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Chapter Three: Staffing OptionsThis chapter contains brief outlines of staffing options available to you. For a listing of staffing challenges and opportunities and the staffing options that might respond to these challenges, consult the electronic document Developing a Staffing Strategy.
Option 1 Acting AppointmentWhat is it? 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. Considerations
Did you know? Acting pay is covered by Treasury Board policy and collective agreements.Tips
Consequences
Recourse Appealable if more than four months. Option 2 AssignmentsAssignment/SecondmentWhat are they? 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 secondment refers to an assignment between two departments and requires a written agreement, whereas the term assignment refers to an assignment internal to a department. Considerations
Did you know? Appeal Boards have considered appeals against long-term assignments/secondments. Ask your HRA for further details. Tips
Consequences
Recourse No appeal rights - See Did you know? on the previous page. Interchange CanadaWhat is it? Interchange Canada, a TBS developmental program administered by the PSC, promotes and facilitates temporary exchanges between public and private sectors across Canada and around the world. Considerations
Did you know? The PSC administers executive interchanges; departments oversee all other exchanges under the authority of the Deputy Head. Tips
Consequence
Recourse No appeal rights Option 3 Casual EmploymentWhat is it? An appointment to the Public Service for not more than 90 calendar days. Casual employees cannot work in one department more than 125 days in any year or enter closed competitions. Considerations
Did you know? Your department must have an established program in order for you to hire casuals. See your HRA for more details. Tips
Consequences
Recourse No appeal rights Option 4 Closed CompetitionWhat is it? A competition open only to persons employed in the Public Service. Considerations
Did you know? You must obtain a priority clearance from the PSC prior to making an appointment. Consider persons entitled to priority; you may find a good candidate. You determine the area of selection; you determine the requirements; and you determine the assessment tools. Many assessment instruments are available, e.g., at the Personnel Psychology Centre (PPC) of the PSC. Don't reinvent the wheel. Tips
Consequences
Recourse Subject to appeal Option 5 Contract/AgencyWhat is it? Contracting temporary help and/or consultants individually, through a company, or through an agency. Considerations
Did you know? You cannot establish an employer/employee relationship. Contracts for more than 20 weeks must be approved by the appropriate departmental authority. Tips
Consequence
Recourse Not applicable Option 6 DeploymentWhat is it? The voluntary movement of an employee to a new job that does not constitute a promotion nor change of tenure and cuts ties to their former position. Considerations
Did you know? You can deploy a term employee to another term position but only if it's of the same or shorter duration. Deployments can be used between equivalent levels in different occupational groups. Tips
Consequence
Recourse Subject to complaints Option 7 Development ProgramsApprenticeship or Professional Training Program (APTP)What is it? An APTP is a program, generally combining formal and on-the-job training to give employees, the knowledge and skills to become qualified for the working level. Considerations
Did you know? All departments can develop their own programs and these programs can be a collaborated effort between departments. See your HRA for details. Tips
Consequences
Recourse See Closed Competition, Recruitment - Open Competitions, and Without Competition Appointments. Management Development ProgramsWhat are they? Management development programs identify and fast-track individuals with high potential to succeed and advance as Public Service managers/ executives. Departments may have their own program. The PSC administers three major Public Service management development programs: the Accelerated Executive Development Program (AEXDP), Career Assignment Program (CAP), and Management Trainee Program (MTP). Considerations
Did you know? Some departments and central agencies may provide salary dollars for certain assignments. You may need to consider priority persons in some cases. Tips
Consequences
Recourse Various - See HRA. Accelerated Executive Development Program (AEXDP)The AEXDP is run by the PSC for EX-01 to 03. For more information, check out http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/aexdp/axhom_e.asp Career Assignment Program (CAP)What is it? CAP is a management development program aimed at developing employees with demonstrated executive potential for more senior positions. The primary objective is to contribute to the creation of a high quality, representative, and bilingual feeder group for executive positions in the federal Public Service. CAP participants are not always federal public servants. CAP also includes special components such as the Aboriginal CAP. For more detailed information, see http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/cap/00/00_e.asp Management Trainee Program (MTP)What is it? MTP trainees are recruited from inside and outside the Public Service as part of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign conducted each year in the fall. This four-year program targets university graduates who demonstrate potential to become middle managers. Departments can hire candidates every spring for future middle management needs. On the other hand, MTP trainees are available at any time for one-year assignments. All trainees available for assignments have a minimum of CBC language capabilities. Visit http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/mtp-psg/index_e.asp Professional Development ProgramsWhat are they? Corporate and departmental recruitment, development and bridging programs to promote participants from entry or junior officer/support levels to the "working" skill/competency level. Corporate programs administered by central agencies include the Accelerated Economist Training Program (AETP) and the Financial Officer/Internal Audit Recruitment and Development Program (FORD/ IARD). Considerations
Did you know? Many departments have their own professional development programs including some created to provide opportunities for designated group members. You need to consider persons entitled to priority before appointing candidates from these programs. Tips
Consequence
Recourse See Recruitment - Open Competitions. Accelerated Economist Training Program (AETP)What is it? Candidates are recruited from outside the Public Service as part of the Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign conducted each year in the fall. This two-year program targets masters level university graduates who demonstrate potential to become decision-makers on various social, economic, and international policies. The PSC recruits 14 candidates every spring for the future needs of the federal government. Training assignments occur within a limited number of departments, but graduates may be appointed by any department. Visit http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/aetp-pfae/index_e.asp. Financial Officer Recruitment and Development Program and Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program (FORD/IARD)What is it? The Financial Officer Recruitment and Development and Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development (FORD/IARD) Programs are administered by the Treasury Board Secretariat, Comptrollership Branch to recruit, train, and develop entry-level financial officers and internal auditors. The programs target recent university graduates with a Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration or information management systems. You can request a candidate from the FORD/IARD inventory of candidates at any time.
