Agency Role and Services

Agency Overview

In the fall of 2001, the Government of B.C. mandated a change to the way common services were delivered, including human resource management. After extensive consultation across the organization, review of human resource business processes and research of best practices in other jurisdictions, the BC Public Service Agency was created to consolidate human resource services throughout the BC public service into a single organization. When it opened in April 2003, the Agency replaced the Public Service Employee Relations Commission (PSERC).

The BC Public Service Agency provides human resource management services to ministries and public service organizations in British Columbia. The BC Leadership Centre provides or coordinates human resource policies, programs and services for approximately 1,100 executives and senior managers.

The Agency works in partnership with Strategic Human Resource branches within public service ministries and organizations. Collectively, this group is referred to as the human resource organization. The human resource organization creates a shared service for which the Agency is accountable to the Deputy Ministers' Council through a memorandum of understanding, and to individual ministries through service level agreements. The Agency is a client-centred organization committed to retaining, motivating, recognizing and attracting the workforce needed for public service excellence.

With headquarters in Victoria, the Agency operates with 380 employees, 200 of whom work in client services offices located in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Kamloops, Nanaimo, Nelson, Prince George, Vancouver and Victoria.

Agency Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

The BC Public Service Agency is driven by a vision of:

• Connecting with our clients to provide excellence in human resource service that achieves results.

Mission

We achieve this vision by focusing on a mission of:

• Providing leadership in people management and human resource services to support achieving excellence in public service.

Values

The Agency performs its business guided by the following values:

• We provide professional and high-quality service and are accountable for our performance;
• Our relationship with our clients will be respectful, open and collaborative;
• Through team work, we trust and support each other and work across divisional boundaries;
• We model the human resource practices that we wish to see throughout the public service; and
• Our clients' success is our success.

These values are applied through on-going accountability mechanisms, including client surveys, service level agreements, the memorandum of understanding with Deputy Ministers' Council and on-going relationships with our clients.

In addition to the accountabilities previously identified, much of the BC Public Service Agency's authority and accountability comes from government legislation, specifically the Public Service Act, the Public Service Benefit Plan Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.

Agency Operating Context

Establishing a Shared Service

Shared services or consolidated models for human resource service delivery have been widely used in the private sector to reduce costs and increase the effectiveness of human resource support to business operations. Few comparable models exist in the public sector. Although no public or private sector organization provides a perfectly comparable model, lessons can be learned from the experiences of all the organizations that were studied in developing this organization.

The Ministry of Finance internal audit division conducted a baseline study in 2002 to assess the cost of human resource programs and services in government. This was the first time that the cost of human resource service delivery was calculated across government. Funding for human resource programs and services varied widely from $847 to $1,450 per FTE (Full Time Equivalent — a term used to describe a full-time position) for an average $1,120 per FTE. This discrepancy in funding also resulted in varying practices and service levels among ministries.

The transition to one standard for service levels and costs across the public service continues to be a difficult transition; some ministries face increased costs while others face a decrease in service levels. The Public Service Agency is required to balance the tension between service levels, costs, the clients' ability to pay and client satisfaction.

Facing Challenges

British Columbia's public service will face increasing people management challenges as a result of an aging workforce and increasing competition for talent in the market. These challenges require forward-thinking, progressive and proactive responses that will position the government's workforce for the future.

As government moves to alternative service delivery models and makes other programming changes, the demand for capable and committed people will increase. The success of these initiatives will be dependent on an effective human resource support structure.

On its establishment, the Public Service Agency provided services to a core group of ministries but, following the initial transition, the Agency successfully pursued and engaged several other public service organizations. This has expanded the client base and will result in reduced costs through economies of scale.

Agency Structure and Core Business Areas

When the BC Public Service Agency was formed, business areas were established to implement the new model for human resource management in the public service. This new organizational structure reflected the consolidation of human resource services and provided a structure for human resource management and administration. Five core business areas were established:

1. Governance and Strategy
2. Client Services
3. Workplace Health and Benefits
4. BC Leadership Centre
5. Executive and Support Services

1. Governance and Strategy

This business area is responsible for strategic planning, legislation, policy development, corporate human resource programs, performance measurement, compensation, classification and employee relations. The Governance and Strategy Division and the Employee Relations Division carry out these responsibilities, with the Compensation and Classification Branch working within both divisions.

