EC-05 & 06 Inventory for Various Policy Analyst Positions

Important messages

// What is an inventory? //
 
When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory to fill upcoming employment opportunities at the EC-05 or EC-06 group and level within the Public Health Agency of Canada. Applicants who apply to an inventory process may be referred for one or more opportunities if they meet the needs of the position identified for staffing. Management can decide to access applications at any point so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible. The first pull of candidate applications could happen as early as August 20, 2018.
 
 
// How can you apply? //

We want to attract top talent. Therefore we are focusing on your competencies not your knowledge. We are also taking a simplified approach for you to apply to this process. To apply for this process:
       • provide your resume (no cover letter needed)
       • answer a questionnaire online
 
When you apply you will be asked a series of screening questions based on the education and experience criteria below. When answering the screening questions, please provide:
       - Concrete and detailed examples to demonstrate how you meet the qualifications;
       - Where, when and how the experience was acquired.

We can’t make any assumptions about your experience. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties is not enough. We’ll only use your résumé as a secondary source of information. The depth and breadth of experience of an applicant may be considered as part of screening or selection of a candidate, which is why it is recommended you quantify your experience. The screening questions are the primary source of information the screening board may use and your resume may only be used as a secondary source to verify information.

We will only accept on-line applications received via the Public Service Jobs site. Apart from general inquiries, further documentation and applications emailed to the poster contact will not be accepted. You will only be asked for further documentation if you are contacted for further assessment. If you have a disability or are residing in a location that is preventing you from applying on-line you are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

More information about maintaining your application, screening & assessment can be found at the bottom of this advertisement.
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Duties

The incumbent will work in one of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch’s Centres within PHAC perfoming the following activities, including but not limited to:

// EC-05 Policy Analyst //
Provides Identification, monitoring, analysis, advice and information briefings on policy issues of a complex cross-cutting or horizontal nature. Provides liaison and coordination services to support senior policy analysts and senior management in sound decision making; Represents the organization at departmental and interdepartmental meetings.


// EC-06 Senior Policy Analyst //
Manages major files and emerging issues of a complex cross-cutting or horizontal nature; formulates policy positions and strategy/options and provides expert advice and recommendations to the federal government and other stakeholders. Maintains a watching brief and responds to emerging health and strategic policy issues. Represents the organization and influences acceptance of policies/programs at departmental/interdepartmental and provincial/territorial governments, and with stakeholders.

Work environment

The Public Health Agency of Canada is part of the Health Portfolio of the Government of Canada, committed to help protect the health and safety of all Canadians. Its activities focus on preventing chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease, preventing injuries and responding to public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks.
The Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch is composed of program centres, laboratory, and corporate services:
1) Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control
2) Centre for Food-Borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
3) Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases
4) National Microbiology Laboratory
5) Office of the Chief Science Officer

You can learn more about the Public Health Agency of Canada by visiting: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique.html

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Intent of the process

This inventory will be used to staff immediate and future EC-05 or EC-06 vacant positions of various linguistic profiles, conditions of employment, geographic locations, security requirements and various tenures (permanent, specified term, acting, deployment, assignment, term, secondment) within the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Therefore, all applicants seeking this type of position and/or group and level are encouraged to apply, including those already at the EC-05 or EC-06 group and level.

All federal organizations listed in Schedules I, IV and V of the Financial Administration Act (FAA) may use this selection process to appoint a candidate to its organization in a similar position.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:
• Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization* in economics, sociology or statistics.

Note: Candidates must always have a degree. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and may have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization. The specialization may also be obtained through an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

* Additional specialization(s) in field(s) relevant to the position being staffed may be required depending on the position.

Degree equivalency

Experience Essential (Common to all positions)

EC-05 & EC-06:
1. Experience planning and conducting research and analysis on issues, policies, strategies or programs.
2. Experience providing strategic advice (written and verbal) to senior management* on policy, program, or corporate issues (i.e. briefing notes, memoranda, policy papers, reports, or presentations).
3. Experience consulting and collaborating, with various levels of government or external stakeholders (e.g. other federal government departments, provincial/territorial governments, academic institutions, international stakeholders, and/or non-governmental organizations).
4. Experience contributing to multi-disciplinary project teams

* Senior management is defined as director level or higher.

EC-06 only:
1. Experience leading consultations or collaboration with various levels of government or external stakeholders.
2. Experience building consensus with colleagues in a professional setting.
3. Experience working collaboratively across the organization to develop or coordinate policy positions, advice, strategies, or frameworks.
4. Significant* experience analyzing complex policy issues, developing strategic options and recommendations.

