Annual Report on Official Languages 2003-04

Message from the President of the Treasury Board

It is my pleasure to present this sixteenth annual report on official languages, for the 2003-04 fiscal year, as Minister responsible for the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada.

When the creation of the Agency was announced by the Prime Minister in December 2003, all the official languages responsibilities of the President of the Treasury Board and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat were transferred to the new organization and President of the Privy Council. The Agency is responsible for the general direction and co-ordination of the policies and programs relating to Parts IV, V, and VI of the Official Languages Act, thereby ensuring continuity for the government's work on official languages.

In July 2004, the Prime Minister entrusted me with responsibility for the Agency. I am very proud to succeed two of my colleagues, the Honourable Lucienne Robillard and the Honourable Denis Coderre, in this portfolio. Great progress was made under their direction, and I take the torch from them with the same determination and unfailing support for the promotion of our official languages.

Over the past fiscal year, federal institutions continued with the renewal of the Official Languages Program. New steps were taken in the wake of the Action Plan for Official Languages. The Agency fulfilled its commitment to modernize the official languages policies on language of work and human resources management; developed a new, more strategic accountability framework; developed new tools to help institutions improve their performance; and expanded the official languages networks. I also want to applaud the efforts made by the network of champions to revitalize the Program in their organizations.

One of the highlights of the past year was the requirement for institutions to review the application of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations following publication of the latest Statistics Canada census. I want to thank all those who participated in the various activities to ensure that federal institutions fulfill their language obligations to the people of Canada.

This report provides members of Parliament and Canadians with a description of how federal institutions are acting on the government's commitments. It demonstrates our desire to adapt the Program to the realities of today and tomorrow.

The paper version was signed by Reg Alcock

President of the Treasury Board and
Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Speaker of the Senate

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Pursuant to section 48 of the Official Languages Act, I hereby submit to Parliament, through your good offices, the sixteenth annual report on official languages of the President of the Treasury Board, covering the 2003-04 fiscal year.

Yours sincerely,

The paper version was signed by Reg Alcock

President of the Treasury Board and
Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

November 2004

Speaker of the House of Commons

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Pursuant to section 48 of the Official Languages Act, I hereby submit to Parliament, through your good offices, the sixteenth annual report on official languages of the President of the Treasury Board, covering the 2003-04 fiscal year.

Yours sincerely,

The paper version was signed by Reg Alcock

President of the Treasury Board and
Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

November 2004

Summary

The sixteenth annual report describes the key activities undertaken in 2003-04 and highlights the methods used to strengthen linguistic duality in Canada. The renewal of the Official Languages Program, based on the Public Service's intrinsic values of respect, fairness, and inclusiveness, has gained momentum.

Over the past fiscal year, in the wake of the Action Plan for Official Languages, announced in March 2003, new steps were taken in the renewal of the Official Languages Program. Our vision of instituting cultural change is taking shape and our actions support the values of the Public Service. We have modernized our policies, expanded the networks, developed a new, more strategic accountability framework, and developed new tools to enable the institutions to conduct self-assessments.

The follow-up to the Action Plan created a new synergy that enabled federal institutions and federal regional councils to meet the challenge of re-establishing official languages as a priority and of gradually changing the organizational culture. The projects implemented during the first year of the Official Languages Innovation Program demonstrate a vitality and inventiveness that will shape an exemplary public service. The policy review that began last year has advanced. With regard to the language skills of public service executives, progress has been noted, but the issue remains a challenge. The government has been firm and this firmness has produced results. The Agency continues to exert pressure to correct certain situations.

With regard to service to the public, one of the highlights of the past year was the requirement for most institutions to review the application of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations following publication of the Statistics Canada 2001 Census data on the first official language spoken.

The number of incumbents of bilingual public service positions who work with the public or who provide services to employees is relatively stable. Second-language proficiency requirements are similar to last year. We are working with institutions to improve the quality, and thus the reliability, of statistical data.

With regard to language of work, executives have a role to play in promoting a workplace conducive to the use of both official languages in designated bilingual regions. They must adopt behaviour that encourages their employees to express themselves and work in the official language of their choice.

Generally speaking, the government has honoured its commitment to ensuring that English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians have equal opportunities to obtain employment and advancement in federal institutions and that the composition of the workforce of federal institutions tends to reflect the presence in Canada of both official language communities.

The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada intends to play a very active role to ensure that official languages remain a government priority. As a centre of excellence in official languages and a broker of good practices, the Official Languages Branch creates opportunities to exchange ideas and acts as a catalyst to achieve a ripple effect. The Official Languages Branch also strives to bring the champions and the institutions' official languages managers into a more proactive strategic partnership.

As to the promotion of the Official Languages Program, the Agency has found that the official languages managers and champions are doing remarkable work. However, in many institutions, official languages managers require greater visibility and a stronger voice. Official languages managers must be able to ensure that the Official Languages Act is considered early in the development of programs and initiatives.

The Government of Canada remains committed to official languages. It ensures that the language rights and obligations that embody our national vision are respected in order to promote a workplace that incorporates fundamental values. On these solid foundations, the Public Service of Canada is making its values-based change. They will surely lead to significant progress during the five years of the Action Plan. The studies, projects, and audits undertaken during the year will lead to possible solutions in the future.

Together, we continue to encourage initiatives that create a ripple effect, maximize efforts, serve as models to other institutions, and call on the participation of everyone. We are learning to do things differently in order to build an exemplary public service.

I. Introduction

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that "English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada.¹"

Canada is not the only country in the world with two official languages. However, what distinguishes it from other countries is the path it has followed in adopting bilingualism. This typically Canadian approach, set out in the Official Languages Act (the Act), testifies to our attachment to the fundamental values that have marked and continue to mark Canada's development and history, and our desire truly to reflect them in our public life.

The most distinctive characteristic of this approach is that it is based on institutional bilingualism: the institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada are required to be bilingual. They have a duty to guarantee language rights of the Canadians they serve, and they must ensure that those rights are respected. In particular, they must take into account the presence and the needs of the official language minority communities in the provinces and territories, and must enhance their vitality and support their development.

Institutional bilingualism rests on three pillars that together form what is commonly called the Official Languages Program in federal institutions:

• service to the public, or the obligation of federal institutions to actively offer and provide services to the public in both official languages, and the corresponding right of the public to communicate with those institutions and receive service in the language of their choice, in the circumstances provided for in the Act;
• language of work, or the obligation of institutions to create work environments conducive to the effective use of both official languages in regions designated as bilingual² for this purpose, and the corresponding right of federal employees to work in the official language of their choice, within the limits specified by the Act;
• equitable participation, or the government's commitment to ensure that English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians enjoy equal opportunities for employment and advancement in federal institutions and that the workforces in those institutions tend to reflect the presence of the two official language communities in Canada.

