Archived - Audit of the Delivery of Bilingual Services to the Public by Service Canada

Official languages coordinators

HRSDC set up a network of official languages coordinators that includes employees from headquarters and regional offices. This network is well structured, although it does not have terms of reference. It holds monthly teleconferences at which minutes are taken. Items on the agenda include complaints, project updates, action plans and special activities. The network of official languages coordinators, which also includes the ADMs responsible for implementing Parts V, VI and VII and section 91 of the Act, as well as the other ADMs mentioned above, meets annually at the national workshop of official languages coordinators. The regional coordinators we interviewed said that they were completely satisfied with these meetings.

Our review shows that the official languages coordinators know their portfolios inside out and are familiar with the location of all designated bilingual offices in their region. They are obviously very involved in official languages issues. Most of the staff we met with know the official languages coordinators in their regions and do not hesitate to consult them. Some coordinators are also members of their region's interdepartmental network of official languages coordinators. They deplore the fact that official languages tasks are fragmented. They spend approximately 10% of their time on official languages, considering their regular workload, but would like to work more on this issue. One regional office planned to recruit a student through a co-op education program who would work with the coordinator and perform official languages tasks in the workplace and with the community, as well as organize meetings and special events. In addition to this information, our interviews revealed that the roles and responsibilities of official languages regional coordinators are not clearly defined, and that each coordinator works in his or her own way. Consequently, they are responsible for developing their own tools to implement Part IV of the Act. For example, they send out mystery shoppers or hire consultants to do so, and prepare evaluation grids to record observations in designated bilingual service centres. We found that official languages management and practices varied from one regional office to the next, and that some were much more proactive than others. In addition, the coordinators' official languages responsibilities were not divided equally. In some regional offices, coordinators were responsible for applying Parts IV and VII, whereas in others, two coordinators shared the task, each being responsible for one part of the Act. Consequently, SC may wish to review this situation.

Work groups

The directors general who report to the ADMs responsible for applying the various parts of the Act meet regularly throughout the year to discuss official languages issues. On an operational level, employees responsible for applying Parts IV, V, VI and VII and section 91 of the Act also work in groups or committees to handle official languages issues. At the regional level, one of the offices set up an official languages committee that developed a work plan.

Conferences and meetings

In 2008, SC held a leadership conference to conduct an environmental scan and risk analysis of official languages. The organization wanted to understand the factors influencing official languages in order to take them into account in activity planning, to examine existing factors that could influence those activities, and to identify current issues and trends in official languages.

Although HRSDC has appointed key individuals to implement its official languages program, it does not have an accountability framework for this. We were told that the Official Languages Service for Citizens had begun work to develop a performance measurement framework for the implementation of Parts IV, V, VI and VII and section 91 of the Act at Service Canada. However, this work must be revised to reflect the new official languages governance structure that was implemented at HRSDC in October 2009.

Our interviews also revealed that there is a lack of stability at SC's Official Languages Service for Citizens, which sometimes complicates the work to be done by the personnel responsible for implementing the official languages program.

Departmental (HRSDC) Integrated Business Plan

HRSDC has developed an integrated business plan for 2008–2011, which includes a section on SC. In this section, it is specifically mentioned that the status of official languages will continue to be closely monitored with a view to implementing a proactive and flexible approach to increase SC's capacity to provide quality service in bilingual offices. This section also includes a statement on the desire to improve training and to develop clearer directives for front-line employees, as well as on the need to establish a three-year communications strategy to involve all managers, staff and unions in resolving active offer problems.

In regard to the part of the plan on the human resources management strategy for building and maintaining a culture of service excellence, HRSDC indicated that a national learning strategy is being developed. This strategy aims to promote and achieve learning, training and professional advancement goals within the organization. Language training opportunities will be increased in order to provide better service in both official languages and thereby meet the needs of official language communities.

Only a small number of people we met with were aware of HRSDC's integrated business plan. Some employees mentioned that the financial resources for language training were very limited. The integrated business plan resulted in an action plan on active offer for SC in 2008–2009, which was renewed in 2009–2010.

Action plan on active offer

The action plan on active offer was developed by the Official Languages Service for Citizens and includes measures for improving SC's performance in terms of active offer of service in both official languages. Its objectives deal mainly with SC's active offer performance and its ability to evaluate and report on its performance, as well as with the tools to be developed and the organization's commitment. However, this plan, which is a PowerPoint presentation, does not include responsibilities, timelines or performance indicators. In May 2008, SC set up a management committee to implement this action plan. All activities related to the active offer of bilingual services at SC were the result of the leadership of the Citizen Service Branch ADM and his determination to advance this issue. His staff were quick to tell us that he was an “ambassador” for official languages.