*Significant is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience normally acquired over a period of one (1) year.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements
• Various language profiles (English Essential; BBB/BBB; CBC/CBC)

Information on language requirements

Essential Knowledge (Common to all positions)
1. Knowledge of the current public health landscape in Canada
2. Knowledge of the Canadian public health system, including key national and international stakeholders.
3. Knowledge of the priorities of the Government of Canada and their relationship to the mandate of the Health Portfolio.

Essential Competencies (Common to all positions)
1. Communication (oral and written)
2. Working effectively with others
3. Thinking things through
4. Leadership

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Candidates MAY be required to meet ONE OR MORE of the following education and experience qualifications, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed, as they may be deemed as either an Essential or Asset qualification. Candidates must clearly indicate on their online application which experience qualifications they meet and describe the depth and breadth to which they meet it.

Asset Education
• Successful completion of a Master's degree or a PhD from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization in epidemiology, public health, statistics, health sciences and/or another specialization relevant to the position being staffed.

Degree equivalency

Asset or Essential Experience
1. Experience in policy or program work in a science-based environment.
2. Experience working in a public health or health related organization/field.
3. Significant* experience with data analysis and interpretation.
4. Significant* experience in synthesizing technical information, and in writing and editing technical reports.
5. Experience working with infectious diseases (i.e. Prevention and control, antimicrobial resistance, HIV, tuberculosis, healthcare-associated infections, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, etc.).
6. Experience working in a community based-setting
7. Experience working in a politically sensitive environment, including working on sensitive files.
8. Significant* experience developing and implementing performance measurement strategies.
9. Experience in leading briefings to senior management*.
10. Experience leading research/analysis projects.


*Significant is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience normally acquired over a period of one (1) year.

* Senior management is defined as director level or higher.

Candidates MAY be required to meet ONE OR MORE of the following qualifications, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed as they may be deemed as either an Essential or Asset qualification and may be assessed once initial screening is complete.

Asset or Essential Knowledge:
1. Knowledge of reporting and planning cycles and key strategic planning and reporting documents such as the Departmental Plan, the Departmental Results Report, business plans, etc.
2. Knowledge of the principles and procedures of performance measurement and reporting
3. Knowledge of public health issues related to the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
4. Knowledge of the Health Portfolio’s strategic linkages with other federal government departments.

Asset or Essential Competencies:
1. People Management
2. Dependability
3. Showing initiative and being action-oriented
4. Demonstrating integrity and respect
5. Attention to detail

Asset or Essential Ability:
1. Ability to supervise and provide leadership to multi-disciplinary project teams and staff.
2. Ability to plan, develop, conduct, and evaluate complex surveillance programs.
3. Ability to manage multiple priorities with conflicting deadlines.
4. Ability to analyse and synthesize diverse information and provide solutions to senior management.

// Organizational Needs (depending on position) //

       ● Selection for appointment may take into consideration employees who have been or will be impacted by organizational restructuring. Appointments may be made based on the department's commitment to employment continuity of indeterminate employees and no involuntary job loss.

       ● The Public Health Agency of Canada is committed to Employment Equity. In order to ensure a diversified workforce, preference may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one or more of the following Employment Equity groups: aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minority groups provided the candidate meets all essential qualifications listed on the job opportunity notice and any applicable asset qualification(s).

Operational Requirements:
• Willing and able to travel domestically and/or internationally. (Depending on the position)
• Willing and able to work overtime, often on short notice based on operational requirements. (Depending on the position)

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment
Secret or Reliability security clearance (depending on the position)

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the targeted groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

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// Information about Applying to Inventories //

■ The inventory will be updated every 120 days. You will receive periodic system-generated e-mails advising that your application will expire in a certain number of days, and asking you to log in to your GC Jobs account to resubmit your application. It is important that you monitor your e-mail and resubmit your application when prompted, or your application will be removed from the inventory. This ensures that the information that is provided to hiring managers is current and up-to-date, as well as ensuring that the candidates in the inventory are still interested in employment. You can click on the link in the e-mail to access your account, and you will have a message informing you that your application is set to expire. Click on “Update My Inventory Status” to resubmit your application.



// Are you ready to apply? //

■ To apply for any position, you need to first create a profile in the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS), which should only take about 10 minutes. Then, after ensuring you meet the position requirements, scroll to the bottom of the poster and click on "Apply online."

■ Work your way through the list of requirements, completing each section and saving as you go. Before submitting your application, please ensure that there are green check marks on every single category before submitting your application.

