Federal government should report on ‘underperforming’ public servants, measure productivity: report

A task force recommends the federal government measure productivity in the public service. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson reports

The federal government should measure productivity in the public service and publish annual reports on “underperforming” public servants, according to a new report.

The Working Group on Public Service Productivity released a report with 19 recommendations in five categories, including measuring public service productivity, supporting a productive workforce, deploying the power of technology, reviewing government programming and spending from a “productivity perspective,” and improving internal structures and rules.

“A productive federal public service is foundational to our system of government and public trust in government institutions,” the group said in its report, released on the government’s website on Dec. 12.

“The Working Group found that much could be done to improve public service productivity and developed 19 recommendations for the government to consider.”

• Federal public servants will have ‘different levels’ of return to office rules, PM says

The first two recommendations in the report call on Statistics Canada to explore and report on the development of a “productivity measurement program” for the public service, and for agencies to develop productivity metrics for departments and agencies that provide direct services to Canadians.

“Without reliable data, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of government services or identify areas for improvement,” the report said.

“These recommendations aim to address the fact that Canada lacks a robust framework for measuring productivity in the public sector, which would enable evidence-based decision-making and support greater accountability and efficiency.”

The president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada said productivity cannot be improved by productivity measurement alone.

“We don’t build productivity through distrust and surveillance. I think that it’s two things that productivity depends on is having trust and faith in the work everyone does,” Sean O’Reilly said on Tuesday.

He says public servants are already dealing with understaffing, outdated technology and paperwork, and those problems won’t be solved by performance tracking.

“I look at our scientists now, researchers and they’re working in dilapidated labs, and they don’t have the tools or the expertise in those labs to do the work they need to do and that’s very problematic,” O’Reilly said.

Under “performance,” the task force recommends government support “public service excellence through a culture of rigorous performance management.” The report says supporting actions could include “clear corrective action for poor performance by individuals at all levels,” requiring “rigorous performance reviews” before the end of a one-year probationary period, and issuing annual reports on the “number of public servants who have been dismissed, as well as the number of public servants identified as underperformers.”

The report also calls on the federal government to “enable a free flow of ideas and to diversify management styles and policy perspectives,” including encouraging public servants to gain experience in the private sector and strengthening dialogue between the government and other sectors.

The federal government is also encouraged to invest in artificial intelligence technologies, improve the way it manages data, and invest in small-to-medium size technology initiatives.

When it comes to reviewing government programming and spending, the task force recommends government programs be “regularly assessed for their efficiency, effectiveness and alignment with federal responsibilities.”

The Working Group on Public Service Productivity was appointed by the President of the Treasury Board in the fall of 2024 to examine productivity in the public service and “inform the government’s economic plan,” according to the government. The group met with officials in the Privy Council Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Shared Services Canada and Statistics Canada.

Federal government will not measure productivity

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says it is not considering four of the recommendations from the task force, including measuring productivity across the public sector.

The response to the task force’s recommendations does say the government’s current efforts to support a skilled and productive workforce includes, “increasing transparency and accountability related to misconduct and wrongdoing in the public service.”

The government says there are departmental reports from Global Affairs Canada and the central agencies.

It says it is also not considering appointing a senior official to oversee general government management or establishing an independent organization to “exercise a leadership function for evaluation for the public service.”

According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, recommendations on technology, including artificial intelligence, align with many government initiatives underway, such as the new AI Strategy for the public service and the government’s Digital Talent Strategy.

The department notes Budget 2025, introduced in November, included plans to review government programming and spending, modernize the government’s budgeting approach and streamline administrative policies.

The former clerk of the Privy Council Office said he was “disappointed” the federal government dropped the idea of “trying to get better measurement” of the public service.

“I think the big productivity gains in government are going to be in the internal services that move people and information and resources around. They have to operate at a higher, you know, faster pace,” Michael Wernick told CTV News Ottawa.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Katelyn Wilson