According to the annual report 2006-2007, Passport Canada activities had been evolving to a global level. It was also focused on the security issues aimed at minimizing identity fraud and trespassing. More importantly, the two years witnessed the development of organizational structure and management improvement. The main achievement in this sphere is directed at the promoting the identity governance, advancing the security level and technological updating. Finally, Passport Canada was also concerned with enhancement of management experience and working out empirical strategies.
To understand the main principles of governance, it is necessary consider the structure of the agency. Hence, Passport Canada is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is subordinate for the Deputy Minister at International Trade Canada and Foreign Affairs. The CEO is in charge of an executive committee whose functions include to work out the overall strategic policies for the agency and to determine its core activities. The executive brunch is divided into two offices: Management Committee and Policy Committee where the former is presented as a cross-functional board which is responsible for application of programs according the established strategies. As for the latter, it is liable for the appellation approval and other operation connected with passport appearance. It is also worth saying that each administrative brunch consists of six bureaus, four of which are regional offices.
The improvement of human resources management of the agency is closely correlated with the analysis of Passport Canada goals and strategic plans. In particular, the agency’s core mission lies in guaranteeing secure Canadian passports and travel documents by means of identity and entitlement authentification promoting security at local and international level. More importantly, Passport Canada worked out four main policies of the agency in terms of management development and improvement. Pertaining to human resources theory, the expansion of culture of integrity and security is the most crucial for ameliorating the business activities. Passport Canada also established the concept of identity as the underpinning of integral management contributing to the strengthening of national security.
The annual report 2006-2007 informs that the agency also introduced “an activity-based cost model” (Annual report 2006-2007 23) adapting new operational and strategic decisions. The improvement of the decision-making process contributed to the improvement of cost effectiveness and to allocating the resources for various activities. Such kind of management justified itself, as the organizational structure provided the implementation of all necessary activities (Annual report 2006-2007 27).
As the technological advancement is the main terms for a well-structured organization, Passport Canada started cooperation with the National Routing System who accelerated the process of communication activities and information exchange within the company (Annual report 2008-2009 24). As the data warehousing and accuracy is paramount importance, the agency paid careful attention to the introduction of computer technologies and software allowing to handle the incoming information easily and to meet a fast-growing demand for passports. With the help of National Routing System, the agency received an electronic access to local and territorial statistics databases; at the same time, it managed to protect the privacy of persons. This device also permitted to verify the date and birth of clients via the internet before submitting a ready passport. It is worth saying that NRS program assisted in demonstrating a high level of efficiency and perfect leaderships. Passport Canada succeeded in speeding a horizontal cooperation engaging international clients and partnership.
The most crucial change occurred in the organization is creating favorable conditions for employees that would enable them to face the challenges and to overcome them in future. What is more important is that Passport Canada established desirable career choices and implemented the programs where each employee would be able to find the support and space for personal promotion and development. The agency also indulged in studying and analyzing human resources trends and surveying the workplace possibilities. Another angle of activities dedication to the improvement of HR policies was the establishment of various programs on developing the labor relations. In particular, Passport Canada introduced the Public Service Modernization Act that upgraded the tools for encouraging the subordinate relations. Additionally, Learning Institute introduced the agency with innovating strategies directed at supporting the state policies. It also defined the best management innovations and theories on employees training. The main focus of training programs was made examining employees’ competence and their training needs (Annual report 2006-2007 30). In this way, Passport Canada searched for the ways to grant employees with career development and possibilities for advancing their professional skills.
In comparison with the annual report 2006-2007, Passport Canada annual report 200-2009 revealed apparent changes in different fields of administration and in the human resources sector in particular. Hence, the Human Resources department advocating the employees’ interests introduced legal issues and more profound opportunities for the employees’ training and development. Hence, the agency’s philosophy tried to consider such issues as compensation and benefits management, offer some un to date operational training projects and expand the importance of introducing ethical and moral issues to the organizational policies. Additionally, the organization was more concerned with working out the plans on health and safety of the works as well as programs awarding and encouraging the working staff.
Addressing to overall policy of the organization, it should be stressed that the integrity course is closely associated with Human Resource planning presupposing the introduction of Human Resources Bureau Functional Plan established for 2008-2011. This program offers the strategic tendencies for human personnel management and for integrating with business plan. As a result, 2008-2009 years witnessed the HR department team becoming completely recruited on an indefinite basis. Then, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs updated and approved the delegation tools of human resources management team (Annual report 2008-2009 51). This strategy also relates to health and safety accountability conforming to Canada Labor Code Part II (Annual report 2008-2009 31). The Passport Canada also tries to protect the privacy of data both about the clients and about the employees.
In correlation with other strategies and visions of Passport Canada, an innovative approach was applied to human resources is the implementation of new technological devices for the employees to keep pace with technological modernization. Despite the security enhancement of the statistic databases, the accessibility to system raised by approximately 50% in comparison with 2007 situation. Such a method also contributed to the quality of the issues document and simplified the work of the working staff. The tables and figures presented in the annual report proved that the employees acquired the possibility freely. This significantly fostered the communication with the clients.
Different training programs directed at increasing the employees’ competence also involved the programs on compensation and benefits, which was one of the most important components of Passport Canada growing success. Hence, HR department chose the direction of meeting the workers’ needs as the condition for successful administration and development of the agency.
The consideration of labor relation through the spectrum of legal issues was also the sign of organizational advancement. Therefore, the combination of ethical and legitimate norms guaranteed the formation of a fertile ground for the establishment of favorable and secure environment. This was a real breakthrough for Passport Canada, by implement the benefits for employees, it promoted the quality service at a respectable level. The improvement of the HR sector positively influenced other operational sectors dealing with passports issues and clients’ communication. According to the report, the agency managed to pay attention to the amelioration of the workplace facilities that directly affect other segments of administration.
The above analysis of two reports over 2006-2009 period provides the track of positive changes connected with the development of human resources department. Passport Canada’s policy towards their personnel has brought fruitful outcomes thus making this agency one of the most acknowledged in the country. Comparing two annual reports, one could trace some similar strategies in personnel management such the declaration of integrity and security issues. Further, both reports provide advice and support for operation and administrative departments and for labor relation planning. However, there observe some difference in policies as provided by the reports. In particular, the annual report 2008-2009 presents a more profound range of the plans and projects for personnel professional growth, including the consideration of legal issues, which advocate the employment equity, and health and safety norms. Therefore, it should be stressed that annual reports provides the track of positive changes only and the way those changes are professionally tackled by Passport Canada.
References
“Responding to Change: Annual Report 2006-2007”. Passport Canada. Web.
“Responding to change: Annual Report 2008-2009”. Passport Canada. Web.