Shared Services Canada Update – February 24, 2012

Dear Members,

Gary Corbett and I attended a meeting with President Forand on February 13, 2012 to receive an update and to discuss concerns the Institute have moving forward.

During November and December of 2011 and January and February of 2012, numerous town hall sessions were provided to our members, either in person or virtually. Approximately 97% of employees were invited to attend a session, but not all PIPSC members took advantage of the opportunity.

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is currently reviewing the Business Continuity Agreements with various departments and agencies and they anticipate that certain elements of the agreements will need to be extended beyond March 31, 2012 to ensure a smooth transition to a fully stand alone Department.

SSC’s Integrated Business Plan (IBP) which addresses high level priorities, is being worked on and should be completed by mid March, however, it will not be a perfect document. President Forand indicated that the IBP will “show the way forward” and will allow for opportunities for the Institute’s CS specialists to engage in a strategic way. The Institute reminded Forand that while appreciative of being included in a Working Task Force, PIPSC still remains shut out from any meaningful consultation on strategic issues.

While the Treasury Board (TB) requires SSC to provide Deficit Reduction Action Plan (DRAP) numbers by December 15th, SSC advised the Institute that their goal in preparing the required scenarios was to protect their employees, while at the same time as maintaining SSC’s ability to conduct operations and implement the transformation process.

Numerous issues were discussed with President Forand, including those outlined below:

• Staffing / Classification

SSC committed to applying the Organizational Readiness Office (ORO) generic job descriptions. Approximately 40 to 50% of CS jobs have been already been mapped against the standard, and SSC has committed to completing this process. The human resource plan which is an integral component of the IBP will identify staffing requirements in the coming months.

SSC are conducting a skills mapping exercise to “know” their employees

• Talent Management Questionnaire (TMQ)

The Institute briefed SSC on frustrations surrounding the TMQ and requested clarification on its purpose.
SSC confirmed the TMQ was used to identify individuals who were interested in volunteering on particular projects.
SSC admit that while the TMQ was well intentioned, there were issues on its roll-out with inconsistent messaging on who should complete the TMQ and its purpose.

• Consultation

The Institute reiterated the request to be included in consultation in a meaningful way.
Strategic issues are of a concern to PIPSC and a request again was made again for SSC to share the business plan, the budgets, and the HR plan.
The Institute also raised the concerns brought forward by President Corbett when he appeared as a witness during the Government Operating Committee in February 2012.

• Transfer Agreements

The Institute identified that transfer agreements is a key issue with respect to protecting the terms and conditions of employment for members transferring to SSC from the separate employers.

While we endeavour to address all issues and concerns brought to our attention, some points may not be included in this latest update. We encourage you to contact us if there are issues of importance to you that we must bring to the table in future meetings with the SSC.

Thank you,

Shannon Bittman
Vice-President
Shared Services Canada Portfolio