Analysis of the paid-President concept: Request for Proposals (July 21 launch date)

Introduction

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) was established in 1967 to represent Canada’s Foreign Service (FS) community in its collective bargaining with the Government of Canada, and to provide professional development opportunities to the FS cadre.

In the intervening 50-year period, the structure and operation of PAFSO has remained largely unchanged. Currently, the Association is comprised of a 16-member Executive Committee (EXCOM), comprised of four members from each of four FS professional streams: Political and Economic; Trade; Immigration; and Management/Consular.
PAFSO’s President serves in a part-time volunteer capacity, and is elected from among
the 16-member EXCOM.  The elected members are supported by a full-time paid
Executive Director, who is supported in his daily work by an office staff which numbers approximately six.

Calls for Modernization

In recent years, a view has emerged among some EXCOM and general members that PAFSO could benefit from the establishment of a full-time paid President position. Arguments for launching an analysis of the paid-President concept are numerous and include:

  • escalating daily demands on the volunteer President and other key EXCOM members, all of whom currently have full-time FS assignments within Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC);
  • a growing need to clarify and separate the relationship between the President’s PAFSO-related duties, and those performed for the employer;
  • the increasing number and complexity of files impacting the FS membership, including (but not limited to) the collective bargaining process; FSD negotiations; domestic and international assignments; FS promotions, and their relation to GAC’s unfolding Competency-Based Approach (CBA); the integration of new employee streams into the FS group (AS-MCOs, mobile PMs and ECs, etc); improvements to training and development programs for FS in all streams (FSDP/FSTP, MCTP, etc); occupational health and safety (OHS) issues, including psychological health and well-being initiatives; ongoing Phoenix pay system difficulties; and spousal employment and support issues;
  • the need to more proactively manage PAFSO’s relationship with GAC, IRCC and Treasury Board (TBS) management, and to a lesser extent with other GoC Departments;
  • the need for more active engagement with leaders of other federal public service unions;
  • a possible continuing push toward a single international officer (IO) classification;
  • the membership’s desire for enhanced communication and advocacy campaigns;
  • the eventual retirement of several long-time PAFSO office staff; and
  • the general prevailing need to protect Canada’s Foreign Service as a respected and essential profession in the years and decades ahead.

Methodology

The proposed organizational review would consist of the following components:

  • research;
  • interviews;
  • comparative analysis and SWOT;
  • options identification; and
  • final recommendations, including proposed implementation methods and timelines, accompanied by relevant reform considerations for the PAFSO Constitution.

Research

A review of current practices among approximate comparator public service unions (including relevant associated constitutional provisions, by-laws and contracts) will be undertaken in order to establish a baseline of information upon which to base subsequent steps of the review process.  In this context, the most recent (2014) FS collective agreement and the Public Service Superannuation Act and associated benefits will be considered.

Interviews/Surveys

A set of non-attributed interviews or surveys (where appropriate) shall be conducted on the basis of pre-formulated questions, drafted in consultation with the PAFSO President and Executive Director. The following individuals shall be interviewed and/or surveyed:

  • current or past presidents of a minimum of three (3) public service unions/associations that are similar in size to PAFSO, one of which shall be the Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) (see Annex A for example questions).
  • the current PAFSO Executive Committee, comprising the President, Executive Vice-President, Treasurer, HR Lead, Director of Communications and at least remaining 3 other EXCOM members;
  • at least two (2) and up to five (5) past PAFSO presidents;
  • PAFSO’s Executive Director; and
  • PAFSO Director of Administration.
  • The PAFSO membership at large

Comparative Analysis

A comparative analysis shall be conducted of potential options, employing a comprehensive strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis.

Options Identification

Following a tabulation and analysis of all completed research and interviews, and flowing directly from the comparative SWOT analysis, emerging core options for PAFSO organizational reform shall be described and discussed.  Any resulting recommendations shall be clearly presented and explained, including possible options for future consideration.

