News release: Second report of the advisory committee on the Public service

Prime minister's advisory committee calls for clearer human resources governance and more rigorous performance management practices in the Public service.

Ottawa, February 22, 2008 - The second report of the advisory committee on the Public service, co-chaired by the Right Honourable Don Mazankowski and the Honourable Paul M. Tellier, is recommending concrete action to sustain a high-performance Public Service. The report offers ten recommendations to improve human resources governance, accountability and performance management in all federal departments and agencies.

"A high-performing Public Service means a stronger country and a more globally competitive nation," says Committee co-chair, the Rt. Hon. Don Mazankowski. "The non-partisan and competent federal Public Service contributes to the future of Canada."

Focusing first on human resources governance and accountability, the Advisory Committee recommends that deputy ministers be clearly recognized as having primary responsibility and accountability for human resources management, and that there be a single central agency to support the leadership responsibility of departments and agencies on human resources matters.

With regards to performance management, the Committee says Public Service managers must have access to the tools, training and support they need to deal with the full spectrum of performance issues, including the ability to reward excellent performance, encourage others to excel and deal with poor performers.

"No other organization is as engaged in so many critical areas of Canadian society as the Public Service of Canada,” says Committee co-chair, the Hon. Paul M. Tellier. “Canada needs a high performance Public Service with encouragement to innovate, licence to be creative, and human resources policies and structures that foster the highest levels of performance and accountability."

The Public Service of Canada is the country’s largest and most complex enterprise, employing some 250,000 Canadians in 200 departments and agencies.

The Advisory Committee on the Public Service was created by the Prime Minister in fall 2006 to advise him and the Clerk of the Privy Council on the renewal and future development of the Public Service of Canada. It is composed of nine eminent Canadians.

The Committee’s latest report, entitled “Pursuing A High Performance Public Service,” can be found online at www.psagency-agencefp.gc.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Ken Anderson, Delta Media
613-233-9191
ken@deltamedia.ca

Backgrounder

The Advisory Committee on the Public Service was created by the Prime Minister in the fall of 2006 to advise him and the Clerk of the Privy Council on the renewal and future development of the Public Service of Canada. Based on our mandate, we recommend that:

Human resources governance and accountability structure

1. Authority and accountability for Human Resources management in the Public Service should be primarily the responsibility of Deputy Ministers.
   
   
2. There should be a single, smaller Central Agency supporting and overseeing departmental leadership on Human Resources management. This Agency should be focused on functions that require enterprise-wide approaches and policies.
   
   
3. Steps should be taken to simplify and integrate data collection and systems for both planning and reporting on people management, across the Central Agencies.
   
   
4. The essential responsibility of the Public Service Commission for safeguarding merit in appointments and the non-partisan character of the Public Service should be reaffirmed. Recruitment and related services provided by the Commission to departments should be fully cost-recovered, with appropriate involvement by Deputy Ministers in the governance of those services.

Performance management

All managers in the Public Service should invest more time in setting objectives at the beginning of each assessment period. They should implement measurable objectives against which all employees performance can be evaluated.

1. The “mid-year performance review should become routine (not ad-hoc) across the Public Service to ensure that effective performance management is ongoing, and to maximize opportunities for improvement.
   
   
2. Public Service managers should get the necessary tools, training and support from Central Agencies and their superiors to properly address the full spectrum of performance, especially in dealing with poor performers.
   
   
3. The Public Service should explicitly evaluate and recognize people management skills.
   
   
4. Talent management programs for Assistant Deputy Ministers should be pursued and expanded to the whole executive group.
   
   
5. As much as possible, Deputy Ministers and Associate Deputy Ministers should remain longer in their positions in order to maximize the overall performance of departments.

The Advisory Committees full report, entitled "Pursuing A High Performance Public Service, can be found online at: www.psagency-agencefp.gc.ca.

February 22, 2008