1. Strengthening Your HR Capacity The Government of Canada Perspective
Margaret Van Amelsvoort-Thoms
Executive Director, Office of the Chief HR Officer
Government of Canada
April 5, 2013

2. The Evolving Role of HR – David Ulrich
David Ulrich, one of the most influential leaders in Human Resources, highlights the following:
HR’s role needs to be articulated in terms of value added.
HR professionals must be able to partner with managers on strategy – move from activity-focused to results-focused.
The strategic partner role demands a degree of knowledge about strategy and the organization.
Results-based HR organizations are automating the transactional work, and innovating transformational work (e.g. how to attract and motivate young employees, etc.)
HR Professionals must know the business, master HR practices, manage change processes, help create cultures and workplaces, and demonstrate credibility. 2 2

3. Some Questions That we are Asking
Do you consider HR as “Professionals”?
Can HR translate external trends into impacts on your organization?
Does HR aim to establish a partnership with managers based on clear, consistent and credible communication?
Does HR support the organization during change?
Do you consider HR to be innovative?
Overall, does HR add clear and significant value to your organization? (i.e. do managers feel that their unit would be less successful without HR?)

4. HR Vision
HR based on:
Enabling Department Leaders to achieve business objectives through provision of expert, strategic advice and guidance relative to People Management
Maximizing efficiency and effectiveness through best service delivery model/offerings to clients;
Maximizing technology to enable manager and employee self-service based on common processes and standardized systems 4 4

5. The Government of Canada Workplace in 2015 and Beyond
Some trends across organizations:
Explore new service delivery models
Use of modern technology to do business
Common business processes
Moving towards a 21st Century Organization
Clear mission and longer-term goals
Faster decision making and quicker “reaction time”
Close linkages to partners inside and outside government
Intelligent People Management - Clear performance expectations

6. The Government of Canada Workforce in 2015 and Beyond
Leaner and more agile workforce
Diversity and bilingualism continue to be valued
Added core value of Stewardship
Some emerging skills to support a high performing workforce:
Versatile and agile
Innovative
Results-focused, productive, efficient
Responsive: Embrace change and transformation
Leveraging technology better
Stronger communication
Values-based leadership
Analysis / Policy focus

7. Where Were We HR Workforce Maturity Model Manager Perceptions
HR enforces rules and doesn’t enable results.
HR professionals are focused on transactions and not strategic advice
Not a productive relationship between managers and HR
Unclear responsibilities / expectations between managers and HR
Legend:
_____ = Current state _____ = Expected 3 year state _____ = Optimal state
* 2010 results of an HR community focus group

8. Building the HR Capacity to get there…
Common HR business processes as the foundation
Explore new service delivery models and modern technologies
Moving towards generic work descriptions and competencies for the HR Community
Other essentials:
Values
Relationships
Competences

9. Common HR Business Processes
In 2006/07, the Government of Canada leveraged global best practices to initiate the design of common human resources business processes, in an effort to:
Streamline and simplify
Address inconsistencies
Address unnecessary costs
Improve HR service delivery
Being implemented across departments; foundational to the Government of Canada’s vision of HR service delivery.
Implemented across departments by March 2014.

10. Enhancing the Service Delivery Model
With a foundation of common HR business processes in place, the Government of Canada is exploring modern HR service delivery models to further:
Reduce costs
Enable efficiencies and productivity
To date, the Government of Canada has centralized Pension services and are in the process of centralizing Pay/Compensation services.
More work is underway to find efficiencies through modern service delivery models.
Focus on automation
Leverage modern IT tools and Systems

11. HR Generic Work Descriptions and Competencies
Getting the right people, at the right time, with the right skills continues to be critical to strengthening our HR Capacity
Generic Work Descriptions
Work ascribed to a given occupational group and level within an organizational context
Community Competencies
Observable skills, abilities, and/or knowledge defined in terms of behaviours needed for successful job performance
Foundation for HR
community development
Support and enable HR to
manage their careers
Facilitate hiring the right
people
Normalize performance
expectations across HR
community
Supports retention
Drivers
Business needs
Service delivery

12. Other Essentials Values Relationships Competence
Values drive culture and shape behaviour and beliefs of members. HR needs to establish its values.
Clearly establish and act on desired organizational values (e.g. client service, results oriented, etc.)
Relationships
Should be meaningful, active and produce results (should exist beyond law or policy)
Ensure key relationships are based on trust and credibility (HR vs. Managers; Management vs. Unions)
Competence
HR needs to understand its role and play it confidently
Understand, accept and be accountable for expectations

13. Look Beyond Legislation
In 2003, the GoC made significant changes to the legislative framework for human resources management.
The foundation is in place for good people management, but the results have not come as quickly as desired.
A 5-year review of the legislative changes highlighted that successful people management goes beyond the legislation:
Strengthen values to shape the culture and behaviours
Focus on building relationships, not forcing them
Ensure clear expectations and responsibilities are in place for all
Make sure the wiring (infrastructure) is in place to enable success

14. Moving Towards Our Vision
Enabling Technology
Automated transactions; managers and employees able to self-serve. Same system across the PS. “We know our employees.”
HR Data
Common
Processes
Each organization does things the same way.
HR Data
Streamlined
Policy Suite
Policies are simplified and standardized
HR Data
HR Workforce Professionalization
HR professionals provide value-added advice and services linked to business objectives.
HR Data
HR Enterprise Model
HR business is delivered efficiently, effectively and consistently across the GoC.
Growing partnership between HR and Managers
A culture shift is underway 14 14

15. Questions?
Thank you!