Corporate Human Resource Strategy and Planning

Overview

Corporate Human Resource Strategy and Planning was established in April 2003 with responsibility for government-wide human resource strategy and planning, including the design and development of corporate-wide programs, the development of contemporary legislation and policies and responsibility for meeting deregulation targets. This area was also responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Agency and managing the Provincial Employees Community Services Fund. The Division is committed to designing strategic solutions to support people, performance and business results.

In response to the changing needs of the public service, Corporate Human Resource Strategy and Planning researched and developed corporate-wide programs in a range of areas, including recruitment and selection, performance management, core competencies, awards and recognition, and organizational development.

Year in Review

• The Public Service Amendment Act was passed in November 2003, modernizing and streamlining staffing in the public service; eliminating the Public Service Appeal Board; and implementing the new internal staffing review process. To ensure clear communication and understanding of these policy and legislative changes, information sessions were delivered to all human resource practitioners and to managers throughout the public service. As well, electronic resources were developed to support managers and the human resources community.
• Working with the Office of the Merit Commissioner, new procedures were established for administration of the staffing review process. To support the annual Merit Commissioner audit of staffing, the Agency worked with BC Stats to redesign the audit process and provided support to the external auditor.
• The Agency committed to have employee performance and development plans (EPDP) in place for all staff by July 15, 2003 and worked with cross-Ministry working committees to lead the roll-out of EPDP throughout the public service.
• More than 7,000 public servants were formally recognized for significant contributions to their workplaces.
• Legacy projects of the Renewal initiative, launched in 2001 by the former Public Service Employee Relations Commission, included project management of 21 Leadership Action workshops, the establishment of more than 100 leadership communities and the creation and coordination of a Community of Practitioners involved in employee engagement practices.
• The Division developed the second Corporate Human Resource Plan, entitled "Fostering Excellence in Public Service". The plan provides direction and sets out clear accountabilities and expectations for all levels of the public service to achieve excellence in the public service.
• In support of government's commitment to adopt enterprise-wide risk management in planning and decision-making activities, Agency staff are applying tools in strategic planning, project management and policy and program development.
• A performance measurement framework was designed and implemented to evaluate the performance of the Agency, the effectiveness of policies and programs, and the overall management of human resources across the public service.

Compensation and Classification

Overview

The Agency develops and maintains job evaluation and compensation plans for use across government. The Agency is responsible for ensuring job evaluation plans are implemented equitably in all ministries and agencies that are governed by the Public Service Act.

Job evaluation is a formal process by which management determines the relative value of different jobs within an organization. This relative value determines the appropriate salary.

The Agency is responsible for consultation with bargaining unit representatives on the development of job evaluation plans, design and implementation of management plans, and administration of related compensation policy.

The authority to evaluate jobs is vested with the Agency and may be delegated to ministry staff. To accomplish equitable application of job evaluation plans, the Agency trains, delegates and monitors the application of the various plans, and conducts random performance reviews.

Year in Review

• Over the year, the Agency resolved 59 classification appeals through dispute resolution processes, an increase of 84 per cent from the previous year.
• The Agency approved 1,610 classification review requests. These were only for positions that were not delegated to ministries for classification. Of these decisions, 70 per cent were completed within 20 calendar days.

• New business processes were implemented during the year to increase efficiency. These included: a significant reduction in the processing steps for classification reviews, a universal job description format, electronic business tools and information for managers, easily accessible job description writing services, increased classification delegation to ministry/agency managers, specialized compensation expertise at regional offices and the provision of compensation data and information for collective bargaining purposes.

Employee Relations

Overview

The Agency provides comprehensive negotiation and labour relations services and ensures that government objectives are met in negotiation with public service unions and professional associations. Staff provide direction, advice and support to ministries and agencies on the interpretation and application of collective agreements and employment-related legislation, as well as on restructuring and workforce adjustment initiatives.

The Agency represents the government on matters arising out of collective agreements and employment-related legislation at arbitration and before the Labour Relations Board and other administrative tribunals. It also represents the Employer on pension-related issues.

