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March 31, 2000
Dear Prime Minister:
As Head of the Public Service, I am pleased to report on the
state of the Public Service of Canada, pursuant to section 47.1 of the Public Service
Employment Act.
Prime Minister, as the Government pointed out in last
October’s Speech from the Throne, we live in a changing world. Technology is altering
every aspect of our lives. Knowledge and creativity are driving forces in our new economy.
The issues facing our diverse society continue to grow in their complexity.
The Speech from the Throne set out an agenda for building a
higher quality of life for all Canadians. And it reinforced the importance of — and
the Government’s commitment to — the federal public service, when it said:
To ensure that the Public Service of Canada remains
a strong, representative, professional and non-partisan national institution that provides
Canadians the highest quality service into the 21st century, the Government will also
focus on the recruitment, retention and continuous learning of a skilled federal
workforce.
Prime Minister, the challenges facing Canada and the Public
Service are significant. But we are doing everything we can to meet them. Indeed, last
year’s first-ever, public service-wide survey of our employees shows that public
servants feel the work they do is important and they are proud of it.
By continuing to focus on three pillars — service, policy
and people — I am confident that we will continue to serve Canada and Canadians well
for many generations to come.
Values – A Strong Foundation
Our values are our strength. In accepting
the calling of public service, we are asked to embrace a set of values which underpin our
role in supporting ministers, who are custodians of the public interest.
The late Deputy Minister John Tait wrote eloquently about four
sets of values:
- Democratic values mean we help ministers, under law and the Constitution, to serve the
common good.
- Professional values reinforce our unwavering commitment to excellence, merit and, above
all, to objective and impartial advice to the Government and service to Canadians.
- Ethical values, such as honesty and integrity, guide our actions and decisions and
ensure that public servants put the common good ahead of personal interest or advantage.
- People values mean we respect our colleagues’ needs and aspirations as well as
those of the citizens we serve. We draw strength and creativity from the diversity of
Canadian society.
As public servants, we rely on all four sets of values to
inform and guide us as we serve clients and, through our accountability to ministers, as
we serve the broader public interest. We must keep in mind that it is our duty to serve
the public well, but it is also our duty to serve the higher public good. We must make
sure that these values spring to life in all our decisions and actions.
This challenge may be the greatest for those working on the
front lines. But it is equally valid for those working behind the scenes. We need to focus
on our values whether offering policy advice to ministers, delivering or designing
programs and services, consulting Canadians, or working in such areas as human resources,
administration, finance, legal and regulatory affairs, communications, informatics,
security and defence, research, scientific and operational functions, and trades and
technical services.
We must continually ensure that decision-making authority is
located at the right level to achieve results. We must balance any extension of authority
with a strong commitment to modern comptrollership — clear accountabilities,
performance assessment, effective control of public resources, sound risk management and
open reporting of results. We must also strive for continuous improvement. Public servants
must look for ways to do things better — in the programs and services we deliver to
Canadians and in the policy advice we offer to ministers.
Modernizing Service Delivery
Prime Minister, Canadians rightfully expect
the Public Service to respond to 21st century needs with 21st century service.
Modernizing service delivery has been a priority for my
predecessors in their role as Head of the Public Service. This continues to be a major
priority for me, with a particular focus on better serving Canadians in our increasingly
digital world.
The Government of Canada is the country’s largest
provider of information and services. Canadians value this information and these services
— as consumers concerned about product safety, as learners searching for educational
opportunities, as vacationers looking for information on parks and cultural events, as
entrepreneurs exploring market opportunities, as volunteers looking to build community
organizations, and as citizens of the world keen to learn about Canada’s contribution
on the international stage.
We live in an information age, and we are building a more
knowledge-based economy and society. In a vastly more crowded information environment and
in a world where time is at a premium, citizens need better access to government
information and services. And citizens need different ways to reach the government —
in person, by mail, over the telephone, or through the Internet.
In the Speech from the Throne, the Government set out its goal
of becoming a "model user of information technology and the Internet" and its
goal that, by 2004, it would "be known around the world as the government most
connected to its citizens, with Canadians able to access all government information and
services on-line at the time and place of their choosing."
The Public Service of Canada is working to meet these goals
and respond to the needs of Canadians. One way is through Service Canada, a new,
integrated service delivery network which gives citizens one-stop access to information on
more than 1,000 federal programs and services. People can obtain one-stop service in
person at Service Canada access centres, by phoning 1-800-O-Canada, or through the Canada
site on the Internet.
Service Canada is also the most visible part of a much larger
and more profound revolution that is transforming the way we do business and how we serve
Canadians and Canada. This revolution is stimulating, and assisting, in the development of
"electronic government" (e-government).
E-government is more than simply putting information and
services on-line. It means using new technologies, including the Internet, to improve
administration of programs and services. It involves people and the sharing of ideas,
know-how and expertise in a secure environment that protects the privacy
of Canadians.
E-government also requires collaboration across departments.
