The Voice - Winter/Spring 2010

Goodbye and Thank You, Nik!

After more than 20 years in government, Nik Florakas will be retiring from the Public Service on April 16, 2010.

Nik started his public sector career at Agriculture Canada working in a number of senior roles.  In 2005, he became Director General of the Organizational Readiness Office (ORO). 

During Nik's tenure, the ORO has developed a broad range of products and services including pre-classified CS work descriptions and classification rationales and associated job competency profiles.  Introducing cross-departmental collective staffing processes helped place 500 employees in CS jobs across government.

The ORO also broadened its Career and Professional Development Programs incorporating training and development offerings for all levels of the IT Community, from CS-01 to CIOs. 

Nik collaborated with partners in departments and agencies, with PIPSC as well as with the government's IM and IT functional communities.  Together, these efforts have strengthened the communities' capacity, increased the mobility of IM and IT professionals across government and generated significant efficiencies for federal organizations.  The ORO's receipt of a GTEC Award in the Human Dimension category was a testament to the importance of these accomplishments as well as Nik's contributions as a leader.

Best wishes for your retirement Nik….you will be missed!

Pleased to be here

I'm very pleased to have this opportunity to communicate with the ORO's many stakeholders. As a former CIO, I have seen the value the ORO brings to the federal community.  Building on the ORO's past successes, my hope is to continue providing the types of products and services that departments and members of our communities need while further developing our offerings to meet changing expectations. I am excited with the addition of GCPedia and Web 2.0 into the ORO's areas of responsibility and the many opportunities to leverage the collective benefits of community and collaboration

As ORO is developed and run "by the community, for the community", I am here to listen and my door – be it physical or "virtual" – is always open .  Given the evolving priorities of the Government, the innovative products and services that ORO provides and supports – such as, Community Generic organizational models and work descriptions, collective staffing, development programs, and GCPedia – are even more crucial in improving efficiency and effectiveness in government management.

With the excellent foundation Nik has created, I am excited to work with the ORO team, my TBS colleagues and the broader GC community.

Marj Akerley,
Executive Director,
Organizational Readiness Office

Generically speaking…

IM and IT Products:

Work has begun on writing generic work descriptions for the small IT organizational model.

We have just begun working with a Focus Group of IM representatives to develop organizational models for this community. These models will be presented to the IM Community Generics Working Group in May 2010 for discussion and feedback. Once the models are approved, we will then begin developing generic work descriptions for selected key functions.

Concurrently, we are developing an IM Technical Competency Dictionary which will be used, along with the Integrated Behavioural Competency Dictionary, to develop Job Competency Profiles to complement each IM generic work description.

Services – IT Generics:

Since the last issue of The Voice, the Organizational Generics team has completed Organizational Readiness Assessments (ORAs) with Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Justice Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Canada School of Public Service.

And we look forward to working with Citizenship and Immigration Canada on its ORA.

Implementation planning continues to go well with Heritage Canada, Justice Canada, Public Service Commission and Environment Canada.  We look forward tosharing with the community the lessons learned from those departments that are close tofinalizing their implementation of IT Community Generics.

Collective Staffing Update

The annual CS-01 Post Secondary Recruitment process is well underway.  More than 600 candidates applied to the process; and the top 300 (based on PSC testing) were selected for further assessment. Interviews, which were held in the National Capital Region and in nine other cities across Canada, are 99% complete. The job fair is planned for May 5 and 6 at the Palais des Congrès in Gatineau.

A CS-03 process is currently underway.  Efforts are currently focused on the development of assessment tools, and the poster is expected to be published on www.jobs.gc.ca soon.

A CS-04 pool was created, and is now available for use.  For more information please contact the ORO at oro-bgc@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Learning and Development

The Professional Development and Apprenticeship Program, targeted to IT staff at the CS-01 and CS-02 levels, is now a reality.  This spring, the ORO will be making presentations to departmental management teams to encourage departmental participation.  If you would like to meet with us to discuss the opportunities for your department or agency, we'd be happy to arrange a visit. Please contact oro-bgc@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

The IM-IT Management Development Program's annual selection process began in February. This Program responds to the government's need for skilled IM and IT professionals by identifying and developing high-performing candidates with leadership potential. The program consists of formal education, stretch assignments and customized training and provides participants with the opportunity to qualify for director-level positions in the Government of Canada.

Since 2008, 11 departments and agencies have sponsored 26 participants and more that 50 developmental opportunities were offered.  In addition, this program has been a great success as 80% of our Program graduates currently hold senior positions in the Government of Canada.

The ORO can meet with Departmental management teams to present the Program and see how it will fit with your development needs.  We are also seeking stretch assignments and mentors at the EX-01 level and up for current participants.  Should you be interested, please contact the ORO at oro-bgc@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

IM/IT Awards:

Anticipation is mounting for the presentation of this year's IM and IT Community Awards, to be held May 27, during the DPI Gala Dinner. Come and cheer on your colleagues. For more information on the awards, or to attend, visit the DPI website.

Of Interest to the IM/IT Community

From time to time, as the situation warrants, the Voice will include items of interest (of a non-commercial nature) to the IM/IT community from other organizations.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) organizes monthly IT knowledge exchange forums to share best practices for addressing challenges on the use and management of IT for the Government of Canada (GC). Coordinated by PWGSC's Chief Technology Office, the Technology Awareness Sessions (TAS) provide the IT Community with the opportunity to learn about IT products, their functionalities and limitations in solving GC challenges.

The sessions are free of charge for all GC participants, and are held at the Innovatec Centre at Place du Portage III. The IT community from all regions can participate, thanks to the collaborative technologies such as Web Conferencing.

By participating in these sessions, you can learn from participating practitioners, capture innovative ideas, or contribute to new or existing IT Shared Services and best practices to better manage IT in the GC.

For Registration & Program Information, please contact: Carlos Chan, at (819) 956-3080, or at carlos.chan@pwgsc.gc.ca

Contact Us…

The Voice is the only newsletter that reaches IM/IT employees across the Government of Canada. How can we serve you better? Tell us! Contact the ORO at oro-bgc@tbs-sct.gc.ca or by phone at (613) 946-4681.