Employee innovation is encouraged at CSC. We are often challenged to think outside the box, and to go beyond “this is how we have always done it.” CSC Commissioner Don Head took this to the next level in January by launching the HeadStarter campaign to all staff.
HeadStarter challenged employees to showcase their creative and innovative ideas to all of CSC. The idea was to uncover amazing and unique solutions to everyday challenges that employees had.
All proposed projects needed to be CSC-related and follow any relevant policies and legislation. All work on the proposals and the implementation of the initiatives was to be done on the employees’ own time.
One of the winning ideas was submitted by Hertha Louisméus, Dale Delahunt, Shannon Taylor, and Clare Wilkinson at National Headquarters. They wanted to provide CSC employees with the opportunity to work on shared active workstations composed of a standing desk and treadmill with the goal of promoting a more energized, healthier workplace as well as improved employee wellbeing. Commissioner Don Head celebrated the opening of the workstations on November 12.
Other winners across the country included some fantastic ideas. From a learning module for staff about communications disorders and supporting colleagues who have them, to a partnership between CSC and the University of Saskatchewan that would help offenders learn skills such as gardening and landscape maintenance necessary to work in garden centres, nurseries, greenhouses, and related employment. From employees in the Pacific Region who proposed the Family Victims Project, a program that would prepare victims who are entering an institution to visit a family member who has hurt them, to staff in the Atlantic Region who proposed a way to advertise the ergonomic benefits of products produced through CORCAN. Each one was unique and valuable, and we are proud to say they came from our employees.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the HeadStarter process!
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What happened with Head Starter?
Think outside the box?
125 submissions were received from staff looking to innovate
The process was carried over a period of 11 weeks
I would like to thank all employees from coast to coast who submitted some truly amazing and innovative ideas. We are thrilled by the responsiveness. Don Head, Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
The Results
Judging
All CSC employees were invited to vote via Sharepoint for their favorite ideas. Over 10,000 votes were received! Regional winners of the popular vote presented their ideas to regional panels for consideration. Regional winners received $1000 toward their idea and a chance to present it to a national panel that included Commissioner Don Head.
Summary
All six regional winners presented their ideas to the national panel of judges. They were judged according to how the project would help CSC, how innovative it was, if it was realistic for implementation, and whether or not it created partnerships or was applicable to one or more disciplines at CSC.
They all nailed it because they all won! All six regional winners were chosen to have their ideas implemented and given $4000, in addition to the $1000 they had already received, to make them happen.
This infographic contains a bar chart showing how many people from each region submitted ideas for the HeadStarter initiative. Atlantic had 6, Quebec had 26, Ontario had 16, NHQ had 18, Prairie had 42, and Pacific had 17. The total was 125.