Management
a) An accountability framework, an action plan and accountability mechanisms are in place |
CIC has an official languages accountability framework. Accountability extends to all levels of the Department and covers parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official
Languages Act. The framework sets out the role and responsibilities of assistant deputy ministers, directors general and all managers. It is posted on the CIC's official languages Web site and also applies to employees.
The Department's Action Plan was approved by the Executive Committee. It was published in the 2002–2003 Annual Report on Official Languages, which is also posted on the Web site. Further, CIC annually develops an action plan and a status report on the implementation of section 41 of the Official
Languages Act (OLA).
CIC annually prepares a progress report that identifies the measures taken to meet the objectives, the progress made, the objectives that have been met and the results obtained. Accountability is also achieved through the following means: management agreements, PeopleSoft reports, reports from the Position and Classification Information System, monitoring of branches involved in official languages complaints, and the review of linguistic profiles that is currently under way in the Department. |
|
| b) Visibility of official languages in the organization |
The Department's Performance Report reiterates
the work done by CIC in close co-operation with Industry
Canada, Canadian Heritage, the Privy Council Office and
other organizations to put together
an action plan to ensure economic development in official
language minority communities.
The CIC 2004–2005 Report on Plans and Priorities contains references to official languages (OL) and OL minorities.
The management framework encompasses linguistic profiles, language training and staffing monitoring. CIC is implementing a national audit program of staffing activities based on the merit principle and the performance indicators set out in its Agreement on the Delegation of Staffing Authority and Accountability. An audit began in March 2004 and will continue in 2004–2005.
The Minister has circulated a message on the efforts being made to stimulate the growth of official–language minorities throughout the country by taking innovative approaches.
CIC has established a working group on official languages made
up of employees from the various at headquarters branches
and regions of CIC. It serves as a forum where members can
exchange information and give updates
on the official languages program. The group meets four to
six times a year.
According to the terms of the Human Resources Signing Authority Instrument, managers are held accountable for all decisions, in accordance with their delegated authority.
The official languages champion holds a monthly round table in which managers who have official languages responsibilities are able to discuss language issues and take the necessary measures. The CIC Management Committee discusses and approves strategies and action plans related to official languages.
The champion is a member of all CIC management tables. As a director general, the functional authority sits on the CIC Management Committee.
CIC has developed a Strategic Framework for Promoting Immigration in Minority Francophone Communities. |
|
| c) Complaints |
A Co-operation Agreement on Official Languages was
ratified on March 18, 2003, by the Commissioner of Official Languages
and the Deputy Minister.
Managers are directly involved in problem solving, in accordance
with the CIC Official Languages Accountability Framework and
the CIC/OCOL Co-operation Agreement. CIC prepares an annual report
that specifies the measures taken.
CIC does not seem to have a mechanism in place to gain insight from lessons learned. |
|
Service to the public - Part IV
a) Bilingual services advertised to the public and sufficient bilingual staff |
CIC's bilingual offices are listed in Burolis, and the
Blue Pages contain a 1-888 number that offers bilingual
service. The Burolis list is regularly sent to the regional
offices and national headquarters for
review and correction as needed.
In offices that are designated bilingual for service to the public, signs, posters and other written notices are in both official languages and visible to the general public. The Treasury Board symbol is displayed in offices designated bilingual. The standard voice messaging systems are bilingual.
It was noted that a large proportion of the Department's clients are neither Anglophone nor Francophone. In 2003, approximately 44.4% of immigrants (15 and older) knew neither English nor French.
As of March 31, 2004, the Position and Classification Information
System (PCIS) indicated that 89.0% of incumbents of bilingual
positions met the linguistic requirements of their position. |
|
| b) Findings on active offer and service delivery |
According to observations on in-person service made by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in the fall of 2004, active visual offer was present in 92.3 % of cases; active offer by staff was made in 15.4% of cases, while service in the language of the minority was adequate in 61.5% of cases.
The telephone audit conducted by the Human Resource Management Agency indicates that active offer is made by staff in 66.7% of cases, in voice mail greetings in 94.4% of cases, while service is actually available in 100% of cases. |
|
| c) The service agreements delivered by third parties or in partnership provide for the delivery of bilingual services |
In contribution agreements made under the settlement and
resettlement programs, official languages clauses (clauses
5.4 and 5.5) were added to clarify the obligations of service
providers regarding service
to the public. The Department developed guidelines to assist
local offices in selecting service providers who will provide
settlement and resettlement
services in both official languages. Tools have also been
distributed to service providers to support them in promoting
services in both official
languages. No examples of monitoring mechanisms were provided. |
|
| d) Bilingual services quality monitoring |
Staff is regularly reminded of their official languages obligations (e.g., the newsletter Straight Talk, which is aimed at managers, dealt with official languages two or three times last year). The Department also distributes newsletters to all employees, and the regions distribute a regional newsletter that can also be used as an awareness mechanism. Orientation sessions (Welcome to CIC) for employees include a component on official languages.
Managers are required to ensure that clients can be served in their preferred official language in designated offices.
The official languages champion regularly reminds all CIC employees that the Department's top priority is to provide clients, both in Canada and abroad, with the standard of service the public expects.
