Public Service Commission Accountability Report for the fiscal year

Public Service Commission Accountability Report for the fiscal year 2012 2013 Strategic human resource business partners and leaders, committed to client service excellence

Table of Contents Accountability Statement. 1 Message from the Minister and Public Service Commissioner 2 1.0 Introduction... 3 1.1 Transformation Update. 4 2.0 Financial Results.. 6 3.0 Measuring our Performance.. 7 3.1 Outcome: Engaged, Productive Government Workforce... 8 3.1.1 Performance Measures for Engaged, Productive Government Workforce 9 3.2 Outcome: Government s Priority Goals Supported 10 3.2.1 Performance Measures for Government s Priority Goals Supported 11 3.3 Outcome: A work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive and respectful workplace that supports an engaged workforce.. 12 3.3.1 Performance Measures for a work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive and respectful workplace that supports an engaged workforce 13 3.4 Outcome: Improved Service Delivery through Accountability and Engagement.. 14 3.4.1 Performance Measures for Improved Service Delivery through Accountability and Engagement.. 15 4.0 Other Significant Events and Accomplishments 16 5.0 Report on Disclosure of Wrongdoing 17 Appendix 1: PSC s Strategy Map 18 Appendix 2: PSC s Service Delivery Model. 19

Accountability Statement The Accountability Report of the Public Service Commission for the year ending March 31, 2013 is prepared pursuant to the Finance Act and government policies and guidelines. These authorities require the reporting of outcomes against the Public Service Commission s Statement of Mandate for the fiscal year 2012-2013. The reporting of the Public Service Commission s outcomes necessarily includes estimates, judgments and opinions by Public Service Commission s management. We acknowledge that this Accountability Report is the responsibility of the Public Service Commission s management. The report is, to the extent possible, a complete and accurate representation of outcomes relative to the goals and priorities set out in the Public Service Commission s 2012-2013 Statement of Mandate. Original signed by The Honourable Marilyn More Minister, Public Service Commission Original signed by Kelliann Dean Commissioner, Public Service Commission 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 1

Message from the Minister and Public Service Commissioner The Accountability Report for the Public Service Commission (PSC) highlights a number of achievements over the 2012-13 fiscal year. These accomplishments have strengthened our mission to ensure government departments and agencies have the human resources they need to achieve their objectives. In 2012-13, the PSC continued to undergo a process of major transformation. These changes are needed so the PSC can be more strategic human resource business partners, and leaders in client service excellence. We are starting to see the results of these process improvements, especially in our key process areas of compensation and classification, benefits, occupational health and safety, and recruitment and selection. That work will also continue in the year ahead. We know the only way to truly be a productive and efficient workforce is through engagement and ensuring a positive work environment. In 2012-13, we reached out to Deputy Ministers and HR Managers to inform them of initiatives underway to support HR client service excellence. The HR Conference for Managers workshops were held across the province, giving them the opportunity to speak with subject matter experts in a small group setting. We also focused on ensuring that public servants work in a respectful workplace that is safe, supportive and free from harassment. Ensuring the province has high-quality human resource management principles, values and practices supports government s core priorities of better healthcare sooner; creating good jobs and growing the economy; making life more affordable and breaking the cycle of poverty; and, getting back to balance. Our transformation will only enhance our ability to support government s vision. Sincerely, Original signed by The Honourable Marilyn More Minister, Public Service Commission Original signed by Kelliann Dean Commissioner, Public Service Commission 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 2

