared to 2 294 in 2007-2008. In addition to consulting on accommodation measures, the PSC produced over 200 new alternate test formats (e.g. Braille, large font and text-to-speech) for persons with disabilities.

Second language evaluation

7.63 The PSC is responsible for evaluating second official language proficiency for staffing purposes. It fulfills this mandate by developing, monitoring and supplying and/or administering standardized tests for reading comprehension, written expression and oral proficiency. The PSC also certifies organizational test administrators to administer the reading and written expression tests. As well, the PSC selects, trains and certifies language assessors to administer the Test of Oral Proficiency.

7.64 In 2005-2006, the PSC launched a multi-year plan to develop and implement new generations of its three SLE tests. The new SLE Test of Written Expression was introduced in October 2007; the new SLE Test of Oral Proficiency was introduced in 2008-2009. In 2008-2009, the PSC also continued its development of the new SLE Reading Comprehension Test. The PSC plans to complete development and implement the new Reading Comprehension Test by March 31, 2010. With modernized assessment instruments, the PSC can continue to ensure that second language requirements for bilingual positions are assessed fairly, objectively and consistently across all federal organizations that are subject to the PSEA.

7.65 Following a two-year pilot project, the PSC implemented the Tripartite Review Board on a cost-recovery basis in 2008-2009. The Board's mandate is to review the cases of employees who have difficulty attaining oral proficiency in their second language. The Board consists of three members, representing the CSPS Language Training Centre, the PSC's Personnel Psychology Centre and the employee's department or agency. Recommendations may include strategies for training and testing as well as suggestions regarding possible interventions, e.g. work assignments in the second official language. The review process is entirely voluntary. Two cases were reviewed and recommendations were made to the requesting organizations.

7.66 In 2008-2009, the PSC saw a 7.6% increase in SLE testing (to 102 081 assessments from 94 864 the previous year), representing an overall increase of 59% in testing levels over the last five years (102 081 assessments in 2008-2009 compared to 62 248 in 2004-2005). In 2008-2009, the annual increase was largest for the Test of Written Expression, followed by the Reading Comprehension Test and the Test of Oral Proficiency.

Source: Test Scoring and Results Reporting System, Personnel Psychology Centre as of March 31, 2009

7.67 In 2008-2009, three quarters of the SLE oral proficiency tests administered were for staffing bilingual imperative positions (54.2%) or for training or non-imperative staffing purposes (21.3%). The remaining tests were administered for other purposes, such as the re-identification of language requirements for a position.

7.68 In 2007-2008, the PSC introduced service standards for second language oral proficiency testing. In 2008-2009, the PSC successfully met these standards in every case. Requests for oral proficiency testing related to imperative staffing were consistently filled within the two-week standard, and service times for testing related to language training and other purposes were substantively less than the four- and ten-week standards for these testing purposes, respectively.

7.69 Pass rates for the English and French Test of Oral Proficiency by level and year — The PSC tracks pass rates for its second language oral proficiency tests. Table 28 illustrates pass rates over the last three fiscal years (2006-2007 to 2008-2009) for all levels combined, for the B and C proficiency levels, as well as for the C level for executives. Across this three-year period, pass rates for the English test, for all levels combined, increased slightly, from 81.8% in 2006-2007 to 83.4% in 2007-2008, and remained stable at 83.6% in 2008-2009. During this same period, the pass rates for executives at level C decreased from 77.8% to 70.4%. The pattern of combined results (A, B and C) on the French test was similar. Combined pass rates for the French test increased from 61.9% in 2006-2007 to 66.4% in 2007-2008, and remained stable at 66.5% in 2008-2009. During this same three-year period, the pass rates for executives at level C increased from 49.2% in 2006-2007 to 58.1% in 2008-2009. The reasons for these variations in pass rates are difficult to determine due to the varied range of factors influencing the results, including the changing profile of those taking the tests, demographics and policy changes.

Source: Test Scoring and Results Reporting System, Personnel Psychology Centre as of March 31, 2009
^*Pass rates reflect the number of successful tests at a given level, divided by the total number of tests for which that level is required, expressed as a percentage. Levels A, B and C correspond to basic, intermediate and advanced levels of second language proficiency.

Security of PSC tests

7.70 In 2008-2009, the PSC undertook an audit after receiving information suggesting that the private language school Nec Plus Ultra (NPU) was in possession of PSC SLE tests. The audit concluded that NPU possessed and used versions of the PSC SLE reading and writing tests, and that this was done without the authorization of the PSC. The audit report tabled on May 14, 2009, can be found on the PSC Web site at www.psc-cfp.gc.ca.

