PIMS: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Priority Information Management System (PIMS)?

PIMS is an automated, web-based, tool of the Public Service Commission (PSC), used to ensure that entitlements to a priority in appointment, as mandated by the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) and Regulations, are valid and that they are applied. PIMS lists priority persons in an inventory which is searched by departments conducting staffing or recruitment, and is used to refer priority employees to positions for which they are potentially qualified. PIMS is the primary tool used to assist priority employees in being matched with new positions.

NOTE: Access to PIMS is restricted to HR personnel with HR Administration rights through Single Sign-On (SSO) on Publiservice. The PSC Publiservice HelpDesk administers the user IDs and passwords.

What information is in PIMS?

PIMS contains:

  • Priority Employees' resumes
  • Information about the types of positions they could be referred to, such as:
    • Groups and levels
    • Mobility
    • Experience
    • Language profiles
    • Skill codes

Why does the PSC need this information in PIMS?

This information is required in PIMS because this is the tool the PSC uses to match priority people with positions for which they are potentially qualified. At any given time there are hundreds of employees subject to priority entitlements. Each year there are tens of thousands of staffing actions conducted within the Public Service for which priority employees could be found qualified and appointed. PIMS provides the capacity to conduct automatic searches to see if there are potentially qualified employees with a priority entitlement to an available position.

Under what authority is the PSC collecting this information?

This information is collected under the authority of the Public Service Employment Act, Sections 29, 30, and 39, as well as the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER) Sections 35-39. Personal information is protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act and is stored in Personal Information Bank PSC SPB 033.

Who sees this information?

This information is available to Priority Administration staff at the PSC, as well as Human Resources Advisors and Assistants in other federal organizations. Access to the system is password protected and only verified HR professionals are granted passwords. The passwords and access rights are administered by the PSC through Single Sign-On (SSO) on Publiservice. People with access to PIMS are informed about privacy and the proper use and disclosure of the information contained in PIMS. In the case of improper use or disclosure of information contained in PIMS persons are subject to provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Information may be accessible or protected as required under the provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Where is this information be stored?

This personal information is protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act and is stored in Personal Information Bank PSC SPB 033. Information may be accessible or protected as required under the provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Will this information be used for anything else?

No. The database for PIMS is separate from other databases and is only used to administer priority entitlements, including statistical reporting and analyses. There are no secondary uses or data-matching of this information.

Can employees see their information?

Priority Employees have the right to review the information about them and to correct that information or add annotations to it. They can be assured that it will not be used for unauthorized purposes. To obtain more information, please consult INFO SOURCE.