1.0 Introduction The Government of Nova Scotia is committed to being open and accountable. Annual business plans and accountability reports are essential tools for government departments, agencies and concerned stakeholders to assess organizational performance. This Annual Accountability Report for the Nova Scotia Public Service Commission (PSC) is based on the outcomes, strategic actions, achievements and progress in meeting the intended performance measures set out in the Commission s Statement of Mandate for the 2012-13 fiscal year. This Report should be read in conjunction with the 2012-13 Statement of Mandate available on the PSC s website at: http://novascotia.ca/psc/pdf/about/businessplans/2012-2013_psc_statement_of_mandate.pdf In both establishing and working towards these goals and priorities, the PSC is guided by its mandate, vision, and mission. In 2012-13, the PSC s vision remained unchanged from 2011-12 and is as follows: Strategic human resource business partners and leaders, committed to client service excellence. It is important to note, however, that the PSC s mandate and mission changed between 2011-12 and 2012-13 to better reflect departmental goals. In 2011-12, our mission was: The Public Service Commission provides human resources leadership, strategic advice, and employee services to departments and offices within the Government of Nova Scotia. Our services add value to our clients and help build employee capacity so that government and departmental goals are met, the public is well-served and the Nova Scotia government retains and engages high performing employees. PSC will: Align ourselves with the priorities of government and our client departments Support the attraction and development of highly-productive, skilled and engaged employees Implement continuous improvement in process design and client service delivery Encourage shared accountability for HR stewardship and outcomes Abide by the Public Service values in all our dealings with clients and colleagues In 2012-13 our mission became as follows: To provide expert, respected human resources advice, services and solutions. Our mandate also changed slightly to be more client focussed and better reflect how we support government s core priorities and reads as follows: The Nova Scotia Public Service Commission (PSC) is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating corporate human resource policies, programs, services and standards. The PSC is responsible for ensuring high quality corporate human resource management principles, values and practices. The PSC is the government s agent for collective bargaining with unions that represent direct government employees and provides advice to government on collective bargaining in the broader public service. Fulfilling this mandate ensures that the nova Scotia Government has the human resources required to create and deliver high quality programs and services to citizens. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 3

1.1 Transformation Update In 2010-11, the PSC embarked on a transformation project to support our efforts towards client service improvement, organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and to maximize the value from HR investment. PSC s transformation involves simultaneous change in three main areas: Strategy Management Excellence, Process Excellence, and Service Delivery Model Alignment. Process Excellence: Building on the work of the pilot Process Improvement team focused on Compensation and Classification and Benefits, additional teams were developed in 2012-13, which included, Occupational Health and Safety (safety), and Recruitment and Selection. The teams reviewed their programs and services to analyze where improvements can be made to better standardize processes and create more efficiency in service delivery. Recommendations on how to improve and enhance client service excellence and satisfaction in the functional areas were presented to the Service Delivery Model Advisory Committee in October 2012, with plans for implementation to begin in fiscal 2013-14. To further illustrate the PSC s ongoing commitment and desire to ensure resources are in place to support implementation of the process improvement recommendations, the PSC created a permanent Project Management Office within the Policy and System Performance Division. All major PSC projects will be planned, coordinated and managed from this office to ensure the right resources are in place to support our efforts and to make continuous process improvement an integral part of how the PSC operates. In addition, with the retirement of the Executive Director, Employee Relations and Benefits, at the end of March 2013, the Treasury Board assumed responsibility for broader public sector bargaining. The remaining Employee Relations function, led by the Director, will report to the Public Service Commissioner. The PSC retains responsibility for bargaining the civil service, CUPE Highway Workers and Crown Attorney agreements as well as providing day-to-day employee relations advice to clients. Strategy Management Excellence: The PSC s Strategy Map (see Appendix 1) continues to guide transformation activities building on the objective to develop a Balanced Scorecard strategy management framework in 2013-14. These tools will ensure PSC has a standardized approach to strategic planning that will improve planning, set priorities, and measure outcomes. In addition, it allows leadership to remain focused on core initiatives and employees are able to see how their work contributes to government s priorities. Service Delivery Model Alignment: In December 2012, a new PSC structure was announced that will take effect in 2013-14 (see Appendix 2 for PSC s new Service Delivery Model). The structure is based on our Service Delivery Model that has three main units: Business Partner Units (Client Service Delivery HR Units), HR Service Centre (Client Service Delivery and Operations Support), and Centre of Expertise (Strategy and System Performance, and Employee Relations). 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 4

