Policy Statement
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is one of the key accountability entities within the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The principal statutory role of the PSC is to act as an independent, arm’s length agency tasked with the protection of merit in public service recruitment, ensuring the existence of a professional, non-partisan public service. Recruitment is an investment in the public service work force, and can be a costly endeavour if not conducted appropriately with impacts on operations and morale. The PSC’s recruitment efforts ensure that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has a workforce comprised of qualified, skilled and competent employees.
To ensure this, a Selection Board (the Board) is convened to conduct competitions for the recruitment of public service positions. The Board is a designated panel/committee led by a Selection Board Chair who is certified by, and acts on behalf of the PSC. The Board is comprised of a Selection Board Chair and a departmental representative from the hiring department/agency. At the discretion of the Selection Board Chair, a technical advisor and/or observer may also be included to assist in the evaluation of candidates.
The Board must apply and adhere to PSC policies and procedures in generating recommendations for appointments to and promotions within the public service.
Application
This policy applies to all organizations specified in Schedule A of the Public Service Commission Act (PSC Act) and to positions in those organizations not otherwise excluded by Section 4 thereof.
Definitions
For the purpose of this policy:
Appointment – the award of a position via a PSC approved assessment process.
Delegated Staffing Authority – delegated authority from the PSC to another government entity to exercise and perform powers and functions of the PSC related to appointment and promotion.
Departmental Representative – an individual representing the Deputy Minister/Chief Executive Officer as designate on the Selection Board who has knowledge specific to the position being filled and can fairly assess the requirements of the position and the qualifications of the candidate(s).
PSC Approved Assessment Processes – defined processes, procedures and standards based on merit and designated by the PSC to assess candidates for appointments to and promotions within the public service. All assessment activities will be conducted by a Selection Board.
Selection Board – a designated panel/committee led by a Selection Board Chair, convened to conduct competitions for the recruitment of public service positions.
Selection Board Chair – an official who is certified and acting on behalf of the PSC on a Selection Board, convened to conduct competitions for the recruitment of public service positions.
Technical Advisor – an individual with technical expertise who may be required, at the discretion of the Selection Board Chair, to participate in the competition process to advise the Selection Board on matters related to specific components of the work and the demonstration of technical competencies.
Roles and Responsibilities
Department/Agency and Delegated Staffing Authority
It is the responsibility of the Department/Agency and the entity that holds Delegated Staffing Authority to:
- espouse and uphold the principles of merit in the conduct of recruitment;
- identify appropriate employees to undergo Selection Board Chair training;
- support and respect the responsibilities of the Selection Board Chair acting on behalf of the PSC;
- where compliance reviews are conducted, participate accordingly and appropriately;
- have formal approval from the Deputy Minister/Chief Executive Officer (or designate) to initiate a recruitment action; and,
- identify appropriate departmental representatives and technical advisors.
Selection Board Chair
It is the responsibility of the Selection Board Chair to:
- act on behalf of the PSC to ensure that merit principles are applied in the conduct of recruitment and to guard against any inappropriate influence in the assessment of candidates;
- complete training sessions facilitated by the PSC as required;
- convene the Selection Board, ensure the Board is duly constituted, and determine the requirements and scope for departmental representatives, technical advisors, and/or attendance of observers if applicable;
- inform members of the Selection Board of their responsibilities as it relates to the assessment of candidates;
- ensure that all members of the Selection Board acknowledge a confidentiality agreement prior to commencement of the recruitment process;
- determine and apply the most appropriate PSC approved processes for candidate assessment, to be used to develop recommendations for appointment (refer to PSC’s Competitive Process Policy for further information);
- ensure that the proper documentation is maintained on each recruitment action and that it is handled in a confidential manner (refer to PSC’s Competitive Process Policy for further information); and,
- apply and adhere to PSC policies in generating recommendations for appointments to and promotions within the public service.
Selection Board
It is the responsibility of the Selection Board members to:
- declare and remove themselves from the Selection Board where there may be a conflict of interest with any potential candidates;
- apply the required policies and procedures as per the PSC’s Competitive Process Policy;
- conduct a thorough analysis in the assessment and evaluation of candidates based on merit principles; and,
- ensure all recruitment related records are maintained in a secure, controlled-access, confidential location during recruitment activities, and destroy any transitory records upon completion.
Public Service Commission
The Commission shall:
- ensure a competent and non-partisan work force by upholding merit principles in the conduct of recruitment and take appropriate action where improper influence is perceived or established;
- lead and support Selection Board Chair training and mentoring processes;
- specify the jurisdiction and operational requirements of Selection Board Chairs;
- determine the requirements for certification;
- reserve the right to attend, observe or review any phase of a recruitment process;
- provide guidance and interpretation of this policy;
- adjudicate requests for appeal related to the application of this policy, pursuant to the PSC Act; and,
- advance continuous improvement and innovation into training, policy and practice.