Public Service of Canada

The Public Service of Canada (known as the Civil Service of Canada prior to 1967) is the civil service of the Government of Canada. Its function is to serve as the staff of the Canadian Crown. The Clerk of the Privy Council, as Canada's senior serving civil servant, is head of the Public Service of Canada.

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The Public Service is divided into various subsidiary administrative units such as departments, agencies, commissions, Crown corporations, and other federal organizations. Over 40% of the Public Service of Canada is located in the National Capital Region, although there are employees working at approximately 1,600 locations across Canada. The Public Service of Canada is the country's single largest employer.

Purpose

The purpose of the Public Service of Canada, as the non-political staff of the "executive branch" of government, is the day to day administration of the state and to the effective implementation of government policy and regulation in accordance with Canadian law. The civil service is responsible to the Crown (state) itself and not the ruling government or political party,

In addition to the fundamental role of carrying out decisions taken by the ruling government, the public service also has a planning role, and may develop proposals and recommendations to Cabinet. It will also provide continued feedback and advice to government in all aspects of governmental affairs.

Structure

In 2007, there were approximately 200 federal organizations, including: departments (e.g., Health Canada); agencies (e.g., Parks Canada); commissions (e.g., Canadian Grain Commission); boards (e.g., Veterans Review and Appeal Board); councils (e.g., Canadian Judicial Council); and crown corporations (e.g., Royal Canadian Mint).

In a typical department, it is the minister who holds the respective portfolio who has overall responsibility for the management and direction of the department (i.e. the Minister of National Defence holds the Defence Portfolio, which includes many different organisations, one of which being the Department of National Defence). The deputy minister is the head of the department and is its senior serving civil servant, and therefore has responsibility for all of the department's day-to-day operations. However, it is always the respective minister who is held accountable to parliament for its operations.

A variety of associate and assistant deputy ministers head the various sections of responsibility within a department (i.e. policy, finance and corporate services, environment and infrastructure, etc.). Within the jurisdiction of each Assistant Deputy Minister, is usually one to two Associate Deputy Ministers and beneath them two to five Directors-General who oversee more functional areas of each broad element of the department. Under Directors-General are Directors, who oversee various directorates, which are the core of any department. These directorates constitute the ground level in each department, and are the members of the civil service who implement state decisions, carry out research, and help to formulate proposals.

Hiring

Hiring (or selection) of civil service employees is typically done through a selection process that is either open to employees of the Public Service only (internal) or open to the general public (external). External processes are typically done to recruit a greater number of applicants. Conversely, internal processes may be held for positions where there is considered to be an adequate internal candidates and/or to provide opportunities for advancement within the civil service.

The area of selection varies greatly depending on whether it is conducted as an internal or external process. The latter are open to Canadian citizens nationally, and sometimes internationally.

Since the 2005 coming into force of the 2003 Public Service Modernization Act, selection processes focus less on a rules-based concept of best-qualified, and more on a values-based approach that enables managers to hire qualified and competent individuals whose experience, skills and knowledge are the right fit given the position's current and future needs.[1]

Federal civil service employees in Canada are employed by the state, but because of Canada's history and formal structure as a monarchy, they are often described as being employed by the Crown, who personifies the state and "enjoys a general capacity to contract in accordance with the rule of ordinary law".[2] Since the Public Service Modernization Act came into force in 2003, individuals had to take an Oath of Allegiance before they could assume their post. However, as of December 31, 2005, this is no longer a requirement, with civil servants taking an Oath of Office instead.

Hiring in the core public administration is governed by the Public Service Employment Act, while other organizations hire independently.[3]

Year Size of Civil Service (CS)[4][5][6] national pop.[7][8] CS as a % of national pop.
1918 ~ 5,000 ~ 8,500,000 0.05%
post–World War I 55,000 (1923) ~ 13,500,000 0.41%
1970 198,000 21,500,000 0.92%
1975 273,000 23,400,000 1.2%
1983 251,000 25,367,000 0.99%
1986 217,000 26,101,000 0.83%
2008 263,000 32,248,000 0.82%
2009 274,000 33,894,000 0.81%
2010 283,000 34,149,200 0.83%
2011 282,352 34,483,975 0.82%
2012 278,092 34,670,352 0.80%
2013 262,817 35,056,100 0.75%
2014 257,138 35,427,524 0.73%
2015 257,034 35,749,600 0.72%
2016 258,979 36,155,487 0.72%
2017 262,696 36,591,241 0.72%
2018 273,571 37,067,011 0.74%
2019 287,978 37,797,496 0.76%

As of September, 2006, there were approximately 260,000 employees within the civil service,[9] divided as follows:

  • Federal departments: 180,000
  • Federal agencies: 60,000
  • Parliamentary officers and administrators: 20,000

Additionally, although not part of the Public Service of Canada, the following 194,000 members were employed by the federal government:

There are approximately 80 distinct job classifications in the core civil service; most work in policy, operations or administrative functions. About 15% are scientists and professionals, 10% work in technical operations and 2.5% are executives.[10]

About 42% of Canadian civil servants work in the National Capital Region (NCR) (Ottawa-Hull), 24% work elsewhere in Ontario or Quebec, 21% in Western Canada, and 11% in Atlantic Canada. Since the headquarters of most agencies are located in the NCR, about 72% of executives work in this area.[10]

Canadian civil servants are also located in more than 180 countries (in the form of foreign service officers) and provide service in 1,600 locations in Canada.

