Personnel Administration (PE)

Education

1. As indicated in Note 2 of the Personnel Administration (PE) Qualification Standard, the term “degree” refers to a baccalaureate or higher level degree as established by educational authorities. What is meant by “higher level degree”? Why does Note 2 specifically define the term “degree” when there is already a definition in the overarching document of the Qualification Standards?
2. Is there a difference between a degree in human resources management and a degree with a specialization in human resources management?
3. Can the manager of the position being staffed require higher than a baccalaureate (i.e. the minimum) when staffing a position?
4. Does the federal public service accept foreign educational credentials from candidates?

Specialization

5. How were the fields of study arrived at?
6. Must a manager request all the areas of specialization listed in the qualification standard for positions classified as PE or can he/she select the relevant ones and/or add any others that are also appropriate?
7. As indicated in Note 3 of the PE Qualification Standard, the term "specialization" refers to an acceptable number of courses in a particular field of study. These courses must have been taken in university, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.” What is meant by “not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization”?

Grand-parenting or acquired rights

8. What is meant by a "grand-parented" employee in the context of the PE education standard? What are they entitled to?
9. What happens when a PE employee applies to an advertised process for a position in the PE Group and the educational requirement is raised above the minimum? Is the employee deemed to meet the higher educational requirement if he/she has acquired rights?
10. If a "grand-parented" PE is appointed indeterminately to another occupational group and subsequently wishes to be appointed or deployed back to the PE Group, is he/she still deemed to meet the minimum educational standard (i.e. does the grand-parenting provision continue to apply to him/her)? What happens if he/she is appointed or deployed to a position in an organization that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA?
11. What is the status of former employees of the PE Group who are now working in organizations that do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, e.g. Parks Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency?
12. What is the status of former employees of the PE Group who are now working at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?
13. What happens to a CRA employee (PE) who was appointed after October 1, 1999, who does not meet the PE Qualification Standard and who is being considered for an appointment or deployment in an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA?
14. Is there a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the employer and separate agencies that would “grand-parent” individuals with regard to the PE Group Qualification Standard?

Alternatives

15. What is meant by "an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience that is comparable with a university degree..."?
16. When can the manager use the alternative to education? How is it applied?
17. Why is the alternative not simply "satisfactory performance on an approved Public Service Commission (PSC) test"?

Education

1. As indicated in Note 2 of the Personnel Administration (PE) Qualification Standard, the term “degree” refers to a baccalaureate or higher level degree as established by educational authorities. What is meant by “higher level degree”? Why does Note 2 specifically define the term “degree” when there is already a definition in the overarching document of the Qualification Standards?

The current definition of “degree” in the overarching document of the Qualification Standards refers to a baccalaureate. This has occasionally created problems for those who may have obtained a higher level degree without necessarily having completed a baccalaureate degree (e.g. some Master of Public Administration, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts degrees). This specific definition in the PE standard allows candidates without a baccalaureate, but with a master or a Ph.D. degree, to apply as long as the degree is in the required field(s) of study.

2. Is there a difference between a degree in human resources management and a degree with a specialization in human resources management?

Yes. In the case of a university degree in human resources management, it is the educational institution conferring the degree that determines if a student meets the requirements for a “degree” in a particular field of study. However, it should be noted that the way in which a university identifies a degree can vary from one university to another and can also vary over time within a given university.

In the case of a university degree with a specialization in human resources management, it is the manager of the position being staffed who determines whether the candidate has an acceptable number of courses in a particular field to constitute a specialization. Departments may wish to establish internal policies on this matter.

3. Can the manager of the position being staffed require higher than a baccalaureate (i.e. the minimum) when staffing a position?

Yes. The manager may raise the educational requirements for the position by:

• asking for a degree higher than a baccalaureate (e.g. a master’s degree with an acceptable specialization in human resources management);
• asking for specific specializations (e.g. a degree with an acceptable specialization in human resources management and labour or industrial relations); or
• specifying the type of degree (e.g. a degree in human resources management).

The decision to raise the minimum educational standard should be substantiated by the duties to be performed.

4. Does the federal public service accept foreign educational credentials from candidates?

The federal public service will accept foreign educational credentials as long as a recognized credential assessment service has deemed them comparable to Canadian standards. If the candidate was educated outside of Canada, he/she must have his/her certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian educational standards. This will enable him/her to provide proof of Canadian equivalency when applying for a job in the federal public service.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) assists persons who wish to obtain an assessment of their educational, professional and occupational credentials by referring them to the appropriate organizations. The CICIC does not itself grant equivalencies or assess credentials, nor does it intervene on behalf of individuals or in complaints to the Public Service Staffing Tribunal. For more information on the assessment of foreign educational credentials, visit the following website: www.cicic.ca/.

Specialization

5. How were the fields of study arrived at?

Since human resources management is the business of managing people in organizations, fields of study were chosen that related to the study of people management and/or administration. Other fields of specialization may be appropriate, depending on the duties to be performed. The hiring manager has the authority to determine the field of specialization required for the position being staffed as long as it is within the parameters of the qualification standard and the job to be performed.

6. Must a manager request all the areas of specialization listed in the qualification standard for positions classified as PE or can he/she select the relevant ones and/or add any others that are also appropriate?

