Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA) Implementation Bulletin January 2005 Issue

This bulletin is distributed regularly to provide a brief overview of the progress on the implementation of the PSMA.  The PSMA intranet site will be populated in the coming weeks to provide more in-depth information on the various work streams associated with the Act (http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca and http://publiservice.hrma-agrh.gc.ca )

Recent and Upcoming Events

• January 31, 2005 – Event at the Ottawa Congress Centre to support the PSMA implementation efforts of departments and agencies.
• January 20, 2005 – HR Council.
• January 17, 2005 – DM Sub-Committee on Staffing and Staffing Recourse
• January 13, 2005 – DM Sub-Committee on Communications, Learning, and Cultural Change.

• December 16, 2004 – HR Council discussed the issues of HR Funding, the PSMA Learning Strategy, and the PSMA Roll-out Strategy.
• December 8, 2004 – DM Sub-Committee on Staffing and Staffing Recourse.
• December 7-10, 2004 – Technical Briefings for Labour Relations Specialists on the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA)/Financial Administration Act (FAA) policy suite.
• December 7-8, 2004 – PSLRA Learning Event.
• December 7, 2004 – Interdepartmental Project Management Network Meeting
• December 6, 2004 – DM Sub-Committee on Labour Relations and Dispute Resolution
• December 2 & 3, 2004 – Heads of HR Conference included an interview with the Co-Presidents of the DM Sub-Committees on “Making the Connections with PSMA” and the presentation “HR Management – Before and After the PSMA”.
• November 30 – December 1, 2004 – Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) Retreat and the issue of responsibility under the PSMA was discussed.
• November 30, 2004 – an informal dinner with Deputy Heads/Presidents of Bargaining Agents was held to initiate a dialogue on PSMA implementation and their shared leadership role in developing more collaborative labour management relationships. Participants agreed to have similar meetings in the future.

News on PSMA Implementation

Deputy Minister Human Resources Management Advisory Committee (DMHRMAC) – last meeting November10

Mandate:

• Provides strategy, guidance and advice on the government’s HR management agenda
• Acts as a sounding board for emerging issues and major initiatives
• Reviews inter-organizational alignment of priorities and resources
• Evaluates progress and impact

Human Resources Management Integration Committee (HRMIC) was created to support the DMHRMAC.  Its purpose is to ensure the horizontal integration between Central Agencies and represented departments of HR issues before they are discussed by the DMHRMAC.

Communications, Learning & Cultural Change

DM Sub-committee - last meetingNovember 18, next meeting January 13.

Co-chairs: Janice Cochrane (CSPS) and Monique Collette (ACOA)

• Provides strategic advice on PSMA issues related to communications, learning and cultural change
• Information packages have been developed and briefing sessions held to ensure the engagement of Deputy Heads.  A similar session was held with bargaining agents in late November 2004.
• A series of nationally broadcast “Armchair Discussions” will be offered on topical PSMA issues during the next fiscal year.  The first in this series will look at a taped replication of the ADM sessions for use by departments and agencies.
• The Canada School of the Public Service completed its learning needs assessment of PSEA and PSLRA/FAA Direct Authorities and is finalizing the design of the course curriculum in consultation with the key players such as the policyholders and bargaining agents.
• Two courses, PSMA Accountabilities and Responsibilities and PSMA Enabling Skills, have been developed and will be piloted in January 2005.  Formal delivery of these two courses will take place between mid-February and the end of March 2005.
• The CSPS has also undertaken to revamp its existing, in-depth courses on staffing and staffing relations in light of the changes contained in the PSMA.

Labour Relations & Dispute Resolution

DM Sub-Committee - last meeting December 6, 2004

Co-chairs: John Sims (Justice) and Wayne Wouters (HRSD)

• Provides strategic advice related to the implementation of the PSLRA and the FAA
• The Sub-Committee endorsed the two remaining guidance instruments for the PSLRA / FAA - Co-development and Use of Employer’s Facilities.
• Ongoing discussions will focus on horizontal aspects of the project, including communications, learning and readiness.
• A number of knowledge transfer/outreach activities targeted at Executives (APEX consultations), middle managers and HR Professionals have been completed, with a total of approximately 1,600 participants in attendance. Two Informal Conflict Management (ICMS) design workshops were given on December 16-17, 2004 and January 5-6, 2005. The workshops were well attended, with approximately 70 participants from 34 public service organizations in attendance.    
• Union engagement in PSMA implementation is ongoing despite Public Service Alliance of Canada’s (PSAC) withdrawal from joint consultation activities. It is expected that the PSAC will resume joint consultation upon completion of the current round of collective bargaining.

