| Français | |
Contact Us | |
Help | |
Search | |
Canada Site | |
|
|||||||||
| What's New | |
About Us | |
Publications | |
Offices | |
Home | |
|
|||||||||
| PSEA | |
PSER | |
Standards | |
Manager's Handbook | |
Glossary | |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
PSC Staffing Module F - Selection Options
|
|||||||||||||||
|
SITUATION
|
POSSIBLE ADVICE
|
| when dealing with short-term operational requirements | select a qualified individual |
| when the indeterminate employee will be returning to the position | depending on the length of the acting choose someone, rotate, run a competition |
| when there is at least one present employee who could benefit from the experience | depending on the length of the acting choose someone, rotate, run a competition |
| when the duties of the acting position are not predicted to continue but are required for the present i.e. the position will be abolished | depending on the length of the acting choose someone, rotate, run a competition |
SCENARIO TWO - How would you explain to a manager that it is desirable
to limit the duration of an acting appointment? What reasons might you
provide?
SCENARIO THREE - Consider this scenario:
A manager recently established an eligibility list for an indeterminate
PM-02, the list is still valid and the candidates who ranked third, fourth
and fifth have not been appointed. The clause, "this competition
may be used to fill other positions with various linguistic requirements"
was included on the poster. The manager wonders if she can appoint the
next person on the eligibility list on an acting basis.
Answer Key:
The Staffing Manual, Chapter 10 and the Interchange Canada Policy provides the relevant information for these particular options, including recommended criteria for determining whether a particular situation is appropriate for an assignment/secondment or an Interchange Canada assignment.
Things to think about:
While assignments and secondments and Interchange Canada do not fall under the provisions of the Public Service Employment Act, they are important means for getting the work done and for acquiring valuable career development for employees. Some organizations advertise assignment and secondment opportunities, using internal posting mechanisms, Publiservice and the Career Opportunities System. This latter system can also be used by employees to advertise their availability for assignments/secondments/Interchange Canada assignment. Employees will appreciate being given the chance to be informed about assignment and secondment opportunities and such practices contribute positively to the transparency and fairness with which departments conduct their resourcing activities.
Hands-on Learning Exercises
SCENARIO ONE - Does a person have to be qualified for an assignment/ secondment /Interchange Canada assignment?
No, since the assignment/secondment is not an appointment. However, it is important to ensure that the employee will be able to carry out the duties to be performed. This may mean that, in some situations, certain duties will not be carried out by the "assignee". Note also that there is case law indicating that there are circumstances under which an assignment/secondment may be deemed to be an appointment subject to merit (Staffing Manual Chapter 10, Doré Decision).
Are Interchange participants from outside the Federal Public Service eligible to compete for purposes of staffing under the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA)?
No. Interchange Canada participants from outside the Federal Public Service remain employees of their home organizations and are not considered employees, or persons employed, under the PSEA. Although a participant carries out the duties of a specific position, the arrangement is unique and should not be viewed in the same way as deployments, acting assignments or secondments. Accordingly, participants are not eligible to compete for positions open only to employees of the Federal Public Service.
See also:
Commonly
Asked Questions about the Interchange Canada Policy
Special Assignment Pay Plan (SAPP)
For staffing purposes, Special Assignment Pay Plan may be used for appointments
and deployments, depending on the circumstances. A deployment may be used
if it fits the definition of deployment authority in section 34.1 of the
PSEA. The employee must be placed into a classified position at their
same or equivalent classification. The employee takes on the classification,
benefits and obligations of the position to which he or she is deployed.
If the position is classified at a lower level, the person continues
to be paid at their certified group and level.
If an employee is to be moved to a position that is unclassified, the SAPP authorizes their continued receipt of salary and benefits at their personal level, but an appointment must be used as opposed to a deployment.
For additional information, consult the appeal decision in Wells and von Donhoff. For the purpose of this process, a short description of the duties to be performed should be developed and the corresponding qualifications established. In the event of an appeal, there will be requirement to demonstrate that the employee's appointment has been made according to merit.
