Policy Statement
Appointments to and promotions within the public service can only be made through a Public Service Commission (PSC) approved assessment process. A competition will normally occur after all priority considerations have been applied (please refer to the PSC’s Priority Considerations and Alternate Staffing Methods Policy). Following a competitive process, or the use of a previously conducted job competition, the Selection Board Chair will develop and submit a Recommendation Package to the Deputy Minister/Chief Executive Officer of the hiring department/agency for final selection.
Application
This policy applies to all organizations specified in Schedule A of the Public Service Commission Act, and to positions in those organizations not otherwise excluded by Section 4 thereof.
Definitions
For the purpose of this policy:
Competitive Process – a process utilized to establish the merit of candidates to be assessed for appointment to and promotion within the public service.
Field of Competition – the area from which the candidate applications are invited for consideration in the filling of positions. Generally, the field of competition would be either internal (employees of the public service) or public (persons eligible to work in Canada).
Job Advertisement – a clear outline of the duties and minimum qualifications required to establish relative merit of candidates.
Job Analysis – establishes bona fide merit criteria including knowledge, abilities and personal suitability competencies that will become the basis for assessment.
Previously Conducted Job Competition – a job competition conducted within the previous 12 months from the date of recommendation, that may be used by a Selection Board Chair to fill future positions in accordance with PSC policy (please refer to the PSC’s Previously Conducted Job Competition Policy).
Priority Considerations – include accommodation, bumping, recall, reclassification and transfer (please refer to the PSC’s Priority Considerations and Alternate Staffing Methods Policy).
PSC Approved Assessment Processes – defined processes, procedures and standards based on merit, and designated by the PSC to assess candidates for appointments to and promotions within the public service. All processes will be conducted by a Selection Board.
Recommendation Package – documentation supporting the selection of candidates being put forward for recommendation based on merit.
Rule of Three – the Selection Board shall, in order of merit, recommend a maximum of three candidates per position to the Deputy Minister/Chief Executive Officer. The Board may recommend less than three candidates if there are fewer than three candidates who are qualified. When several identical positions are being filled from the same competition, the Board may extend the recommendation list of three by one more candidate per additional position being filled provided additional candidates are qualified.
Selection Board Chair – an official acting on behalf of the PSC on selection boards, convened to conduct competitions for the recruitment of public service positions.
Selection Referral Certificate – a listing of candidates deemed to be qualified for the appointment or promotion in order of merit, in accordance with the Rule of Three.
Roles and Responsibilities
Department/Agency
It is the responsibility of the department/agency to:
- ensure timely submission of the Request for Staffing Action (RSA), or other accepted forms of staffing approvals;
- ensure all supporting documentation provided is accurate and current;
- provide appropriate evidence to support a request that a competition be made public, and ensure that all related documentation is filed in the appropriate staffing action file; and
- sign the Selection Referral Certificate, and provide rationale when the appointed candidate is not the number one ranked candidate.
Selection Board Chair
It is the responsibility of the Selection Board Chair to:
- ensure the Job Analysis and Job Advertisement are developed in a fair and transparent manner, and contribute to the equitable assessment of qualified candidates;
- review all requests for public competitions to determine the appropriate field of competition – internal or public, and the closing date of the competition. Include all supporting documentation in the staffing action file;
- establish the screening criteria to be consistently applied amongst the candidates based on the requirements and qualifications identified in the Job Advertisement;
- provide rationale on the screening worksheet for decisions made regarding the status of candidates after the screening stage and include in the staffing action file;
- ensure that all screening decisions are communicated to candidates in a timely manner;
- inform the screened-in candidates of the interview dates and the assessment tools to be used during the assessment in a reasonable time frame;
- determine and apply the appropriate assessment processes required to establish merit of candidates in relation to the qualifications of the position;
- ensure that reference checks are completed on the recommended candidates and included in the staffing action file;
- apply the Rule of Three in the issuance of recommendation for appointment;
- submit the Recommendation Package to the department/agency;
- notify candidates of their status at each stage of the competitive process and provide opportunity for post board feedback; and
- provide candidates who request post board feedback with rationale for decisions made as it pertains to their candidacy at each stage of the competitive process in a timely manner.
Public Service Commission
The Commission shall:
- monitor and audit to ensure compliance with this policy;
- provide guidance and interpretation of this policy; and
- adjudicate complaints related to the application of this policy pursuant to the Public Service Commission Act.