Option 8 Eligibility ListWhat is it? A list of qualified candidates created as a result of a competition. Considerations
Did you know? You must consider persons with priority entitlements before each appointment from an eligibility list. If an eligibility list exists for the position you are trying to staff, you must use it. Consult your HRA for exceptions. Tips
Consequences
Recourse Appeal rights are given at the time the eligibility list is created. Option 9 Employment Equity ProgramsWhat are they? Employment equity programs are designed to facilitate the recruitment and staffing of employment equity designated group members. The Government of Canada is fully committed to a representative public service. The PSC and many departments have created employment equity programs and services to assist managers to meet the government's objectives and their department's goals by ensuring that members of designated groups are recruited and employed in proportion to their availability in the Canadian work force. The employment equity policy of the federal Public Service has three goals:
Other staffing options/programs may include components that are specific to one or more designated groups. See your HRA for details. Considerations
Did you know? Job accommodation provides persons with a disability with the tools and technological aids they require to do their job. Your department can assist you. Useful information can also be found about Policy on Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service and Guideline for Assessing Persons with Disabilities. The probation period of an employee requiring job accommodation does not begin until the accommodation has been made. Consequences
Recourse No appeal. Departmental Employment Equity ProgramsSpecial programs may be designed by departments to help meet their particular employment equity goals, are approved by the PSC to ensure merit is respected, and may be established when there is significant underrepresentation in one or more occupation(s) and/or location(s). An approved departmental program can allow you to restrict your consideration to a specific designated group(s). PSC Framework for Employment Equity Programs and Associated ProgramsUnder this framework, the PSC Employment Equity Program will be available to departments and agencies, on a transaction-by-transaction basis, for the external recruitment of employment equity group members. The program is available if a department or agency:
This program also allows for a change from term to indeterminate, but only when the term employee was hired under this program. For further information, please view the Employment Equity and Diversity Framework and Programs page. Option 10 Recruitment - Indeterminate and Term HiringWhat is it? External recruitment is the responsibility of the PSC and is conducted through PSC regional and district offices. Some departments/agencies have been delegated authority to recruit certain groups and levels (e.g., Justice for lawyers, Health Canada for nurses). Most recruitment is normally conducted in one of the following three ways: Post-secondary recruitment campaigns; Established inventories; and Open competitions. Considerations
Did you know? In some circumstances, such as in a remote geographical area or for a shortage/highly specialized occupational group like IT/IM, special measures may apply. You can recruit from outside on a term or indeterminate basis without having previously run an internal competition. In certain circumstances (e.g., career fairs), you can issue conditional letters of offer; see your HRA for more details. Your HRA can advise you on all aspects of recruitment, including whether persons entitled to priority must be considered first. Under certain circumstances, the rate of pay can be negotiated within the given classification group and level. Tips
Consequences
Post-Secondary Recruitment ProgramWhat is it? Post-secondary recruitment campaigns are conducted twice a year by the PSC to recruit qualified university graduates to fill anticipated entry-level positions. The Post-Secondary Recruitment Campaign is the primary vehicle for renewing the Public Service work force. Departments join forces with the PSC to plan the campaigns and recruit university graduates across the country. Find out how you can participate in these campaigns in the future or access candidates from previously established lists from your HRA. A candidate may be available now! Visit the Post-Secondary Recruitment Web site Recruitment - InventoriesWhat are they? PSC inventories are pools of candidates that have been created for specific needs in certain regions. Depending on the inventory, these candidates may have been pre-assessed to a certain extent. Inventories may exist or can be created for needs such as high-demand positions, such as administrative support; for highly specialized areas, such as IT/IM; and for special recruitment strategies, such as employment equity. Recruitment - Open CompetitionsWhat are they? Open competitions are generally conducted by the PSC and can be used to recruit for one or more positions or for one or more managers. Open competitions are normally advertised using the PSC Internet Web site and InfoTel system. Special advertisements can be placed in print media with the cost borne by the manager. Student ProgramsFederal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)What is it? The Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) offers temporary public service jobs to full-time students from high schools, colleges, CEGEPs, technical institutes, and universities across Canada all year round. The