Review the critical references on this option and discuss its use in your department with your tutor.
As discussed in Chapter 3 of the Manager's Handbook, casual employment is intended to meet staffing needs that are of short duration, and is not a substitute for a longer term, or permanent staffing strategy. When you are providing advice to your client managers you will need to be aware of your department's policies and practices concerning the use of casual employment, and consider whether this option is the best one to meet the situation at hand.
Keep in mind that a person hired using the casual employment mechanism may not work more than 125 days in a 12-month period in one department, nor enter closed competitions.
While this option provides a high degree of efficiency and flexibility, in terms of initial staffing process, it may not be the most effective in terms of contributing to the competency of the organization, since the training invested cannot be retained.
Discuss with your tutor whether and how your department uses casual employment.
Review the critical references and associated Frequently Asked Questions relating to Section 21.2 of the PSEA.
Closed competition is one of the most commonly used internal staffing options involving appointment. While in many situations, competition may still the best choice, it is important to consider alternatives, particularly where there are urgent requirements, or there is a high level of competition for a shortage skill area.
Review the critical references related to this option. You may also find it helpful to refer to the Manager's Handbook Chapter 2, Tips on Managing a Competition for a brief overview of the process. You will study the process in detail in Module G, The Staffing Process.
Things to think about and discuss with your tutor:
When considering whether to use a competition, versus another staffing option, you should think about this option as an opportunity to achieve significant payoff as a return on the investment of time and effort required for the staffing process. A well planned and executed competition can reap the following strategic benefits:
When you have determined that a competition is the best option for staffing a position, you will need to consider whether there is a need to look for candidates outside the Public Service, using external recruitment. Departments have the delegated authority to determine when it is in the best interest of the Public Service to recruit from outside. You may determine that it is desirable to run simultaneous open and closed processes. Discuss your departmental policies and practices with your tutor.
While closed competitions are often conducted through posting of notices for individual positions, there are actually a variety of alternatives possible. One way to hold a competition is to issue a notice; another is to select from among applicants whose names have been placed in an inventory; it is also possible to use a combination of these two approaches. Consult with your tutor to determine whether your department has any inventories available to you and your managers. Details of each of these alternatives will be explained in Module G - The Staffing Process.
As discussed in Chapter 3 of the Manager's Handbook, these options involve contracting rather than staffing processes, and it is therefore unlikely that you will be called upon to provide advice to managers on a regular basis. Therefore, your principle learning needs here are to:
Review the critical references and discuss the use of contracting and temporary help agencies in your department with your tutor.
Deployment and non-promotional appointments can serve many purposes, including broadening experience, developing skills and increasing employment equity representation. Deployments are a means for increasing mobility within or between departments that staff under the Public Service Employment Act. An important exception exists for the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), whose act provides that its employees must be treated as if they are employees within the meaning of the PSEA. Consequently, employees of the CCRA are eligible to be deployed to departments that staff subject to the PSEA.
For permanent lateral moves between separate employers that are within the Public Service, but not under the PSEA and an organization under the PSEA, it will be necessary to make a non-promotional appointment. A non-promotional appointment is the appointment of an employee to a position group which does not constitute a promotion. (See the definition of "promotion" in the PSER to determine when this can be done.) Note that this type of appointment was previously called a "transfer", and this terminology may still be used for pay purposes.
Where an appointment process is used, the employee (or person employed) must be evaluated against the appropriate statement of qualifications for the position, and a right of appeal must be posted. Where a valid closed competition eligibility list exists for the staffing of a position, such a list must be used to fill the position (section 15 of the PSER). Unlike non-promotional appointments, a deployment does not require that the employee be assessed against a statement of qualifications, nor is there a right of appeal. Despite this, employees must meet certain essential requirements, such as education, language, occupational certification, medical and security requirements at the time that they are deployed. Employees being deployed and employees in the work unit to which they are being deployed enjoy a right of recourse.
Much of the information you need to know about deployments is covered in the critical references, particularly the Treasury Board Deployment Policy and the Staffing Manual, Chapter 9.