The next DM Sub-Committee meeting will take place on February 6, 2005. The next PSMA Union / Management Advisory Committee meeting is expected to take place in early 2005.

Staffing & Staffing Recourse

DM Sub-Committee – last meeting December 8, next meeting?

Co-chairs: Larry Murray (DFO), Alain Jolicoeur (CBSA)

• Provides strategic advice and guidance to departments and agencies on the implementation of the new PSEA.
• Tools to support the integration of HR planning and business planning have been drafted and have been tested with key stakeholders.  A HR planning tool kit for managers is currently being finalised.  The HR planning products are targeted for release by January 2005.
• The Staffing Models and Tools Working Group is developing a tool kit to assist managers and HR professionals in the development of their staffing programs under the new PSEA.  Focused consultations on the draft kit will be undertaken between January and March.
• A joint working group on Staffing Recourse has been established and is seized with reviewing issues the new recourse provisions of the PSEA; ensuring linkages with the PSLRA changes (e.g. ICMS) and providing tools for departments to facilitate implementation.
• The third PSEA consultation event was held on November 9 and 10 to obtain preliminary feedback from departments and agencies on the proposed central agency policies, to consult on the tools and models that are being developed to support organisations and to discuss the challenges and opportunities of departmental implementation. Two working groups have been formed to deal with informal and deputy head investigations.  A possible third working group may be formed if required by the Public Service Staffing Tribunal (PSST).
• Formal feedback from departments on central agency policies was due December 1, 2004.  Revised policies and guidelines will be available to departments in early 2005 to guide them in the development of their staffing programs.  Policies and support tools will be finalised and communicated by April 1005.
• A working group on PSMA transition issues has been established to look at the transition issues with PSMA.  This group will be assisting the Canada School of Public Service in further refining the learning strategy for PSEA and will be looking at other priority issues such as HR certification.
• Visits in the regions will be scheduled from January to March to consult more broadly on an integrated suite of proposed central agency and PSMA working group tools related to the PSEA. 

Accountability, Performance Management and Reporting

DM Sub-Committee – last meeting November 17, next meeting February 3

Co-chairs: Margaret Bloodworth (PSEPC) and Ivan Fellegi (StatsCan)

• Provides strategic advice to the Secretary of Treasury Board and Comptroller General of Canada on establishment of a sound human resources management accountability framework to ensure the effective management of the Public Service work force and workplace as well as provides advice on the specific requirements set out in the PSMA.
• The working group will continue to refine and validate the PCMAF indicators by using the data from the 1999 and 2002 Public Service Employee Surveys from a number of test departments.  An approach for pilot-testing the implementation of the PCMAF will also be developed for the next DM Sub-Committee meeting
• Indicators for central agency accountabilities will be further developed with focus groups of managers and the various central agencies and the PSC.
• The next DM Sub-Committee meeting will be held on February 3, 2005. As agreed at the last meeting, narratives should be developed to describe a number of PCMAF indicators including “size, mix of skills”, “values and ethics”, and “affordable”.  These indicators are difficult to measure directly and thus a narrative will provide greater guidance in terms of how to assess these indicators.

PSMA Project Management

• In the next following weeks, the Project Management Office will begin to perform a detailed review of the current project plan to ensure inclusiveness.
• In addition, the Project Management Office will start working on the result-based management accountability framework (RMAF) to evaluate the PSMA implementation.
• The funding allocation process, as outlined in the Strategic Investment Framework, allows organizations, identified as having critical PSMA implementation activities, to submit funding proposals for current and future year needs.   This omnibus submission to access Supps B, for targeted organizations, is being finalized and will be sent for TB approval.
• The business case guidelines have been published and communicated to departments, agencies and separate employers.  As well, a call has been put out to these for a Notice of Intent relating to funding to be submitted by January 17, 2005.  Departments, agencies and separate employers will then be asked to submit a business case for the end of February 28, 2005, which will be rolled into a Treasury Board Submission planned for the end of April 2005.
• The Readiness Assessments documents for the PSLRA/FAA and the PSEA, and the guidelines for completing and submitting these assessments have been communicated to departments, agencies and separate employers. The first departmental report to PSHRMAC is expected January 13, 2005.

This bulletin is your window to PSMA implementation.  To ensure future editions of the bulletin meet your needs, we invite you to send any suggestions you may have to the contact person below.  We look forward to your comments.