The Government of Canada places great importance on the Official Languages Act and on respecting its principles. This commitment must also be taken up and put into practice by each employee in performing his or her everyday duties. In that way, we will help strengthen one of the foundations of Canadian federalism, to the benefit of future generations.

II. Overview of Delivery of the Official Languages Program in Institutions Subject to the Official Languages Act

Institutions subject to the Act must ensure institutional bilingualism; this means that they are responsible for providing their services to the public in their preferred official language as specified by the Act and the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Regulations).

There are three categories of institutions: departments for which the Treasury Board is the employer; Crown corporations and separate agencies; and privatized organizations.

The graph below illustrates this universe of institutions that must all ensure that the Act is implemented daily and concretely; they must apply the policies made under it as well. The directives describe the measures required to implement the policies. In the area of human resources, they apply mainly to institutions for which the Treasury Board is the employer. Other institutions may choose the measures for managing the Program that are appropriate to them, for example those governing hiring, provided that the results meet the requirements of the Act and the policies.

Graph 1

Distribution of all organizations subject to the Act

*Departments for which the Treasury Board is the employer

Source: Burolis

Institutions report to the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada on their achievements and results by submitting annual reviews. The annual review describes how an institution is fulfilling its obligations and addresses concerns of the Official Languages Branch and of the members of parliamentary committees on official languages.

The information given below is taken mainly from the annual reviews, from general knowledge of the issues-activities of the Official Languages Branch in advising and assisting institutions and the work of its various official languages committees-and the results of the Branch's monitoring activities.

Main issues for the past year

This year, institutions had to deal with three main issues: the impact of the new policies in the area of human resources; monitoring the CBC level of bilingualism for executives³; and following up on the 2001 Census data by reviewing their obligations to provide bilingual services to Canadians. After the Census data⁴ on the first official language spoken were published last December, institutions reviewed the language obligations of their offices and points of service.⁵

The institutions had to intensify their efforts to complete these activities. Formulating the new policies and preparing their implementation required many consultations and information sessions. In order to maintain a work environment conducive to the use of both official languages in regions designated as bilingual, institutions worked to regularize the status of executives who did not meet the language requirements of their positions.⁶

Other matters and special implementation activities

Improving the availability of communications with and service to the public in both official languages remains a concern for institutions, requiring focussed efforts. For example, Parks Canada and Library and Archives Canada set up mechanisms to systematically assess the quality of their bilingual services.

Many institutions paid special attention to language of work over the past fiscal year. The initiatives described in the following pages enable employees in designated bilingual regions to work in an environment conducive to the use of both official languages.

Graph 2 identifies the regions where the language-of-work obligation applies.⁷

Graph 2

Map of designated bilingual regions for language-of-work purposes

A number of institutions used a variety of ways to promote linguistic duality in the workplace: employee satisfaction surveys to determine what corrective measures were required; awareness activities; expansion of language training, particularly to enhance the language skills of supervisors; production of bilingual glossaries; publication of work tools on the Web; activities to promote learning retention; special efforts for holding bilingual meetings, etc.

Over the past year, institutions have also seen that the government is taking the issue of bilingualism for senior management seriously.

Knowing the importance of this issue for the Public Service of today and tomorrow, institutions better understand the need for careful succession planning. The new Directive on Language Training and Learning Retention¹⁰ also states that language training must be an integral part of career planning. In this regard, the Agency notes that many institutions are giving more importance to developing training plans (short, medium, and long-term) for their employees.

The question of second-language learning retention and development poses another challenge, particularly since adoption of the new policy on human resources management. The policy recommends that employees who have received language training maintain their second-language skills and use them daily.

A number of institutions (including the Chief Electoral Officer, Correctional Service Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Canadian Heritage) have strengthened their accountability mechanisms, and the quality of their data in the Position and Classification Information System¹¹ has improved.

Challenges

Despite the efforts made by institutions to keep reliable statistics, there are still shortcomings. It is important for those involved (for example, those in charge of staffing and classification) to work very closely with the Official Languages Branch to improve the data in the Position and Classification Information System. The Branch carried out awareness activities over the year and used many forums to issue reminders of the importance of accurate data. The Branch has found that these actions have brought results.

We have also noted that certain issues have not yet been settled in a number of institutions:

• the situation of executives who still do not meet the language requirements of their positions within the required deadlines remains a challenge;¹²
• a reduction in the bilingual capacity of supervisors, managers, and employees who work with the public in some institutions;
• a number of delays in reviewing the application of the Regulations in light of the 2001 Census data.

Each institution to which these issues apply has been informed of its situation, and the Branch is requiring follow-up and resolution by means of the annual review analyses that it sends to deputy heads.

The Agency has found that official languages managers and champions are doing remarkable work to promote the Program. However, in many cases, incumbent positions are low in the institutional hierarchy, there is frequent turnover of the staff assigned to this work, and often resources are scarce, with the result that these professionals are often overwhelmed by the scope of the task. Such conditions help weaken corporate memory and the ability to make targeted, effective strategic plans. All these factors make it difficult to provide truly collective, mobilizing leadership. In 2004-05, we are recommending that institutions review the priority and profile given to official languages.

The Branch will be focussing on all these matters in its monitoring and accountability activities.

III. The Action Plan and the Official Languages Program-
Towards an Exemplary Public Service

Over the past fiscal year, in the wake of the Action Plan for Official Languages released by the Prime Minister in March 2003, new steps were taken to renew the Official Languages Program.

The Action Plan makes official languages a priority again and changes the organizational culture of the Public Service. The government is investing $64.6 million over five years to create an exemplary public service in the area of official languages: a public service that can serve the Canadian public in both official languages, that offers a work environment conducive to the use of both official languages in designated bilingual regions, and that is representative of the population it serves. Part of this investment will be used to support innovative short-term projects¹³ and to strengthen the Branch's capacity as a centre of excellence. The rest of the funding will be used to rebuild bilingual capacity in the Public Service. To do so, the Branch will work with the Canada School of Public Service and the Public Service Commission of Canada on projects devoted to language training, particularly projects related to reviewing the structure of governance of language training and testing.

This investment is distributed as follows among the three components of the Action Plan:

The Official Languages Branch, which is now part of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada, is given a stronger role as a centre of excellence and catalyst, charged with facilitating a change in culture that is lasting and conducive to the promotion of official languages.