Things to think about and discuss with your tutor:
Each department should have its own deployment policy based on the Treasury Board Deployment Policies and Directives. Your departmental deployment policy will indicate whether priorities are to be considered prior to making a deployment. It is not necessary to consider persons whose name appears on relevant eligibility lists before making a deployment although there is nothing precluding managers from doing so, and you may have a departmental policy on this. When advising managers, consider the fairness value. Remember that employees whose names appear on eligibility lists have taken part in a competition and have an expectation to be appointed.
SCENARIO ONE - Can you compare candidates when you do a deployment?
Yes, as long as the approach is transparent. Note that what is important is that, from the outset, it is made clear to all candidates that the "intent" is to deploy. If, for instance, a manager begins a staffing action with the intent to run a closed competition and establish an eligibility list, it would not be transparent, nor fair to deploy someone who ranks in the middle of the list of qualified candidates despite the fact that they are at the same group and level. In the event of a complaint, this may be viewed as a flawed deployment that contravenes the Act and represents an abuse of authority.
Ref.: PSEA, section 34
Please refer also to the FAQs and to the TBS website.
a) Apprenticeship or Professional Training Programs (APTPs) :
An Apprenticeship or Professional Training Program combines formal and
on-the-job training to give employees, who enter the program through relative
merit, the knowledge and skills to become qualified for the working level.
Once qualified according to the standard of competence that has been established
for the working level, they are appointed according to individual merit.
All of the necessary information concerning APTPs may be found in the Managers Handbook, Chapter 3, Option 7 and the APTP Framework. The authority for APTP is also described , along with the other generally delegated authorities, in Annex A of departmental Staffing Delegation and Accountability Agreements . Consult with your tutor to find out whether your department has established any APTPs.
Things to think about and discuss with your tutor:
Can this mechanism be used for development of knowledge workers, as well
as in the more traditional technical occupations?
Yes, this mechanism may be used in a variety of applications, from bringing entry-level employees in a wide variety of occupations up to a working level, to preparing mid-career specialists for management and executive roles. It can also be used to bridge employees from support or operational occupations into more specialized technical or administrative functions.
Can this mechanism be used in combination with other staffing mechanisms, such as Student Bridging and Employment Equity Programs?
Yes, the PSC encourages use of these mechanisms in combination, as they can be powerful tools to help in achieving recruitment and representativeness goals. When using these mechanisms in combination, it is important to consider the impact on the general employee population.
b) Management Development Programs
Accelerated Executive
Development Program (AEXDP)
The objectives of the AEXDP are to identify a representative group of
executives at the EX-1 to EX-3 level who demonstrate the potential to
become Assistant Deputy Ministers, and to accelerate their development
and career advancement.
From the point of view of advising on staffing options, the main thing you need to understand is the kind of resources that can be accessed through this program, and the mechanism for obtaining them. The Program office at the PSC works with departments to identify appropriate assignment opportunities for program participants.
Consult with your tutor on your department's use of this program.
Career Assignment
Program (CAP)
The website pages for CAP provide an overview of this mid-career management
development program and guidance to you and your client managers on how
to access program participants for assignments or appointments of program
graduates at the EX-1 level.
This site also provides frequently asked questions, which will help you to assess the application of this option to meet your clients needs.
Discuss with your tutor your departmental participation in and use of CAP as a staffing option. The Chief Information Office of Treasury Board offers a specialized management development program for the Information Management /Information Technology community which is modelled after CAP.
Your department may also have its own management development program(s). You should consult with your tutor to find out what management development programs are used in your department.
Management Trainee Program
(MTP)
The objective of the Management Trainee Program (MTP) is to recruit and
develop highly qualified individuals for key positions of responsibility
in the federal Public Service of Canada. It offers talented graduates
and employees with high potential the opportunity to lead a representative
and diversified Public Service into the future. The website provides in-depth
information for you and managers on the use and application of the program.
Upon completion of the four-year Program (or five-year program for those
who started before March 19, 1998) graduates will be qualified for managerial
positions at the intermediate level.