As we put programs and services on-line, we must maximize their value by grouping them
around citizens’ needs and priorities. E-government means building partnerships with
other levels of government and with private and not-for-profit sectors. We must mutually
align our programs and services, whenever this makes sense. Above all, e-government is
about enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of government for citizens.
How are we proceeding? We have a strategy based on targets and
partnerships. It focusses on getting secure infrastructure in place and on making sound
investments. Our first commitment is that, by December 2000, all departments will have an
on-line presence, with information on programs and services and with key forms.
Strengthening Our Policy Capacity
Just as we are modernizing service
delivery, so too are we continuing to strengthen our policy capacity. In light of the many
challenges and opportunities facing Canada today, a strong policy capacity is essential,
and so is a strong policy community. We are taking steps to ensure that the
Public Service of Canada can continue to provide ministers with professional,
non-partisan, and analysis-based policy advice.
Since so many issues are interconnected and involve several
government departments, we have created working groups which bring together the expertise
and perspectives of many departments. We have also started grouping policy proposals for
the Government’s consideration by theme.
Responsibility for many of the issues affecting our quality of
life does not lie with one level of government or organization alone. That is why we are
collaborating with a broad range of external partners in developing policy initiatives.
These partners include provincial and municipal governments, research and academic
institutions, international organizations, voluntary and stakeholder organizations and
individual citizens. This collaborative approach is reflected in a range of federal policy
issues, including biotechnology, climate change, and international trade.
Continuing to strengthen our long-term policy research
capacity is another priority. A strong, diverse policy community is able to anticipate and
plan for the future. It looks beyond today to advise the government how and where it can
make a difference tomorrow.
The Policy Research Initiative, launched in 1996 and
developing well since then, is our principal tool for doing this. Through this initiative,
we are identifying and assessing the long-term social, economic and international trends
that will impact on the quality of life of individual Canadians. We are also beginning to
significantly expand our links with the broader policy research community outside the
Public Service — at regional, national and international levels.
Focusing on Our People
Prime Minister, our efforts to modernize
service delivery and strengthen our policy capacity hinge on one thing — our people
at every level, in every department and agency, in local offices, in regions and
headquarters, and those representing Canada abroad.
We need to create an environment where all public servants are
excited about their work and look forward each day to serving Canadians. We need to
attract and retain Canada’s best and brightest minds to ensure the best policy
advice. We must motivate an entire generation of promising new graduates to consider a
career in the Public Service. We must provide all employees with the opportunities and the
support they need to develop and learn. We must become more of a learning organization,
focused on continuous improvement. Canadians and parliamentarians deserve nothing less.
In recent years, public servants have shown their unwavering
commitment to renew the Public Service of Canada — visible in the many positive
changes put in place under La Relève. Much has been done and much more awaits us.
We are building on this work as we respond to the Government’s commitment to the
Public Service in the Speech from the Throne.
In each of three areas — recruitment, workplace
well-being, and learning and development — a recently created committee of deputy
ministers is drawing up plans to ensure that progress continues over the next five years.
Diversity is an overarching priority for all three committees. The Public Service must
reflect and embrace different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, interests
and styles.
We value diversity because we believe that when we take
account of diverse views as we develop policies, and design and deliver services and
programs, we get better outcomes. A more diverse Public Service sets an example for
others, protects the merit system, creates a greater sense of community, and provides an
exciting career option for every Canadian.
Workplace Well-Being and Retention
Central to our strategy is workplace
well-being. We want to be able to retain the valued people that we have in place as well
as those we seek to attract.
As I mentioned earlier, last year’s landmark survey of
federal public servants spoke volumes about the commitment and dedication of our employees
to public service, despite many years of difficulties. Some 96 percent of public servants
who responded to the survey feel the work they do is important. Some 87 percent are proud
of their unit’s work, 88 percent said they like their jobs, and 75 percent find
their department or agency is a good place to work.
Survey respondents also zeroed in on areas that need action:
harassment, discrimination, career development, fairness in the promotional process,
communications, and workload. In response, supervisors and employees are seeking ways of
acting to immediately improve the workplace; and deputy ministers and agency heads are
addressing issues in their own organizations. As well, the deputy minister committee on
workplace well-being is developing a corporate action plan to address these priority
issues. The plan will be made public this fall.
In the meantime, we are taking immediate action, particularly
to address the serious issues of harassment and discrimination. As well as talking with
bargaining agents about these issues, we are revising our government-wide policy on
harassment.
Addressing the workload issue is a particular challenge. There
is no single solution. Each employee and manager must take a hard look at how we do our
work — to evaluate what we are capable of delivering and what we can do well. Deputy
ministers, collectively and individually, must open a dialogue to ensure we are focussing
on the right things. And central agencies must provide managers with the tools they need
to work efficiently and effectively and ensure the integrity of programs and services.