The Official Languages Branch works closely with all institutions to which the Action Plan applies, particularly the Privy Council Office, the Public Service Commission of Canada, and the Canada School of Public Service. We are firmly resolved to continue integrating official languages into the culture of the Public Service. Our ideal and our direction remain the same. We want to play a leading role in resolving official languages issues and implementing related measures.

Also, the creation of the Agency marks a new start. It reflects a strong desire to modernize the way we manage our human resources. The Agency's ultimate goal is to ensure that Canadians here and abroad receive the services they are entitled to expect. We are enthusiastic about taking up the challenges this entails, and we have faith that the Public Service will be up to the task of meeting those challenges.

In the years to come, we aim to make the Public Service an institution that is modern, open, inclusive, and respectful of differences. We want to create a workplace in which every employee, regardless of level, can show initiative, an environment in which everyone will feel free to speak the official language of his or her choice, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Official Languages Innovation Program

The announcement of the creation of the Official Languages Innovation Program in July 2003 generated a great deal of interest from federal institutions. This five-year program, with a budget of $14 million, has two components: the Official Languages Innovation Fund and the Regional Partnerships Fund. The amounts allocated are distributed as follows: $1 million in 2003-04; $2 million in 2004-05; $3 million in 2005-06; $4 million in 2006-07; and $4 million in 2007-08.

This program aims to support innovative projects that are likely to have a ripple effect in promoting official languages, whether for service to the public, language of work, equitable participation, or management of the Program. Federal institutions and federal regional councils have responded favourably to our call. Their interest shows that they value linguistic duality and want to do more to reflect it in their management practices.

For the first phase of the Program, the Branch received 32 proposals. The selection is made by a steering committee of champions representing institutions and federal regional councils. In October 2003, the Treasury Board approved funding for 18 projects in various areas, such as service delivery, organizational culture, and recruitment. The institutions and federal councils selected must submit an evaluation report for each project. These reports will be posted on the Agency's official languages Web site¹⁴(OLLO site) so that other institutions may benefit from the projects and the lessons learned.

The Branch launched the second phase of the Program in December 2003, with a budget of $2 million for 2004-05. The Branch has received 47 proposals, from which the steering committee has selected 25.

Policy review

In 2003-04, the Branch reviewed over half its policies. It is simplifying and restructuring them to adapt to the needs of users and incorporate them into the initiatives to renew and modernize the Public Service, with the emphasis on principles and values.

A policy framework now specifies the responsibilities of institutions and deputy heads. The policies apply to all institutions subject to the Act. Because priority is being given to modernizing human resources, we began by revising the policies on language of work and human resources management. These new policies were announced in November 2003.

The policies came into effect on April 1, 2004. Their objective is to enable the government to better serve the people of Canada in both official languages and to promote linguistic duality in federal institutions. They emphasize imperative staffing-the staffing of bilingual positions with bilingual candidates. Imperative staffing becomes the norm for bilingual positions in the Public Service. The policies also stress integration of language training and retention of the skills acquired into the career planning of public service employees-with the training to begin earlier in their careers. They also provide for stronger accountability.

In addition, three directives on human resources-linguistic identification of positions or functions, staffing of bilingual positions, and language training and learning retention-are aimed mainly at institutions for which the Treasury Board is the employer. These directives indicate the consequences of non-compliance, and now the results will be evaluated.

Imperative staffing becomes the norm for all bilingual positions. It becomes mandatory for staffing bilingual positions in the Public Service at the EX-03 level in 2005 and at the EX-02 level in 2007 in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes,¹⁵ and in unilingual regions if the duties of the position include supervision of incumbents of bilingual positions in a bilingual region.

Non-imperative staffing may be used in exceptional cases, with written justification and approval by the deputy minister for an executive position or by an assistant deputy minister for other positions.

There may also be exceptions when the competition is open to the public, in recognition of the fact that Canadians in general are less bilingual than public service employees.

Under Part VI of the Act, the government undertakes to offer both official language groups the same hiring and promotion opportunities in federal institutions and to ensure that the workforce in the Public Service is representative of Canada's population. Under the Employment Equity Act, the government is also committed to increasing the participation of members of the employment equity target groups-visible minorities, women, Aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities. In its response to the report entitled Embracing Change,¹⁶ the government renewed its commitment to visible minorities and set target objectives.

In Canada, most members of visible minorities (93 per cent) use English as their first official language. These communities live mainly in major urban centres like Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. In the latter two, French is little used. In the long term, universal imperative staffing could have created a marked imbalance in the participation of the two official language groups and members of visible minority communities at all levels of the Public Service.

The government is maintaining a degree of flexibility for staffing EX-01 positions¹⁷ because analysis of the demographic data for the feeder groups for this level indicates that the level of bilingualism is too low to meet future needs without risking imbalances. There are proportionally more bilingual Francophones than bilingual Anglophones in the Executive Group, and the gap increases at lower levels. Universal imperative staffing becomes possible at higher levels because the candidates are mostly career public service employees who have already acquired the necessary linguistic skills and are bilingual and diversified enough that the government's objectives for language proficiency, representation, and diversity can be achieved.

The graph below shows the distribution of Anglophone and Francophone executives (EXs)-by bilingual and unilingual regions in the Public Service.

Graph 3

Distribution of executives by first official language and by unilingual and bilingual regions

Source: PCIS

The graph below shows the participation of Anglophone and Francophone executives (EXs) in the Public Service.

Graph 4

Distribution of executives by first official language in the Public Service

Source: PCIS

We held many consultations, both inside and outside the Public Service, particularly with the unions and members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages. After the new policies were announced, we offered information sessions and created a number of tools for champions, official languages managers, and members of the federal regional councils to explain the new policy directions to them.

Phase II of the policy review, to be completed in 2004-05, will deal with communications with and services to the public.

IV. The Change in Culture is Being Implemented Progressively

Support for leadership

We are determined to make the Public Service a model of linguistic duality in which official languages are rooted in the fundamental values of respect, fairness, and inclusiveness. In this regard, some survey data confirm that we are on the right track. According to a poll by Léger Marketing, ¹⁸ 81 per cent of Canadians consider that the government should provide its services in their preferred official language. Our survey of public service employees conducted in 2002¹⁹ found that they support the basic principles of the official languages policies. This support is particularly high for service to the public: 92 per cent of public service employees consider it important to serve the public in both official languages. Also, 86 per cent said they were prepared to make efforts to encourage bilingualism in their workplaces.

