Providing false information about professional certification and educational qualifications in an appointment process – Founded

Authority:

This investigation was conducted under section 69 of the Public Service Employment Act, S.C. 2003, c.22, ss. 12 and 13.

Issue:

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an employee committed fraud by submitting false information about their education in a non-advertised external appointment process. It was alleged that the employee might not have obtained the certification required for the position and may have submitted a university degree that was not from a legitimate institution.

Conclusion:

The investigation concluded that the employee committed fraud by knowingly providing false information about their education during the appointment process, which resulted in them being appointed to an indeterminate position within the federal public service.

Facts:

The candidate was appointed to an indeterminate position after a non-advertised external appointment process. Allegations received by the Public Service Commission of Canada suggested that the candidate may not have obtained the required certification for the position and that they had questionable educational credentials.

The candidate had indicated during the appointment process that they had a Business Administration diploma from a recognized technical college. However, this was found to be false as they had not completed all the mandatory courses and did not have a diploma.

The candidate had also submitted a copy of a Business Administration degree during the appointment process. However, during the investigation they admitted that they had never been to a recognized post-secondary institution and that they had submitted the degree in error. The investigation found that the degree was not from a legitimate or accredited university.

Lastly, it was confirmed that the candidate had completed several related courses for the required certification. However, they had not completed the final exam for certification purposes and they only acquired the certification after being hired. In keeping with the statement of merit criteria, candidates were expected to have either a degree, a diploma or a certification. In this case, the candidate had none.

The evidence showed that, on the balance of probabilities, the candidate committed fraud when they knowingly provided false information about their education in the appointment process, which resulted in an indeterminate appointment.

The employee resigned from the public service during the investigation.

Corrective action:

Following the conclusion of fraud, the Commission ordered that:

• for a period of 3 years, the individual must notify the Public Service Commission before accepting any position or work in the federal public service
• failure to do so will result in the revocation of the appointment
• if the individual accepts a position or work in the federal public service within 3 years, they must complete the Values and Ethics Foundations for Employees course offered by the Canada School of Public Service, and then have a discussion with their director
• failure to complete the course or to participate in the discussion will result in the revocation of the appointment

Investigation File No.: 21-22-03