Management
a) An accountability framework, an action plan and accountability mechanisms are in place |
There is accountability at all levels for parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official Languages Act (OLA), with details provided in the Official Languages Reference Manual - Your Rights and Obligations, which is posted on the intranet. The performance agreement for each senior manager includes official languages (OL) challenges and performance indicators.
A 2004–2008 strategic framework was developed with regional development organizations (RDOs). RDOs are currently being consulted on a separate plan pertaining to Part VII. IC has developed an action plan with objectives and time frames pertaining to Parts IV, V and VI, addressing the shortcomings noted in the Annual Review. The management committees of each sector were consulted and the plan was then approved by the Executive Committee.
Reporting is through the Official Languages Annual Review. A departmental official is responsible for reviewing and reporting progress to senior management. |
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| b) Visibility of official languages in the organization |
The long-term vision for Part VII is set out in a multi-year plan on the implementation of section 41 of the OLA as well as in the Report on Plans and Priorities and in the Performance Report.
An internal audit pertaining to language of work was conducted in 1999 (see details below). Official languages are discussed two or three times per year at the Executive Committee. The champion, an ADM, addresses the issue of official languages as the need arises. The official with functional responsibility for official languages is invited from time to time.
The Part VII co-ordinator and the manager of Parts IV, V and VI have an ongoing working relationship. |
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| c) Complaints |
Complaints to the Commissioner of Official Languages are systematically forwarded to the managers in question. Internal complaints are handled by the DG, Human Resources. The complaints processing system is explained in the Administrative Guidelines on the Investigation and Resolution of Official Languages Complaints. The human resources branch maintains a record of all complaints and reports annually to senior management in this regard. Managers are responsible for following up on complaints: investigating complaints, seeing to their resolution, preparing a response, following up and implementing long-term solutions when they are required.
In February 2004, the Commissioner of OL followed up a second time on the implementation of her recommendations concerning the French language services at the North Simcoe Business Development Centre (NSBDC). The Commissioner found that the Department had still not fully implemented her recommendations. |
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Service to the public - Part IV
a) Bilingual services advertised to the public and sufficient bilingual staff |
The public is informed in various ways: the bilingual Internet site and clearly indicated bilingual offices, including those in Burolis; these offices practise active offer in person or by telephone. Signs are posted to direct clients, bilingual brochures are available and tools have been created to facilitate communication with clients. All publications are bilingual or available in both official languages. When necessary, 1-800 numbers are used to provide bilingual service.
While visiting service outlets in the fall of 2004, OCOL representatives noted that Burolis was not up to date, particularly in the case of service outlet 15811.
As of March 31, 2004, the Position and Classification Information System (PCIS) indicated that 90.7% of incumbents of bilingual positions serving the public met the linguistic requirements of their position. |
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| 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 91.7% of cases; active
offer by staff
was made in 25.0% of cases, while service in the language
of the minority was adequate in 66.7% of cases.
The results of the latest telephone service audit by the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency showed that active offer of service was made by staff 59.4% of the time and on telephone answering machines 87.4% of the time, while it was actually provided in both official languages 87.2% of the time. |
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| c) The service agreements delivered by third parties or in partnership provide for the delivery of bilingual services |
In each sector, the manager responsible for contracts must ensure compliance with the guiding principles in this regard. With regard to grants, managers are required to review their OL responsibilities. For instance, language clauses are included in contracts awarded to 18 targeted bilingual community development corporations in Ontario. There is no evidence of structured, regular monitoring of services offered by third parties. |
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| d) Bilingual services quality monitoring |
Managers are responsible for training, informing and supervising employees as regards their obligation to offer proactive service and to provide service in clients' preferred language.
Each office is responsible for evaluating client satisfaction. Surveys are conducted from time to time by internal audit. Centralized translation and editing services are provided under a contract with the Translation Bureau. According to the Department, the low number of complaints from the public is an indication of client satisfaction. Apart from the monitoring of complaints, the Department has not developed a mechanism to periodically measure the quality of bilingual services offered.
In order to allow the Department to prepare its annual review of OL, managers must report on their achievements in this area. Based on information provided by managers, OL officials prepare a report for senior management every year. |
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Language of work - Part V
a) Adequate bilingual supervision and language of work policy |
80.0% of EX incumbents and 87.0% of supervisors in bilingual
positions meet the language requirements of their position
(data obtained from the Position and Classification Information
System, as of March 31,
2004).
The Official Languages Reference Manual deals with language of work; it is posted on the intranet. Managers are responsible for the implementation of the policy.
As an awareness measure, officials give information sessions and use the IC Info bulletin, published four or five times per year. Specific notices are also distributed as required. |
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| b) Use of each language in the workplace |
The results of the Public Service-wide Employees Survey showed that 73.8% of Francophone respondents of the bilingual regions of Ontario, NCR and New Brunswick and 62.9% of Anglophone respondents from bilingual regions of Quebec "Strongly agree" or "Mostly agree" with the language of work regime.
The Report on Plans and Priorities refers to an action plan developed further to the survey. Reminders of rights and obligations are made two or three times per year.
IC formed a committee to follow up on the survey; an OL sub-committee was created, and pilot projects were launched to increase access to language training and retention of language skills. Communiqués were prepared to encourage employees to use their preferred language of work in bilingual regions. Presentations were made to sectoral and regional management committees when the new OL policies were introduced.
Signs have been posted in all meeting rooms. The record of complaints is a useful indicator of implementation. Auditors conduct internal surveys as necessary.
An audit was conducted in 1999 pertaining to knowledge of language of work rights and obligations; conclusions were drawn, with follow-up in the Official Languages Annual Review.
The Executive Committee uses both official languages; all executives are bilingual at the CBC level and many presentations are bilingual. |
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Equitable participation - Part VI
a) Percentage of Francophone participation throughout Canada |
39.0% of all employees are Francophone (source: Position
and Classification Information System as of March 31, 2004). |
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| b) Percentage of Anglophone participation in Quebec |
7.0% of employees in Quebec are Anglophone (source: Position
and Classification Information System as of March 31, 2004). |
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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 |
A full-time co-ordinator manages all Part VII issues.
Consultations with OL minority community representatives are held regularly and with key program officials to inform them of community needs. An intranet site (ProAction 41) was created to raise employee awareness of section 41 requirements and community needs. IC representatives are part of national human resources development committees for Francophone and Anglophone minorities (HRSDC).
The Communications Branch ensures that all communications activities respect the government policy. Manager awareness sessions are held.
A recent OCOL audit of CFDCs (Community Futures Development Corporations) indicated that there are still weaknesses in supporting the development of official language minorities. However, the action submitted by the Department was favourably received by the Office of the Commissioner of OL. The report was drafted in response to the eleven recommendations put forth by the Commissioner. |
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| b) Strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the promotion of linguistic duality |
The Part VII Co-ordinator ensures that promotion of linguistic duality is considered in departmental activities.
Program managers and officials responsible for developing strategic plans or new programs or policies are aware of their obligations for promoting Canada's linguistic duality. A reminder and additional information are available on the Intranet and in the Official Languages Reference Manual.
Initiatives: Rendez-vous de la Francophonie; development of intranet site and the Language Nook, a self-directed learning site; Linguistic Mentoring Program; linguistic assignment program; Canadian Advisory Committee on French on the Internet; creation of an Internet site, CommunAction, to inform communities of government economic development programs and services.
With respect to French on the Internet, certain recommendations made by the Commissioner of OL have not been fully implemented. |
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| OVERALL RATING |
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