Treasury Board explains new performance review of public sector employees

This past Monday a public sector union leader voiced concern and surprise that the Canadian government was implementing a new mandatory performance review of public sector employees.

Robyn Benson, the president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents 180,000 federal employees, said that performance evaluations have always been a part of the public sector reality.

In an interview with Radio Canada International (see here) she worried that this was just another excuse for the government to cut down on the number of public service employees.

And that’s hard for her to accept. As public servants, her members have seen the number of people giving services to Canadians drop, as the number of Canadians who need those services rise.

The minister who made the announcement for the Canadian government on May 28 about the new performance review was Tony Clement, the President of the Treasury Board.

His office was asked by Radio Canada International’s Wojtek Gwiazda two questions:

1) How is this new review different from the performance reviews already in place?
2) How much will it cost to implement this new mandatory review?

Here are the answers we received via email from the Treasury Board:

Q1) How is this new review different from the performance reviews already in place?

A1) Currently, departments use different processes and forms, making it difficult to track progress and report outcomes.

Under the new regime, there will be mandatory training for managers and supervisors, and a standardized process and forms. All employees must have annual performance objectives and a mid-year review. There will be active monitoring of probationary periods as well as structured support and guidance for employees to improve performance within clear timelines. There is clarity on the steps to be taken if performance does not improve, and these include withholding of increments, demotion or termination. Processes will ensure that employees are treated fairly. Departments will develop mandatory performance management programs with mechanisms to monitor progress and results.

From	To
No formal policy requiring performance management for employees other than executives	Directive requiring performance management for all employees
No mandatory training	Consistent, mandatory training for managers and supervisors
Departments use different processes / forms	Standardized process and forms, and all employees must have annual performance objectives and mid-year reviews (informal conversation)
No systematic monitoring of probationary periods or formal sign-off of “successful” completion	Active monitoring, including attestation that employees have passed the probationary period
Inconsistent follow-up following performance appraisals	Standardized follow-up process, including an action plan to support and guide employees to improve performance within clear timelines
No standardized departmental performance management programs	Mandatory departmental performance management programs, with departmental review panels and process to review performance assessment results
No tracking and reporting of outcomes (e.g. training take-up, promotions, demotions, departures, etc.)	Departments maintain records of the distribution of employee performance ratings that can be rolled up public-service wide

 

Q2) How much will it cost to implement this new mandatory review?

A2) The initiative is being funded through the reallocation of resources, no new funding is required to implement it.

A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Tony Clement said the minister was not available for an interview this week.

More information: 
RCI – Public sector union president wary of goals of “new” performance evaluations – here
May 28, 2013 press release of Treasury Board on performance review – here
Text of speech of President of the Treasury Board Tony Clement to the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada – here
Public Service Alliance of Canada website – www.psac-afpc.com
Robyn Benson blog – Conservative performance review – here

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