Consult with your tutor to find out how this program is used in your department.
c) Professional Development Programs
Accelerated Economist
Training Program (AETP)
The Accelerated Economist Training Program (AETP) is a recruitment and
development program which provides high-calibre students with exposure
to a variety of policy issues, experience in analyzing sector responsibilities,
and a broad view of the role, mandate, and modus operandi of various departments
and agencies in the federal government. The AETP provides four six-month
assignments in host departments with economic and public policy sector
responsibilities. Three assignments are with central agencies: Treasury
Board Secretariat; Department of Finance; and Privy Council Office. One
line department assignment is also provided. Review the section of the
website that deals with responsibilities
of the host organization to learn more about assignments within the program.
If your department participates in AETP, this program may provide an excellent source of candidates for assignments in the policy area. Consult with your tutor to find out whether your department participates as a host organization.
Financial
Officer Recruitment and Development Program and
Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program (FORD/IARD)
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat recruits high-calibre university
graduates for entry-level finance and internal audit positions on behalf
of federal government departments and agencies across Canada, through
the Financial Officer/Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program
(FORD/IARD)
FORD/IARD trainees receive on-the-job and formal training through a series of developmental assignments designed to give valuable first-hand experience and knowledge. Training is tailored to meet departmental needs and will generally last 12 months. Successful completion of the program may lead to an offer of permanent employment.
Using an existing eligibility list can be one of the most efficient options. Review the critical references from the Act, the Regulations and the Manager's Handbook for information on the validity and uses of eligibility lists. When you study Module G on the staffing process, you will learn how to plan your staffing strategies to maximize the utility of eligibility lists for your organization.
For frequently asked questions concerning the use of eligibility lists please refer to the PSER FAQs, questions 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, and 16.
SCENARIO ONE - Other questions for you to think about and discuss
with your tutor:
In what circumstances can a department by-pass candidates on an eligibility
list?
What are the factors to consider when determining if positions are similar?
When reviewing both positions, you must determine if the job/work description and the statement of qualifications are similar but not necessarily identical. If they are not, then, these two positions are not considered similar.
SCENARIO 2 - If a poster includes the following clause: "Eligibility list may be used to staff similar positions with a BBB/BBB linguistic profile", can a manager make an appointment from this list to a position with a CCC/CCC?
No, because only similar positions with a BBB/BBB linguistic profile can be staffed from this eligibility list.
SCENARIO 3 - A manager from your department (department Y) has approached you to discuss the administration of an eligibility list and she asks the following: "Can a candidate on a valid eligibility list from department X be appointed to a similar position in my area ?" What would be your answer?
It is possible for a department to use the eligibility list established by another department. However, in order to do so, the eligibility list must have been clearly established with this purpose in mind, i.e. the employees of department Y and X must have been included in the area of selection for the competition and, the competition poster must have clearly stated that the competition was used to staff positions in department Y and X. If this was not done, it is not possible to use the list since proper notice was not given and the fact that the deputy head of one department is not delegated to make appointments in another department.
When advising managers about staffing options, keep in mind that staffing is probably the main mechanism for improving representativeness results. By keeping informed about EE programs and services of the PSC,TBS and your department, you can play a key role in better informing and educating managers about their most effective use. You can also debunk the common mythology that EE is not compatible with the concept of merit, by demonstrating that both are mutually supportive, and together will help managers achieve a competent and representative workforce.
You should review the critical references as well as the section on EE programs in Chapter 3 of the Manager's Handbook to obtain an overview of authorities, programs and services that have been developed to support improving representativeness. Find out about the Employment Equity programs and services in your department, and how they link up with staffing activity.
Departmental Employment Equity Programs
You should review the critical references on this topic as well as the
section on EE programs in Chapter
3 of the Manager's Handbook to understand what authorities are provided
through an Employment Equity Program and how they can be used. Departments
may obtain delegation of Employment Equity Program authorities through
a submission to the Public Service Commission. The PSC's staffing consultant
assigned to your department is there to provide advice on the preparation
of EE program submissions, as well as ongoing guidance on the use of EE
staffing authorities. Verify if your department has an EE program and
become familiar with its application. Discuss with your tutor.
