Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
www.tbs-sct.gc.ca
Interchange Canada
About the program
By the temporary assignment of employees from one sector to another, the federal Public Service, private sector organizations, academic institutions and non profit organizations
- strengthen policies, programs and services;
- share expertise and best practices;
- encourage employee development in line with strategic organizational needs.
Interchange Canada
An important opportunity for you and your organization!
Interchange Canada promotes employee assignments between the federal Public Service and organizations in other sectors both within Canada and internationally. By taking assignments in a new sector, employees develop personally and professionally while their organizations benefit from new skills, knowledge and approaches.
Why consider an Interchange assignment?
How does Interchange Canada work?
How does an assignment happen?
Why consider and Interchange assignment
For the organization involved, the benefits are immediate:
- a vigorous infusion of new expertise, ideas and perspectives;
- closer working relationships between people;
- lasting partnerships for the future.
Employees coming into the federal government:
- experience the public policy-making process first hand;
- broaden their knowledge of complex public policy issues;
- understand the workings of government.
Federal government employee out on assignment:
- master the challenges and practices of effective business;
- make decisions that are driven by "the bottom line";
- experience the impact of government policies, regulations and programs.
All participants benefit from:
- personal and professional growth;
- the stimulation of testing skills and abilities in new circumstances;
- the knowledge and understanding that come from exploring issues from a different perspective.
To compete in the global marketplace, the federal Public Service and organizations in other sectors must understand each other better: their goals and aspirations, their requirements, their perspectives on policies and issues, and their ways of operating. They need to work together as partners. Interchange Canada facilitates these partnerships and develops bridges that last long after assignments end.
How does Interchange Canada work?
- Employees are sponsored by their organization
During the assignment, they work on-site with the host organization but remain employees of the sponsoring organization. At the end of the assignment, they are expected to return to their sponsor.
- An assignment can be for any period up to three years
- Employees maintain their current pay and benefits.
The sponsoring organization continues to pay the participant's salary and benefits. Normally, the host organization reimburses the sponsor for these costs.
- The host pays for initial interview expenses as well as job-related travel and training during the assignment.
- Confidentiality and security are safeguarded.
The host organization ensures that confidentiality and security requirements are met before the assignment begins.
- Possible conflict of interest situations are examined.
Participating organizations are responsible for ensuring that there is no possible conflict of interest or that the risk is not significant.
Who can participate?
Interchange Canada is open to employees in all groups and levels of the federal Public
Service and to employees in business, other levels of government, Crown corporations, unions,
academic institutions and non-profit organizations both within Canada and
internationally.
For the purposes of Interchange Canada, the federal public service includes all departments or
agencies identified in Schedule I and IV of the Financial Administration Act. Any other
organization is considered an outside organization.
How does an assignment happen?
Initiating an assignment can happen in different ways.
- A host organization identifies an assignment opportunity. The appropriate federal department and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer's Interchange Canada Program are available to assist in identifying candidates.
- An organization wishing to sponsor an employee may look for an appropriate assignment in another sector. Again, federal departments and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer are available to assist.
- An employee identifies a possible assignment.
- the duties;
- the skills and experience required;
- the duration and starting date;
- the location of the assignment;
- the salary available for reimbursement.
Program management
The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer and federal departments work as partners in delivering Interchange Canada. Federal departments promote the program within their organization and administer assignments. The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer provides overall management and direction for the program.
Through Interchange Canada, employees from federal departments, private sector organizations and other levels of government take temporary assignments in a different sector. By undertaking these challenges, employees:
- learn first hand the realities and constraints of the other sector;
- develop valuable partnerships;
- use their talents and experience to solve new problems.
