The Canadian Heritage Interdepartmental Coordination Network (Section 42): Strong Support

The success of federal interdepartmental coordination relies in large part on Headquarters' and the regional offices' ability to work as a team. Communication, sharing of tools and distance pose great challenges at times. In the regions, the coordinators responsible for implementing section 41 of the Official Languages Act (OLA) can sometimes feel isolated.

Consequently, Canadian Heritage created the Interdepartmental Coordination Network to reinforce its coordination role with respect to the federal commitment to developing the official-language communities and promoting linguistic duality, increasing its support for federal departments and maximizing the effects of the implementation of section 41 of the OLA nationally and regionally.

The Network comprises employees from the Canadian Heritage Interdepartmental Coordination Directorate (ICD at Headquarters) and a representative from each of the Department's provincial and territorial offices. At the national level, the ICD oversees a network of national coordinators responsible for implementing section 41 of the OLA. Similarly, at the provincial and territorial level, Canadian Heritage officers responsible for interdepartmental coordination are in a position to provide support to the coordinators from various federal departments and agencies in their regions.

Given that the regional coordinators can count on the assistance of a Canadian Heritage officer in their province or territory, they should be better equipped to maximize the contribution made by their institution to the development of official-language minority communities.

For a list of the members, please contact Michel Labelle, Coordination Officer, Interdepartmental Coordination Directorate, by e-mail at michel_labelle@pch.gc.ca or by telephone at (819) 953-8308.