The Business Partner Units (Client Service Delivery HR Units) are the primary contact for clients to access PSC services and for providing strategic advice and support. There are seven units that support departments directly and depend on the service centre for consistent, excellent transactional support in a number of core areas, as well as the centre of excellence specialists for support related to unique client needs. The HR Service Centre Unit (Client Service Delivery and Operations Support) provides efficient, consistent support and advice (both transactional and consultative), directly to all business partner units and directly to managers and employees in a variety of critical areas. This unit includes Staffing, Benefits, OHS, Absence Management, and EAP. The Centre of Expertise Unit (Strategy and System Performance, and Employee Relations) is responsible for developing corporate HR strategies, policies and frameworks, managing HR systems and projects, developing our business plan and scorecard and monitoring/evaluating results. They share expertise/consult with clients at the request of a business partner unit and can also be relied upon for specialized training and development services. This unit includes Organizational Effectiveness, Compensation and Classification, and Policy, Strategy, and Decision Support. The new structure aims to improve client service delivery and transformation, support continuous improvement and the implementation of process improvement recommendations, and strengthen accountability framework and collaboration within the PSC. Benefits of this new structure to both employees and clients include greater role clarity and responsibility, more opportunities for collaboration, advancement and development, as well as improved communications. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 5

2.0 Financial Results Public Service Commission 2012-2013 Estimate 2012-2013 Actual Variance Actual to Estimate Over/(Under) Program & Service Area ($thousands) ($thousands) ($thousands) Gross Departmental Expenses Client Service Delivery $9,248 $8,928 ($320) 1 Employee Relations 875 874 (1) Office of the Commissioner 472 444 (28) 2 Strategic Human Resources Management 1,404 1,182 (222) 3 Strategy & System Performance 5,787 6,339 552 4 Total Gross Departmental Expenses $17,786 $17,768 ($18) Additional Information: Fees and Other Charges 0 0 0 Ordinary Recoveries ($5) ($146) ($141) TCA Purchase Requirements - - - Provincial Funded Staff (FTEs) 203.18 192.03 (11.15) 5 1. Variance of ($320) was mainly due to decreases in Operating Costs across the division. These included Travel, Professional Services, Printing/Stationery, Other Services, Staff Training, Equipment Leases, Meeting Expenses and IT Hardware expenditures. 2. Variance of ($28) was mainly due to decreases in Travel expenditures. 3. Variance of ($222) was mainly due to decreases in Operating Costs across the division as well as salary savings from vacant positions. 4. Variance of $552 was mainly due to increases in salary costs due to lower than anticipated savings from vacancies and an increase in casual costs. Also contributing to this increase were the costs associated to the on-going Transformation. 5. Reduction of 11.15 FTEs was due to vacant positions. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 6

3.0 Measuring our Performance As the corporate human resources entity for government, the PSC is responsible for corporate HR policies, programs and services to assist all government departments in meeting their respective HR goals. To do this, performance measures are used to track progress in achieving desired outcomes that relate to these goals and strategic activities. Performance measures provide evidence that an activity/program is making a measurable difference within the HR community and to managers and employees across government as a whole. Measures are linked to outcomes, as well as the benefit of the PSC s programs, policies and services across government. In selecting appropriate performance measures that are meaningful and informative, the PSC seeks to balance the availability of resources to manage the measurement process with consistency in the information gathered and the accuracy of reporting mechanisms. The majority of our performance measures are based on the agreement (or favourable) scores from the corporate How s Work Going? Bi-annual Employee Survey. Since the employee survey is conducted on a bi-annual basis, the measures in this report are based on the 2013 corporate results. Nation-wide inter-jurisdictional averages are also included in the review of our performance measures as they relate to specific questions. The averages are originated from the Employee Engagement Inter-jurisdictional Team, which is made up of nine provinces, three territories and the federal government. 1 In addition, with the introduction of the PSC Client Satisfaction Survey in 2011 the PSC has established baseline data to measure the factors that influence client satisfaction and service delivery. Efforts to improve on the measures used in the PSC s business planning and accountability reporting have been ongoing. As a result, there have been changes in the outcomes and measures reported in PSC accountability reports from year to year. In the PSC s 2013-14 Statement of Mandate, three outcomes were merged to form one. Engaged productive government workforce. Government s priority goals supported. A quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce. The new outcome states, Engaged productive workforce to support Government s priority goals. With this new outcome, the PSC has a clearer, more focused goal to achieve and employees are better able to align their performance objectives to the Statement of Mandate. This resulted in changes in the performance measures. Previous measures were not evaluating the activity originally intended, whereas the new measures in the 2013-14 Statement of Mandate incorporate indices related to talent capacity and workplace culture. These measures are stronger and better reflect progress toward our intended outcomes both corporately and internal to the PSC. 1 Employee Engagement Inter-jurisdictional Initiative. 2011 Report of Results for the Public Service Commissioners Conference. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 7