Year in Review

• The Agency successfully negotiated an extension to the collective agreement with the government's largest union, the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, in the late summer of 2003, though the agreement did not expire until March 31, 2004. The extension is for two years and provides no general salary increases, however, it extends employment security to union members during the term of the extension. In addition, an extension to the collective agreement was negotiated with the government's second largest union, the Professional Employees Association.
• Approximately 2,600 grievances were scheduled for expedited arbitration resulting in 33 days of hearings in five locations. Thirty-eight expedited arbitration awards were issued. The Branch was also responsible for grievances and related disputes that led to 25 formal arbitration awards and 16 Labour Relations Board decisions. The remaining grievances were settled, withdrawn or adjourned by the parties before the hearings.
• The Agency coordinated the Workforce Adjustment program, which was in its third and final year. This program was one of the largest workforce adjustment programs undertaken by a provincial government in Canada. During the three years of this initiative, over 7,600 employees left the public service and the vast majority (approximately 85 per cent) left through one of the voluntary programs offered. Approximately 2,000 employees departed in 2003/04 and over 1,700 of these separations were voluntary.

Governance and Strategy Resources Used

• Actual operating expenses were $6,542,000; full-time equivalents were 65. For more detailed information, refer to the Report on Resources.

2. Client Services

Client Services supports the operational business needs of our client ministries, agencies and organizations across the province. Services are delivered on both a regional and centralized basis and are available to ministries through Service Level Agreements, which are negotiated between the Agency and the client. Central services include the Benefits Service Centre and Learning Services.

Regional Services and the Benefits Service Centre

Overview

Regional Services include services such as consulting and related support services in the following areas: recruitment and selection; compensation and classification; employee relations; disability case management; and occupational health and safety. The Benefits Service Centre provides enrollment and benefits administration for group life insurance, extended health and dental insurance, medical services plan and the deferred salary leave program. The Benefits Service Centre provided benefits services to over 43,000 public service and public sector employees and their families.

Year in Review

• Client Services was established this year, including negotiation of Service Level Agreements with ministries, boards and agencies, staffing and operationalizing Regional Client Services offices in four regions with eight different office locations — Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Burnaby, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Nelson and Prince George.
• Using activity-based management processes, the Agency developed a better understanding of its business processes and costs. Activity-based management provided a model to analyze and support strategic management decisions. Using this costing process and the information it provided, Client Services identified areas of activity that could be streamlined, eliminated and/or maintained and matched activities in the most cost effective way to strategic business goals.
• Business process review recommendations were implemented to improve services. This included establishing the Benefits Service Centre as a single point of contact for employee benefits inquiries, launching a toll-free number, streamlining the benefits enrollment process, and enhancing the employee benefits website information.

Learning Services

Overview

The Learning Services Branch is responsible for implementing the Corporate Learning Strategy; managing the Public Service Learning Fund and the Information Systems Learning Fund; managing the planning, procurement and delivery of competency-based corporate learning programs, products and services; and engaging in planning, consulting, infrastructure support and evaluative activities to enable quality service.

Year in Review

• Learning Services led a consortium, made up of the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University and Camosun College, to develop and deliver Leading the Way, a leadership and management development program for managers and supervisors. Public sector organizations have endorsed this innovative and cost-effective program.
• Learning Services offered more courses this year in every region. The most significant increases occurred outside of Victoria and Vancouver as the Agency focused on increasing access to training in other regions.
• The Workplace Skills program was launched with 14 new courses designed to address government's core competencies: service orientation, results orientation, and teamwork and cooperation.
• An evaluation framework was designed and implemented, providing a systematic and consistent way to evaluate whether training is meeting the needs of individuals and organizations.
• Violence prevention seminars, which address worker-to-worker violence, were offered 47 times and attended by 796 employees throughout the province.

Client Services Resources Used

• Actual operating expenses were $509,000; full-time equivalents were 195. For more detailed information, refer to the Report on Resources.

3. Workplace Health and Benefits

Overview

The Agency is responsible for the development, implementation and management of public service employee benefit plans and programs. The Agency has disability management programs, occupational health programs and corporate occupational safety programs.

The disability management program area specializes in the coordination of activities related to employee absence, return to work planning and benefits management. This includes managing the Short Term Illness and Injury Plan (STIIP), Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) benefits, and Long Term Disability (LTD) Plan. Great West Life is the insurance carrier for the Long Term Disability Plan.

Disability management is involved in the control of disability claim costs and ensures that employees return to work as quickly and safely as possible. Complex and long-term cases are facilitated through the joint union/employer Rehabilitation Committee. The disability management area manages claims and appeals and is responsible for corporate WCB policy.