Again, according to the Léger Marketing survey, most Canadians support bilingualism. More than three Canadians out of five (62 per cent) consider bilingualism a valuable resource in which we must invest. The survey also indicates that Canadians doubt that the government has the ability to achieve its bilingualism objectives. Therefore, we must take action.

Our main challenge is to integrate this strong respect for linguistic duality into public service employees' daily activities on two levels: first, in their interactions with their colleagues and with Canadians; and second, as a factor to be considered in planning and decision making. It should be noted that official languages continue to be a strategic priority of the Clerk of the Privy Council. Deputy ministers are called upon to focus on promoting both official languages in the work environment and to bring about a significant increase in the number of executives and executive feeder group members who are bilingual.

To demonstrate the willingness to integrate respect for official languages into public service values, the Head of the Public Service Award has included since 2003 a new category for official languages. ²⁰ Last December, this prize was awarded to the Official Languages, Section 41 Implementation Team of Western Economic Diversification Canada for promoting the Francophone Strategy.

The objective of the Strategy was to form partnerships and consolidate funds in order to facilitate the creation of a network of provincial organizations devoted to the economic development of Francophone communities in Western Canada. Thanks to the dedication of team members, each regional centre now makes the expertise of Francophones available to entrepreneurs in Western Canada by offering them numerous services in French, notably business development, consultation, training, and procurement services.

Awareness activities of the Official Languages Branch

Although the 2002 surveys²¹ show that public service employees support the basic principles of the Act and the values they embody, the results also show that official languages rights and obligations are misunderstood and that French is underused as a language of work in designated bilingual regions. These findings indicate to what extent awareness activities are not only important but also essential to correct these shortcomings and misperceptions.

The Agency's objective is to make the Official Languages Program more visible. Over the past fiscal year, the Official Languages Branch intensified its efforts. It took part in six conferences, including that of the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) and the national forum on professional development for middle managers in Halifax. Attending these events enabled us to make contacts with partners, distribute relevant information, make the Program better known, and answer questions.

Awareness workshops will be offered to as many employees as possible over the coming year, to encourage them to think about respect for others. Also, to follow up on various pilot projects held in the past two years, the Official Languages Branch, the Canada Revenue Agency (formerly part of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency), and Consulting and Audit Canada designed, in early 2004, a new values-based workshop for trainers. This project is having a positive ripple effect, and a number of institutions such as Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada) are now investing in training trainers. It should be noted that the Canada Revenue Agency's participation in developing this project was decisive.

So that the experience can be repeated as widely as possible, material will be made available on the OLLO site. Also, the Official Languages Branch posts on its site²² good practices submitted to it. It also compiled some 40 examples, which were published in June 2004.

Official languages networks

The Branch works with many partners to promote the Program and ensure that official languages are an integral part of decision making and service delivery. The official languages networks and the heads of federal institutions play an important role in this process. Communication and consultation work was done with the networks throughout the year.

The network of champions, consisting of more than 160 champions in departments and Crown corporations, promotes official languages. The champions are ambassadors for linguistic duality.

The departmental network created its own council in 2003. The Council of Network of Departmental Champions is intended to be a leader to promote linguistic duality in an exemplary public service and to enhance the vitality of the official language minority communities. It has 21 members, including three regional representatives and one representative each from the Agency, the Privy Council Office, and Canadian Heritage. For its operations, the Council's Secretariat of champions is funded essentially through voluntary contributions by the members.

Also, for many years the Branch has been working closely with two advisory committees whose mandate is not only to enable consultation with the directors and official languages managers in departments and Crown corporations, but also to facilitate exchanges of ideas and good practices. These two committees provide support to the key players by offering suggestions and strategies for action to achieve the target objectives.

Each committee holds two regular meetings a year in the National Capital Region and one retreat, normally in a region. The institutions volunteer in turn to serve as hosts. The retreats are used to deal with specific cases and solve common problems. The retreats are also opportunities to meet with official language minority communities and regional representatives of the federal councils and to see first hand the vitality and leadership exercised by the stakeholders working in the field of official languages, at both the community and federal levels. The directors and official languages managers acknowledge the importance and added value of these meetings with their counterparts, and they have made them their preferred forums. In 2003-04, there were six meetings, including two retreats where members visited official languages minority communities.

Finally, under the aegis of the Manitoba Federal Council, the new Interdepartmental Network of Official Languages Co-ordinators was formed in January 2004 with the mandate of promoting co-operation and creating opportunities conducive to the exchange of models to follow and good practices in implementing the Act. The Network will enable those responsible in each department to draw from its resources and the collective knowledge and experience of its members.

The Branch also wants to go beyond the conventional official languages networks to reach all sectors of institutions, for example through the networks of communicators, youth, managers, and human resources professionals. We are continuing our efforts to encourage co-operation among the networks to obtain the desired ripple effect.

Official Languages Quality Management System for Language of Work, Canada Revenue Agency-Phase II

An organization's members are more receptive to a change in culture when the process is based on listening and mutual respect. Emphasizing values creates a positive attitude that promotes openness. That makes it easier to remove obstacles and explain why official languages are an important factor to be taken into account in all activities. It does not mean that we can disregard all the rules, but rather that they should be used as a last resort, not at the outset, and not without reference to their basis in our values.

Such an initiative, already mentioned briefly, began at the Canada Revenue Agency two years ago.

The aim of this project is to create a work environment reflecting a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect linked to official languages. Tools have been developed or identified. Examples are a checklist for chairing bilingual meetings, another for active offer, and a third for telephone greetings in both official languages; also two self-assessment cards were created for language of work, one for managers and the other for employees. A procedure has also been developed to guide employees in creating a work environment in which both official languages can be used without difficulty.

Nearly 3,300 employees working in regions designated as bilingual participated in this project, and it has already had a ripple effect. An example is an initiative taken by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP's Internal Audit and Evaluation Branch is working to create a work environment conducive to the effective use of both official languages. From now on, besides complying with such requirements as making regularly and widely used information systems available in both official languages, this unit of the RCMP will also promote concepts of mutual respect, tolerance, and openness.

We hope that more institutions will launch similar projects to raise their employees' awareness of the importance of making the workplace conducive to the use of both official languages. The Branch also plans to develop more values-based promotional tools that institutions can adapt to their needs.

V. Research Activities

We are determined to create a work environment that encourages the use of English and French. Changing the culture of an organization as large as the federal Public Service is a process that takes time and demands concerted effort. We realize that there are still a number of obstacles to overcome, and misperceptions are not the least of these. We take this cultural change very seriously and have made it a priority for action.