3.1 Outcome: Engaged, Productive Government Workforce Fiscal 2012-13 Strategic Actions: Support departments in interpreting employee survey results and developing strategies for improvement. The 2013 How s Work Going? Employee Survey was completed in March 2013, and analyses are underway, with distribution of initial results commencing in 2013. Enhanced reporting and report delivery to support clients response to their survey results will continue in fiscal 2013-14. Review learning and development programming and align with government priorities and employee needs. Achieved Modifications have been made to the 2012-13 Leadership Development Program modules. Three programs are being delivered: Supervisory, Middle Manager and Executive Leadership. Modifications have also been made to the former Success through Managers Program, now called Manager Orientation two offerings are being delivered. Develop e-learning programming. Achieved - Several e-learning programs have been delivered for 2012-13: Introduction to OHS, Performance Management, and Respectful Workplace for both employees and managers. Review/update competency framework and improve talent management. Achieved - EC competencies are now updated, in addition, performance management forms for 2013-14 have been developed and are available to all EC employees. Training in the new competencies and the use of the new forms is well underway. Response from employees has been very positive. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 8

3.1.1 Performance Measures for Engaged, Productive Government Workforce Table 1 outlines the measures for the outcome related to engaged, productive government workforce. We have chosen these measures as they identify some of the drivers that influence the level of employees engagement (based on their level of satisfaction and commitment) within the organization, i.e. feel they have support at work to provide a high level of services, and feel the organization supports their work-related learning and development. Based on the corporate trend analysis, the results decreased slightly in 2013, with the exception of the percentage of employees who feel they have support at work to provide a high level of service, which increased. For these measures, Nova Scotia s results were below the average overall in 2013 when compared to the inter-jurisdictional results. 2 They remain, however, within the area of strength category as determined by the Employee Engagement Inter-jurisdictional Team. It is important to note that, internally, some departments saw significant improvement in their employee engagement scores. This indicates that there are opportunities from within that can be viewed as best practices in order to improve the outcome of an engaged, productive government workforce. Measures that were not carried forward to the new fiscal have been replaced with measures that better support and reflect the new outcome and actions as stated in PSC s 2013-14 Statement of Mandate. Outcome: Engaged, Productive Government Workforce Performance Measure Level of employee engagement 2006 (Baseline) Corporate Trend Analysis 2007 2009 2011 2013 Fiscal 2012-13 Target in Mandate Measure Carried Forward to 2013-14 65% 72% 74% 62% 60% 62% Yes % of employees who feel they have support at work to provide a high 68% 72% 74% 61% 62% 61% No level of service % of employees who feel the organization supports their workrelated 59% 67% 74% 62% 60% 62% No learning and development Table 1 Performance Measures for Outcome: Engaged, Productive Government Workforce 2 Due to recent protocol changes, determined by the Employee Engagement Inter-jurisdictional Committee, we are unable to publish the exact percentages. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 9

