Treasury Board will study public service productivity as ‘bumps in the road’ snag new remote work roll out

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As the federal government is set to embark on a study of the public service’s productivity, Treasury Board President Anita Anand is refusing to say why such a study wasn’t done before the decision was made to send many public servants back to the office for more than three days a week.

Productivity has been a buzzword in the public-service world since the federal government implemented its new return-to-office rules this week.

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While the Treasury Board has claimed that it did not undertake any studies on productivity before updating its remote work policy, deputy clerk of the Privy Council Christiane Fox said having staff work together onsite “strengthens collaboration within, and across teams and, increases opportunities for learning and sharing.” She said the move was not strictly about individual performance and productivity but about the public service as a whole.

In a video interview Thursday, Anand would not share why no studies on the topic were completed beforehand but said the decision was “taken by the public service for the public service” and was based on several factors. Acknowledging that there have been “a few bumps in the road” since the mandate’s implementation, she said she was concerned about the wellbeing of public servants and wanted to make sure that the transition was “as smooth as possible.”

She added that she would let Fox’s comments “stand.”

Late last month Anand announced plans for a new government-led task force, which will analyze productivity in the public service. Anand told the Ottawa Citizen that the group will look at issues such as the uses of technology, the size of the public service, the relationship between the public sector and the private sector and overall declining productivity.

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“We know that the size of the public service has increased, especially since the pandemic, and we also know that it is important to include studies relating to the use of technology and the way in which new technology is impacting the public service,” Anand said. “The goal of the working group is really to address the here and now.”

Anand said the public service is currently “confronting with many challenges,” adding that there is declining productivity in the country overall. She said the public service, across all governments and sectors, contributes about 40 per cent to the country’s GDP, noting that it’s a large number meaning it’s important to examine how to facilitate, improve and focus on its productivity.

“What should be the approach in terms of the go-forward for the public service? That’s going to be the subject for the working group,” she said.

Anand added that the working group, which will include former public servants, will look at examples of work that has been done in other countries, such as the U.K. and Australia.

“The analysis is so timely and relevant,” Anand said. “We’re at this pivotal moment in terms of the future of the public service and the delivery of government programs. That’s what I’m focused on.”

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Eventually, Anand said she plans to use the group’s recommendations to speak with the minister of finance before the next federal budget.

In Budget 2024, the government announced plans to find savings through natural attrition in the federal public service. Over the next four years, it said the government expected to cut the size of the public service by 5,000 people.

In an interview with journalist Paul Wells, Anand noted that “if we’re going to go above and beyond natural attrition to reduce the size of the public service, it is prudent for us to examine productivity in the public service.” She added that it was her job to make sure the public service is “efficient and is performing for Canadians whose tax dollars are paying the salaries of everyone in government.”

Speaking with the Ottawa Citizen, however, Anand said she doesn’t expect that the goal of the working group will be reductions.

“I would not contemplate at this point that the working group will be examining that particular issue,” she said.

While the working group will examine different units of government, Anand has said the number of days public servants spend in the office isn’t something the working group will specifically consider. The group’s main focus will be on productivity, though if collaboration is part of the discussion, it could be studied too.

Moving forward, Anand said she plans to engage with unions, adding that the terms of reference for the working group are being finalized and will be published in the next few weeks.

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