We continue to modernize our work processes and management
practices. We are placing a priority on integrating and streamlining our planning and
reporting systems, so that we can better focus on outcomes. At the same time, we must
adhere to sound financial management and administrative practices, show fairness in human
resources management and, above all, ensure accountability in all that we do.
Recruitment
Like many institutions, we are
focusing on
recruitment to ensure that we are ready when the anticipated wave of retirements hits
within the next five years. We need to have hired the people who represent the population
we serve and who have the skills and experience we need. We also need to encourage
experienced workers to stay on and lead the transition. Although we have undertaken some
recruitment campaigns and employment equity programs, we know this is not enough.
The deputy minister committee on recruitment, which I chair,
is developing an action plan which will mark a shift away from temporary, reactive
recruitment toward a bolder, more proactive and strategic approach. It will focus on
creating a workforce which is representative of the population we serve. The plan will
emphasize recruiting and promoting members of target groups at all levels — women,
visible minorities, disabled people and Aboriginal peoples. It will focus on youth, so we
can capture the optimism and enthusiasm of this new generation.
Merit will remain central to our recruitment strategy and we
must ensure that our definition of merit matches the realities of contemporary society.
Merit must allow us to have better outcomes, encourage better performance, and value
different talents. The Public Service Commission will continue to be the guardian of
merit.
Also key to our approach is time. We need to start recruiting
people now so that we have the time to groom and nurture skills and so new recruits have
time to benefit from the depth of experience and knowledge of public servants across the
country. Only in this way will we ensure a smooth transition in our workforce with no gaps
in service. Prime Minister, this is in the interest of all Canadians.
Learning and Development
Learning and development must go hand in
hand with recruitment and retention. They are the keys to preparing the Public Service to
serve in this knowledge age. The most important investment a country can make is in its
people — in their education, training, and lifelong learning. This includes the
people of the Public Service.
Prime Minister, we are encouraging learning at all levels. We
are placing a priority on developing and promoting people to ensure they have the breadth
and depth of experience they need to serve well. And we are encouraging the development of
leaders at all levels.
We are encouraging managers to provide their employees with
opportunities for lifelong learning. They need to commit to learning plans for themselves
and their employees, plans which comprise a balance of actions, including training on the
job, assignments, classroom training and participation in learning events. Managers also
need to commit to passing on their knowledge to others for the benefit of the organization
in the future. Support for middle managers in this time of transition in the Public
Service is an important component of our approach to learning.
The Public Service as a whole must also become a learning
organization. It is the best way to ensure the ongoing relevance of government to
citizens. It is essential to create the comparative advantages that Canada will need in
the global competition for talent and investment. It is critical to attracting and
retaining knowledge workers.
A learning organization looks for best practices, celebrates
its successes, and learns from its mistakes.
The deputy minister committee on learning and development is
shaping an ambitious learning agenda for the Public Service of Canada. It is seeking the
input of a broad cross-section of public service managers at all levels, in all
departments and agencies, all functional communities, and all regions.
Conclusion
Taken together, our efforts on recruitment,
workplace well-being and retention, and learning and development will help us create
exceptional workplaces, maintain an exceptional workforce and become a learning
organization. This is what will make us an employer of choice.
We are recognizing and promoting the quality and nature of our
work, whether in delivering services and programs or in providing sound policy advice. We
are making meaningful improvements to our work environment through our response to the
employee survey and other actions. We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy from our work
processes with a focus on outcomes and accounting for results. We are developing leaders
at all levels. By taking these steps, we will ensure that we can respond to the
significant challenges we face, and that Canadians and Parliament continue to be well
served by the Public Service of Canada.
We are creating a Public Service of Canada which is a modern
and exciting place to work. Which is brimming with new ideas. Which is full of bright,
talented people and leaders at all levels committed to serving their country and their
fellow citizens with loyalty and dedication. Which recognizes the contribution of every
employee at every level.
We are building a unique, national and bilingual institution
which serves Canadians with pride and excellence. Which is representative of Canadian
society. Which values and draws strength from being diverse.
We are creating a public service which is innovative, open to
new ideas, and one which strives for continuous improvement. Which has a strong, strategic
management culture focused on results and outcomes. Which works in partnership with the
broader public and other sectors. Which is relevant and essential to Canadians. Which is a
worthwhile investment by Canadians.
As Head of the Public Service, it is my responsibility to set
out the direction for the future, and my challenge is to motivate and inspire public
servants in that direction.
The issues we face are complex, but I am not acting alone.
Public servants at all levels, both on the front line and behind the scene, are committed
to serving Canada and Canadians well. Networks of leaders across the Public Service are
showing innovation and action. You have a strong team of deputy ministers, assistant
deputy ministers and agency heads who play important corporate roles.
As steward of this great national institution, it is my
personal commitment — one which I take very seriously — to work with others to
make this a reality. I look forward to making the Public Service of Canada the best it can
be — a service which can build a higher quality of life for all Canadians, now
and well into this new millennium.
Yours sincerely,
Mel Cappe
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