Training and Development of

Public Servants:

Approach of the

Canada School of Public Service

Canada School of Public Service•Established in April 2004, by Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA) through amalgamation of:

– Canadian Centre for Management Development• Created in 1980’s (with legislation passed in 1991) for

training and development of executives

– Training and Development Canada• Begun in 1970’s as part of Public Service Commission

to provide training for all public servants

– Language Training Canada• Started in late 1960’s to provide training in Canada’s

two official languages, French and English2

Training of Public Servants•Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA) gives School responsibility as common learning service provider for Public Service of Canada

– But Canada School does not do all training for all public servants– Many departments and agencies have their own training programs

and some (Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Transport Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Canada Border Service Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have training institutes and centres

– Great deal of training and development takes place under contract to consultants, private firms and universities

– Only universities offer academic training, leading to degrees• Master of Public Administration, of Public Administration, or of Public

Policy: Queen’s, Carleton, Dalhousie, Victoria, ENAP, and others• Bachelor’s degrees

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Canada School of Public Service:Mandate for Training

•PSMA gives mandate to Canada School “to help ensure that managers have the analytical, creative,

advisory, administrative and other managerial skills and knowledge necessary to develop and implement policy, respond to change, including changes in the social, cultural, racial and linguistic character of Canadian society, and manage government programs, services and personnel efficiently, effectively and equitably; …

to develop within the Public Service and to attract to the Public Service, through the School's programs and studies, persons who are of high calibre and who reflect the diversity of Canadian society, and to support their growth and development as public sector managers and employees committed to the service of Canada”

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Government Learning, Training and Development Policy

•Policy adopted by Government in late 2005 gives Canada School mandate for required training and as well for professional development and leadership development•Policy makes Heads of Departments and Agencies (“Deputy Heads”) responsible and accountable for defining learning, training and development needs for their organizations•Policy requires departments to develop learning plans

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Learning, Training and Development Policy: Responsibilities for Learning

• Shared responsibility of employees, managers at all levels, deputy heads and employer

• Employees - responsible for :• acquiring and maintaining the knowledge, skills and

competencies related to their level and functions, and • developing and pursuing learning plans aligned with

departmental business priorities and prepare them to do next job

• Managers at all levels and deputy heads - responsible for ensuring timely completion of training that supports departmental priorities and government’s management improvement objectives

• Treasury Board as employer establishes knowledge needed in areas deemed necessary for effective management of Public Service

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Canada School of Public Service:Working with Departments and Agencies

•Departments and agencies retain responsibility for training that is mission-specific, technical and operational•School’s learning opportunities do not replace departmental responsibilities•School’s activities directed to:

– providing advice to departments and agencies on developing learning strategies

– helping partners to meet their learning objectives, through “train the trainer” programs

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Learning, Training and Development Policy Canada School of Public Service Role

•Providing Foundational Learning– Design and deliver learning that is foundational for the public service (e.g. orientation

at all levels, training on authority delegations, professional and leadership foundations)

•Providing Strategic Advice – Provide strategic advice to departments on how to develop and implement learning

strategies to advance their corporate priorities

•Delivering Best Management Practices– Capture best and latest in public sector management practices to share across public

service

•Acting as a Learning Clearing House– Create high-quality marketplace for learning solutions from many sources by setting

standards, accrediting courses, evaluating learning products and publicly reporting all learner feedback

•Measuring and Reporting Outcomes– Measure and report on learning undertaken and results achieved across public

service to assess knowledge acquisition 8

Comprehensive Approach to LearningTo implement a more coordinated approach to Public Service learning and to better align learning with the business priorities of government in a dynamic, bilingual environment.

OrganizationalLeadership

Individual Learning

Innovation inPublic

Management

Renewed Public Service dedicated to excellence

Public servants able to perform in their current job,

take on the challenges of the

next job in a dynamic, bilingual

environment.

Departmental learningstrategies that betterleverage individual

knowledge, managechange and deliver

results for Canadians.

