Annual Report on the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act 2009-10

Message from the Chief Human Resources Officer

I am pleased to present this report on activities related to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act as carried out by federal public sector organizations during 2009–10.

It is clear that organizations across the public sector have now implemented the Act and that the Act has been effective in supporting public servants who make disclosures under it. The activity reflected in this report is a sign that the procedures established under the Act are contributing to integrity in public sector organizations.

Public service renewal remained a high priority in 2009–10. Work related to the codes of conduct required under the Act has been an essential part of our activities this year. We have conducted extensive consultations with bargaining agents, senior leaders, public servants and federal public sector organizations. In addition, we have researched best practices and codes in other jurisdictions and consulted academics. The new Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector will be an evolution of the current one; it will reflect what we have learned through consultation and research and will build on the successes and lessons learned under the current Code.

Like the current Code, the new Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector will emphasize the tradition of non-partisanship and impartiality in the Canadian public service in setting out the values of respect for democracy, respect for people, integrity, stewardship and excellence. One significant improvement of the new Code is that it will more clearly distinguish between values and expected behaviours. This will pave the way for individual organizational codes of conduct to provide detailed direction to public servants and be tailored to meet each organization's specific culture, mandate and areas of risk. The new Code will be finalized by fall 2010, and deputy heads will develop and implement their organizational codes by March 31, 2011.

We look forward to continuing to support chief executives in carrying out their responsibilities under the Act. At the same time, as part of the mandate of the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Government of Canada, we will continue to provide leadership in values and ethics and promote ethical practices across the public sector.

Original signed by

Daphne Meredith, Chief Human Resources Officer
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat