We are currently moving our web services and information to Canada.ca.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website will remain available until this move is complete.

Integrated planning handbook for deputy ministers and senior managers


Integrated human resources and business planning checklist: steps and considerations

Step 1. Determine your business goals

A solid understanding of organizational priorities and the business planning cycle is critical for effective alignment of human resources (HR) and business goals.

  • Identify the government’s key priorities, emerging directions or legislative reforms that could impact your organization’s mandate.
  • Identify your organization’s ongoing HR and Business priorities.
  • Develop an integrated plan in consideration of accountability requirements and HR supporting material.

Step 2. Scan the environment

Workforce Analysis

Understand your workforce and plan for projected shortages and surpluses in specific occupations and skill sets.

  • Demographics and employment characteristics
  • Skills/Competencies
  • Internal workforce trends

Internal Analysis

Identify factors internal to the organization that may affect HR capacity to meet organizational goals.

  • Changes in legislation, policy platform, program delivery
  • Labour management relations
  • HR Initiatives (e.g. EE)

External Analysis

Determine the most important environmental factors expected to affect workforce capacity.

  • Current workforce trends
  • Current and projected economic conditions
  • Technological advancement

Step 3. Conduct a gap analysis

Based on an analysis of the environmental scan and business goals, what are the organization’s current and future HR needs?

  • Based on projections, do you foresee a skills shortage in specific occupational groups or a need for the acquisition of new skills due to changes in program delivery?
  • Do you have enough qualified middle managers to feed into EX group?
  • Have OL and EE obligations been met?

Step 4. Set HR priorities to help achieve business goals

Based on the organization’s goals, environmental scan and gap analysis: 1) What are the major HR priorities; and 2) What strategies will achieve the desired outcomes?

  • Are the HR priorities and key planning issues included as part of the Report on Plans & Priorities?
  • Are budgetary considerations factored into the work plan/strategy?
  • Is the work plan/strategy being cascaded to organizational units?

Step 5. Measure, monitor and report on progress

Measuring, monitoring and reporting HR performance outcomes is key to assessing progress in target areas, organizational learning and improvement and determining future priorities.

  • Are the HR Performance measures aligned with indicators in the TBS Management Accountability Framework and the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework?
  • Are systems in place to track performance indicators and analyze cost benefit?
  • Do results from your performance indicators inform your priority setting for the next fiscal year?


Date modified: