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Notice to the reader: This document is no longer in effect. It has been archived online and is kept purely for historical purposes.
This policy consolidates and clarifies previously separate policies and
instructions on organizational authority, classification of executive group
positions and titling. It replaces the policy on the Delegation of
Organizational Authority of April 1, 1992, the policy on the Classification of
Executive Group Positions of February 2, 1995 and the policy on the Use of
Assistant Deputy Minister and other Assistant Deputy Head Titles of April 1,
1992, as well as guidelines issued in various letters and bulletins.
This policy is effective July 1, 2003.
This policy will be evaluated no later than five years after implementation.
To provide deputy heads with necessary organizational authority to carry out
their responsibilities and to ensure that the Executive Group classification
plan is applied equitably and consistently across the Public Service, and to
ensure the appropriate use of Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (SADM), Assistant
Deputy Minister (ADM) and other Assistant Deputy Head titles.
It is government policy that:
- authority to classify, modify the classification, or abolish positions at
the EX-4 and EX-5 levels and those designated, or proposed for designation,
as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (SADM), Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM),
or other Assistant Deputy Head resides with the Treasury Board;
- all SADM, ADM and other Assistant Deputy Head positions have the necessary
authority, accountability, responsibility, stature and influence;
- authority to classify, modify the classification, or abolish positions at
the EX-1 to EX-3 levels is delegated to deputy heads.
This policy applies to all departments and other portions of the Public
Service listed in Part I, Schedule I, of the Public Service Staff Relations
Act.
1. Departmental organizations may not have more than three layers of
hierarchical executive management below the deputy head/associate deputy head.
2. Departments must seek Treasury Board approval to:
- create or abolish EX-04 or EX-05 positions or change their
responsibilities;
- create or abolish Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (SADM), Assistant
Deputy Minister (ADM) or other Assistant Deputy Head positions, or change
their responsibilities, classifications or titles.
3. Treasury Board approval is required for the matters referred to in section
2 above:
- before Deputy Heads exercise their delegated authority to classify
subordinate organizational positions in the Executive Group; and
- before publicizing and implementing a reorganization or redistribution of
responsibilities.
4. Departments are required to maintain up-to-date departmental organization
charts.
5. Deputy Heads must personally approve and sign all classification actions
for Executive Group positions at the EX-1 to EX-3 levels and are accountable for
their decisions.
6. Although deputy heads may not subdelegate this authority, a person acting
in that capacity in the Deputy's absence may exercise the Deputy's
classification authority. The most senior departmental official responsible for
human resources may sign, on behalf of the Deputy, administrative classification
actions (i.e. those that have no impact on the evaluation of the position or do
not change its reporting relationship).
7. Positions at the EX-1 to EX-3 levels whose incumbents are deemed to have
Deputy Head rank and status must be referred to the Treasury Board Secretariat
for classification.
8. Deputy heads may not approve classification actions that depend upon
organizational or classification changes at non-delegated levels before the
Treasury Board has approved the non-delegated changes. Requests for such
approvals should explain the classification level(s) which the Deputy Head
proposes to assign under delegated authority and reflect cost-effective and
efficient organizational decisions. In such circumstances, Deputy Heads may not
backdate positions they have classified beyond the effective date of the related
Treasury Board approval.
9. Only positions where the incumbent is excluded from collective bargaining
may be reclassified into the Executive Group.
10. Deputy Heads' classification decisions must be consistent with the Executive
Group Position Evaluation Plan and the Executive Group benchmarks issued by
the Treasury Board Secretariat.
11. Executive Group position descriptions should be short, concise, reflect
current major responsibilities and accountabilities accurately, and conform to
the Executive Group Position Description Writing Manual.
12. At delegated levels, all Executive Group positions affected by
significant changes (e.g. mandate, organizational structure, reporting
relationships, prime accountabilities) or other classification decisions must be
updated and evaluated within 60 days of the changes. At non-delegated levels,
such positions must be updated and forwarded to the Treasury Board Secretariat
for evaluation within a 60-day period.
13. Departments are required to document all classification actions and
maintain complete and current files for all Executive Group positions.
14. For all non- delegated classification proposals, departments must forward
the following documentation to the Treasury Board Secretariat:
- a "Classification Action Form";
- a position description signed and dated by the position's superior
officer, certifying that the information represents the major
responsibilities and accountabilities accurately (descriptions should also
be signed, when appropriate, by incumbents);
- a departmental evaluation rationale, including references to benchmarks,
for the assigned level and rating;
- organization charts, signed and dated by the superior officer, that show
the position in the departmental structure and superior, peer and
subordinate relationships; and
- any other information used to arrive at the proposed classification.
15. At delegated levels, classification decisions require similar
documentation for each position.
16. The classification decision remains valid until substantive changes are
made to the position (e.g. mandate, organizational structure, reporting
relationships or primary accountabilities).
17. Departments must seek the approval of the Privy Council Office to use the
title of Associate Deputy Minister or other Associate Deputy Head titles.
18. Departments must seek Treasury Board approval for the use of SADM, ADM or
other Assistant Deputy Head titles, and for changes to, or the abolition of,
approved titles. (Refer to Appendix B.)
19. Positions bearing SADM or other Senior Assistant Deputy Head titles must
sustain classification at the EX-5 level and normally direct an operation that
is the major program or function of the department.