3.2 Outcome: Government s Priority Goals Supported Fiscal 2012-13 Strategic Actions: Continue to improve business planning and accountability by implementing PSC s Balanced Score Card. Work on the PSC s Balanced Score card was deferred pending completion of Process Improvement efforts. Provide high quality data and analysis, e.g. absenteeism analysis, attrition, vacancy management, dashboard for DMs, and workforce analysis, to support management decision making. Work in all areas of HR Analytics is ongoing. We will continue to improve analyses and reporting methods; work on dashboards is in the approval stage, attrition and retirement reports are now routinely provided, vacancy management reports are prepared and delivered in conjunction with Treasury Board Office, significant progress has been made on analysis/reporting on absenteeism data. Support departmental transition of workforce. Extensive effort was required in 2012-13 due to physical relocation of several government entities and transfer of SAP support to IBM. All 94 Bargaining Unit and 19 Excluded employees who had chosen placement have been successfully placed within vacant positions throughout government. Continue the development of a PLAR Pilot program as part of the jobshere Initiative. Work in progress on competencies, levels of works, job qualifications and behavioural based interviewing. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 10

3.2.1 Performance Measures for Government s Priority Goals Supported Table 2 outlines the measures for the outcome related to supporting government s priority goals. This measure was chosen to represent the percentage of employees who know how their work contributes to the achievement of their department s goals. Based on the results, we are able to determine whether employees have a clear understanding of the connection between their work and the achievement of government s goals. Since 2006, there have been slight increases in this measure. In 2011 and 2013 the agreement score decreased, but remains within an area of strength according to the Employee Engagement Interjurisdictional Team. Inter-jurisdictionally, we were still below the average for this question in 2013. This measure was not carried forward to the new fiscal due to changes we made in our performance measures to better support and reflect the new outcome and actions as stated in PSC s 2013-14 Statement of Mandate. Outcome: Government s Priority Goals Supported Performance Measure 2006 (Baseline) Corporate Trend Analysis 2007 2009 2011 2013 Fiscal 2012-13 Target in Mandate Measure Carried Forward to 2013-14 % of employees know how work contributes to the achievement of department 72% 78% 79% 73% 69% 75% No goals Table 2 Performance Measures for Outcome: Government s Priority Goals Supported 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 11

3.3 Outcome: A quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive, and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce Fiscal 2012-13 Strategic Actions: Continued negotiation of collective agreements. At reporting time, negotiations with the NSGEU for the Civil Service Master Agreement concluded and a tentative agreement was reached. CUPE Highway Workers negotiations are ongoing and Crown Attorneys negotiations have been referred to interest arbitration. These actions will be carried forward for completion of bargaining process and/or implementation of new agreements in fiscal 2013-14. Implement new Respectful Workplace Policy and process, including new training modules. Achieved The Respectful Workplace Policy was reviewed and revised. Training for managers and HR staff was conducted in 2012-13 and mandatory training is available to all employees. Continue on-going staffing policies review. Recruitment and Selection Process Improvement work completed; recommendations presented to the Steering Committee. Review the Civil Service Act Amendments were not introduced in the spring 2013 Session of the Legislative Assembly. This action will be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Decision will be sought on introducing amendments in the fall 2013 Session. Support workforce transition through change management, workforce planning, and talent management. On-going routine business. Review training for managers and supervisors. Achieved - Modifications have been made to the 2012-13 Leadership Development Program modules. Three programs are being delivered: Supervisory, Middle Manager and Executive Leadership. Modifications have also been made to the former Success through Managers Program, now called Manager Orientation - two offerings were being delivered in 2012-13. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 12