SCENARIO 1: Study the questions on the PSER FAQ site relating to section 4
Hands-on Learning Exercise- How do departmental EE programs work?
With the support of your tutor, obtain the program description for an
EE program that uses the staffing authority provided by the PSEA and PSER.
If your department does not have such a program, contact another department
that does to obtain information.
Once you are familiar with the purpose of the program, discuss it with departmental EE and staffing advisors to find out more about how the program works and explore opportunities:
PSC Ad Hoc and other corporate Employment Equity Programs
In 1999, the Public Service Commission created a corporate employment
equity program to allow departments greater flexibility to improve their
representation when undertaking external recruitment.
Generally speaking, this program was targetted to meet 'ad hoc' requirements, that is, to meet non-recurring, low volume recruitment needs. Where there are significant representation gaps which involve systematic, ongoing recruitment efforts, and/or internal staffing initiatives over a period of years, it is expected that departments will seek delegation for their own departmental programs.
The PSC's Corporate Development Programs (AEXDP, CAP) have taken steps to improve representation in these programs by introducing EE program components. For more information, consult the AEXDP and CAP websites/program offices.
Whether departments have their own programs, or use the PSC's programs, it makes sense to work together to maximize effectiveness in identifying and attracting talent from the designated groups. Collaborative efforts between the PSC and departments can pay off in terms of results - such as the success of the February 2001, EE job fair in the National Capital Region.
Discuss with your tutor and your departmental EE coordinator how your department has used the PSC's Ad Hoc and other EE Programs. Are there opportunities that are being missed?
Consideration of persons with priority status is a legal requirement for a number of the staffing options involving appointment and is a desirable practice for many others. From a results and affordability perspective, retention of well-qualified individuals with a priority status make good business sense. From a fairness and equity perspective, it is also important that employees who are affected by one of the legal or regulatory priority conditions, have the assurance that they will be given due consideration for re-appointment.
Managers are sometimes reluctant to consider priorities. You play an important role in ensuring that your client managers are aware of their obligations with respect to persons with priority status, and recognize that persons with priority status are well qualified resources, usually with a great deal of valuable experience and therefore we should make efforts to retain in the Public Service.
To become familiar with consideration of persons with priority status as a staffing option, you should review the critical references in the Act, Regulations and the Staffing Modules.
Things to think about and discuss with your tutor:
What is the difference between statutory and regulatory priorities?
Statutory priorities flow from the provisions of the PSEA and provide an entitlement to be appointed in priority to all other appointments, including regulatory priorities, whereas regulatory priorities are established in the PSER and provide for the appointment of certain persons subject to the statutory priorities. Also, statutory priorities are appointed in a certain order as stipulated in the PSEA whereas the PSER does not mention the order in which the regulatory priorities are to be appointed. Note that PSEA 29 (1.1) gives priority to a department's own surplus employees over all other priorities and PSEA 31 gives the PSC the authority to decide not to appoint a priority person where such an appointment would result in another person becoming entitled to a priority.
What types of staffing actions do not require priority clearance?
Can a deployment be used to appoint a priority employee?
Yes, however a recourse mechanism must be applied in the case of deployment. The PSEA and the PSER state that priority employees are entitled to be appointed without competition to a position for which they are qualified. There is also no recourse mechanism in the case of a statutory or regulatory priority who is appointed to a position.
One of the key provisions of the PSEA is section 11, which prescribes the condition under which appointments are to be made from outside, rather than from within the Public Service. For the last decade or so, with the emphasis on downsizing, there has been little recruitment, and much of what has been done has been temporary in nature (casual/ specified period employment). Increasingly, it is recognized that there is a need to find a new balance between internal staffing and recruitment to prepare the Public Service for the future.
