ARCHIVED - Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada - Report

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Commissioner's Message

As the newly appointed Public Sector Integrity Commissioner,
I am pleased to present our 2012-13 Report on Plans and Priorities.

This past year, our Office achieved a number of significant milestones that will help us in increasing our capacity to deliver our mandate. One of the key milestones was to complete a number of staffing actions as committed to in 2010-11, to ensure stability in the organization with a focus on our investigative capacity. To foster a better understanding of the legal provisions governing our actions, we have also started the development of decision-making policies in order to clearly set-out the guiding principles and criteria under which some of our key decisions are made.

Our primary commitment remains the performance of our mandated functions; that is, to receive, analyze and investigate disclosures and reprisal complaints, and to report findings of wrongdoing to Parliament or make referrals to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal. The Office has tabled a Case Report in Parliament, referred three cases to the Public Servant Protection Tribunal, and is experiencing a significant increase in the number of investigations underway as compared to this time last year. I believe this upward trend in the number of cases will continue over the course of this planning period. I am confident that, as cases of wrongdoing are found and reported on, and reprisal cases are heard before the Tribunal, that public sector employees' trust and confidence in their disclosure regime will follow.

I am committed to enhancing accessibility to the Office for potential disclosers or victims of reprisal, and will focus attention on maximizing the effectiveness of our communications to ensure our roles and responsibilities are better understood and that people who need our services know where to find us.

We will also establish meaningful performance measures to assist in the allocation of resources and the identification of areas for improvement, and to assist the organization in achieving its expected results. Finally, we will ensure that we maintain a human resources capacity that meets organizational needs.

I believe in the value of providing an independent, effective and predictable disclosure regime in the federal public sector. I am confident that the implementation of the priorities set out in this plan will result in the success of my Office in these objectives.

Section I — Organizational Overview

Raison d’être

The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada (the Office) was set up to administer the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA), which came into force in April 2007. The Office is mandated to establish a safe, independent, and confidential process for public servants and members of the public to disclose potential wrongdoing in the federal public sector. The Office also exists to protect from reprisal those public servants who have filed disclosures or participated in related investigations.

Responsibilities

The Office has jurisdiction over the entire public sector, including separate agencies and parent Crown corporations, which represents approximately 400,000 public servants. Under the PSDPA, members of the general public can also come to the Office with information about a possible wrongdoing in the federal public sector. However, the Office does not have jurisdiction over the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and the Communications Security Establishment, each of which is required under the PSDPA to establish internal procedures for disclosure of wrongdoing and protection against reprisal similar to those set out in the Act.

The Office conducts independent reviews and investigations of disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal in a fair and timely manner. In cases of founded wrongdoing, the Commissioner issues findings, through the tabling of a case report to Parliament, and makes recommendations to chief executives for corrective action. The Commissioner exercises exclusive jurisdiction over the review, investigation and conciliation of reprisal complaints. This includes making applications to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal, which has the power to determine if reprisals have taken place and to order appropriate remedial and disciplinary action.

The Office is guided at all times by the public interest and the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness. The Commissioner submits an annual report to Parliament and special reports may also be submitted to Parliament at any time.

More information about the Office's mandate, roles, responsibilities, activities, statutory reports and the PSDPA can be found on the Office's website: www.psic-ispc.gc.ca.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

The Office has one strategic outcome that guides the pursuit of its mandate and reflects the long-term benefits sought for Canadians as demonstrated in the following chart.

[Text version]

Organizational Priorities

Priority	Type1	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Disclosure and reprisal management function that is timely, rigorous, independent and accessible	Ongoing	Disclosure and reprisal management
Description
Why is this a priority? There are a number of factors contributing to this undertaking, but largely it is the cornerstone of creating trust in the organization with those individuals who may approach or interact with Office. Additional factors driving this initiative are: the Office has had an increasing number of cases and investigations, requiring a disclosure and management function that will result in an approach to work with these attributes (timely, rigorous, independent and accessible) with the current resources; the Office has completed the review of the past case files from which lessons were learned and can be applied; there is an increased number of staff, with a strong and varied skill set to contribute; the stability arising from the appointment of the Commissioner for a fixed 7-year term. Plans for meeting the priority Complete the standardization, documentation, and implementation of operational processes to ensure rigour, timeliness and accessibility. Develop a process map to maximize efficiency and accessibility. Develop, implement and communicate service standards. Develop and implement a quality assurance process. Implement a case management system that responds to the Office's current and ongoing needs. Identify, develop and implement key operational policies on matters such as accessibility, information management, decision-making and client communications. Ensure that the Office's security, privacy and confidentiality standards and protocols meet or exceed current Government policies.

