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The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent agency reporting to Parliament on matters under its jurisdiction. The Commission consists of a president and two or more part-time commissioners appointed for a maximum period of seven years. The president and the commissioners are appointed by the Governor in Council. The appointment of the president is made under the Great Seal after approval by the Senate and the House of Commons. The president’s position is currently held by Maria Barrados; the two Commissioner positions are held by Manon Vennat and David Zussman. The President is the Chief Executive Officer and is accountable to the Commission under the PSEA. She is also accountable to the Minister of Canadian Heritage for specific duties and responsibilities under the Financial Administration Act.
Five branches headed by vice-presidents support the President in her role as Chief Executive Officer and contribute to the achievement of the PSC’s strategic outcome. An organization chart outlining the PSC’s internal structure and accountability is presented below.
The Senior Vice President, Policy carries out key policy development and oversight functions in support of the PSEA. The Senior Vice-President is accountable for: the interpretation, application and development of policies under the PSEA, including aspects related to equity and diversity and the political activities of public servants; negotiating, monitoring and evaluating deputy heads’ exercise of their delegated staffing authorities and recommending corrective action as needed; managing the administration of priority entitlements; contributing to the future-oriented vision of the PSC as an independent agency and developing strategic policy frameworks; managing the development of the PSC’s annual report; coordinating with central agencies and departments the full implementation of the PSEA.
The Vice President, Audit conducts public service-wide independent audits, studies and evaluations to provide objective information, advice and assurance to Parliament, and ultimately Canadians, on the integrity of the appointment process, including the protection of merit and non-partisanship. In addition, the Vice-President, Audit, provides appointment data and analysis in support of the PSC’s oversight role and information needs of departments and agencies.
The Vice President, Investigations conducts investigations and promotes the use of alternative dispute resolution methods. The Vice President is mandated to conduct several types of investigations related to external appointment processes: non-delegated internal appointment processes; allegations of politically influenced appointments and fraud; improper political activities; and, at the request of deputy heads, investigations of delegated internal appointment processes. In addition, the Vice President, Investigations, conducts appeal hearings and investigations related to selection and staffing processes that were initiated under the old PSEA.
The Vice President, Staffing and Assessment Services develops, implements and delivers recruitment, staffing and assessment systems, programs, services and products for use across the public service; provides recruitment services to all clients and staffing services to organizations (under non-delegated and delegated authorities) which require our services, or who have lost all or part of their delegation as a result of a PSC oversight activity; and develops and implements service strategies, policies and structures.
The Vice President, Corporate Management develops and monitors corporate management planning frameworks and policies related to the Management Accountability Framework, finance, human resources management, information technology, communications and other administrative and support services; provides central services and systems in support of all PSC programs, including the offices of the President and commissioners; and formulates and implements policies, plans, guidelines, standards, processes and procedures to support the decision-making process of the Commission.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) works collaboratively with the following major organizations and stakeholders:
Forecast Spending 2006-2007 |
Planned Spending 2007-2008 |
Planned Spending 2008-2009 |
Planned Spending 2009-2010 |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
By Program Activity | ||||
Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | 18,276 | 18,580 | 18,580 | 18,580 |
Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality | 25,688 | 29,794 | 29,794 | 29,794 |
Staffing Services and Assessment | 68,053 | 60,832 | 48,633 | 43,639 |
Budgetary Main Estimates (Gross) | 112,017 | 109,206 | 97,007 | 92,013 |
Less: Respendable Revenue (Note 1) | 6,000 | 6,000 | ||
Total Main Estimates | 106,017 | 103,206 | 97,007 | 92,013 |
Adjustments | ||||
Supplementary Estimates (A) | ||||
Operating budget carry forward | 3,808 | |||
2005 Expenditure Review Committee savings – Procurement | (460) | |||
Spending authorities available within the Vote | (1,247) | |||
Other | ||||
Collective agreements | 1,240 | |||
Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) – reprofiled resources from 2006-2007 to 2007-2008 | (4,703) | |||
Adjustment entry to reconcile to best estimate of expenditures | (770) | |||
Internal Audit | 214 | |||
Assessment and Counselling Services and Products ( Note 1) | ||||
-Expenses | 6,000 | 6,000 | ||
-Revenues Credited to the Vote | (6,000) | (6,000) | ||
Internal Realignment (Note 2) | ||||
-Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | (1,572) | (1,572) | (1,572) | |
-Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality | (1,002) | (1,002) | (1,002) | |
-Staffing Services and Assessment | 2,574 | 2,574 | 2,574 | |
Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) | 7,200 | |||
Total Adjustments | (2,132) | 214 | - | 7,200 |
Total Planned Spending (Note 3) | 103,885 | 103,420 | 97,007 | 99,213 |
Less: Non-Respendable Revenue | - | - | ||
Plus: Cost of Services Received Without Charge | 16,957 | 15,311 | 14,965 | 14,790 |
Total PSC Spending | 120,842 | 118,731 | 111,972 | 114,003 |
Full-Time Equivalents | 949 | 1,015 | 1,002 | 1,014 |
Note 1: During 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, the PSC obtained authority to respend revenues from Assessment and Counselling Services and Products. This authority will be sought for 2008-2009 and beyond.
Note 2: The internal realignment figures include temporary reallocations to fund continued work on the Staffing and Assessment Services Transformation.
Note 3: The changes to the Total Planned Spending Figures from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 are mainly attributable to the difference in yearly funding for the PSSMP, for which $4.9 million, including EBP, was reprofiled from 2006-2007 to 2007-2008.
2007-2008 ($ thousands) | |||||
GoC Strategic Outcome areas: Government Affairs: safeguarding and fostering the integrity and political neutrality of public servants through audits, reviews, and investigations in support of the government's public policy values of equity, transparency, and fairness for all. | |||||
Budgetary | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Program Activity | Operating | Respendable Revenue | Total Main Estimates | Adjustments (Planned Spending not in Main Estimates) ( Note 1) | Total Planned Spending |
Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality |
18,580 | 18,580 | (1,529) | 17,051 | |
Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality |
29,794 | 29,794 | (934) | 28,860 | |
Staffing Services and Assessment | 60,832 | (6,000) | 54,832 | 2,677 | 57,509 |
Total | 109,206 | (6,000) | 103,206 | 214 | 103,420 |
Note 1: The adjustment figures include temporary reallocations to fund continued work on the Staffing and Assessment Services Transformation.
Vote or Statutory Item | Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording | 2007-2008 Main Estimates | 2006-2007 Main Estimates |
---|---|---|---|
($ thousands) | |||
80 | Operating Program Expenditures | 90,032 | 92,949 |
(S) | Contributions to Employee Benefit Plans | 13,174 | 13,068 |
Total Voted and Statutory Items | 103,206 | 106,017 |
($ thousands) | 2007-2008 |
---|---|
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada | 9,473 |
Contributions covering the Employer’s share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by TBS (excluding revolving funds); Employer’s contribution to employees’ insured benefits plans and expenditures paid by TBS | 5,018 |
Workers’ compensation coverage provided by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada | 121 |
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by the Department of Justice Canada | 618 |
Audit services by the Office of the Auditor General | 81 |
Other | - |
Total 2007-2008 services received without charge | 15,311 |
Respendable Revenue (Note 1)
($ thousands) | Forecast Revenue 2006-2007 |
Planned Revenue 2007-2008 |
Planned Revenue 2008-2009 |
Planned Revenue 2009-2010 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Staffing Services and Assessment | ||||
Assessment and Counselling Services and Products (Note 2) | 6,256 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
Total Respendable Revenue | 6,256 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
Note 1: The PSC does not foresee receiving non-respendable revenues.
Note 2: During 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, the PSC obtained authority to respend revenues from Assessment and Counselling Services and Products. This authority will be sought for 2008-2009 and beyond.