During 2000, the Committee of Senior Officials, a group involving leaders of central agencies and departments, considered the current recruitment environment of the PS (see report) and made a number of key observations that can serve as a guide to decision-making when determining whether it is in the "best interests" of the Public Service to recruit from outside, and which of the recruitment options are most appropriate for a given situation:
In broad terms, the PSC's role in recruitment is to develop recruitment strategies and programs, to market the FPS as an employer of choice, to provide departments with recruitment-related tools and intelligence and to deliver a number of recruitment programs - General Recruitment, Post-Secondary Recruitment, Community Recruitment, Student Recruitment and EE programs. Depending on the nature, duration and volume of vacancies, the PSC may run individual open competitive processes, or establish inventories from which it then makes referrals to departments. (The IT/IM recruitment website is an example of a special recruitment website that the PSC introduced to meet high volume needs for high demand talent - other inventories are being established for occupations and regions and EE groups where demand warrants.) The PSC conducts pre-determined levels of screening, (e.g. area of selection, closing date, language, education) and refers candidates to departments for final assessment, selection and appointment of successful candidates.
The PSC's regional offices are responsible for recruitment and referral for most non-Executive, occupational groups and levels. For some groups and levels which are specific to certain departments (eg. Justice lawyers, Correctional Service officers) and for some geographic locations outside the service area of PSC offices, departments have been delegated recruitment authority by the PSC.
Hands-on Learning Exercise - Review the critical references on general recruitment information and discuss with your tutor how your department has been using recruitment over the last few years, and what recruitment strategies are being developed for the future. What are the key occupational groups for which your department needs/has developed recruitment and succession strategies? Which of the recruitment options in this, and other parts of this chapter fit with these strategies?
Post-Secondary Recruitment, and student programs (the Federal Student Work Experience Program and Post-Secondary Co-operative Education and Internship Programs) are important mechanisms for attracting new or prospective graduates to a variety of careers in the Public Service. The PSC works in close partnership with departments to develop marketing strategies that will enable them to be competitive recruiters for the talent pools entering the labour market.
Hands-on Learning Exercise - Discuss with your tutor the nature and extent of your department's use of PSR and the student programs. Are your client managers involved in actively using any/all of these programs? Can you identify opportunities for using these programs?
"Student Bridging" provides the means to appoint to Public Service jobs, students who have completed their post-secondary program or vocational training program. It allows departments and agencies to consider student recruitment as a full-fledged recruitment strategy by facilitating the hiring of students who have demonstrated, through work assignments which took place during the course of their studies, that they would constitute an assest to the organization.
There are two mechanisms available for bridging students into the Public Service; through closed competition or through appointment without competition.
Mechanism 1 - Closed Competition
This mechanism permits students, who were recruited through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) or the Cooperative Education and Internship Programs (Co-op), to apply in closed competitions when the following conditions are met:
Review carefully the information provided in the Staffing Manual, Chapter 6, Annex A - 6.A.1 for full details concerning the application of this mechanism.
Mechanism 2 - Appointment Without Competition
This mechanism enables departments to appoint without competition from outside the Public Service, a former student who has completed a program of study within the last 18 months, regardless of the department where the student's last work term took place. It is, however, important to note that the student must have originally been recruited through the FSWEP or Co-op programs or has participated in student employment programs established by certain federal employers not governed by the Public Service Employment Act, providing a reciprocity agreement has been signed between these employers and the PSC.
Again, review carefully the information provided in the Staffing Manual, Chapter 6, Annex A - 6.A.2 for full details concerning the application of this mechanism.
For "bridging" examples, please review the Smartshop material presented September 24, 2002, Enhancements To Student Bridging Mechanisms and Rehiring.
As discussed in the Manager's Handbook, appointments without competition may be based on individual or relative merit. Merit based staffing operates on the principle that it is often desirable to staff vacancies through means that identify the best qualified person for the job through a relative assessment of candidates. In some circumstances, appointments without competition may be a more appropriate option. Closed competitions should not be conducted simply to give the impression of transparency; sometimes it is fairer and more open to make an appointment without competition.
When advising managers about the possible use of this approach, it is critical to discuss the staffing values to ensure that they are duly considered. Refer back to the Balancing Staffing Values Principles at the beginning of this module for this chapter for assistance in this regard. Remember as well that without competition appointment based on individual merit is limited to those circumstances described in the Regulations. Review the critical references and discuss with your tutor to be sure that you understand how and when individual and relative merit apply to without competition appointments, and how they are used in your department.