Occupational health programs provide clinical rehabilitation and occupational medical assessment services to employees and their ministries. This unit assists ministries in responding to employee health matters and manages and delivers pre-placement medical screening programs for safety sensitive occupations within government service. The BC Employee and Family Assistance Program offers confidential counselling services designed to assist employees and their families to resolve problems that affect their personal lives and in some cases their job performance.

Corporate occupational safety programs provide occupational health and safety (OHS) consultation and support. This unit also provides advice and guidance on OHS development and compliance strategies, OHS education and training. In particular, the specialists within this program area provide expert consulting, advice and assistance to ministries on corporate operational practices in relation to occupational health and safety (i.e. legislation, regulatory and safety program requirements and incident investigation processes). This area monitors and responds to WCB regulation, policy, and program initiatives, and provides advice to clients regarding WCB inspection reports, orders, penalties, and appeals.

Funding for employee benefits is recovered as a percentage of payroll from ministries. The rate for the fiscal year 2003/04 was 22.6 per cent. External organizations such as Crown corporations, agencies, boards and commissions who participated in these plans paid actual costs and premiums for the benefits provided to their employees.

Year in Review

• A comprehensive review of public service benefits management and administration examined the administration costs, charge back rates, cost containment/cost reduction measures and the development of an integrated approach towards employee benefits.
• An integrated disability case management approach to managing health-related absences within the workplace was adopted. This allows disability case managers to provide a consistent message and application of the proactive approach in the coordination of activities related to employee health-related absences, return to work planning and benefits management.
• The WCB claims management initiative, implemented in September 2000, continued to generate savings through effective appeals representation, pro-active management of longer term WCB claims, and pursuit of cost recovery opportunities. This year, direct and indirect savings totalled $2.5 million. Since 2000, $10 million dollars have been saved through this initiative.
• The Employee and Family Assistance Program was utilized by 2,600 employees and 1,827 family members. A follow-up survey of clients found that 88 per cent felt that their overall life situation improved and 94 per cent felt that their ability to deal with stress and to problem-solve improved as a result of the services received.
• The second year of the voluntary influenza preventive program was a success with 10,555 public service employees participating in the program. An additional 3,000 vaccinations for influenza were provided to employees who work in institutional settings to increase the protection of vulnerable clients within these institutions.

Workplace Health and Benefits Resources Used

• The Workplace Health and Benefits Branch operates on a cost-recovery basis; full-time equivalents were 57. For more detailed information, refer to the Report on Resources.

4. BC Leadership Centre

Overview

The Leadership Centre was launched in April 2003 with the mandate to recruit, develop and retain senior leaders to and within the BC public service. In October 2003 the Centre was amalgamated with the BC Public Service Agency, under one Deputy Minister, to enhance linkages with the Agency and provide integrated services to customers and clients.

The Leadership Centre directly provides or coordinates a range of strategic human resource programs and services to approximately 1,100 executives and senior managers, and collaborates within the Agency to produce policies and programs that build leadership capacity.

The Centre is represented on the Deputy Ministers' Council and is supported by a small team of professionals who provide, or contract for, human resource services. A Leadership Advisory Board consisting of nine executive members from public, private and academic backgrounds bring expertise to assist the Centre in building contemporary leadership programs.

The objectives of the BC Leadership Centre are to:

• Set a standard of excellence and be a model to attract, retain and develop competent and professional public service leaders;
• Build a corporate resource of executives and senior leaders that have the knowledge, support and services they need to meet the business and renewal agendas of government;
• Provide executive and senior managers with the resources they need to foster their professional growth, develop leading-edge skills and gain well-rounded experience in a variety of portfolios;
• Keep our leadership resource vibrant through recruitment, retention, development and succession planning; and
• Continually ensure employees with high potential are supported to become future leaders.