2007-2008 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
($ thousands) | Appointment Integrity and Political Neutrality | Oversight of Integrity of Staffing and Political Neutrality | Staffing Services and Assessment | Total Planned Spending |
Policy | 10,692 | 2,664 | 327 | 13,683 |
Audit | 9,155 | 9,155 | ||
Investigations | 6,867 | 6,867 | ||
Staffing and Assessment Services | 41,921 | 41,921 | ||
Corporate Management | 6,139 | 9,821 | 14,732 | 30,692 |
Commissioners’ Office | 220 | 353 | 529 | 1,102 |
Total | 17,051 | 28,860 | 57,509 | 103,420 |
Internal Audits
The PSC has an established internal audit function, with its activities framed by professional standards and Treasury Board Secretariat policies. The PSC has its own internal audit policy, governed through the Internal Audit Committee (IAC). The PSC posts all completed audits on its Web site at: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/centres/internal_audits/index-eng.htm.
Recently, the PSC took steps to reinforce the independence of its internal audit function. In Particular, its Internal Audit Committee is now composed of independent, external members, and the Chief Audit Executive reports directly to the President.
For 2006-2007, the Committee had approved three audits: Human Resources Readiness; Readiness Assessment of Controls for Financial Statements’ External Audit; and Expenditure Management Controls (limited-scope audit). The first one is already posted on the Web site, and the two others are being prepared for posting. Management provided comprehensive action plans, which were included as part of the audit reports. Implementation of these action plans is proceeding well.
Some projects approved in the 2006-2007 Internal Audit Plan are not yet complete. Estimated completion dates of upcoming reports are: Public Service Resourcing System - Stream 1 (preliminary survey: winter 2007); Financial Reporting - Cyclical (spring 2007). Audits on both IT security and budgeting are in the planning phases and they will be conducted partly in 2007-2008.
Audits scheduled for start-up in 2007-2008 are the following: Regional Operations; Staffing Accountability Monitoring and Reporting; and Corporate Planning and Reporting. The 2007-2008 Internal Audit Plan will be scheduled for review and approval by the Committee in the spring of 2007, and reflect assessment of risk at that time.
Internal Evaluations
The PSC approved its Internal Evaluation Policy in 2004. This policy supports the generation of objective and evidenced-based information on the relevance, results and effectiveness of the PSC’s policies, programs and initiatives as a department under the Financial Administration Act. Focusing the internal evaluation function on the policies, programs and initiatives of the PSC as a department is intended to distinguish internal evaluation from the PSC’s external evaluation function where the human resources management practices, policies or initiatives of departments and agencies are evaluated as part of the PSC’s independent oversight role.
The PSC’s Internal Evaluation function was established in April 2005 within the Internal Audit and Evaluation Directorate. In April 2006, as a result of the Government’s new Internal Audit Policy (2005), the function was relocated within the PSC’s Corporate Planning, Reporting and Evaluation Directorate. The Internal Evaluation Policy is governed by the PSC’s Executive Management Committee (EMC) which is chaired by the President. EMC approves internal evaluation plans, reports and recommendations and monitors follow-up.
In July 2006, EMC approved the 2006-2007 Internal Evaluation Plan; a plan focused in the interim on helping managers to operate effectively in the new PSEA environment by supporting their efforts to plan, track and report on organizational performance. As well, the plan includes two evaluations that are linked to the PSC’s Corporate Risk Management Strategy. These evaluations are outlined in the table below.
Internal Evaluation | Evaluation Type | Status | Expected Completion Date | Electronic Link to Report |
---|---|---|---|---|
Public Service Recruitment System (PSRS: Stream 1) | Implementation evaluation of a service initiative (not a grant or contributions program) | In-progress | June 2007 | N/A |
Recruitment of Policy Leaders Program | Implementation evaluation of a service initiative (not a grants or contributions program) | In-progress | June 2007 | N/A |
Electronic Link to Internal Audit and Evaluation Plan: Not available at this time.
($ thousands) |
Current Estimated Total Cost |
Forecast Spending to March 31, 2007 |
Planned Spending |
Planned Spending |
Planned Spending |
Future Years Spending Requirement |
Staffing Services and Assessment |
|
|||||
Public Service Staffing Modernization Project (PSSMP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interim Solution (PSRS) |
59,174 |
26,788 |
12,111 |
6,848 |
6,670 |
6,757 |
Longer Term Solution |
2,354 |
2,354 |
|
|
|
|