SC's Official Languages Action plan addresses only the active offer of bilingual services and does not take into account all the obligations under Part IV of the Act. Most of the managers, team leaders and officers we interviewed were not aware of the existence of an integrated business plan or a national action plan on active offer, but were very familiar with the requirements of the Directive on Active Offer of Service in Both Official Languages in Service Canada Centres and Outreach Sites.

Regional action plans for bilingual service delivery

The regional offices provided us with copies of their action plans. These varied considerably from one region to another, and some were much more detailed than others. For example, our review found that one regional office has a comprehensive action plan for all its official languages obligations (Parts IV, V, VI and VII and section 91 of the Act). This plan contains data on the representation of official language communities, information on governance at the national and regional levels, a monitoring and reporting framework, risk management measures and mitigation strategies. The action plan implemented by another regional office referred to the need to raise employee awareness, to increase bilingual service delivery in non-designated service centres, to strengthen relations with official language communities, to monitor the delivery of active offer of bilingual services, and to maintain official languages responsibilities in manager performance evaluations.

Some regions, however, presented work plans with rather vague statements, despite the challenges of fulfilling official languages obligations and the need to increase bilingual capacity. Some regional offices chose to deal with the subject of official languages in their human resources plan by indicating the number of bilingual employees to be recruited.

SC still has work to do to ensure proper planning of bilingual service delivery in its designated offices in order to meet all its obligations under Part IV of the Act.

Active offer

The service centres that we visited had a pictogram in the reception area, indicating that services are provided in both official languages, and in some offices where officers meet with clients for interviews.

All citizen service officers are obliged to actively offer bilingual services in service centres, outreach sites, designated bilingual community offices and call centres, except for officers answering calls on dedicated telephone lines.

We were informed in our interviews that some unilingual officers are sometimes hesitant to provide active offer because they are not comfortable speaking to clients in the minority language, even if only to use key sentences. Our interviews also revealed that some unilingual employees are indifferent to providing bilingual services and that they serve French-speaking clients in English, assuming that they speak that language as well. Unilingual officers are required to refer clients who speak the minority language to a bilingual co-worker. These officers are provided with a small card (a “pocket translator”) that lists greetings in both official languages. This initiative stems from the Directive on Active Offer described earlier in this report.

“Bilingual staff at the reception counter would be necessary.” [translation] – Citizen service officer

Delivery of services in person, by telephone, and via the Internet and the SC computer system

In person — From April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, close to 10 million people visited SC service points. To track the numbers, SC uses a management system to ensure client service of equal quality. The First Come, First Served system is in operation across Canada and captures information such as the client's contact information, the program for which information is required and the client's preferred language. It also manages requests so that clients are served in the order of their arrival. Consequently, we expected that the wait times and quality of service would be equal for English-speaking and French-speaking clients.

Our interviews with both management and front-line personnel revealed that, in reality, service is not always of equal quality. There are times when Canadians who speak the minority language have longer waits, sometimes over an hour, depending on the time of day and the time of year.

The order in which clients speaking the official language of their choice are served depends more on the availability of bilingual officers than on the first-come, first-served principle. We were also told of problems created by a lack of bilingual staff at the reception counter. Since unilingual students often man the counter, they must look for a bilingual officer from the other service areas. A bulletin board lists the names of the bilingual officers on duty. The fact that there are no bilingual employees at the reception counter means that the simplest request for information, such as giving out the required form to a client, cannot be handled quickly.

“There is a lack of bilingual officers, and French-speaking clients wait longer.” [translation] – Citizen service officer

We must now address the responsibilities of team leaders. The limited number of bilingual officers sometimes creates difficulties in managing work schedules when employees are absent. Team leaders are called upon to serve clients in the minority language when there is a shortage of bilingual front-line personnel. They must also work with clients who are dealing with complex situations. We were surprised to learn that the vast majority of team leaders working in bilingual service centres do not hold designated bilingual positions and are not bilingual. And yet, the team leader job description clearly states that they must establish and maintain relations with internal and external clients and partners; that they are the primary contact persons for dealing with client complaints and resolving problems and conflicts between employees and the public; that they are often the sole contact persons for the community; that they may act as the main on-site representative for HRSDC; that they must deal with complex cases requiring review, interpretation or decision; and that they can administer oaths as well as write and receive affidavits, statements and affirmations. Team leaders must also make presentations to the public and to key partners. We emphasize that these tasks must be performed in both official languages in designated bilingual service points. Moreover, we believe that language requirements should also apply to operational levels. SC needs to analyze, evaluate and take all necessary measures to remedy the lack of bilingualism among team leaders, a lack that could have a negative impact on the monitoring of the quality of services provided in the minority language by bilingual officers.