The manager can list as few or as many areas of specialization as he/she wishes, depending on the needs of the position. Alternatively, a manager may also choose to include a field that is not listed, as long as it is relevant to the duties to be performed.

7. As indicated in Note 3 of the PE Qualification Standard, the term "specialization" refers to an acceptable number of courses in a particular field of study. These courses must have been taken in university, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.” What is meant by “not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization”?

The courses for the specialization do not have to be taken within a specific program. The courses may have been taken while completing a degree or separately, at a later date, as long as they were taken in a recognized university.
It is up to the manager to determine whether the candidate has an acceptable/significant number of courses to constitute a specialization for the position being staffed.

Grand-parenting or acquired rights

8. What is meant by a "grand-parented" employee in the context of the PE education standard? What are they entitled to?

An “employee”, as defined in section 2 of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), is grand-parented if, on October 1, 1999, he/she was an indeterminate incumbent of a position in the PE Group or a person appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the PE Group after that date as the result of staffing transactions started before October 1, 1999. Under this provision, the employee is deemed to meet the minimum educational standard for the PE Group. However, when the educational standard is raised, the grand-parenting provision no longer applies.

9. What happens when a PE employee applies to an advertised process for a position in the PE Group and the educational requirement is raised above the minimum? Is the employee deemed to meet the higher educational requirement if he/she has acquired rights?

No. Acquired rights/grand-parenting protections do not apply when the educational requirement is raised above the minimum. The employee would need to meet the higher educational requirement.

10. If a "grand-parented" PE is appointed indeterminately to another occupational group and subsequently wishes to be appointed or deployed back to the PE Group, is he/she still deemed to meet the minimum educational standard (i.e. does the grand-parenting provision continue to apply to him/her)? What happens if he/she is appointed or deployed to a position in an organization that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA?

As long as the employee was an indeterminate incumbent of a position in the PE Group on October 1, 1999, or appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the PE Group after that date as the result of staffing transactions started before October 1, 1999, and remained an employee as defined in section 2 of the PSEA, that employee may leave the PE Group and return and retain his/her "grand-parenting" protection. However, if the person ceases to be employed in an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA, he/she is no longer considered an “employee” and loses his/her grand-parenting protection. If that person subsequently wishes to return to an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA, he/she would need to meet the minimum educational standard in order to be appointed to a position classified as PE.

11. What is the status of former employees of the PE Group who are now working in organizations that do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, e.g. Parks Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency?

Since these organizations do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, an individual who has chosen to work in one of these organizations would no longer be considered an “employee” and would, therefore, lose his/her grand-parenting protection. He/she would need to meet the minimum educational standard for appointment back into the PE Group.

12. What is the status of former employees of the PE Group who are now working at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?

A former PE who became a CRA employee maintains his/her grand-parenting protection as long as this person was an indeterminate PE on October 1, 1999. CRA’s enabling legislation provides its employees the right to be considered for appointments or deployments as if they were “employees” as defined in the PSEA. However, if an employee moves to a separate agency that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA, the grand-parenting provision would no longer apply and the person would need to meet the minimum educational standard if he/she wishes to return to an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA.

13. What happens to a CRA employee (PE) who was appointed after October 1, 1999, who does not meet the PE Qualification Standard and who is being considered for an appointment or deployment in an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA?

The grand-parenting protection applies to indeterminate PEs who were in the group on October 1, 1999, or to persons appointed to or deployed for an indeterminate period in a PE position as a result of a staffing transaction started before October 1, 1999. If an employee was appointed to a PE position at CRA after October 1, 1999, and does not meet the minimum educational standard, he/she would not have grand-parenting protection and would need to meet the minimum educational standard in order to be appointed to a position classified as PE in an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA.

14. Is there a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the employer and separate agencies that would “grand-parent” individuals with regard to the PE Group Qualification Standard?

Yes. Indian Oil and Gas Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions have entered into an MOU to grand-parent indeterminate incumbents of positions that are equivalent to PE on October 1, 1999.

Alternatives

15. What is meant by "an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience that is comparable with a university degree..."?

The wording of the alternative phrase included in the PE Qualification Standard requires that the alternative accepted by a manager must result in the same outcome as would university graduation. Essentially, it means that the candidate has acquired comparable skills, through education, training and/or experience, as someone who has completed a university degree. The types of qualifications attained through university graduation would typically include researching, analyzing and providing solutions for complex problems/issues, writing papers or reports, defending points of view, etc.

It is the manager who determines whether a specific combination of education, training and/or experience is comparable to a university degree.

16. When can the manager use the alternative to education? How is it applied?

The alternative is intended to be used only on a limited basis. If a manager does allow for an alternative to university graduation, he/she has the discretion to determine what that alternative can be. Nonetheless, as a minimum, the manager must be able to demonstrate that the alternative provision is comparable to university graduation (see Question # 15). When used, the alternative must be specified on the Statement of Merit Criteria.

17. Why is the alternative not simply "satisfactory performance on an approved Public Service Commission (PSC) test"?

Since the standard calls for university graduation with a specialization in a field relevant to human resources, it would not be appropriate to use, on its own, a general PSC test that does not demonstrate a background in the field called for. However, if a manager wishes to use the alternative, he or she may choose to use a PSC test, such as the General Intelligence Test 310, in conjunction with additional education, training and/or experience.