¹ Type is defined as follows: previously committed to—committed to in the first or second fiscal year prior to the subject year of the report; ongoing—committed to at least three fiscal years prior to the subject year of the report; and new—newly committed to in the reporting year of the RPP or DPR.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Engagement of key stakeholders	Ongoing	Disclosure and reprisal management
Description
Why is this a priority? This is fundamental in creating awareness and clarity about The Act and the role of the Office, which are relatively new. This will contribute to overcoming the negative connotations associated with wrongful disclosures. Plans for meeting the priority Develop and implement an outreach and engagement strategy, which encompasses the following: Continue engagement of key stakeholders through the PSIC Advisory Committee. Clearly communicate the rationale for PSIC decisions and operational outcomes to key stakeholders in a relevant, accurate, clear and transparent way. Modernize and maximize communication approaches.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Meaningful performance information	Ongoing	Disclosure and reprisal management
Description
Why is this a priority? Meaningful and relevant performance information is a critical element of management and oversight to assist in allocating resources, identifying areas for improvement and assist the organization in achieving its expected results. Plans for meeting the priority Improve, implement and communicate our performance management results to ensure that the Office invests its efforts efficiently and demonstrates value. Develop a strategy to collect, analyze and report data including a review of current statistical data collection methods and tools to ensure data integrity. Strengthen effectiveness measures by developing tools such as questionnaires to evaluate stakeholder satisfaction and awareness Support the preparation of the 5-year review. Document and communicate the Office's observations and experiences in implementing the PSDPA, including recommendations for legislative amendment and operational/policy reform. Develop and implement a research strategy that includes an international component.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Human resource capacity that meets organizational needs	Ongoing	Disclosure and reprisal management, Internal Services
Description
Why is this a priority? The success of the Office is dependent on having employees with the knowledge, skills, and experience that work as team and independently. It is recognized the impact of turnover in a small organization can create challenges for knowledge transfer, succession planning and corporate memory. There has been significant increase in hiring over the last year to build capacity which has guided the plans for meeting this priority. Plans for meeting the priority Identify and assess the competencies the organization needs to succeed. On an ongoing basis, conduct gap assessments and determine how to acquire required competencies (staffing, training). Develop and implement an engagement and retention strategy (including strategies to address issues such as career progression, employee engagement and mentorship, leveraging internal capacity, seeking external capacity when necessary and ensuring the organization is an employer of choice). Engage staff in ongoing assessment of the Office's organizational structure. Ensure that we provide staff with the right tools and technology to be responsive to organizational requirements. Develop and implement an internal code of conduct.

Risk Analysis

External risks arise from events that PSIC cannot influence, but must be able to monitor and respond to in order to mitigate the impact. The internal risk category consists of risks that can broadly be categorized as people, processes, systems, and culture.

External Risks

Increasing Case Volumes

The intake of new cases and the number of investigations has increased since December 2010. The complexity of each case can vary significantly, as such the number of cases may not necessarily reflect a pressure on resources required to monitor and address cases in a timely manner. However, after consideration of the forecasted government environment of workforce adjustments arising from the strategic and operating reviews, there is a clear potential that case volumes will continue to increase. Under these circumstances there is a risk that PSIC's ability to address a significant rise in case volumes in a timely manner may be impacted. As outlined in the plans, the Office is completing a review of its operational processes with the view to streamline and optimize the use of available resources while ensuring the disclosure and reprisal management function is timely, rigorous, independent and accessible.

Internal Risks

Information Security

Information security is critical in the context of disclosures, investigations and the need for preserving confidentiality and trust in the Office. Sensitive or private information must be protected from potential loss or inappropriate access in order to avoid potential litigation, damaged reputation and further reluctance in coming forward. The Office has implemented many practices aimed at ensuring the security of information, which include briefing and confidentiality agreements, random information security checks within premises, controlled access for the storage of sensitive information, and a "threat risk assessment" of information management and information technology security was conducted. In addition, there is a plan to review, develop and implement an updated security plan.

Planning Summary

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
6,033	5,656	5,656

The financial resources table above provides a summary of the total planned spending for PSIC for the next three fiscal years. Additional information regarding the Financial and Human Resources trends can be found in the Expenditure Profile section of this report.

Human Resources (FTEs)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
36	36	36

The human resources table above provides a summary of the total planned human resources for PSIC for the next three fiscal years.

Strategic Outcome: Wrongdoing in the federal public sector is resolved and public servants are protected against reprisal.

Performance Indicators	Targets
Incidence of wrongdoing reported and complaints of reprisal received	There is no set target, however the level of incidence is tracked and reported on the Office's Web site.
Stakeholder perception of PSIC and the Act	The stakeholder engagement initiatives outlined in the Organizational Priorities will be essential to contributing to the performance indicator. Included in the planned activities, to support the performance measurements, is development of a questionnaire to evaluate stakeholder satisfaction from which targets may be developed.

Planning Summary Table
($ thousands)

Program Activity	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Disclosure and Reprisal Management	3,652	3,779	3,614	3,614	A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Total Planned Spending		3,779	3,614	3,614

Planning Summary Table
($ thousands)

Program Activity	Forecast Spending 2011-12	Planned Spending
		2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Internal Services	2,183	2,254	2,042	2,042
Total Planned Spending		2,254	2,042	2,042

Expenditure Profile

PSIC Spending Trend

[Text version]

The Office's yearly actual spending has increased over the past four fiscal years as positions were staffed and infrastructure was put in place. Spending authorities were initially allocated on the basis of the Office being at full strength from the outset, whereas the organization has developed at a more gradual pace. In 2012-13, the planned spending reflects a return to the base budget augmented by the forecast of amounts to be paid out of central votes, such as the 5% operating budget carry forward. In 2013-14 and 2014-15 the planned spending reflects the base budget initially established for the Office and is indicative of the steady state cost structure, after implementing cost containment measures to address budget pressures.

Estimates by Vote

For information on our organizational appropriations, please see the 2012-13 Main Estimates publication.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page