7.71 The PSC is committed to implementing the recommendations set forth in the audit report. In 2009-2010, the PSC will replace the tests found to be compromised and will initiate a process to re-test students who took the SLE reading and/or writing tests after receiving language training from NPU during the period subject to the audit. When the security of a test is compromised, it can bring into question the integrity of certain test results. The PSC recognizes that former NPU students may not have been aware that some of the training material being used by NPU was inappropriate. However, because the integrity of test results is critical to ensuring merit in appointment processes, re-testing is essential to ensure that past and/or future appointments of former NPU students respect the merit principle.

7.72 In 2008-2009, the PSC also reviewed its test security practices. The recommendations arising from this review are under way and will continue into 2009-2010 and beyond. For example, the PSC is enhancing its own capacity to monitor test security and will foster awareness in federal organizations about the need to ensure and to monitor test security within their own organizations. In addition, the PSC will continue to move away from paper-and-pencil testing to more secure on-line testing, to assist departments and agencies interested in establishing their own e-test centres and to explore how new technologies, such as computer-generated testing, can reduce the impact of the inappropriate disclosure of test content.

E-testing and assessment innovations

7.73 In 2008-2009, the PSC continued its emphasis on progressively expanding its e-testing services. E-testing is a fast, efficient and more secure way to conduct testing. It accelerates test administration, scoring and communication of test results and reduces the overall costs of testing.

7.74 In 2008-2009, the PSC worked with departments and agencies to expand the number of organizational e-testing centres to 127 and the number of certified public service employees qualified to administer these e-tests to 300. Organizations such as Service Canada and Statistics Canada launched their first centres to deliver PSC e-tests.

7.75 The PSC also increased the number of e-tests available to departments and agencies. The PSC converted two of its most popular cognitive ability tests to e-test format, bringing to seven the total number of e-tests available for use in selection processes. These two tests are particularly well-suited for use in managing large applicant volumes for administrative services and officer-level positions.

7.76 The PSC continues to modernize its assessment offerings to meet the needs of hiring managers and job applicants. In 2008-2009, the PSC began development of two unproctored instruments. Unproctored instruments are tests and other assessment tools that are administered over the Internet to candidates in unsupervised settings.

• The first instrument under development is an unproctored cognitive ability test that will be used to conduct an initial assessment of the reasoning skills of candidates. Hiring managers will be able to use this instrument to screen applicants for certain administrative and clerical positions such as CR-5, AS-1 and AS-2. If a hiring manager chooses the unproctored option, applicants will take the unproctored test as part of the initial application process. Only those candidates who pass the unproctored test and meet the other screening requirements will be assessed further. Before an appointment is made, unproctored test scores will be validated in a supervised test session by administering a different measure of cognitive ability.
• The second unproctored instrument under development is a self-assessment questionnaire designed to assist potential applicants to gauge their second language written expression skills in relation to the second official language standards (A, B and C) for bilingual positions. It is designed to assist applicants in making informed choices about whether to apply for a position with second official language writing requirements. The assessment results are for the use of potential applicants only. Candidates who apply for bilingual positions will still require valid results on the PSC's SLE Test of Written Expression, which is administered in a proctored testing session.

7.77 Both of these unproctored tools will be implemented on a pilot basis in 2009-2010. These instruments will provide cost-effective methods of helping to manage high applicant volumes.

Public Service Staffing Modernization Project

7.78 As part of the ongoing modernization of staffing, the PSC has continued to lead the Public Service Staffing Modernization Project in collaboration with organizational stakeholders. In 2008-2009, the PSC:

• Continued the development and management of the PSRS, an e-recruitment system that supports external recruitment for federal government jobs;
• Further expanded direct access by departments and agencies to the PSRS;
• Piloted the Extreme Hiring Makeover, a model for recruiting and assessing candidates, from advertisement to appointment, in 45 days;
• Worked with departments and agencies to define the business needs and develop a business case for a comprehensive solution for both internal and external staffing; and
• Initiated a revamp of the jobs.gc.ca Web site, using a phased approach in partnership with the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer to make the site more interactive and functional for job seekers.

7.79 The next phase of modernization — e-staffing — will focus on priority areas identified by departments and agencies, including the following:

• Integrating internal staffing (currently done through Publiservice) with external staffing (PSRS);
• Optimizing and streamlining staffing processes; and
• Building tools friendly to job seekers, HR and managers.

7.80 The PSC will be seeking further funding in 2009-2010 to continue operation of the PSRS after 2011 and to develop a comprehensive solution for both internal and external staffing over the next five years. In the meantime, the PSC is working with departments and agencies to deliver early results — low-cost strategies that maximize PSEA flexibilities and optimize existing tools. Examples include continued improvements to the jobs.gc.ca Web site, Extreme Hiring Makeovers, improved e-collaboration across departments and agencies (e.g. GCPedia) and expanded e-testing. The PSC will continue to operate the PSRS and expand direct access of the system to departments and agencies, as required.

Primary navigation (left column)

Date Modified:

2009-10-09