Category:Canada School of Public Service

Emerging themes A number of themes are emerging from both organizational and public service-wide discussions, notably the importance of: • Continuing to link values and ethics as foundational to efforts to advance anti-racism, accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion and reconciliation • Supporting public servants to effectively navigate grey areas around personal expression, including on social media • Preparing for future disruptors, and in particular the emerging use of Artificial Intelligence in the federal public service Values and ethics as the foundation for reconciliation, anti-racism, accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion Consistent with what the Task Team heard during their consultations, a common theme heard throughout more recent engagements was the concern that the focus on values and ethics would somehow overtake or even undermine the continued commitment to the Call to Action. As was repeatedly conveyed through all engagements, efforts to strengthen our public service values and ethics are fundamental to making progress to advance anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion and reconciliation. Living our values, including respect for people, integrity, and excellence can only happen when we embrace equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The important linkages between Values and Ethics and the Call to Action will continue to be reinforced, including in planning for a public service-wide symposium this fall. A similar commitment was evident in the submissions from departments and agencies. Over half of the departments indicated that they engaged with equity groups, networks, and communities, with many reinforcing the objectives of the Call to Action through Values and Ethics discussions and activities. Many organizations also reported having had one or more engagement sessions on personal accountability in upholding values and ethics, with most discussions occurring with executives. Shared Services Canada (SSC) promotes personal accountability through the introduction of new indicators as part of Executive commitments, such as exemplifying ethical practices and confirming the completion of CSPS mandatory training on values and ethics. Many organizations have updated their code to enshrine reconciliation, diversity, equity and inclusion, or to make it more accessible from a plain language perspective. Parks Canada reviewed and updated its Values and Ethics Code which resulted in the addition of a new core value for equity, diversity and inclusion. This serves to recognize that being a successful and innovative agency is rooted in Parks Canada’s ability to create inclusive spaces where employees and visitors with a variety of perspectives and experiences feel a sense of belonging. In recognition of reconciliation being part of the daily work of their employees, Natural Resources Canada incorporated reconciliation as a new value in their organizational code of conduct to guide interactions with Indigenous employees and communities. A strong link: Demonstrating the link between the two, as part of its Call to Action self-assessment, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) noted that its revised Code now includes explicit language centring on the collective responsibility to ensure an inclusive and barrier-free work environment for all people of all backgrounds, free from harassment, racism, and discrimination. It underlines the important contributions of Indigenous science and knowledge to the department’s work. The Code also reiterates ECCC’s commitment to advancing efforts on diversity, inclusion, employment equity, anti-racism, and accessibility. The important role of managers as a first point of contact in resolving ethical dilemmas came through strongly in many submissions. Recognizing their key role, many departments have prepared materials and engagement kits to support managers in having safe, open conversations with employees. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada has equipped managers with the tools and knowledge required to lead in-depth discussions on values and ethics within their teams to foster a “safe space” and receive more honest and detailed feedback recognizing that employees are generally more open to sharing their insights in smaller settings. Reconciling personal views with our role as public servants As highlighted in the Milestone Report, there are often grey areas around navigating personal expression while also maintaining trust and integrity in the public service as an institution. This concern was reinforced during more recent engagements, where a broad range of public servants raised the ethical dilemmas that arise when personal or professional values are not aligned with Government direction that they are asked to implement as public servants. These dilemmas can have unique dimensions for specific communities, including scientists and younger public servants. They also raise questions around the use of social media by public servants, and the circumstances in which social media posts can fall within or outside the values and ethics of the federal public service. Through engagements, the importance of understanding our role as public servants was reinforced, including duty of loyalty and service to the government of the day. But the need for “safe spaces” – where public servants can seek advice and express concerns without fear of reprisal – was also recognized. These safe spaces can be informal (e.g., peers and colleagues, managers) or formal mechanisms such as Human Resources or Ombudspersons’ offices. Organizations have taken positive steps to support employees in successfully navigating personal use of social media, while strengthening how public servants understand their unique role and duty. Many organizations indicated that they have undertaken conversations and activities or training sessions dedicated to the use of social media. One example is Statistics Canada. Since January 2024, Statistics Canada has held 14 sessions, attended by hundreds of employees, focusing on “social media guidelines for employees” and best practices in social media usage. Some organizations have noted that conversations on social media often focused on how public servants can uphold their duty of loyalty, and manage conflict of interest, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the boundaries around its usage. Indigenous Services Canada has developed Social Media Use training sessions with the objective of supporting employees in balancing personal freedom of expression and the duty of loyalty, giving practical advice on how to apply judgment when using social media. Some organizations are making use of the Canada School of Public Service’s current offerings to provide additional training on social media. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has included the Canada School of Public Service course Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant as a recommended course in its Learning Roadmap for all employees. It has also developed a two-page tool on the use of social media as a public servant and considerations on when and when not to post on social media. Some are also embedding clearer guidance on the use of social media directly into their organizational codes of conduct. The updates that the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency has made to its values and ethics code aim to offer employees better guidance and explicitly address the connection between expected behaviours and conduct outside of work. It includes five new sections on topics such as social media usage, duty of loyalty, and the use of artificial intelligence. The Canada Energy Regulator noted its intention to continually update and improve its Code of Conduct, including offering guidance on social media and how its code applies to conduct outside of work. Positioning for the future – Artificial intelligence Engagement led by the Task Team generated lively discussions about the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). Conversations surfaced a need for both increased awareness of potential benefits of AI as a tool, and ethical considerations regarding its use. Many participants indicated their preference for clearer parameters before using AI for purposes such as service delivery. This feedback informed two recommendations in the Milestone Report: that Deputy Ministers review their codes of conduct to ensure alignment with the evolving context (e.g., artificial intelligence), and that Deputy Ministers, with support from central agencies, provide employees with the tools and training to enable their work, and guidance on emerging technologies such as AI. Importantly, the Task Team’s engagements created an appetite from employees to continue to explore this topic to gain a better understanding of how AI can support their operations and improve quality of services and outcomes for Canadians. These conversations flowed into organizational discussions and actions within the federal public service.​