Responses to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
Response to parliamentary committees
There were no parliamentary committee reports requiring a response in 2021-22.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
There were no audits in 2021-22 requiring a response.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
This audit was conducted to determine whether student hires under the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) were compliant with key legislative, policy and regulatory requirements, and to better understand organizational practices and challenges related to the use of the program. The Public Service Commission (PSC) reviewed a sample of 202 student hires and rehires from 14 selected organizations, including Justice Canada, for the period between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. The audit examined 18 Justice Canada FSWEP files.
The PSC published its system-wide audit report on FSWEP in July 2021. Results indicated that the appointments examined in the audit were mainly compliant with the program eligibility criteria. However, there was poor compliance with the requirement to develop a structured learning plan for students and not all departments and agencies had kept enough information to support their hiring decisions. The report contained the following three recommendations:
- The PSC should, in collaboration with departments and agencies, explore new approaches to optimize the use of FSWEP;
- Deputy heads should provide enough oversight over student hiring decisions within their departments and agencies to ensure they are made in good faith and free from personal favouritism; and
- The PSC should clarify what documentation is required to support student hiring decisions.
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