3.3.1 Performance Measures for a quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive, and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce Table 3 outlines the measures for the outcome related to a quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive, and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce. Key outcomes from the Employee Survey related to a quality work environment include: meaningful recognition, feeling safe, treated respectfully, and confidence in their senior leadership. In 2013, there were slight decreases for the measures related to recognition, employees who feel safe at work, and employees who feel they are treated respectfully at work. There were no changes in 2013 from 2011 for the question that measures the percentage of employees who are confident in the senior leadership in their divisions/work units. There was a slight increase in 2013 for the measure relating to the percentage of employees who have reported experiencing harassment/bullying behaviour. These measures indicate that there is still work to be done in order to sustainably achieve and create a quality work environment. These measures were not carried forward to the new fiscal due to changes we made in our performance measures to better support and reflect the new outcome and actions as stated in PSC s 2013-14 Statement of Mandate. Outcome: A quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive, and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce Performance Measure Corporate Trend Analysis Fiscal 2012-13 2006 Target in 2007 2009 2011 2013 (Baseline) Mandate Measure Carried Forward to 2013-14 % of employees who feel they receive meaningful recognition 49% 55% 58% 47% 46% 50% No for work well done % of employees who state they feel safe at work 83% 87% 87% 78% 60% 80% No % of employees who feel they are treated respectfully at work n/a n/a 79% 74% 73% 80% No % of employees who are confident with the senior 48% 56% 60% 48% 48% 50% No leadership in their department % of employees who have reported experiencing harassment/bullying behaviour in - - 26% 25% 26% 24% No their workplace in the last 12 months Table 3 Performance Measures for Outcome: A quality work environment, i.e. fair, safe, supportive, and respectful workplace, which supports an engaged workforce 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 13

3.4 Outcome: Improved Service Delivery through accountability & engagement Fiscal 2012-13 Strategic Actions: Continue the Process Improvement Project to streamline processes, improve turnaround times and establish new service delivery standards and measures. Process Improvement work completed during 2012-13: Compensation, OHS (safety), Recruitment and Selection, and Benefits. Implementation is being planned for 2013-14. Implement changes, e.g. systems training policy, required to support the To Be state of process review, e.g. compensation/classification, OHS, recruitment, learning and development. This has been deferred pending implementation of Process Improvement recommendations. Continue service delivery review and implement a new service delivery model. Achieved - In line with the PSC's new service delivery model, the roll out of a new Client Services Delivery structure took place December 4, 2012 with implementation to begin April 1, 2013. Conduct the 2012 PSC Client Satisfaction Survey and analyze the results. Survey deferred pending completion of Process Improvement efforts and implementation of resulting recommendations. Develop and implement an HR Accountability Framework for Leaders A draft report has been prepared for approval in 2013-14. Deliver compensation/classification training to HR Staff and Line Managers. Work was delayed due to the Process Improvement effort and will resume in fiscal 2013-14. Using Portal and FileNet, establish online access to job descriptions. Achieved - Completed and rolled out to all PSC staff; access to all government employees to be provided in fiscal 2013-14. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 14

3.4.1 Performance Measures for improved Service Delivery through accountability and engagement In 2011, the goal for the performance measures based on this outcome was to conduct the client satisfaction survey and develop baseline data, which has been achieved and the results assisted in establishing the priority areas for our Process Improvement Initiative. The Client Satisfaction Survey, however, was deferred in 2012-13 in order to align with the release of the 2013 How s Work Going? Employee Survey, therefore, no results are available for reporting. It has been established as a strategic action for 2013-14 that the PSC will conduct the Client Satisfaction Survey. Table 4 below outlines the measures for the outcome related to improved service delivery through accountability and engagement. For all measures, the PSC is working towards increasing the scores through process improvement initiatives as indicated in our 2013-14 Statement of Mandate. Our ultimate targets set for 2015-16 are to maintain or increase agreement scores within the area of strength categories. 3 Outcome: Improved Service Delivery through Accountability & Engagement Performance Measure (from PSC Client Satisfaction Survey) % of program areas who scored 60% or above for client s satisfaction with the amount of time it took to get the service they required % of program areas who scored 60% or above for clients who feel PSC staff are knowledgeable and competent Average percentage (index) of clients satisfied with the overall quality of service they received from the PSC No Trend Data Available 2011 (Baseline) Fiscal 2012-13 Target set in Mandate 36% 50% 71% 73% 54% 60% Ultimate Targets (2015-16) Increase to be within area of strength range To maintain as an area of strength Increase to be within area of strength range Measure Carried Forward to 2013-14 Table 4 Performance Measures for Outcome: Improved Service Delivery through accountability and engagement Yes Yes Yes 3 As measured on the PSC Client Satisfaction Survey, agreement scores of 60-74% are categorized as areas of strength, those 75% or above are categorized as areas of clear strength as determined by the Employee Engagement Inter-jurisdictional Team. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 15

