Impact on DND and the CF - Policy Update on Communications with the Public in both Official Languages

1.  In 2003, the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada, under the auspices of TBS, initiated the review of governmental policies on official languages (OL). On 15 July 2005, the Agency published the revised OL policy for communications with and services to the public. This policy and the two ensuing directives outline the obligations of federal institutions as to the use of official languages for communications with and services to the public. It is to be noted that the documents relating to the interpretation and implementation of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations had not been revised since their production in 1991.

2.  A detailed analysis of the new policy reveals that the introduced amendments will have but little impact on the communications with and services to the public, as currently provided by National Defence. The major points of interests are described below.

3.  Documents introduced are as follows:

1. Policy on the use of Official Languages for Communications With and Services to the Public;
2. Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites;
3. Directive on the Use of Official Languages in Electronic Communications.

4.  Points of general interest:

1. the policy and the two auxiliary directives clearly enunciate that they apply to both DND and the CF;
2. the policy and directive include for the reader a very complete glossary and set of notes to enhance their comprehension;
3. National Defence offices that deal with a third party must now include in their contractual agreements clauses setting out the office or facility's linguistic obligations with which the third party must comply; and
4. there is an obligation on one hand to better assess the effectiveness of measures in place to ensure the quality of the active offer of communications and services in both official languages to members of the public and, on the other hand, to ensure that a third party acting on behalf of National Defence respects the departmental linguistic obligations as set out in the contractual agreement.

5.  Points of interest on the Directive on the Use of Official Languages in Electronic Communications;

1. this new directive applies to both communications with the public and language of work. It allows a standardization of communications, be they unilingual or bilingual; for example, the signature block of every correspondence must have the name of the institution appear in both official languages; and
2. DND and CF personnel may communicate with central agencies’ personnel in the official language of their choice; more precisely, our personnel should normally be able to communicate with central agencies in either official language.

6.  Points of interest on the Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites:

1. The provision of hyperlinks on a bilingual Web site leading to a unilingual Web site or the publication of unilingual documentation are exceptionally authorized in the following circumstances: the information is not produced for an entity subject to the OLA; the information is not a regularly and widely used work instrument; and it is not being used to communicate with the public;
2. layout procedures relating to multilingual Web sites have been defined. For example, a Web site that must communicate in both official languages simultaneously may communicate in languages other than french or english, as long as the information as a minimum is communicated in both french and english, thereby signalling equality of status.

7.  The changes introduced in the policy as well as in the two directives have but little impact on DND and the CF. However, every individual who may be communicating with the public, in particular recruiting centre and public affairs personnel, would gain from getting familiar with the content of this policy. Similarly, content of the directives that apply to both emails and Web sites are of a particular interest for all personnel. For more information, consult your respective Base, Group or Command Coordinator of Official Languages.