Deliverables

The final commissioned report shall include three key deliverables, including interview questions for PAFSO EXCOM, staff and members; a full written report; and a presentation to PAFSO’s Executive Committee, as follows:

A confidential written report will be prepared and provided to the PAFSO EXCOM for consideration.  This report shall include, but may not be limited to, the following items:

  • an executive summary;
  • comprehensive results of the comparative analysis;
  • core options emerging from the analysis; and
  • recommended next steps (with supporting rationales and clear/realistic timelines for implementation).

This report will be provided to EXCOM members for their review no later than seven (7) days prior to the presentation of report findings to the Executive Committee.  This presentation shall occur at a mutually agreed upon date and time. The presentation shall include, but will not be limited to, the following:

  • a summary of the key results of the analysis;
  • a highlighting of key findings;
  • a description of core options emerging from the analysis;
  • a recommendation of key proposed undertakings (including at least 1-2 alternatives for each item) and related financial implications;
  • a description of possible concrete “next steps” to move the organizational reform process forward in an efficient and timely fashion; and
  • an oral Q&A opportunity for EXCOM members.

 

Timelines

Unless otherwise mutually agreed, upon joint signing of the report’s terms of reference, the aforementioned written report will be delivered no later than forty-five (45) days after the signing of a contract between PAFSO and the chosen service provider.

Compensation and Terms

Project bids responding to this Request for Proposals must be received by PAFSO no later than 4:00pm (EST) on Friday, September 29, 2017.  Prior to submitting a bid, further information may be obtained by contacting Pamela Isfeld, President, at pamela.isfeld@pafso.com or by telephone at (613) 241-1391. The lowest or any bid will not necessarily be accepted. PAFSO reserves the right to award any portion of this bid. Bids should be delivered to the following address:  PAFSO, 47 Clarence Street, Suite 412, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9K1, or by email to info@pafso-apase.com. The final contracted cost shall be payable in full upon successful delivery of the final report and presentation to PAFSO’s Executive Committee. PAFSO will not provide any compensation for preparation of a bid.

Please note that neither PAFSO members, nor the spouses or family of current Executive Committee members, are eligible for this contract.

 

 

 

Annex A

Core interview questions for public service unions in this study shall include, but may not be limited to, the following:

  • Membership size of organization? (incl. full-time, part-time & retirees, where applicable)
  • Information re annual revenue stream(s), including:
    • Union fee/dues structure, including average employee contribution?
    • Total amount raised annually in dues?
    • Do other revenue stream(s) exist? If so, please describe, including annual value.
  • Number of executive board members?
    • Are these voluntary or paid?
    • If paid, what is their annual remuneration?
  • Structure and titles of executive board members?
    • What is the length of their terms? Are elections staggered?
    • How is your President elected? Term duration?
  • Relevant governance rules? (constitution, by-laws, other applicable legislation)
  • Number of staff, their titles, and general office management structure?
    • How does this compare to organization’s membership size and annual revenues?
  • Strengths and weaknesses of current governance and management structures?
  • Views on the value of a full-time paid position, rather than voluntary?
  • Union leadership:
    • How is your President chosen? By direct election from members at large? From within your Executive Board? Other?
    • How would you view the respective advantages/disadvantages of each method?
  • President’s remuneration and benefits:
    • How are these established?
    • What is their approximate annual cost to the organization?
    • Does the employer contribute to these in any way? How?
    • How do the President’s salary and benefits compare with those of the organization’s most senior permanent staff member(s)?
    • Did your organization encounter any difficulties or delays in negotiating Leave Without Pay (LWOP) provisions for your elected President from his/her employer? (please specify relevant GoC department)
  • Who manages day-to-day operations?
  • Which position manages the chief negotiator function?
  • What is the practical relationship between the most senior elected and unelected officials?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses inherent in this relationship?
  • Would you recommend that PAFSO model its governance structure on your organization’s current structure? Or, in your view, would an alternative or hybrid approach be more appropriate? If the latter, why?