20. All incumbents of SADM, ADM or other Assistant Deputy Head positions must
be delegated some significant part of the Deputy Minister's or Deputy Head's
authority, whether to act on behalf of the Minister to administer legislation or
to manage and direct the department.
21. The creation of an SADM or other Senior Assistant Deputy Head position
must not undermine the Deputy's delegation of authority to other ADMs or their
accountability to the Deputy. However, an SADM or Senior Assistant Deputy Head
may, for a special purpose, coordinate the work of other ADMs or Assistant
Deputy Heads, and resolve cross-jurisdictional issues, to reduce the burden on
the Deputy.
22. Positions with Assistant Deputy Head status should have titles that
reflect the department's operating mode and the Deputy's own title. Such titles
include Assistant Deputy Minister, Vice-President, Deputy Commissioner, Deputy
Secretary or Assistant Secretary.
23. All positions bearing ADM or other Assistant Deputy Head titles must:
- report directly to the Deputy/Associate deputy;
- sustain classification at the EX-4 or EX-5 level;
- be occupied by incumbents whom the Deputy holds directly accountable for
the results and impact of the programs under their direction, including the
means and resources employed, and who exercise the Deputy's decision-making
authority for a major program or function;
- be occupied by incumbents who assume full responsibility for advising the
Deputy and the Minister on policies for areas they direct;
- be occupied by incumbents who participate as full members of the
department's senior management committee;
- hold a level of signing authority second only to the Deputy's for
particular areas of departmental operations and priorities; and
- be occupied by incumbents who are authorized to act on behalf of the
Deputy or Minister and to communicate publicly on their own programs and, as
required, on all the department's activities.
24. Departments should be consistent in applying titles assigned under
delegated organizational authority and ensure that they reflect and convey a
position's role, authority, and place in the department's organizational
hierarchy.
25. Departments must ensure that Executive Group positions submitted to the
Public Service Commission for staffing are up-to-date, classified and authorized
by the Deputy Head or the Treasury Board Secretariat.
26. Executive Group employees have the right to submit classification
grievances. Responsibility for grievances for positions in, or involving entry
to, the Executive Group is retained by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
The Treasury Board Secretariat monitors the Deputy Head's exercise of
delegated organization authority and classification decisions of deputy heads to
ensure consistent and equitable application of organization principles and the
Executive Group classification plan across the Public Service.
The Secretariat may also undertake on-site reviews of departmental
classification processes and report on the results of these reviews to
individual Deputy Heads and the Secretary of the Treasury Board.
Executive Group classification decisions are subject to external audit. When
an audit confirms over-classifications, the Secretariat may reduce departmental
Executive Group performance pay budgets by an amount corresponding to the
associated impact on compensation. Such reductions will continue until the
deputy head takes corrective action.
Relevant publications are available via the Treasury Board Web site.
For related material concerning the Executive Group, including the Executive
Group Position Evaluation Plan and the Executive group Position
Description Writing Manual, select: Policies/Executive Group
For a Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions, select:
Policies/Submission
Enquiries about this policy should be referred to the responsible officers in
departmental headquarters who, in turn, may direct questions on policy
interpretation to:
Executive Management Policies
The Leadership Network
Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada
Enquiries about employee classification grievances should be directed to:
Assistant Secretary Organization and Classification
Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada
Departments are encouraged to consult the Treasury Board Secretariat when
they are planning organizational changes affecting positions in the Executive
Group. In this way, organizational and classification implications may be
discussed early in the process, and structural options, if applicable, can be
considered.
Committees
Departments are encouraged to establish committees of senior managers (ADM
level) to advise deputy heads on such matters as classification decisions,
delayering, and cost-effective organizations. It is desirable for such
committees to include, or receive advice from a human resources specialist
trained in applying the Executive Group position evaluation plan.
Training
Departments are encouraged to ensure that training in the application of the
Executive Group position evaluation plan is provided to line managers and
classification specialists.
Advice
Advice on organization and classification options and their impact is
available to Deputy Heads at any time from the Treasury Board Secretariat.
Delegated authorities
The Treasury Board has delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury Board and
the Assistant Deputy Minister, The Leadership Network, HRMO, authority to
approve:
- minor changes in the duties of EX-4 and EX-5 positions and of positions
with SADM, ADM or other Assistant Deputy Head titles, when such changes have
no significant impact on the position itself or on any other position at
these levels;
- temporary assignment for up to two years of SADM, ADM and other Assistant
Deputy Head titles; and
- the abolition of EX-4 and EX-5 positions and of positions with SADM, ADM
or other Assistant Deputy Head titles, when there is no significant impact
on any other position at these levels.
In these matters, a letter to the Assistant Deputy Minister, The Leadership
Network, HRMO, from the Deputy Head, describing the requirement and providing
appropriate justification, replaces the normal submission. Approval is based on
the same analysis used for submissions to the Treasury Board. Accordingly,
departments are encouraged to consult the Treasury Board Secretariat before
submitting proposed changes.
The deputy head has the authority to assign titles other than Associate
Deputy Head, SADM, ADM or their equivalents. However, the title of Director
General should be restricted to those positions that have significant
responsibility for the ongoing direction of staff and are no lower than two
hierarchical management levels below the Deputy. The title of Director should be
restricted to those positions that have significant responsibility for the
ongoing direction of staff and are no lower than three hierarchical management
levels below the Deputy.
To avoid the perception of too many management layers, titles with a
qualifier, such as "Deputy" Director or "Assistant" Director
General, should not be used.
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