■ If there are any red Xs on the categories, please click into that category and ensure that everything has been filled out. Screening questions have been built into the application process and occasionally an applicant may miss a field on the Screening Questions page. Please thoroughly review to ensure that you have responded to each question, including all the "Yes / No " questions.

■ PSRS will automatically disconnect candidates without warning after 60 minutes if there is no activity. You need to save or move to a new screen to maintain your connection. Typing information without saving does not prevent you from being disconnected. Applicants may find it helpful to first use a word processing software to complete their responses using concrete and detailed examples, then copy and paste the responses into PSRS afterwards.

■ If you have further questions on how to apply or experience technical difficulties with your application, please visit the following website: http://www.cfp-psc.gc.ca/contact-jobs/index-eng.php

■ We will only accept on-line applications received via the Public Service Jobs site. Persons with disabilities or residing in locations that prevent them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.



// Updating your Application //

■ You can choose to update your application when you resubmit it to the inventory, or anytime that something changes that will impact your application. For example, if you gain more experience in an area that is related to the qualifications outlined in the inventory, it would be beneficial to update your application to reflect this. Since hiring managers screen applications based on the information you provided in the screening questions, it is recommended that you include experience gained after you initially submitted your application to ensure they have all of the relevant information. This also applies to changes in your education level, locations or positions you are interested in, or any of the answers you provided to the screening questions.

To update your information you need to log into your GC Jobs account and retrieve your application. Your application will revert to In Progress, and allow you to make the necessary changes. You must resubmit your application to have it included in the inventory. If you do not wish to remain in the inventory you can delete your application at this stage.



// Screening //

■ Screening criteria is established to determine which candidates will qualify for further consideration and assessment. During the screening stage, the screening board will review your application to determine if you meet the essential education and essential experiences. However, some managers may opt to use asset education and asset experiences as well. This is why it is essential to provide concrete examples when answering the experience questionnaire section in your application.

■ If you are a candidate that has been “screened-in,” this means that you may undergo further assessment to determine if you meet the other essential and/or asset criteria (i.e. knowledge, abilities, competencies, etc.).



// Assessment //

■ Managers can use a combination of assessment methods they deem relevant. Some common assessment methods are written exams, interviews, and reference checks. However, managers have the flexibility to use role-play, simulations, and performance / talent management considerations as part of their assessment.

■ When candidates are invited to the assessment stage, they will be notified of the qualifications being assessed and the assessment method (interview, written take home test, etc.). To help you prepare for assessment, you should think about examples that will best highlight how you meet the qualifications being assessed. During the assessment, use the “STAR” method to best explain your example. STAR stands for the following:

       ▪ Situation: Think of a situation in which you are/were involved.
       ▪ Task: Describe the tasks involved in the situation.
       ▪ Action: Specify what actions you took to achieve your results.
       ▪ Results: What results followed due to your actions? List them and describe each one briefly.

■ Each board will have specific criteria to assess and each pull from the inventory may be treated separately, therefore if you are referred for more than one opportunity you may be re-assessed on the same criteria.

■ Based on the hiring division’s needs, additional essential qualifications, asset qualifications, organizational needs, operational requirements and/or conditions of employment may be identified and applied during the assessment and/or selection of candidates.

■ In assessing candidates, assessment boards may use a variety of tools and methods including, but not limited to, reviews of past performance and accomplishments, written tests, interviews, simulations, PSC tests, reference checks, board member knowledge etc. In addition, all information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

■ Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

■ Depending on the number of applicants, needs and/or plans, volume management strategies such as, but not limited to, top-down approach, cut-off scores, asset selection, random selection and/or assessment may be used for the purpose of managing applications/candidates and/or determining which candidates will continue in the staffing process. Should a volume management strategy be used, communication regarding the application of the strategy will be provided to those candidates who are impacted.

■ Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

■ Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:
       - Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team.
       - Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed.
       - Depth, breadth, type of work-specific experience.
       - Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications.
       - The organizational need of restructuring/budgetary constraints

■ Candidates from outside the federal public service may be required to pay for travel and relocation costs associated with this selection process.

■ Proof of education will be required. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca.
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// Important Notes //

▪ Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent.

▪ Candidates will be contacted by email and it is imperative that you provide a current email address that accepts e-mail from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is also the candidate's responsibility to ensure accurate information is provided and updated as required.

▪ Candidates are strongly encouraged to check their email on a regular basis. It is your entire responsibility to inform us at all times of any changes regarding your contact information.

▪ All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

▪ Proof of citizenship will be requested if you are considered for a position.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.