Year in Review

• The Leadership Centre was involved in the recruitment for new Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister appointments.
• A corporate succession planning pilot was launched with 75 individuals identified as ready or near-ready for Deputy Minister or Assistant Deputy Minister roles. These individuals received executive coaching and career planning sessions.
• The Leadership Centre developed a 360-degree Leadership Development Survey Policy to support the development of public service leaders. The survey gathers feedback data for an individual from a variety of sources, including direct reports, colleagues and supervisors. A total of 252 managers representing all ministries participated in the individual surveys and received follow-up coaching in response to survey results.
• The Agency launched the Corporate Mentoring Program, based on a successful pilot project at the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Phase I of this program targeted senior managers and initiated programs at the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.
• A Leadership Forum, for 250 senior leaders in government, focused on improving customer service and innovation.
• The Leadership Advisory Board was established and provided advice to government on issues of compensation, leadership development, succession planning, and the Premier's Awards.

BC Leadership Centre Resources Used

• The Leadership Centre operates on a cost-recovery basis; full-time equivalents were seven. For more detailed information, refer to the Report on Resources.

5. Executive and Support Services

The Deputy Minister of the BC Public Service Agency has responsibility for ensuring the human resource requirements of the public service are aligned with current and future requirements of government. The Deputy Minister works with colleagues from all ministries to ensure the products and services provided by the Agency and Leadership Centre are meeting the on-going needs of government and positioning the staff and management of the public service to achieve excellence.

Two groups support the Agency and Leadership Centre: Corporate Services and Communications.

Corporate Services

Overview

Corporate Services provides budget, financial, administrative, and infrastructure support to the Agency and Leadership Centre. This includes: budget preparation, reporting, and analysis; accounts payable/receivable; internal financial policy; facilities; telecommunications; security; purchasing; contract administration; and records management.

It also provides a wider range of services in the area of employee benefits and workforce adjustment. Acting as the employer it provides budget, financial, and administrative support for the Public Service Pension and employee health benefit plans, and is responsible for all aspects of budget and financial administration of workforce adjustment. These services are provided beyond the Agency and extend to a broader audience of clients such as: plan carriers, external employers (who participate in public service benefit plans), financial institutions, ministries, individual government employees and the BC Pension Corporation.

Year in Review

• Budgets were established and realigned within the Agency as a result of reorganization and transition.
• The Leave Liability Project Office was established to mitigate government's financial risk.
• The legal custody and control of approximately 100,000 open and active files were securely transferred to regional offices. More than 8,000 boxes of human resource files from agency clients and the former PSERC were relocated and recorded in Agency offices in eight locations.

Communications

Overview

The internal communications branch supports the strategic requirement for the Agency and the Leadership Centre to effectively and efficiently distribute information concerning initiatives, products, services and programs to client ministries and internal staff.

This branch was newly created as the Agency and Leadership Centre opened their doors in 2003. In its inaugural year, this two-person area worked with staff to ensure the cohesion and consistency of materials destined to larger public service audiences and liaised with the Public Affairs Bureau on matters of interest to the media and general public.

Year in Review

• Developed and deployed websites for the Agency and Leadership Centre to provide access to information, tools and products for public service employees, managers, human resource practitioners and executive.
• Analyzed, consolidated and implemented a more cost effective and strategic approach to electronic information delivery, ensuring integration with other government services and utility to client groups.

Executive and Support Services Resources Used

• Actual operating expenses were $1,639,000; full-time equivalents were 17. For more detailed information, refer to the Report on Resources.

Strategic Shifts and Significant Changes in Policy Direction

This is the first Annual Service Plan Report for the BC Public Service Agency. On April 1, 2003 the Agency replaced the Public Service Employee Relations Commission (PSERC). Prior to the establishment of the Agency, many human resource functions and services were delivered directly by ministry human resource departments under delegated authority from PSERC. Within the Agency, human resource leadership, policy development and the delivery of human resource management services are consolidated. This consolidation has taken place in conjunction with aligning accountability for human resource management with ministry line managers and their deputy ministers.

The new organization and structure was designed to achieve:

• Clearer accountability for human resource governance and management;
• Effective, high quality human resource programs and services; and
• Cost efficient service delivery.

The consolidation of human resource services and programs within the Agency requires new approaches, attitudes and relationships. The Agency works closely with its partners, including Strategic Human Resource units within ministries and other government organizations. These units are responsible for negotiating service level agreements for the human resource services provided by the Agency.

Following its first year of operations, the Agency is continuing to refine its programs and service delivery to meet its goal of providing client-centred, exemplary human resource services.

Update on New Era Commitments

The BC Public Service Agency has completed its New Era projects and commitments. The appendices include a brief summary of previously completed and reported New Era commitments.