Approximately 80% of federal civil service employees are represented by a bargaining agent (union). The greatest number of civil servants are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. They negotiate a collective bargaining agreement for blue collar workers and most administrative staff.

Gender and ethnicity

The Canadian Public Service has made significant efforts to reflect the gender balance, linguistic, and ethnic diversity in Canada, however men are still underrepresented amongst the workforce. [11]

Sub-group Canadian Civil Service Available Workforce
Women 53% 52%
Francophone 32% 24%
Self-identified Visible Minorities 8.1% 10.4%
Self-identified People with Disabilities 5.9% 3.6%
Aboriginal 4.1% 2.5%

Historical timeline

Before responsible government, Canada had no real civil service; government officials were appointed by either the Crown or the colonial administration. These officials usually served for an unspecified period ("during the pleasure of the Crown") for as long as they were deemed fit for the position.[12]

  • 1849 — The responsible government began. At the time, there was a recognition that the roles of the political and non-political government officials needed to be defined and distinguished from one another.
  • 1857 — A statute entitled An Act for improving the organization and increasing the efficiency of the Civil Service of Canada enabled the Province of Canada to establish a Board of Examiners for the Civil Service. The role of the Board would be to examine "candidates for employment in the Civil Service" and "to grant certificates of qualification to those found to possess the moral character and fitness required for service".[13]
  • 1868 — The Canada Civil Service Act was enacted, establishing a Civil Service Board with "limited jurisdiction over examinations, certification and promotional investigations in the Inside Service civil".[13][14]
Canada Civil Service Act
Citation31 Victoria, c. 34
Enacted1868
Repealed by
Civil Service Act, 1882
Status: Repealed
  • 1882 — The Civil Service Act is created, establishing a process for examining candidates for the civil service, with a three-member Board of Civil Service Examiners.
  • 1908 — The Civil Service Amendment Act creats the Civil Service Commission, to oversee appointments to government positions (the "inside service").
  • 1918 — The Civil Service Act 1918 brings the outside service under the domain of the Commission, along with greater oversight with regards to appointments and promotions for members of the "inside service".[15]
  • 1920s — The Commission created of a competitive system of examinations for appointment and promotion (a merit system) as a viable alternative to the patronage system.
  • 1921 — Formal restrictions were placed against the employment of married women. Women already holding permanent positions who married had to resign. These restrictions were not removed until 1955.
  • 1924 — The Civil Service Superannuation Act was created to promote and protect a career civil service.[13]
  • 1932 — staff control regulations are established and Treasury Board is given authority over the Civil Service Commission's staffing responsibilities.
  • 1935–1957 — Top-level civil servants wielded enormous influence, typified by Oscar D. Skelton, Loring Christie, and Lester B. Pearson in external affairs, along with Michael Sharp in finance and Gordon Towers at the Bank of Canada.[16]
  • 1949 — The number of World War II veterans assigned to positions in the civil service under the statutory veterans preference rises to 55,000.
  • 1951 — The Financial Administration Act provides final authority to the Treasury Board for management (administration and organization) of the public service.
  • 1957 — The CSC establishes the Pay Research Bureau to provide objective information on rates of pay and conditions of employment in government and industry, and to recommend salary rates for civil servants.
  • 1961 — A new Civil Service Act is established to give civil servants the right of appeal against not only promotions, but also transfers, demotions, suspensions and dismissals.
  • 1962 — The Government adopts recommendations by the Royal Commission on Government Organization (Glassco Commission) on the management of the Public Service, including delegating authority to departments to manage their own personnel and to be held accountable for efficient performance.
  • 1966 — Bilingualism becomes an element of merit in the national capital area.
  • 1967 — The Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) and Public Service Staff Relations Act (PSSRA) come into effect. The PSEA gave the renamed Public Service Commission the responsibility for all the elements of the staffing process. The PSSRA created a collective bargaining regime in the civil service.
  • 1970s — The early 1970s saw rapid expansion of the public service. However, the late 1970s would see a significant reduction of public service.
  • 1979 — The Bilingualism Bonus is introduced for public servants who met the bilingual language requirements of their positions.
  • 1984 — The Commission on Equality in Employment issues its report, recommending that targets, rather than quotas, are the most effective means of achieving equity in the employment of members of under-represented groups.
  • 1986 — Further employment layoff programs again reduce the public service.
  • 1992 — Public Service Reform Act amends both the PSEA and the PSSRA. This provides more flexibility for managers to respond quickly to changing operational needs or to allow employees to acquire new skills. The Act also enabled the PSC to prescribe standards of competence to measure merit.
  • 1995 — A restraint-focused federal budget leads to further reductions (45,000) in the size of the civil service.[17]
  • Late 1990s and early 2000s — rapid growth of the public service
  • 2003 — Public Service Modernization Act is passed and comes into effect in 2004 and 2005. The Canada School of Public Service is formed.
Public Service Employment Act
CitationS.C. 2003, c. 22, ss. 12, 13
Assented to7 November 2003
Commenced31 December 2005
Amends
  • Public Service Employment Act, 1967
  • Public Service Reform Act, 1992
Status: Current legislation
  • 2005 — a new Public Service Employment Act is released with significant changes to the staffing system. Recruitment is now the responsibility of Deputy Heads. A new Public Service Staffing Tribunal is put in place to deal with complaints of abuse of authority in internal appointments. The Public Service Labour Relations also comes into effect. The Financial Administration Act is also amended and provides for strong accountability on managers of the public service.

See also

References
  1. Government of Canada Public Service Modernization Act (2003)
  2. Smith, David E.; The Invisible Crown; University of Toronto Press; 1995; p. 79
  3. "Other governmental organizations". Public Service Commission of Canada. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  4. "The Civil Service of Canada". 1923. p. 46. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  5. Mary Felice (1998). "A Timeline of the Public Service Commission of Canada". Public Service Commission of Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  6. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat: Population of the Federal Public Service
  7. Canada's Population
  8. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/120927/t120927b002-eng.htm Annual population estimates
  9. "Canada's Public Service in the 21st Century (discussion paper)" (PDF). Public Policy Forum. April 2007. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  10. "Canada's Public Service in the 21st Century (discussion paper)" (PDF). Public Policy Forum. April 2007. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  11. "Canada's Public Service in the 21st Century (discussion paper)" (PDF). Public Policy Forum. April 2007. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  12. "Civil Service in Canada". Marionopolis College. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  13. "The 100 years of the Public Service Commission of Canada 1908-2008". Public Service Commission of Canada. 2008. ISBN 978-1-100-10199-6.
  14. "A Timeline of the Public Service Commission of Canada". Public Service Commission of Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  15. Roberts, Alasdair. So-Called Experts: How American Consultants Remade the Canadian Civil Service, 1918-1921. Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 1996
  16. J. L. Granatstein, The Ottawa Men: The Civil Service Mandarins 1935-1957 (2015)
  17. http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/abt-aps/tpsc-hcfp/index-eng.htm

Further reading
  • Bourgault, Jacques, and Stéphane Dion. "Governments come and go, but what of senior civil servants? Canadian Deputy Ministers and transitions in power (1867–1987)". Governance 2.2 (1989): 124-151.
  • Bourgault, Jacques, and Stéphane Dion. "Canadian senior civil servants and transitions of government: the Whitehall model seen from Ottawa". International Review of Administrative Sciences 56.1 (1990): 149-169.
  • Banoub, David. "The Patronage Effect: Civil Service Reforms, Job-Seeking, and State Formation in Victorian Canada". PhD, Carleton University (2013). online
  • Dawson, R. MacGregor. The Civil Service of Canada (1929).
  • Granatstein, Jack. The Ottawa Men: The Civil Service Mandarins, 1935-1957 (Oxford UP, 1982).
  • Hodgetts, J.E. Pioneer Public Service: An Administrative History of United Canada, 1841-1867. (U of Toronto Press, 1955).
  • Hodgetts, J.E. The Canadian Public Service: A Physiology of Government, 1867-1870 (U of Toronto Press, 1973).
  • McDonald, Robert A.J. "The Quest for 'Modern Administration': British Columbia's Civil Service, 1870s to 1940s". BC Studies 161 (Spring 2009): 9-34.
  • Pasolli, Lisa. "Bureaucratizing the Atlantic Revolution: The 'Saskatchewan Mafia' in the New Brunswick Civil Service, 1960-1970". Acadiensis (2009): 126-150.
  • Piva, Michael J. "Getting Hired: The Civil Service Act of 1857". Journal of the Canadian Historical Association 3:1 (1992): 95-127.
  • Rasmussen, Ken. "Administrative Reform and the Quest for Bureaucratic Autonomy: 1867-1918". Journal of Canadian Studies 29:3 (1994): 45-62.
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