4.0 Significant Events and Accomplishments This section describes other significant events and accomplishments not identified as strategic actions in the 2012-13 Statement of Mandate. HR Conference for Managers: On December 14th, 2012 the PSC held a workshop for Deputy Ministers to inform them of initiatives that are currently underway to support HR client service excellence and provide them with an opportunity to speak to subject matter experts in a small group setting. The feedback from this day was very positive. Additionally, the DMs noted they felt that it was very important that the PSC communicate this same information to the managers in their departments. The HR Conference for Managers was developed as a series of workshops held across the province during February and March of 2013. The topics covered during the workshops included, Recruitment and Selection, Compensation and Classification, Employee Engagement, Absence Management, Performance Management, and Online Access to HR Support and Information. During this interactive conference, subject matter experts from the Public Service Commission presented on HR topics that were of interest to the management community of government. The objectives of the workshops were to provide managers across government with information on PSC initiatives that are currently underway to support HR Client Service Excellence and which address the issues identified by them, and to give managers an opportunity to provide feedback and input into these initiatives. Health Benefits RFP: In 2012-13 the PSC issued an RFP for an Administrator and Claims Payer of the Health, Dental and Travel Health plans offered to government employees and retirees. A total of 7 bids were received and evaluated by a joint committee comprised of representatives of the NSGEU, CUPE Highway Workers Local 1867 and the Public Service Commission. As a result of the evaluation process, Medavie Blue Cross was unanimously selected to continue as the Administrator and Claims Payer of the above noted plans. The process also resulted in cost savings through a reduction in plan administration fees. These savings were used to purchase a number of improvements in the employees benefits coverage at no additional cost to the Employer or employees. 2013 How s Work Going? Employee Survey Implementation: One of the ways to create a positive work environment for employees is to ask for, and listen to, their input about their workplaces. This is a fundamental part of building a strong public service for Nova Scotians, and in March 2013, just over 70% of all government employees completed the 2013 How s Work Going? employee survey - the best response rate the PSC has seen since the survey was initiated. The Evaluation and Accountability Division is analyzing the employee survey results for all government departments, which will be shared with departments and posted on the PSC website in the new fiscal year. Each department will develop an action plan to address areas for improvement based on the opinions voiced in the survey. 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 16

5.0 Report on Disclosure of Wrongdoing Annual Report under Section 18 of the Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act The Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act was proclaimed into law on December 20, 2011. The Act provides for government employees to be able to come forward if they reasonably believe that a wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed and they are acting in good faith. The Act also protects employees who do disclose from reprisals, by enabling them to lay a complaint of reprisal with the Labour Board. A Wrongdoing for the purposes of this Act is: a. A contravention of provincial or federal laws or regulations b. A misuse or gross mismanagement of public funds or assets c. An act or omission that creates an imminent risk of a substantial and specific danger to the life, health or safety of persons or the environment, or d. Directing or counseling someone to commit a wrongdoing During the 2012-13 fiscal year, the Public Service Commission received no disclosures of wrongdoing to report. Information Required under Section 18 of the Act Fiscal Year 2012-2013 The number of disclosures received 0 The number of findings of wrongdoing 0 Details of each wrongdoing (1 row each) Recommendations and actions taken on each wrongdoing (1 row each) n/a n/a 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 17

Appendix 1: PSC s Strategy Map 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 18

Appendix 2: PSC s Service Delivery Model Clients Business Partner Units Client Service Delivery HRUs Centre of Expertise Strategy & System Performance and Employee Relations HR Service Centre Client Service Delivery and Operations Support 2012-2013 Accountability Report Public Service Commission 19