Recruitment of one candidate without competition can occur when, in the opinion of the PSC, it is in the best interests of the Public Service. Under the circumstances provided for in the Regulations, appointments made in the context of an approved Employment Equity Program, and emergency term appointments can be made on the basis of individual merit. All other requests to the Commission for recruitment without competition are based on relative merit, and therefore warrant a sound rationale. Information that may be requested by the PSC in order to consider approval of so-called "named referrals" (without competition appointments from outside the Public Service) includes the following:
Things to think about:
When considering without competition appointment as an internal staffing option, many of the same considerations may come into play . Again, consider with the help of your tutor, when without competition appointment based on relative merit would be reasonable, taking into account a proper balancing of the staffing values and management principles.
For frequently asked questions concerning without competition appointments, please refer to PSEA Section 10 and PSER Section 5.
The Public Service Employment Regulations were amended in July 2001 to include this new staffing authority. Departments must obtain delegated authority from the Commission in order to establish a PQP. A template is available to assist departments in the preparation of their request for delegated authority.
Simply stated, a PQP is a supply of candidates who are fully assessed against a standard of competence and are qualified for a specific group and level. Establishing and appointing from a PQP is quite different from traditional staffing methods. For example, there is no eligible list created as an end result to the process, all qualified candidates are placed in the pool and the recourse mechanism is different. Another essential difference is that all candidates in the pool have a "reasonable" expectation of appointment. There is no ranking of the qualified candidates and search criteria is used to identify appointees.
There are no forms used in determining recruitment and staffing options.
Now that you have completed this module, you should be well versed on the various selection options available for staffing and recruitment. The key is to know which is the best option to choose for a particular situation, and to ensure whichever option is chosen is a positive values-based approach to staffing.
The glossary has been prepared to give you informal explanations for common staffing terms used in this module. These explanations are not meant to replace the technical/legal definitions
Acting Appointment: The temporary assignment of an employee to the duties of a higher position where the difference in the maximum rates of pay constitutes a promotion. Acting appointments of four months or less are not subject to appeal.
Accelerated Executive Development Program (AEXDP): This program identifies a representative group of executives at the EX-1 to EX-3 level who demonstrate the potential to become Assistant Deputy Ministers, and accelerates their development and career advancement.
Accelerated Economist Training Program (AETP): This two-year program recruits masters level university graduates who demonstrate potential to become decision-makers on various social, economic, and international policies.
Ad Hoc Employment Equity Program: This is an EE appointment authority which allows the PSC to restrict the referral of candidates to one or more of the designated groups. Departments may make the appointment from the referrals provided. This authority may be used where the situation does not warrant a departmental EE program.
Apprenticeship or Professional Training Program: A program, generally combining formal and on-the-job training, to give employees, the knowledge and skills to become qualified for the working level.
Appeal: The process whereby an individual who has not been selected for an appointment, whether made by competition or not, may seek recourse. An appeal board gives the appellant, the department and the successful candidate an opportunity to make and respond to arguments so that the appeal board may come to a determination of whether the appointment has been made according to merit.
Area of Selection: The geographic/occupational/ organizational parameters candidates must be within to be eligible for appointment. In a non-competitive process, the area of selection indicates who has the right of appeal.
Assignment: New functions given to an employee for a temporary period at the same level. Employees resume their former duties at the end of the assignment. The term refers to an assignment internal to a department.
Career Assignment Program: A management development program aimed at developing employees with demonstrated executive potential for more senior positions.
Closed Competition: A competition open only to persons employed in the Public Service.
CO-OP (Post-Secondary Co-op/Internship Program): This program is specifically designed to provide post-secondary students with assignments related to their field of study and offer them the opportunity to use their academic knowledge in an actual work setting.
Deployment: The movement of an employee from one position to another that does not constitute a promotion or a change in tenure and to which the employee has agreed. When an employee accepts a deployment, ties to the former position are cut.