During the year, we have contacted certain media to correct misinformation and false perceptions about bilingualism in the federal Public Service and changes in our policies. It is our duty to give public service employees and all Canadians clear, relevant, and correct information about our policy directions and the decisions that concern them. Once they are well informed, they will be in a better position to understand what the real issues are and to evaluate their scope.

In addition to increasing our awareness-raising activities, the Agency is looking for ways to change attitudes and perceptions about language of work. In particular, we are researching the concept of receptive bilingualism and the integration of second-language learners into the workplace. Another study concerns potential obstacles for visible minorities. The Agency is also a key player in the review of language training and testing being conducted by the Canada School of Public Service and the Public Service Commission of Canada.

Study on receptive bilingualism

Receptive bilingualism, which emphasizes reading and oral comprehension skills, is not a new concept. In the past it was out of favour because the emphasis was on active skills, namely, fluency of expression in the second language.

Since the underuse of French at work is still a problem in the designated regions, receptive bilingualism could be used to allow Francophones to express themselves in their first language while helping Anglophones retain and build incrementally their French-language skills. This measure could facilitate interregional communication for bilingual and unilingual regions alike. However, preliminary data indicate that Francophones tend to use English in communicating with their Anglophone colleagues if they are not certain they will be fully understood, and so more investigation into this issue is needed. We should emphasize that receptive bilingualism is not applicable to situations where employees serve the public or their peers, or to supervision.

A pilot project with Environment Canada is planned to assess how receptive language skills can be integrated into the workplace.

Review of language training and testing

In our policy review, we stressed the importance of proactive language training and the integration of language training into employees' career plans. The reform of the training infrastructure has begun. Some deputy heads and other senior managers have been interviewed on the current situation and on future needs. Their observations will serve as the basis for rethinking language training and adapting it more effectively to the needs of managers and employees. The review, which also touches on the second-language evaluation (SLE) tests developed by the Public Service Commission of Canada, started at the end of 2003-04 and should be completed by April 2005. In the final analysis, we have to learn to take advantage of the available technologies and the contributions that the public and private sectors can make. We must also revisit the question of the governance and financing of language training.

To make it clear that a new direction is to be taken, Language Training Canada was transferred on April 1, 2004, to the Canada School of Public Service, thus combining it with the former Training and Development Canada and the Canadian Centre for Management Development. The School works with the Agency, the Public Service Commission of Canada, and partners in all regions of the country to study the delivery of language training services and to develop new methods and tools that reflect a modern approach to the new culture we want to build.

Study on the reintegration of second-language learners into the workplace

In the 2003-04 fiscal year, the Agency conducted a study to identify factors that encourage Anglophones with a language proficiency level of CBC²³ to use their French at work after completing their language training.

Interviewees indicate that motivating factors are the presence of Francophones, a supportive environment, and strong self-confidence on the part of the learner. Anglophones feel less comfortable using French in sensitive or contentious situations, at large meetings, when pressed for time, when dealing with complex issues, or when they receive little positive support from peers and superiors. The challenge, therefore, is to build confidence.

We have communicated the findings of the study to the two official languages advisory committees and will shortly be doing the same with the network of champions. We have also sent the findings to the Canada School of Public Service. They will eventually contribute to developing strategies to help Anglophones retain their second-language skills.

Study on official languages and visible minorities

The Official Languages Branch and the Employment Equity Branch of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada are working to determine whether official languages policies are a specific barrier to the career advancement of visible minorities in the Public Service.

The first phase in the study was a review of the literature. It was not possible to conclude that visible minorities as a group (or the subgroups within the broader group) have more difficulty than others in learning a second language. To date, the findings do not support the assumption that there are systemic barriers with regard to language training, but they do show that there are a number of personal and cultural characteristics and attributes that may make it difficult for a person to learn English or French. These are the areas for future focus.

The second phase was a series of four interviews and 10 focus groups (held in Montréal, Ottawa, and Vancouver) with federal public service employees from a variety of departments. The results of the study will be published later in 2004.

VI. Institutions Serving Canadians

Status update

Federal institutions have a duty to serve the public effectively, courteously, and promptly, regardless of the mode of service delivery. In designated offices and service points, service must be provided in English or French, as appropriate.

The offices and service points required to offer services in both official languages (see graphs 5 and 6) are designated under the Official Languages Act and its Regulations.²⁴ Members of the public and all institutions subject to the Act can view the official directory by going to the OLLO site and clicking on Burolis.²⁵

Federal institutions have 11,527 offices and service points in Canada.²⁶ Of these, 3,528 (30.6 per cent) are required to offer services in both official languages to meet the needs of Canadians.

Graph 5

Distribution of offices and service points in Canada

Note: Offices offering unilingual services in French are located in Quebec and those offering
unilingual services in English are located elsewhere in Canada.

Source: Burolis

Graph 6

Distribution of bilingual offices and service points in Canada according to the type of provision applicable

Source: Burolis

The number of incumbents of bilingual public service positions who work with the public is relatively stable; 86 per cent²⁷ or 34,998 of the 40,803 incumbents of bilingual positions required to serve the public in either official language meet the language requirements of their position. Language proficiency requirements are similar to last year, with 33 per cent²⁸ of bilingual positions requiring superior knowledge of the second language (compared to 32 per cent last year) and 65 per cent of positions (instead of 66 per cent) requiring an intermediate level.

Impact of the 2001 Census data on offices and service points

The Regulations flesh out certain key provisions of the Official Languages Act of 1988. The approach taken in the Regulations makes it possible to ensure that a large majority of Canadians can receive services in the official language of their choice. It thus makes it possible to protect the rights of members of the official language minority communities and to contribute to ensuring their vitality.

As mentioned previously, the Regulations state that the most recent decennial census²⁹ of population for which results are published is used to determine the obligation of all the offices and service points of institutions subject to the Act to communicate with and offer services to the public in both official languages where there is a significant demand.

In 2003-04, some 95 institutions began applying the Regulations according to the data from the 2001 Census to determine whether there was a change in their obligations in terms of services and communication.

Where demographic data do not apply, for example, in the case of the travelling public, the institutions concerned will measure demand to determine whether the services must be offered in both official languages. This far-reaching project will continue during the present fiscal year.

To ensure smooth implementation of the changes resulting from this exercise and to find solutions where bilingual services are lost, a group composed of representatives of the official language minority communities, the staff of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Canadian Heritage, and the central agencies met six times.

At the beginning of December 2003, the Agency gave this group the preliminary results of the application of 2001 Census data. For 9,302 of the 9,839 offices concerned, the status quo remains with regard to service obligations, while a new obligation was created for 162 offices; potential reduction was flagged for 91 offices and service points.

