Performance Management

Tony Clement (President of the Treasury Board): So the first change I want to talk to you about, and the first change we are making, is to ensure that every public servant has the opportunity to perform to the best of her or his ability. Now, everyone in this room is familiar with the Performance Management Program in place for our senior public servants. But as you well know, and to the frustration of many, there is no government-wide policy that ensures a consistent and rigorous tracking of employee performance. Well, today, we will change that. We are introducing a new directive on performance management that will provide managers with the tools and support they need so that their teams are doing what they were hired to do.

Why is Performance Management important?

Daniel Watson (Chief Human Resources Officer): When it comes to knowing what you're being asked to do, when it comes to knowing how you're doing it, when it comes to the question of whether or not you're meeting the standard, there's no advantage to not knowing. It's in everybody's interest to know how well we're doing, what we're supposed to be doing, and whether or not we're meeting the standard.

As Champion for the National Managers’ Community, how do you think this will help managers?

Suzanne Vinet (Deputy Minister and Champion, National Managers' Community): This is really a great initiative. Managers across the country have been asking for such an initiative that would provide them with the tools to help them manage performance with their employees in a very, very positive and constructive way. So this is a very welcome initiative for managers, and as the champion of the National Managers' Community, I will be encouraging my colleagues and other deputies and senior leaders to provide all the support that the managers need to go ahead with this initiative.

What benefit or opportunities do you see for executives in rolling out performance management for employees?

Donna Achimov (Vice Chair, Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada): As far as the Association of Professional Executives is concerned, it's a win-win situation all around. Any tool that provides executives and managers with additional support mechanisms that will help them fulfill their performance management responsibilities is good news. And you know what? Providing opportunities for employees to reach their full potential? That benefits everyone.

What kind of support will managers need from senior officials in their organization for this to work?

Virginie Mongeon (Manager, National Managers' Community): Well, as managers, we're at the front line when it comes time to managing people and performance. So managers will definitely need access to training and tools. We also need access to senior management commitment. We need to know that they will have our backs when we comply with a new directive. So it's good to know that we can count on the National Managers' Community for peer to peer learning. You could say it's like having a peer support network, so managers can help each other manage performance and people in a consistent and respectful way.