Leadership recognized internally and externally as demonstrating strong ethics and values behaviour, as evidenced by:

- Leadership communication with employees about expected ethical behaviour and public service values;

- Selection, evaluation, promotion and discharge of leaders based on their conduct with respect to PS values and ethics.

The Deputy Minister of Western Economic Diversification (WD) communicates expected ethical behavior to employees through all staff emails. The department also includes values & ethics evaluative components in the EX selection process. As such, WD should consider committing to further work in the following areas:

- Establish ways for leaders across the organization to communicate with employees about expected ethical behavior and Public Service values in a meaningful way.

- Collect feedback from employees on their perception of leadership performance, with respect to values and ethics.

- Evaluate whether the measures to ensure that leaders are selected, evaluated, promoted and discharged based on their conduct positively impacts leadership performance.

In addition to the actions noted by TBS WD leaders demonstrate many other behaviors and engage in regular communication with employees at all levels.  For example, in a major speech delivered to the entire EX cadre and their senior managers in September 2005 the Deputy Minister focused her comments on Values and Ethics and her expectations of managers. The address was translated and disseminated in hard copy to all participants and later posted on WD’s Learning Drive for all staff.

Values and Ethics statements are included in the performance agreements of all EX’s and are evaluated in the course of the annual PMP Review by a Senior Executive Review Committee chaired by the Deputy Minister.

WD will pay close attention to the results it receives in response to the 2005 National Public Service Employee Survey. The department devoted considerable management effort to secure a participation rate in the survey that ranks at or near the highest across all government departments in an effort to ensure a meaningful and representative message. Plans are already in place to respond fully to the findings as and when these are available.

WD’s new Learning Program (scheduled for Executive Committee approval early in fiscal 2006/07) will include follow-up values and ethics training for all staff during fiscal 2006/07.

Values and Ethics-based questions are included in all EX selection processes and effort will be made in fiscal 2006/07 to include this factor in all staffing processes.

Values and Ethics-based questions are included in all EX selection processes and effort will be made in fiscal 2006/07 to include this factor in all staffing processes.

WD has developed G&C Accounting and Business Process training material for program staff that contains an extensive values-based introduction stressing the important role that Values and Ethics play in the conduct of WD business.

Organizational culture reflecting public service values and ethics, as evidenced by:

- Feedback from employees on fairness, respect, satisfaction and engagement;

- Departmental benchmark results and implemented improvements

- Trends in management and program irregularities, regularly reported on and reviewed by management.

From a Public Service values and ethics perspective, Western Economic Diversification (WD) is considered a high-risk organization due to the nature of its work. WD currently collects employee feedback on an informal basis and plans to use the results from the 2005 Public Service Employee Survey to systematically gather more data. Senior management is currently working with WD’s new Chief Audit Executive to develop a comprehensive Risk Profile and WD relies on its Audit and Evaluation unit to identify and report management irregularities. WD is encouraged to also consider the following:

- Formally collect feedback from employees on their perceptions of the organizational culture and other related values and ethics issues, such as integrity, fairness, respect, satisfaction and engagement.

- Evaluate whether the identified risks in the Risk Profile can be prevented or mitigated.

WD recognizes the risks associated with both the business it operates and the maturity of the organization. Senior management is currently working with WD’s new Chief Audit Executive to develop a comprehensive Risk Profile, which will help to focus attention on the audit function and also senior management with respect to values and ethics training and awareness.

WD is a small organization that takes full advantage of its relatively flat organizational structure to encourage two-way dialogue between managers and staff. Town Hall meetings along with regular Labour Management Consultation sessions are held in all offices on a regular basis and staffs are encouraged to ask questions and discuss issues of concern or interest. In addition the Deputy Minister communicates with all staff via e-mail on a regular basis and in all notes encourages questions and input.

WD currently collects employee feedback on an informal basis and plans to use the results from the 2005 PSES to systematically gather more data. The 2002 PSE Survey generated an 85% participation rate in which WD received very positive support for its attention to PSES V&E performance.

WD has entered into discussions with the Office of Values and Ethics aimed at making use of their Organizational Wellness questionnaire and is hopeful that use of this instrument will occur in 2006/07.

In the meantime WD’s Corporate Service Branch publishes a quarterly statistical report that provides senior management with a range of organizational indicators such as sick days, turnover, grievances, appeals etc. The report is discussed at each Executive Committee Meeting.

WD relies on its Audit and Evaluation unit to identify and report management irregularities. The department has also promoted the Disclosure of Wrongdoing in the Workplace program but has to date only two “disclosures” both of which were dealt with over two years ago.

WD’s strategic objectives are met primarily through funding of grants and contributions projects.  WD implemented proactive disclosure of all G&C funded projects prior to such disclosure becoming mandatory across government.  While projects are assessed and recommended for funding in the regional offices all projects over $200,000 are reviewed in HQ with any unusual items discussed with the Deputy Minister prior to either her or the Minister’s approval.  All contribution agreements contain a provision for audit and audit reports are submitted to HQ for review.

All existing programs have been evaluated and a G&C transaction audit is just being completed.  The draft departmental audit plan includes the provision for an ongoing, cyclical audit of the Management of Grants and Contributions.

V&E policies, guidelines, standards, recourse and disclosure mechanisms in place and understood by all employees, as evidenced by:

- Customized codes of conduct, including standards of behaviour, consequences and rewards for exemplary behaviour;

- Effective communication, learning and orientation strategies for the Code of Public Service Values, for customized organizational codes and guidelines and for public service values and ethics in general;

- Appropriate, accessible avenues for employee advice, reports of wrongdoing and resolution of conflicts.

WD has developed a customized Value and Ethics Statement and has been distributing the Keith Draper Award for the past five years, which rewards employees that exemplify and demonstrate the ethics and values of the organization through their interaction and leadership. WD’s new learning program, scheduled for executive committee approval early in fiscal 2006/2007, will include follow-up values and ethics training for all staff. Such efforts are duly recognized, yet WD is encouraged to focus on the following:

- Develop a Value and Ethics learning strategy to orient employees and managers on values and ethics issues and the Public Service Code.

- Collect feedback to assess whether employees and management, both new and existing, understand and are impacted by the Public Service Code and the Values and Ethics Statement.

- Assess employee usage of existing recourse avenues and whether employees feel comfortable in using them.

Very few staff have made workplace disclosures making it hard to gauge a level of satisfaction with the existing avenues of redress. The 2002 National Employee survey indicated that staff do not fear using this mechanism where warranted.  That said the department will focus attention on employee satisfaction when reviewing the upcoming results of the National Employee Survey and will, as a result, take the appropriate response actions.