Dissemination of leading-edge practices in

public management /administration

across government through

research and learning.

Individual Learning

Public Service Foundations Professional Development

Orientation to the Public Service

• Who we work for

• Who we are

• How we do what we do

• What’s ahead

Authority Delegations

• Delegations(Human Resources, Finance, Info Management,Procurement)

• Legal Reqt’s

Leadership Development

Training for Functional

Groups

• Procurement, Material Mgt, Real Property

• Info Mgt

• Human Resources

• Financial

Leadership Competency

• Strategic Thinking

• Engagement

• Managing Excellence

• Value & Ethics

Development Programs(e.g. ALP, AEXDP)

Official Languages

Training

Build individual capacity so that public servants are able to perform in their current job, take on challenges of the next job in a dynamic bilingual environment.

Leadership Foundations (e.g. Living Leadership,

Direxion)

Organizational leadership

Organizational leadership

Public Management

Public Management

Individual Learning

Individual Learning

Job competencies

Professional Foundations

Organizational Leadership

Advise Departments

Build key relationships in departments (Departmental Portfolio Managers/Account Managers)

Share smart practices that build organizational capacity

Advise on developing organizational learning strategies

Support DepartmentsSupport Senior Leaders

Advanced Leadership Development program

Thematic Series

Roundtables

Assist in implementing organizational learning strategies

Monitor implementation and perform ongoing evaluations

Help departments use organizational learning strategies to manage change and deliver results for Canadians

IndividualIndividual Public Management

Public Management

OrganizationalLeadership

OrganizationalLeadership

Innovation In Public Management

Help departments accelerate innovation in public management for results

Scan and PrioritizeBuild Smart Practices Maximize Diffusion & Adoption

• Leverage behavior change through seniors leaders development and strategic advise to departments

• Strengthen international development program

Build understanding on future challenges.

Frame Emerging Issues

Learn from:• federal government

departments• other governments• other countries

• Work with departments to package key innovations for wider adoption

• Build safe spaces where senior leaders can work through complex problems

IndividualIndividual Organizational leadership

Organizational leadership

Public SectorManagementPublic SectorManagement

Public Service Foundations: Required Learning

Orientation to Public Service

Training for Functional Groups:Information Management

ProcurementMateriel Management

Real Property

Official Languages

Training

Authority Delegations

New Managers:Managing in Public Service:Executive ManagementHuman Resource ManagementFinancial ManagementContracting

Required Training - Learning, Training and Development Policy

Required Training - Foundations• Orientation program for all new employees of

core public administration• Courses and programs for first-time managers at

all levels, as well as validating knowledge of existing managers and executives - Authority delegation assessment and training

• Courses and programs for functional specialists in areas defined by employer (including professional and legal)

• Official languages

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Job competencies

• Core role of government• Management excellence• Human Resource excellence• Understanding Canada and the world

Professional Development

Professional Foundations

Professional Development - Competencies

Continuous and sustainable learning -Improving skills and job competencies

• Business skills• Planning and organizational skills• Communications skills• Writing• Training skillsComplemented by courses on career and

professional development, including career development, retirement planning

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Professional Development-Professional Foundations

• Information management• Procurement, materiel management and real

property• Finance• Policy and Programs - Public Policy

Development and Implementation, Cabinet Submissions, Treasury Board Submissions

• Government Communications• Human Resources Management - general and

for human resource professionals• Leadership and Management

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Leadership Competency

•Strategic Thinking

•Engagement

• Managing Excellence

•Value & Ethics

Development Programs

Leadership Foundations

Leadership Development

Leadership Development - ProgramsTaking Charge: Leadership Foundations -

DirexionSenior Leaders ProgramCareer Development Programs

– Management Trainee Program– Career Assignment Program– Accelerated Executive Development Program– Advanced Leadership Program

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Leadership development framework

Empowered Individuals

Developed Organizations

Strong NetworksConnected &

Aligned Organizations

External

Individuals

Internal

Organizations

Senior Leaders Development

• Lessons learned in leadership development– Leadership capacity seen as key to

organizational performance and is therefore top corporate priority;

– Business strategy and succession management are not only linked, they are aligned;

– Spotting and developing talent should be corporately and actively managed; and

– Use varied learning approaches for leadership development – no “one size fits all”.

