Mr. Chair, thank you for inviting us. This gives me an opportunity to speak to you about the enforcement of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act within the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
My name is Line Lamothe and I am the acting director general of the Human Resources and Workplace Services Branch. I am accompanied this morning by Mr. John Tremble, INAC's senior officer for disclosure and director of the Centre for Integrity, Values and Conflict Resolution.
INAC supports indigenous people—first nations, Inuit, Métis—and northerners in their effort to improve social well-being and economic prosperity; to develop healthier, more sustainable communities; and to participate fully in Canada's political, social, and economic development to the benefit of all Canadians.
INAC has just over 5,000 employees, and 60% are based in the national capital region and 40% are based in 10 regions across Canada.
The goal of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act is to encourage employees in the federal public sector to come forward if they have a reason to believe that serious wrongdoing is taking place or has taken place. The act protects public servants against reprisal and provides a fair and objective process for those accused of wrongdoing.
Employees can make a disclosure to either their supervisor, the INAC-designated senior officer, or directly to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, an independent agent of Parliament. Pursuant to subsection 10(2) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, INAC's deputy minister has designated the director of the centre for integrity, value, and conflict resolution, Mr. John Tremble, as the senior officer responsible for receiving and dealing with disclosure of wrongdoing made by INAC employees. The director is supported by three staff in managing the internal disclosure process.
In accordance with subsection 10(1) of the act, INAC created standard operating procedures for the implementation of the act. The procedures are available to all INAC employees on the departmental Internet site—and I believe you have a copy of them—along with links to various resources from the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner on making a protected disclosure and on the protection afforded to the discloser.
The standard operating procedures provide that the senior officer, with the assistance of the centre, will provide confidential and neutral advice and guidance to public servants considering making a disclosure. The procedures also provide that supervisors who receive a disclosure of wrongdoing are required to promptly transfer it to the senior officer and advise the employee-discloser of this transfer.
When a public servant contacts the centre, the senior officer, with the assistance of the centre, performs initial screening and preliminary analysis of the information received and determines whether it meets the threshold for a disclosure. The public servant is then informed of the disclosure process, including the protections afforded by the act.
Depending on the nature of the allegation, the senior officer may engage a subject matter expert to review the allegation and gather additional information. For example, if an allegation deals with contracting, the senior officer would work with contracting experts to determine whether the allegations could meet the legislated definition of wrongdoing.
If the senior officer believes there are sufficient grounds to launch an investigation, he will inform the deputy minister of the disclosure, the preliminary analysis, and seek approval to initiate an investigation of the matter described in the disclosure. An independent investigator will then be engaged and mandated to conduct an investigation in accordance with the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. The investigation will be conducted as informally and expeditiously as possible.
Once an investigation is completed, the senior officer will review the results of the investigation, provide the findings, and make recommendations to their deputy minister. When contacted by the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, INAC co-operates by providing information to assist PSIC in evaluating the disclosure they received. INAC provides PSIC with information to assist them in determining whether to launch an investigation. PSIC may also request information to assist them in conducting an investigation.
As part of its ongoing awareness and training, the internal disclosure process is discussed during mandatory values and ethics training that is delivered to INAC staff across the country.
Over the past three years, 73 sessions were delivered to some 1,200 employees, almost a quarter of all departmental staff.
Since the inception of the act, INAC has received on average three disclosures per year.
Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for your attention.