Since the Regulations do not provide for a transition period in the event that the obligation to provide services in either official language in a given office ceases, the Treasury Board adopted an implementation principle on November 18, 2003.

This implementation principle, in place for an indefinite period, states that offices of federal institutions that are currently required to communicate with and provide services to the public in both official languages must maintain the status quo and consult the minority communities affected regarding alternate solutions.

There are six institutions concerned: Canada Post, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Farm Credit Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the RCMP, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. This measure will enable these institutions to consult the official language minority communities and develop plans to meet their needs.

The Branch has prepared a framework for consultation to be used in consulting the communities based on feedback from the discussion group. It will assist institutions to put in place the principle adopted by the Treasury Board to provide for a transition period. The Agency is monitoring developments in this area to ensure compliance.

VII. Official Languages in the Workplace

Status update

In regions designated as bilingual, supervisors must be bilingual so that their employees can actually work in the official language of their choice. The government has been firm on bilingualism for members of the Executive Group, and this firmness has produced results.

Our information systems tell us that in the regions designated as bilingual, 79.7 per cent or 2,439 of 3,060 executives (EX category) met the language requirements of their position (CBC), while 13.9 per cent or 424 members of the EX category were not obliged to meet these requirements because their exemption period was still in effect. All assistant deputy ministers are included in this group. Institutions have adopted situation-specific measures to enable employees to work and be supervised in the official language of their choice in cases of unilingual incumbents.

If we consider supervisory staff globally, 82 per cent or 11,917 of the 14,465 incumbents of bilingual positions³⁰ met the language requirements of their position; last year, the percentage was 81 per cent. The number of positions requiring superior second-language knowledge remained relatively stable (51 per cent this year vs. 50 per cent last year), while 49 per cent of bilingual positions required the intermediate level.³¹

In the case of staff offering internal services positions whose duties include the delivery of personnel services (such as pay) or central services (financial, communication, and library services, for example), 84 per cent or 20,291 of the 24,043 incumbents of bilingual positions ³² met the language requirements of their position compared to 85 per cent last year. The number of positions requiring superior second-language proficiency remained relatively stable (25 per cent this year vs. 24 per cent last year).³³ Most bilingual positions (66 per cent) required the intermediate level.

A recent study³⁴ by the Commissioner of Official Languages points out what we, too, have observed many times: French remains underused in bilingual regions, notably the National Capital Region.

A large number of Francophones state that they prefer to work in English, especially as English is often perceived as the language of professional advancement, a perception that still presents us with a challenge.

And yet Anglophones and Francophones alike are in favour of the increased use of French in the workplace. So how can the current trend be reversed?

It is important for managers to seriously address the unequal status of the two official languages. Because it is underused, French requires special measures if it is to achieve a better balance with English. In our review of the institutions, we found examples of managers who make it their duty to promote the use of French daily.

For the past six years, federal institutions in the National Capital Region have worked together to launch the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. The Minister chairs this activity. It is greatly appreciated by Francophones and Francophiles. It emphasizes the importance of the French language and serves as a reminder to employees to make French part of their daily work.

Activities take place throughout Canada, for two weeks. Francophones and Francophiles express in their own way their attachment to the French language.

Conditions conducive to the use of English and French

In its 2004 budget, the federal government promised to build the linguistic capacity of the Public Service and offer employees the tools and training they need.³⁵

The measures that relate specifically to official languages are the creation of the new Canada School of Public Service and the integration of language training into employee career plans.

A major challenge for bilingual public service employees is to retain their second-language skills. Whether in the National Capital Region or in the bilingual regions, senior managers relate that they have little support from their institutions when it comes to using their second language at work. ³⁶

The challenge is a serious one. Understanding the need to create a workplace that is conducive to the use of English and French, some institutions have taken steps to correct the problem through awareness raising.

VIII. A Representative Public Service

The Action Plan for Official Languages underpins the government's commitment, stated in Part VI of the Act, to ensure that English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians have equal opportunities to obtain employment and advancement in federal institutions and that the composition of the workforce of federal institutions tends to reflect the presence in Canada of both official language communities. Generally speaking, the government has honoured this commitment for years. As of March 31, 2004, the overall composition of institutions subject to the Act was 72 per cent Anglophone and 27 per cent³⁷ Francophone. In the Public Service, the composition is 68 per cent Anglophone and 32 per cent Francophone. ³⁸ The population of Canada is 75 per cent Anglophone and 24 per cent Francophone.³⁹

Quebec is the exception. Anglophones make up 12.9 per cent of the population of Quebec but only 7.4 per cent⁴⁰ of all federal public service employees working in Quebec (outside the National Capital Region). If data for Crown corporations and other agencies are included, however, the percentage of Anglophones rises to 13.5 per cent. It bears mentioning that some large corporations, including VIA Rail and Air Canada, are headquartered in Montréal.

A great deal of effort has been expended to increase the participation of Anglophones in the federal Public Service. Further targeted campaigns are necessary.

In May 2003, the Branch commissioned a special study⁴¹ in collaboration with the Public Service Commission of Canada and the Quebec Community Groups Network to gain a better understanding of why there are not more Anglophones in the federal Public Service in Quebec. The study showed that Anglophones, regardless of whether or not they are already members of the Public Service, often hesitate to apply for positions out of concern that their French is inadequate.

The Branch is working closely with the Commission, the Quebec Federal Council (QFC) and a number of other partners to assess the recommendations of the Mallory report and develop a plan of action. It has invited the QFC and the departmental champions in Quebec to propose projects under the Innovation Program. It also encourages its partners to participate in the Commission's program for the recruitment of bilingual candidates to the federal Public Service.

The Action Plan has allocated $2 million over five years, including $400,000 in the fall of 2003, to support recruitment of bilingual candidates to the Public Service. The Branch and the Commission entered into an agreement in October 2003. A report on progress and results will be produced twice a year. The key activities put forward to date by the Commission include a demographic analysis to determine how many bilingual Canadians there are and where they live, the modification of job application forms (electronic and paper), and the production of a DVD for the public to dispel myths about language-knowledge evaluation in the context of competitions.

IX. Performance Measurement and Accountability

A new approach to performance measurement

In recent years, the framework for measuring institutional performance has been reshaped by a number of developments. Landmark documents like Results for Canadians-A Management Framework for the Government of Canada⁴², the Management Accountability Framework,⁴³ the Integrated Risk Management Framework and the Accountability and Co-ordination Framework of the Action Plan for Official Languages have changed the way we work. The management accountability frameworks that departments and agencies develop to ensure sound management should reflect the institutions' performance, including official languages.