Principles of Senior Leaders Program• Includes assessment of both individual and collective learning

needs, with participants playing active role in shaping their learning experience;

• Includes methods building on or challenging existing experiences of participants and conducive to leadership transformation of individual;

• Targets key areas for development with shorter, focused modules, recognizing that time available to executives to devote to formal learning activities is more limited;

• Uses wide variety of modalities to transfer knowledge, not just courses or seminars;

• Provides individual support to ensure transfer of learning beyond program, including providing on-going support to ensure transfer of learning to workplace; and

• Aligns leadership development with organizational priorities and objectives, within context of operating environment.

DM & ADM Learning Frameworks

• Based on four connected pillars:– Knowledge, of both self and community;– Leaders and practitioners of excellence;– Custodians and reformers of the institution; and – Become a “citizen of the world”.

• Based on those pillars, four learning objectives have been identified:– Keep at the forefront of practices related to duties;– Prepare for complex challenges;– Continuous learning; and – Build habits and networks for horizontal problem solving.

Senior Leaders Program - Deputy Ministers

DM Luncheons (monthly, 2-3 hrs): Gathering of senior leaders to hear expert presentations and discuss topics of public policy significance (facilitates cooperation at senior levels of PS in a safe-space environment)

DM Dinners (monthly, 2-3 hrs): Gatherings to discuss management issues affecting DMs in their day-to-day responsibilities in a safe-space environment (i.e. internal audit, Lobbyist Registration Act, etc)

DM Orientation (1 day): Foundational learning for newly appointed senior leaders surrounding their delegated authorities and opportunity to develop best practices

Similar events are organized for Associate Deputy Ministers, Heads of Agencies and Crown Corporation communities

Senior Leaders Program -Other Groups

• Assistant Deputy Ministers– Seminars (monthly, 3 hrs): Expert presentations and discuss

topics of public policy significance; strategic contextual knowledge; and leading edge leadership and management skills

– ADM Orientation (2 days): Foundational learning for newly appointed senior leaders surrounding their delegated authorities and opportunity to develop best practices

• Chiefs of Staff (2 days): Foundational learning for senior ministerial staff to strengthen leadership and managerial competencies

• Bridgers (3 days): Introduction to GoC and Public Service to facilitate transition of and integration of senior leaders recruited from outside public service

• DG Learning Forum (monthly,1/2 -1 day): Sessions focusing on key management issues for DGs

• EX Forum (all EXs, every 6 weeks,1-2 hrs): opportunity for executives to engage in open and frank discussion on important issues of the day with subject matter experts and opinion leaders

Career Development Programs -Management Trainee Program

• Development of entry-level candidates who have demonstrated potential to become managers and future leaders - recruited (usually from university) through rigorous selection process

• Program over four years designed to develop management competencies thorough diverse experiences:– Succession of rotational assignments in line

departments and agencies, central agencies– Self-learning– Action learning– Courses - educational component - two weeks every

three months

Career Development Programs -Accelerated Executive Development Program

• Development and career advancement of executives who have demonstrated potential to become Assistant Deputy Ministers

• Two complementary aspects - characterized by firm and consistent commitment to Action Learning:– Developmental job assignments– Consideration through various learning mechanisms

and development tools of issues in way to produce cycle of action, reflection, learning and practice - intended to assess strengths and needs of individual

Canada School of Public Service•Client Focussed

• Tailored delivery• Two-way communication

•Open and accessible to all Public Servants in all regions of Canada•Committed to offering timely and accessible services of high quality at best possible price: operate on cost recovery basis•Open and Transparent: Feedback and Evaluation•Employing Latest Learning Techniques: Blended Learning and Campusdirect

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