FAQs: Fast answers about Orientation Program

• The Program
  
  
• Target Audience
  
  
• Travel and Accommodation
  
  
• Registration

The Program

What is the Orientation to the Public Service Program?

The Orientation Program is all about getting your bearings or finding your direction. If you’ve ever exited a subway station in a strange city or taken a tumble in the snow, you know what it means to orient yourself.

When you joined the Public Service of Canada, you stepped into an unfamiliar environment. The public service is the largest employer in Canada. It has several hundred thousand employees who serve Canadians across the country and around the world.

Although we do many different jobs and provide a wide range of services, we all have some things in common. We serve Canadians and are accountable to the elected representatives and democratic institutions that govern the country. The public expects us to deliver professional, non partisan, efficient services.
The public service has evolved over many years, developing institutions, values, ethics and a culture that enable us to provide the kind of service Canadians expect and deserve.

The Orientation Program is designed to help you orient yourself in this environment. It will give you an understanding of how government works, what is expected of you as a public servant, and what you can expect from your employer.

What is the difference between this program and my department’s orientation or training?

This program focuses on the “big picture” — the relationship between Parliament and the Public Service and how it operates, and the common values and ethics shared by all public servants. Orientation designed for a department or agency will focus on its particular functions. Orientation in Citizenship and Immigration is likely to be quite different from orientation in Corrections Canada, simply because the services they provide are so different. Orientation to the Public Service is intended to give you an understanding of the common ground.

Will the program teach me about my job and my department?

The Orientation Program is designed to help you understand the public service as a whole. You will learn how a typical department/agency is organized and how it functions in relation to Parliament and the Central Agencies of government. The program also includes a “Resource Marketplace” where you’ll will find out about many aspects of the public service work environment, including other learning opportunities.

Your department/agency has its own programs to teach you about how it works and what your job entails. Some of these programs may be offered through the Canada School of Public Service. Ask your manager or departmental learning coordinator about the programs in your department.

What will it cost?

The program is delivered at no charge to departments/agencies in the core administration and on a cost-recovery basis to other departments/ agencies.

Target Audience

Am I required to take the program?

Yes. The Government of Canada’s new Policy on Learning, Training and Development specifies Required Learning for many different jobs in government. As of January 1, 2006, all new indeterminate and term employees hired for a minimum of six months + 1 day in the core administration are required to go through orientation to ensure that they are skilled, well-trained, professionals with a common understanding of their role as public servants.

I worked for the Public Service in the past, but I have just been hired again. Do I still qualify as a new employee?

No. New employees include only those who have been newly appointed to the public service and who started work on or after January 1, 2006.

When should I attend?

You should attend the Orientation Program within two months of your appointment. You should have or will receive an invitation to attend the Orientation Program and information about registering enrolling. If you did not receive this information, please talk to your department/agency representative.

How do I know if my department is part of the core administration?

The core administration consists of organizations named in Schedule I and IV of the Financial Administration Act.

Can I take the program if my department is not in the core administration?

The Orientation Program is open to new employees from departments and agencies that are not part of the core administration on a cost-recovery basis. You will need to talk to your manager to see if your organization is offering the program to its employees.

Travel & Accommodations

If I have to travel to Ottawa, will my travel expenses be covered?

Your travel costs will be covered by your department/agency, which is one reason you must have your manager’s approval to attend.

What if I live nearby and want to drive to Ottawa, will my gas, mileage and parking be covered?

Travel to and from the capital city will be organized and paid for by departments/agencies. To find out what arrangements your departments/agencies has made to cover gas, mileage and parking, talk to your manager or the department’s learning coordinator.

What about the cost of transportation in the city once I’m there?

The School is providing free shuttle bus service from the airport to the hotel where out-of-town participants are staying, and between the hotel and the Orientation Centre. The shuttle departs from the hotel at 7:45 a.m. and returns after the day’s programmed events.

Will my hotel costs and meals be covered?

Yes. When you register for the Program, a hotel booking will be made in your name. You will be given details about the booking when your registration is confirmed by e-mail or fax.

Breakfast and lunch will be served to all participants at the Orientation Centre during the two-day program. Out-of-town participants will also be provided with dinner at their hotels on the evening before the program as well as the other evenings and breakfast voucher on the morning after the program if you stayed over on day two.

Should I book my own flight?

As travel needs to be booked through Travel Access Voyages (AMEX) at 1 877-661-6656 and quote Group Number 6100. More details will be included in you letter of invitation.

Should I make my own hotel reservation?

No. The School has negotiated discounts on the best hotel rates available in the NCR. It will be booked through Travel Access Voyages at the same time as they are assisting you with your flight or train reservations.

Registration

Do I need my manager’s approval to register for the program?

Yes. As a new employee you are invited to attend the program but your department/agency is responsible for your travel expenses and ensuring that you attend.

Can I register on-line?

No. Since you are a new employee your department/agency will have already informed the Canada School of Public Service that you will be attending the Orientation Program. If you have not already received an invitation letter, you will shortly, advising you of the telephone number to enable you to register.

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation. (by email or by fax ).

How will my registration be confirmed and when?

Your registration will be confirmed by e-mail or fax by the School's Registrar’s Office. If you do not work in the NCR, the confirmation will include details about your hotel booking.

What if I register and can not attend?

You (or your manager) can withdraw from a course without penalty, provided you fax or e-mail the School a cancellation notice at least 14 calendar days before the course start date.

Can I transfer my registration to someone else? How?

If you have registered for the Orientation Program and are unable to attend, another qualified new employee in your department/agency can replace you provided you fax or e-mail a replacement notice to the School's Registrar’s Office 3 working days before the program start date.

What happens if I don’t cancel or transfer my registration?

Registrants who fail to attend the course (“no shows”) will see their department/agency be invoiced for the two-day event at the cost-recovery rate.