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By Ryan Benson, Communications Advisor

Some of the members of Correctional Service of Canada's Human Resource Management Sector team (left to right): Bobbi Grant, Director General, Organizational Design and Resourcing; Diane Lacelle, Director General, Learning and Development; Lorraine Joanisse, A/Director, HR Business Process & Reengineering; Cheryl Fraser, Assistant Commissioner, Human Resource Management Sector; Fraser Macaulay, Associate Assistant Commissioner, Human Resource Management Sector; Nancie Proulx, Director, Recruitment; Larry Ménard, Director General, Labour Relations & Compensation.

As Acting Director General for HR Planning, Accountability and Systems, and after 25 years in various capacities with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), Christine Cloutier understands what it takes to manage and implement organizational change where it counts.

"HR Management planning isn't just about numbers and organizational charts," she said when asked to define her role. "You need to understand who the workforce really is, and learn where peoples' skills meet the needs of the organization, both today and in the future."

For Ms Cloutier and her team, planning is the cornerstone of both CSC Transformation and Public Service Renewal, allowing CSC to work more effectively on the other three pillars - recruitment, employee development and enabling infrastructure. Examples of this work include having a clear picture of the demographics of CSC employees and their developmental goals, which helps the Learning and Development team plan and create a corporate learning and development plan. Recruitment is another key area that CSC is focusing on, developing strategies to ensure that CSC has the people and skills to meet its present and future operational goals.

CSC's Transformation Agenda means changes in the way in which CSC does business. Underpinning these changes is human resources (HR) renewal. In fact, without HR renewal, CSC's ability to achieve its Transformation Agenda is jeopardized.

For example, there has been an operational demand for an increase of 1,200 correctional officers this fiscal year and a further increase in next year's intake. This operational need led to a review by the Human Resource Management Sector of both the CX selection process and the Correctional Officer Training Program to ensure that the right people would be hired in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Even more importantly, HR plans had to be put in place to ensure that there would be instructors and facilities available to meet these training needs.

Thanks to innovative HR leadership and planning, CSC is well positioned to meet these challenges. In fact, CSC's Human Resource Management Sector was recently recognized as a government role model for its outstanding work related to its Strategic Plan for Human Resource Management 2007-2010, receiving honours from both the Privy Council Office and the Thomas G. Morry Award for Innovation in the Management of Human Resources from the International Personnel Management Association.

While having a strategic HR plan is important, closely monitoring its implementation and forecasting future needs helps HR create a clear common vision for buy-in by employees at all levels.

HR planning also includes developing tools that managers and staff can use. At its best, Ms. Cloutier says, "HR planning is all about combining organizational strategy with operational realities."

Testimonials PACIFIC REGION GORD TANNER Assistant Warden Management Services, Matsqui Institution, Pacific Region When I look back on my 28 years at CSC, I realize how my early years in small-town Nova Scotia and training in psychology and education have shaped my whole career. My early classroom experience as a special education teacher taught me to focus on people's individual needs and strengths if one is to foster their full potential and personal development. Of course, in a penitentiary setting, you have to address the problems that brought an offender to the institution. As an educator, I focus on the positive and remain a mentor, coach and peacemaker. For the most part, I have always lived in small towns and this is how I see life at Matsqui: as a community within the larger community, with its own set of challenges and needs, where we enable offenders to work on preparing for their future life, in keeping with society's values.