Our accountability mechanism includes three functions: monitoring, audit, and information management.

Monitoring by the Branch's advisors is intended to provide oversight of Official Languages Program practices and management controls. The advisors offer their advice and guidance on this subject, as well as on implementation of the Act and the Regulations, and official languages policies. They intervene proactively with institutions, following a values-based approach. They help institutions implement solutions that fit their particular circumstances. The number of requests for advice and guidance has increased appreciably since the new policies were announced in November 2003. The many activities required include not only interpretations but also awareness sessions and suggestions for possible implementation strategies.

This fiscal year, we established a monitoring cycle that more accurately reflects our new situation. We have shortened this cycle, so that annual reports can be tabled sooner after the end of the year.

The audit function consists of an objective review of the performance of the Program using recognized, systematic, and rigorous audit methods, with a view to providing an accurate assessment of control frameworks and management practices.

Our aim is to ensure that the Program is managed effectively and that public funds are used wisely. Various self-assessment tools are being developed to help institutions review their performance.

Effective management of information systems and data banks, like Burolis, enables timely access to the latest data in order to permit better accounting of official languages performance and well-informed decisions. We are working to ensure that data are reliable and automated systems are compatible with one another and we are making adjustments where necessary.

Advisors' interventions with institutions

Over the year, the Branch held a number of meetings with institutions to pinpoint their challenges and to offer advice and guidance. These meetings made it possible, among other things, to support the development of action plans and to design appropriate monitoring mechanisms and tools. Our contacts with institutions are a key element of our overview of activities. They help us understand specific situations and needs and allow us to assist with shared objectives as the situation requires.

The Regulations compliance review is one area that produced a number of interventions and many meetings. Training sessions and workshops with key officers provided a forum for exchanges of views on specific issues and possible solutions to problems.

For example, the Branch held productive meetings with representatives of National Defence on monitoring and accountability. The new model was presented to the Department, which used it in developing an automated tool that will allow the various sectors and chains of command to assess their official languages performance against objectives set by the institution for the next three years.

Meetings with the Communications Security Establishment and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, among others, laid the groundwork for implementing the new policies and specifying the nature of measures to be implemented to give an account of performance on stated objectives.

Meetings with senior managers and their staff to discuss progress on official languages matters were organized with the Canadian Space Agency, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the RCMP, the National Energy Board, and others. The Branch is also working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to develop an improved internal policy for the Coast Guard College. Discussions have been ongoing since June 2003 with representatives of Environment Canada about compliance with proposed guidelines concerning the electronic publication of scientific documents by a departmental task force.

The publication of the new policies on official languages for human resources management sparked lively interest during the last fiscal year, especially with regard to the impact of their application. Conference calls were held regularly with a number of institutions to explain the operational scope of the new policies. These exchanges contributed to an enhanced mutual understanding of the objectives of the new policies and their application.

The new model for measuring institutions' performance

In order to conduct a more systematic assessment of institutions' linguistic performance, the Agency is working to develop a new performance measurement model, which should consist of a set of indicators that are more relevant and better adapted to the institutions. These indicators will make it possible not only to assess compliance with the Act, Regulations, and policies but also to measure employee and public satisfaction with all aspects of the Program. The Branch is developing new mechanisms, including a "dashboard" in the form of an evaluation checklist which will make it possible to provide a clear, accurate portrait of the institutions' linguistic performance. This is a complex exercise that will continue over the next fiscal year.

Audit activities

Three audits were conducted in the past few years. They include an audit of seven airports with significant demand (2002-03), an audit of telephone services in the institutions subject to the Act (2002-03), and an audit of compliance with the language requirements of positions for members of the EX Group (2003-04). In 2003-04, the Branch was validating data, drafting reports, and getting ready to publish results.

Audit follow-up on service to the public in airports

This audit was conducted in seven airports with significant demand (Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto (Pearson), Montréal (Trudeau, formerly Dorval), Greater Moncton, and Halifax). The objective was to determine the extent to which the airport authorities and federal institutions that provide service to the public at the airports used both official languages in communicating with and offering services to the public.

Preliminary reports were provided in July 2003 to the managers of the airport authorities and institutions audited, who then had an opportunity to comment on the reports and take appropriate action.

The final reports were to be posted on the OLLO site in October 2003, but publication was delayed by the need to clarify the formal obligations of the airport authorities, which could have an impact on the recommendations. The Agency and Transport Canada are looking at the issue together. The reports should be released this fall.

Audit follow-up on telephone services

The audit of telephone services was conducted to determine whether offices and service points were providing services in the minority language and greeting the public in both official languages (active offer) where required to do so. Two calls were made to the selected service points, one during work hours and the other at lunch hour. Calls to Quebec were made in English and calls to other points in Canada were made in French.

The analysis covered 2,210 offices and service points in all regions of Canada. Overall results for service availability are encouraging. Nationally, service was available in the minority language in 83 per cent of completed calls taken by an employee. When it came to active offer, however, the overall results were not as good. The audit shows that active offer was made in only 66 per cent of the calls.

The overall results were given to departmental official languages managers as part of the work of the two advisory committees (departments, and Crown corporations and other agencies). The institutions received detailed results in March 2004, and they are expected to report on the measures they have taken or plan to implement. The final audit report was posted on the OLLO site.

Assessment of progress on implementation of the policy on language requirements for members of the Executive Group

This audit was conducted for two groups-the executives whose cut-off date for meeting the language requirements of their position was March 31, 2003, and who still had not met those requirements in November 2003, and the executives whose two-year exemption provided in the Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order ended during the period between April 1 and December 31, 2003. The audit also includes a review of measures adopted to ensure that employees would be supervised and services delivered in both official languages in these situations. This audit covered 37 departments.

Preliminary results show that approximately 40 of the 120 executives who did not meet the language requirements of their position on March 31, 2003, still did not meet them one year later. This situation will be followed closely.

As regards the second group audited, approximately 50 of the 112 executives whose exemption ended during the period between April 1 and December 31, 2003, still did not meet the language requirements of their position on March 31, 2004. This situation will be followed as well.

Visits were also made to the five departments with the largest number of executives covered by this audit (38 per cent of the total): Industry Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, Transport Canada, and Public Works and Government Services Canada. The results indicate that the requisite administrative measures are in place to protect employees' rights.

