Good news for Canadian historians. The days of federal government cutbacks are clearly over. For the
first time in years, in fact, several departments are now actively recruiting
new blood. Around Ottawa, bureaucrats are excited about the prospect of a
flood of new 20- and 30-somethings into a public service where the average
age is now 46.
It has been a long time, though, since the Public
Service Commission has been in this position. It has also been a long time
since department managers have had the opportunity to gather around the
conference table and decide which new positions would be advertised and
which qualifications would be set as the
minimum.
Needless to say, inexperience leads to mistakes and mistakes lead to
controversy. That, at least, is the case with a recent Department of
Canadian Heritage decision to advertise eight Junior Policy Officer (PMQ)
positions. The job description summary, posted on the Public Service
Commission Web site, described "research and analysis" as central to the
position and then stated flatly that only people with degrees in "political
science, public administration, sociology or communications" need apply.
Wade A. Henry, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of History at the
University of British Columbia was stunned. He could not believe his eyes.
The Department of Canadian Heritage was hiring eight Junior Policy Officers
and Canadian historians, apparently, were not invited to apply.
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What bothered him most was the apparent lack of value
which Canadian Heritage placed on the skills of historians. "Of all of the
government departments, one would have thought that Heritage Canada would have
recognized and valued the skills and abilities of historians," he stated in
a self-styled "rant" on the H-Canada discussion list. "Apparently not."
Refusing to surrender and accept the status quo, Henry charged the
issue and fired off a letter the Heritage Minister Sheila Copps. One week
later he received a phone call from a spokesperson in the human resources
department of Canadian Heritage who explained that historians were excluded
from applying because the department feared that they would receive too many
applications for too many positions.
Still not satisfied, Davis fired off another letter and posted an
update on the H-Canada discussion list. Within hours the Canadian Historical
Association made it clear that they shared Henry's concerns and would be
backing him with their own letter to the department. 24 hours later -- victory.
On the morning of the last day of January, 2001, Wade Henry got a
call from a manager in the Department of Canadian Heritage informing him
"that the Post-Secondary Recruitment competition for the position of
Junior Policy Officer with her department will now be open to all holders
of a BA in any discipline from the humanities and social sciences."
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"Due to the number of e-mails her department has received
from historians on this subject," Henry reported to H-Canada, "the manager
said that they were compelled to admit their "unfortunate oversight" and
change the screening criteria to include other qualified candidates. She
assured me that in future competitions this will not happen again."
Indeed, the Public Service of Canada's Web site has been changed to
reflect the new policy and a spokesperson from that department confirmed
again today that the whole controversy stemmed from inexperience.
So the good news for Canadian historians is twofold. First, it's
great to know that people like Wade Henry are willing to stand up for
all of us and speak out when historians are excluded from something
which they have earned. On the other hand, it's great to know that
Canadian Heritage is willing to recognize mistakes when they are made
and to move quickly to correct them.
© Brent Johner. Originally published on Canadian History
on About.com, February 2001.
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