There is no formal structure for measuring the quality of bilingual services. However, the official languages champion holds a monthly round table in which managers who have official languages responsibilities are able to discuss language issues and take the necessary measures.
As a result of complaints and comments from employees and managers concerning the acquisition, retention and use of the second official language, CIC developed a Management Framework for the Review of Linguistic Profiles and a Management Framework for Language Training. The frameworks will enable CIC to continue its efforts to ensure that the rights of its clients and employees are respected. |
|
Language of work - Part V
a) Adequate bilingual supervision and language of work policy |
80.0% of executives and 89.0% of supervisors required to
be bilingual meet the language requirements (data obtained
from the Human Resource Management Agency's Position and
Classification Information System,
as of March 31, 2004).
CIC's official languages management framework covers language of work. The Department has also adopted a Management Framework for Language Training. Over the next three years, CIC will make language training more accessible to employees and will put in place measures to ensure that employees maintain their second language. Further, the Management Framework for the Review of Linguistic Profiles will enable CIC to meet the statutory language requirements and take measures to strengthen its linguistic capacity and optimize use of the two official languages.
Information bulletins are also distributed to address specific information needs and answer questions about official languages. These include Human Resources Straight Talk and Human Resources Bulletin. |
|
| b) Use of each language in the workplace |
The results of the 2002 Public Service Employee Survey showed
that 74.0% of Francophone respondents of the bilingual
regions of Ontario, NCR and New Brunswick and 78.8% of Anglophone respondents
from bilingual
regions of Quebec "strongly agree" or "mostly agree" with
the language of work regime.
Managers also encourage participants attending meetings to communicate in their preferred official language. Meetings and conference calls are therefore conducted in both OL.
Executive Committee meetings are conducted in both OL.
A three-year quality management system pilot project has been undertaken to improve compliance with language of work requirements between national headquarters and the Quebec region. The project is designed to improve the quality of bilingual communication between the Quebec region and national headquarters and also to create an environment conducive to use of both official languages. The quality management project also allows employees to report cases of non-compliance.
Staff is encouraged to acquire new language skills and maintain their proficiency through various reference tools, including the Termium terminology bank, subscriptions to newspapers and French-language publications, and other office automation applications. Learning tools are also available at learning centres, among them French self-instruction CD-ROMs, videos, cassettes and books. |
|
Equitable participation - Part VI
a) Percentage of Francophone participation throughout Canada |
In Canada and abroad, 28.0% of employees are Francophone
(Source: Position and Classification Information System
as of March 31, 2004). |
|
| b) Percentage of Anglophone participation in Quebec |
In Quebec, 15.0% of employees are Anglophone.(Source: Position
and Classification Information System as of March 31, 2004). |
|
Development of minority language communities and promotion of linguistic duality - Part VII
a) Strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the development of minority language communities |
In accordance with its annual action plan for the implementation of section 41 of the OLA, CIC is committed to ensuring that strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the development of minority language communities.
The Citizenship and Immigration Canada-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee (CIC-FMC), along with its regional agencies, provides access to French-speaking minority communities. The Committee is co-chaired by one community representative and the CIC Associate Deputy Minister. In April 2004, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced that the Steering Committee's term would be renewed for two years, from April 2004 to March 2006. Membership in the Committee was broadened to include new members from the community and to allow government partners to become full members if they so choose. Ten federal departments and agencies take part in the work of the Steering Committee, which is scheduled to present a five-year action plan in 2005.
Memoranda to Cabinet and TB submissions must consider the
development of official language minority communities.
With respect to the use of news media serving minority language groups,
CIC observes the current Communications Policy of the Government
of Canada. The CIC Communications Directorate has already
taken several measures to
meet the needs of official language minority communities
and to target the news organizations serving official language
minority communities. These
news organizations receive many CIC products, such as media
advisories, press releases, and information documents.
Speakers from OL minority communities are invited to Metropolis Project events along with researchers and CIC officials.
Further to a recommendation by the Commissioner of Official Languages, CIC developed Web pages to promote French-speaking minority communities to employees and potential immigrants abroad. Profiles of eight French-speaking minority communities, which are currently being developed, will be added to these Web pages. |
|
| b) Strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the promotion of linguistic duality |
There are official languages clauses in contribution agreements
made under the settlement and resettlement programs requiring
service providers to organize activities, projects and programs to meet
the needs
of both official language communities.
The Web pages providing information on minority Francophone communities and on official languages as a Canadian value are being finalized and will be added to CIC's Web site. Employees will be informed.
Two studies of the ability of minority Francophone communities to accept immigrants are currently under way.
To mark the Fête de la Francophonie, the Department sent a message to all
employees urging them to take part in the celebrations.
The Department takes advantage of Citizenship and Heritage Week to promote linguistic duality. CIC encourages citizenship judges to speak in both official languages at citizenship and reaffirmation-of-citizenship ceremonies.
Promotional tours of Europe and South America took place in March 2004. A tour of Africa took place in the fall of 2004. Linguistic duality is promoted through the use of bilingual promotional items. The target audience was potential immigrants. |
|
| OVERALL RATING |
|