Disadvantaged Group: Groups designated for employment equity purposes. They are women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and persons in a visible minority.
Employment Equity Program: A policy or program established by the Treasury Board with respect to increasing the representation of designated group members in the Public Service. An EE program may be established at the request of a department, of the Treasury Board, or of the Public Service Commission.
Eligibility List: An official list, in rank order, of qualified candidates as a result of a competition.
FORD/IARD (Financial Officer Recruitment and Development/ Internal Audit Recruitment and Development): This program provides post-secondary recruits with both formal and practical training in financial management and internal audit through developmental assignments with a federal department or agency.
FSWEP (Federal Student Work Experience Program): This program , the largest of all federal student programs, is designed to offer employment opportunities for students, which need not be related to the student's field of study, in order to develop their employability skills offer insights into future employment opportunities, particularly within the federal Public Service.
Individual Merit: Means that the person who has been selected for appointment is qualified in relation to a standard of competence (see below for definition), rather than in relation to other persons. Circumstances for individual merit appointments are prescribed in the Regulations, and include promotion following reclassification of a position, in the context of an apprenticeship or professional training program, and some others.
Interchange Canada: This developmental program promotes and facilitates the exchange of employees through temporary assignments between Federal Public Service departments and agencies (listed under PSSRA Schedule I, Part I) and all other sectors both within Canada and internationally.
Merit: The selection for appointment of the best qualified person. Merit involves the application of values in our staffing actions. No formal definition exists for this term. See relative and individual merit.
Management Trainee Program (MTP): This four-year program recruits and develops university graduates who demonstrate potential to become middle managers.
Named Referrals: The common expression used to obtain PSC authority to hire a specific individual from outside the Public Service without the formal consideration of other candidates.
Open Competition: A competition open to the public, including persons employed in the Public Service.
Priority Administration System: A Public Service-wide inventory of persons entitled to a priority, administered by the PSC and used to match those priority persons with positions to which they could be appointed.
Priority Status: The right to be to appointed before others and without competition. There are three types of statutory priorities under the PSEA (leave of absence, ministers' staffs and lay-off, in that order) and four regulatory priorities under the PSER (surplus, reinstatement, spousal relocation and employees who become disabled, in no specific order). The statutory priorities have a higher rank than the regulatory.
Promotion: An appointment, either temporary or permanent, to a higher level position, defined in the PSER in terms of rates of pay.
Public Service: Includes the positions in departments or other organizations specified in Schedule 1 (Parts I and II) of the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
Relative Merit: Means that the person who has been selected for
appointment is the best qualified in relation to other eligible persons
being considered for the appointment.
Reverse Order of Merit: Process by which the employees who are the most competent, based on merit, are selected to carry out the continuing functions of the organization, when not all, but some of the positions are being eliminated in an organization. The employees least qualified are declared surplus first.
Special Assignment Pay Plan: Departments, may assign a specified number of employees, for a period of up to three (3) years, to duties and responsibilities which have not been classified, or have been classified at a lower level than the level to which the employee is appointed.
Secondment: A formal action taken between two departments to give new functions to an employee at the same group and level for a temporary period. A written agreement is required. At the end of the secondment, the employee returns to their former position.
Standards of Competence: A standard of competence is comprised of: the statement of qualification(s); assessment methods that provide the information required so that a judgement can be made on the competence of a person; and, the cut-off score(s), on the numeric or narrative scale(s), that must be established so as to ensure that the successful candidate possesses the required degree of competency for a qualification(s) or combination of qualifications.
Student Bridging Mechanism: This mechanism permits managers to hire students without competition from outside the public service (upon referral from the PSC) or by including them in a closed competition, provided they are still employed by your department as an FSWEP or CO-OP student and are included in the area of selection for the closed competition.
Without Competition Appointment: An appointment made other than
by open or closed competition. Managers may appoint an employee without
competition if they are satisfied that a particular employee is qualified
for appointment. A without competition appointment may be made as a relative
or individual merit process depending on the circumstances.
 Top of Page |
|
||
|
Updated: 2006-01-11 | Important Notices |