The Agency continues to exert pressure on departments to correct the situations where necessary. Executives who do not have the required level of second-language knowledge cannot continue to perform the same duties. ⁴⁴

Self-assessment tools

One of the Branch's activities involves designing tools to help institutions assess their own official languages needs and performance.

Linguistic needs designator

This is a project to design an automated tool that the institutions can use to determine how many positions should be designated as bilingual in order to satisfy the obligations of their offices and service points required to use both official languages in serving the public and communicating with their employees.

During the review period, a prototype for the tool was designed and tested in two institutions: the Passport Office and National Research Council Canada. It is now time to make changes in light of comments received and to further develop the tool in order to incorporate all the communication requirements. The linguistic needs designator will be available on the OLLO site ⁴⁵ in the course of the 2004-05 fiscal year.

Inventory of client satisfaction assessment tools

This project, launched this year, consists in cataloguing and analyzing the tools that institutions use to identify their clients and determine how satisfied they are with the institutions' services. The objective is to create a central inventory of tools that could be adapted for active offer and service delivery in either of the official languages.

After a preliminary review of the replies received, 45 of 48 of the tools suggested could be adapted to measure client satisfaction with regard to official languages if a linguistic component were added. Now it is time to create the inventory and then to promote it. This is an objective for 2004-05.

Audit guide for official languages

In February 2004, another self-assessment project was launched. This is a guide for internal audit directorates to help them systematically incorporate an official languages component into their audit program and ensure that institutions adopt a more consistent approach to it. The guide will help institutions audit their compliance with the Act and consolidate separate audits into a comprehensive one that includes operational and linguistic components.

A draft version of this guide has been written. It will be edited and fine-tuned in the course of the year. The Branch plans to disseminate the guide in 2004-05.

Web site linguistic quality assurance grid

A preliminary review of the Web sites of some institutions undertaken in 2002-03 revealed that it would be very difficult to conduct an audit of their linguistic quality, because they contain such an enormous amount of information and because Web sites tend to be updated quite frequently. Therefore, it was decided that it would be better to design a grid that institutions could use to conduct their own assessments.

A draft version of the grid has been developed. Work is ongoing and we expect this tool to be available in the course of the 2004-05 fiscal year.

X. Looking Ahead

All in all, things are going well. With the support of our employees, we are in the process of building a new agency that is modern, dynamic, and proactive. And official languages are among our primary concerns.

The Action Plan for Official Languages is helping us achieve our objectives and launch initiatives aimed at making respect for official languages part of the daily routine. This year we have made progress on many files, with the co-operation of institutions and our partners, whose numbers are growing ever larger. Our vision of creating cultural change is taking shape as our concrete actions influence behaviour and perceptions. We are learning to do things differently in order to build an exemplary public service with regard to official languages.

Next year, the Agency will be working on several fronts. We will continue the second phase of the policy review, which deals with communications with and services to the public; we will begin implementing the new accountability framework; and we will carry on with our investigation of the issues around receptive bilingualism and with our study on how to retain second-language skills. The Innovation Program will continue, and we are confident that it will be even more successful as we move ahead. We will also see the results of numerous other initiatives described in the report.

We will take the follow-up actions described in this report and work with institutions to ensure that improvements are made, particularly with regard to language-skills retention, whether for employees who are completing their language training or for others. The reliability of statistics on the public service workforce and the measures adopted by certain institutions to make the Official Languages Program more visible and improve performance are other issues that we will be following.

As a centre of excellence in official languages and a broker of good practices, the Branch will continue to create opportunities for the exchange of ideas. It will also strive to bring champions and institutions' official languages managers into a more proactive strategic partnership.

We are confident that our new accountability model and the self-assessment tools we propose will allow us to more accurately assess the linguistic performance of institutions. Moreover, we count on institutions to co-operate by continuing to address issues in their areas of responsibility so that they can fulfill their obligations to Canadians and to their employees. We also hope that institutions will conduct a review of the resources allocated to official languages.

We have accomplished a great deal over the past few years and we will continue to do so, day after day, with the support of our partners, in order to implement our vision of making the Public Service an institution that values linguistic duality as a matter of respect and fairness. That is the ideal to which we aspire, and I am positive that together, we can make it reality.

Statistical Appendix

List of tables

The tables that follow are grouped into three categories: A, B, and C.

A. Personnel of institutions for which the Treasury Board is the employer, including certain employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and of National Defence

1. Bilingual positions and the pool of bilingual employees in the Public Service

2. Language requirements of positions in the Public Service

3. Language requirements of positions in the Public Service by region

4. Bilingual positions in the Public Service, linguistic status of incumbents

5. Bilingual positions in the Public Service, second-language level requirements

6. Service to the public-bilingual positions in the Public Service, linguistic status of incumbents

7. Service to the public-bilingual positions in the Public Service, second-language level requirements

8. Language of work-internal services-bilingual positions in the Public Service, linguistic status of incumbents

9. Language of work-internal services-bilingual positions in the Public Service, second-language level requirements

10. Language of work-supervision-bilingual positions in the Public Service, linguistic status of incumbents

11. Language of work-supervision-bilingual positions in the Public Service, second-language level requirements

12. Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in the Public Service by region

13. Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in the Public Service by occupational category

B. Personnel of Crown corporations and other organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer, including civilian and regular members of the RCMP, members of the Canadian Forces, and personnel of privatized organizations

14. Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in the RCMP and in institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer, by region

15. Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in the RCMP and in institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer, by occupational or equivalent category

15.A Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in the Canadian Forces

15.B Participation of Anglophones and Francophones as regular members of the RCMP

C. All organizations subject to the Official Languages Act (the Act)

16. Participation of Anglophones and Francophones in all organizations subject to the Act

Data sources

There are three sources of data:

- the Position⁴⁶ and Classification Information System (PCIS) for institutions for which the Treasury Board is the employer;

- the Official Languages Information System (OLIS II) for the other institutions, including Crown corporations, the RCMP and the Canadian Forces; and

- Burolis, the official directory of offices and points of service.

The reference year for the data in the statistical tables differs according to the system, being March 31, 2004, for PCIS and Burolis, and December 31, 2003, for OLIS II.

Interpretation and validity of data

Because of adjustments made over the years (for example, the creation, transformation or the dissolution of some departments or organizations), comparisons cannot always be made using the historical data that are presented here.

Technical notes and definitions

In some tables, the data on the Public Service include a category, termed "incomplete records," to cover records for which some data are missing.

The data used in this report for the entire public service population are taken from PCIS and differ slightly from those found in the Incumbent System.⁴⁷

To simplify the presentation of data in the tables, numbers have been rounded to the nearest unit.