Ontario Science Managers Forum April 1920, 2001

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Ontario Science Managers ForumApril 19-20, 2001

• Input from participants on key science issues
• - facilitated by Bob Chartier, Leadership Network

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1) What are 2-5 actions around Recruitment
Retention in the Federal ST Community?
(..continues..)

• more funding (salary, equipment)
• exercise opportunities for collaboration
• intellectual challenges unique to ST environment
  (intellectual properties)
• knowledge transfer
• comfortable working environment
• clear career path (potential)
• unbiased recruitment mechanism
• interdepartmental recruitment drives on a local
  basis
• push awards program further celebrate successes
• more interdepartmental assignments
• hire 20 indeterminate staff against directed
  sun-setted money (increase risk management)
• establish mentoring program using bridging to
  hire former senior employees (...beware of
  bureaucracy here)

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1) What are 2-5 actions around Recruitment
Retention in the Federal ST Community?
(..continues..)

• better education of existing legislation (i.e.,
  TB policy /15 hr/wk)
• make national fund available so that PS/private
  sector/academic can each apply (go both ways)
• have PSC coordinate info visits by subject matter
  (orgs 5NR) to universities (2nd 3rd year
  students) and high schools
• lack of diversity in support areas due to local
  vs. national recruitment
• foster interest in grad students to work on temp
  basis put into scholarships
• redirect more funding - programs to science
• pro-active science towards policy
• long-term vision encourage flexibility
• ask employees what it would take to keep them
  (i.e., flexible hours, work environment)
• closer to market salaries

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1) What are 2-5 actions around Recruitment
Retention in the Federal ST Community?
(..concluded)

• Competitive research budgets
• reduce administration, overhead
• change public perception of P.S. - better
  marketing
• challenging assignments
• appropriate/intellectually open management
  framework
• recognize employee needs aspirations, not just
  the organizations

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2a) What are 2-3 core values of the ST
Community? (...continues...)

• Honesty
• data
• Integrity
• acting on findings
• Responsibility/Accountability
• Objectivity

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2a) What are 2-3 core values of the ST
Community? (..concluded)

• Public Service
• at the leading edge of ST
• innovation
• discipline
• transparency
• colleagues, stakeholders
• relevance of the science
• pride
• in ones work
• respect for co-workers
• commitment/diligence
• to the science process
• inclusiveness
• EE/diversity

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2b) What are 2-3 ways to maintain the integrity
of these values?

• make peer review more transparent include lay
  review if appropriate
• promote select on basis of values (see 2a)
• promoting these values in employment, financial
  HR processes decisions
• more in-house research to reduce conflict of
  interest
• clear statement of core values for the
  organization (doctrine manual)
• organizational culture supports dissemination of
  factual finding (Potential Government conflict?)
• by building trust through education
  communication
• cascading the vision to all levels of
  organization
• senior managers need to understand sciences (by
  formal science training? what level required?)
• flatter org structure - team vs. hierarchy

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3) What are 2-5 actions needed to develop
Science Managers?

• training before they become managers
• tools to identify potential
• recognize that all good scientists are not
  necessarily good managers
• encourage and support development of personal
  learning plan
• program that recognizes excellence in science
  management
• avoid the whip syndrome (some dont want to be
  the manager)
• the need for a science manager vs. a regular
  manager
• managerial exchanges
• create professionalism, skills (take leadership
  course)
• mission orientation for managers
• consistency between managers on similar issues
• acting assignments
• bonus pay/performance pay for all staff (for
  taking on managerial responsibilities)
• 360 degree feedback to identify areas for
  improvement with consultation with staff and
  colleagues

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4) What are 2-3 other recommendations for
rejuvenating our Federal ST Community?
(..continues..)

• provide scientific (state of the art) tools
  required
• competitive salary levels to attract retain -
  comparable to private sector
• () sharing resources across labs within
  jurisdictions (federal, provincial, municipal) to
  create a unified federal approach to integrate
  the perspectives
• (people) more opportunities and flexibility to
  partner/sabbatical adjunct with other
  labs/universities/departments/ministries both
  nationally internationally
• improved educational leave training to foster
  continuous improvement, including orientation for
  new employees
• flexibility in work location and working hours to
  be implemented
• simplify procedures and processes to facilitate
  the work - budget flexibilities, decision-making
  (decentralize)
• recruitment activities / workshops at educational
  institutions
• increase A-base salary dollars
• retain those that want to be let go those who
  want to go without penalty

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4) What are 2-3 other recommendations for
rejuvenating our Federal ST Community?
(..concluded)

• a bonus system based on productivity budgeted
• invest in your employees already working as well
  - they are the retention
• recognize everybodys contribution include in
  communication strategies
• knowledge to be retained on computer for new
  recruits to access information corporate
  memory that is leaving - knowledge management
• with overlapping to train new recruits by leaving
  employees
• improve quality of workplace by capital
  improvements in partnership with employees
• more capital federal for partnering identify
  share best management practices
• improve Workforce Adjustment Policy ability to
  negotiate terminations