core of the program is a computerized national inventory that randomly establishes a list of pre-screened candidates for each job order. Over 90,000 students apply to FSWEP every year, and about 7,000 are hired. FSWEP allows students to "try the federal Public Service on for size," to enhance their skills through a valuable, challenging work experience, and to expand their networking opportunities. Full-time students in Canada or Canadian students abroad are eligible if they are the minimum age to work in the province or territory where the job exists and are returning to full-time studies in the next academic term. FSWEP allows you to fill your short-term needs fast with bright, eager talent. A special process allows you to hire only students who belong to a designated employment equity group. Student bridging mechanisms allow you to hire students permanently when they graduate (see Option 11). The re-employment of students in the same or in a different department is possible. Salary ranges are established by TBS. Consult your HRA for more details. Visit http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/fswep-pfete Co-op/Internship ProgramsWhat are they? These programs target Co-op/Internship students who need relevant and practical work experience to meet the requirements of Co-op/Internship programs at their educational institution. You can hire students from colleges, CEGEPs, technical institutes and universities across Canada, in many fields of study for temporary work assignments using a Co-op/Internship program. It's simple, easy to use, and cost-effective. Fill your short-term needs fast, with bright, eager, talented students in a field that matches your requirements. Increase the representativeness of your work force by recruiting students from one or more of the employment equity groups. Groom students for eventual full-time employment in your organization, then use the Student Bridging Mechanism to hire them into the Public Service (see Option 11). Candidates must be post-secondary students enrolled in a Co-op/Internship program approved by the PSC. The student's academic institution determines the duration of each work assignment which traditionally varies from 4 to 18 months. Students can be hired at different periods of the year. Student salaries are determined by Treasury Board. Your HRA can contact educational institutions directly to refer students for consideration. A complete list of Co-op/Internship programs is available on the PSC's Co-op/Internship Web site at: http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/coop/index_e.htm The re-employment of a Co-op/Internship student in a FSWEP or a Co-op/Internship job in the same or in a different department is possible. Consult your HRA for more details. Option 11 Student BridgingWhat is it? The student bridging mechanism was developed to allow managers to recruit students into term or indeterminate positions upon graduation, providing certain conditions are met. Students may be hired without competition or included in a closed competition. If a closed competition is used, the student must still be employed as an FSWEP or Co-op/Internship student and must be included in the area of selection. Considerations
Did you know? Any department may appoint without competition from outside the Public Service, a former student who has completed a program of study within the last 18 months (rather than 12 months under the former provisions), regardless of the department where the student's last work term took place. Departments may appoint without competition, within 18 months of completion of a program of study, individuals who participated in student employment programs established by certain federal employers not governed by the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), providing a reciprocity agreement has been signed between these employers and the PSC. Departments may make conditional offers to qualified students prior to the completion of their degree program. Consult your HRA for more details. Tips
Consequence
Recourse Various - See HRA.Option 12 Without Competition AppointmentWhat is it? An appointment based on individual or relative merit made without holding a competition. Considerations
Did you know? The requirement to consider persons with a priority entitlement varies; see your HRA. Individual merit You can use this option for non-EX appointments in one of the following seven circumstances specified in the Public Service Employment Regulations: 1) To promote within an apprenticeship or professional program; 2) To appoint an employee to his/her reclassified position (in certain circumstances); 3) To appoint a term employee who has been employed for three or five years in the same department (depending on which TBS Term Policy applies within your department) for an indeterminate period to a position at the same group and level; 4) To appoint a member of a designated group in accordance with an employment equity program; 5) In an emergency, to appoint a person for a specified period where casual employment is not an option; 6) To promote an employee whose classification depends on individual qualifications (e.g., research scientists); and 7) To promote an employee within the Law Group from LA-1 to the LA-2A level. A reclassification that affects an entire occupational group is a conversion, not a staffing action. Tip Individual merit is an appropriate mechanism to increase representation of designated group members in your work force. Consequence
Recourse Appealable. |
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Updated: 2006-06-21 | Important Notices |