Management Response and Action Plan

Evaluation Report Title: Evaluation of Department of Justice Professional Development (PD) Function

Approval Date of Evaluation by Deputy Minister: March 2018

Recommendation 1:  Establish an overarching governance mechanism for the departmental Professional Development (PD) function. The governance mechanism should include representation at a senior level across portfolios and sectors (including regional offices reporting through the National Litigation Sector), to provide oversight and high-level guidance, and to ensure that learning activities address departmental and governmental priorities.

Rationale for Recommendation:

• There is no overarching governance of the departmental PD function that encompasses various sectors, portfolios, regional offices and the main delivery providers. The evaluation found that there is an informal approach to planning and alignment with departmental and governmental priorities. Although these priorities are key drivers in training development for the Department, there is no strategic approach to planning and priority setting at a departmental level.

Management Response:

Human Resource Branch’s (HRB) Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development and the Legal Practices Sector’s Continuing Legal Education Program are working together to establish a Learning Steering Committee comprised of senior representatives from each portfolio/sector. The Committee will provide oversight and high-level guidance for the development and implementation of legal and non-legal departmental learning programs and activities in order to ensure the delivery of an efficient, cost-effective and coordinated national approach to learning.

Action(s) What SMART action(s) will be taken to address this recommendation?	Deliverable(s) Expected deliverable(s) to demonstrate the completion of the action	Accountability ADM responsible for implementing the action	Planned Completion Date
Establish a Learning Steering Committee (LSC) comprised of senior representatives from the Department across portfolios, sectors.	Terms of Reference endorsed by LSC and approved by MC. Meeting Minutes from three LSC meetings	Johanne Bernard Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister Management Sector	June 2018 March 2019

Recommendation 2: Establish an overarching, integrated framework for the professional development (PD) function within the Department, which would include clarification of the mandate for the departmental PD providers, as well as clear roles and responsibilities for portfolios and sectors (including regional offices through the National Litigation Sector).

Rationale for Recommendation:

• The evaluation found that there is an informal approach to planning and alignment with departmental and federal government priorities. Although these priorities are key drivers in training development for the Department, there is no strategic approach to planning and priority setting at a departmental level. In the absence of a systematic departmental training needs assessment, an objective assessment of the degree to which employees’ needs are met is not possible. A more strategic approach could be beneficial in the development of content, the delivery of activities and the sharing of courses amongst the main delivery providers, sectors, portfolios, and regional offices in the Department. Although there is some communication of PD activities across sectors, regions and portfolios, this could be increased to improve efficiency and facilitate sharing of training resources and activities. Roles and responsibilities were not always clear

Management Response:

Human Resource Branch’s Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development and the Legal Practices Sector’s Continuing Legal Education Program will work with key stakeholders to develop an integrated framework for the PD function that will clarify roles and responsibilities and propose an approach for which regions, sectors and portfolios should work together to more efficiently address learning needs and report on learning investments. The framework will also include the need to perform a formal corporate learning needs analysis to strategically identify learning needs for the organization.

Action(s) What SMART action(s) will be taken to address this recommendation?	Deliverable(s) Expected deliverable(s) to demonstrate the completion of the action	Accountability ADM responsible for implementing the action	Planned Completion Date
Develop an integrated framework for the PD function	Framework for the PD function endorsed by LSC and approved by MC Communication plan implemented	Johanne Bernard Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister Management Sector	February 2019 April 2019
Perform a corporate learning needs analysis to inform the development of a Corporate Learning Plan	Needs analysis results are presented to LSC. Corporate Learning Plan endorsed by LSC and approved by MC	Johanne Bernard Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister Management Sector	November 2018 February 2019

Recommendation 3: Develop a performance measurement strategy to measure the performance of the PD function.

Rationale for Recommendation:

• Examining and comparing data for PD at the Department to analyze efficiency and effectiveness was challenging due to the availability, consistency and accuracy of existing data related to PD attendance, activities, training expenditures and departmental-wide training needs. It was difficult to obtain accurate data to analyze PD training activities and expenditures since financial and program-based data recording were inconsistent. The coding of Learning and Professional Development, Continuing Legal Education Program  and Canada School of Public Service training in PeopleSoft and iCase may be inaccurately reported by employees.

Management Response:

The HRB’s Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development and the Legal Practices Sector’s Continuing Legal Education Program will work with key stakeholders to establish a Performance Measurement Strategy that will measure the performance of the professional development function for the Department.

Action(s) What SMART action(s) will be taken to address this recommendation?	Deliverable(s) Expected deliverable(s) to demonstrate the completion of the action	Accountability ADM responsible for implementing the action	Planned Completion Date
Develop a Performance Measurement Strategy	Performance Measurement Strategy endorsed by LSC and approved by MC	Johanne Bernard                                 Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister Management Sector	June 2019
Develop clear, consistent and accessible guidance for the tracking, reporting and recording of PD activities across the Department, in consultation with relevant stakeholders	Interim guidance on the recording of PD activities in current departmental systems Guidance documents approved by LSC Communication of approved guidance to all staff	Johanne Bernard                                 Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister Management Sector	September 2018 March 2019 August 2019