Telephone — During the past year, SC received 3,407,306 calls on the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security line, and 7,729,107 calls on the Employment Insurance line. Similar to services in person and its First Come, First Served system, the telephone service has a calling queue whose throughput is regulated according to the number of calls. “English” or “French” appears on the screen, indicating the language chosen by the client. It is possible that clients choosing to be served in the minority language wait longer in the queue, depending on the centre where the call came in (which can sometimes have fewer bilingual officers) and on the time (depending on the time zone, the call may come in when fewer officers are working). Generally, the existing system makes it possible to provide good service to Canadians.

Internet and computer system — More and more Canadians are using the Internet to get information on HRSDC programs—in 2009, there were 55 million visits. A bilingual computer system is available to the public in service centres. It is connected to the Internet and can be used to obtain information on programs. We noted during our visits that the keyboards were not bilingual in several service centres. To resolve this situation, a list of codes to type French characters was placed next to computers in some service points. However, all the links for handling citizen requests and accessing the various programs used by officers or clients are bilingual.

Service Canada Action Plan

In order to establish an integrated governance structure for official languages, on October 30, 2009, roles and responsibilities for the Official Languages Act (the Act) were re-aligned and clearly articulated in a memorandum of understanding between the Official Languages Service for Citizens (OLSC) in the Citizen Service Branch (CSB); the Office of Coordination and Accountability for Part VII of the Official Languages Act (the Office) in the Strategic Policy and Research Branch (SPRB); and the Diversity and Official Languages (DOL) Division of the Human Resources Services Branch (HRSB). Whereas previously the OLSC was responsible for Parts IV and VII for Service Canada, under the new structure, the OLSC is now responsible for Part IV for all of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) while Part VII is now under the responsibility of the SPRB's Office. The DOL continues to be accountable for Part V, Part VI and Section 91.

The implementation of the new governance structure, along with the recent consolidation of the regional structure in the spring of 2010, has had an impact on the network of official languages coordinators. The OLSC is consolidating its network of regional coordinators responsible for Part IV, and is strengthening the network of coordinators at National Headquarters. Roles and responsibilities for all HRSDC coordinators responsible for Part IV will be defined and the network will be in place by the end of this fiscal year.

As one of its priorities, the OLSC will continue to work on developing a results-based management and accountability framework for Part IV of the Act. This framework, which will be in place at the end of the fiscal year, will specify the accountability mechanisms and the roles of managers, coordinators and employees who provide service to the public, both in the regions and at National Headquarters. It will also set out performance indicators for HRSDC. Moreover, the framework will identify the roles and responsibilities of HRSDC's official languages champions.

The OLSC is also developing a communications strategy to inform employees of their obligations under Part IV of the Act and of the tools and resources available to support them. A video is being produced to serve as a reminder of employees' obligations and to raise awareness of the importance of providing quality bilingual services as a key element of service excellence. The communications strategy will draw inspiration from the success of the awareness campaign held during the implementation of the Directive on the Active Offer of Services in Both Official Languages in Service Canada Centres and Outreach Sites as part of the 2008–2009 action plan to improve the active offer of service (see response to Recommendation 2).

Service Canada Action Plan

In response to poor results in the active offer of service in both official languages, as identified by the Commissioner of Official Languages in his 2007–2008 annual report, an action plan was developed by Service Canada for 2008–2009. The plan focussed on measures to improve performance with regard to active offer of service, though it was not necessarily limited to that aspect of Part IV.

In summary, the action plan proposed a series of measures to position Service Canada for a consistently stellar performance, to enhance its ability to evaluate and report on performance, and to demonstrate organizational commitment through leadership. Most of the measures from the action plan were implemented within the prescribed deadlines, including the Directive on the Active Offer of Services in Both Official Languages in Service Canada Centres and Outreach Sites, which has been in effect since September 2, 2008.

HRSDC is committed to developing, by the end of the fiscal year, a new departmental action plan for Part IV of the Act. This action plan, which will be implemented over a three-year period from 2011 to 2014, will take into account services delivered in person, by telephone, via the Internet and by mail, and will include the following:

• developing a results-based management and accountability framework for Part IV (see response to Recommendation 1);
• establishing a performance measurement framework and strategy to implement Part IV (see responses to Recommendation 1 and Recommendation 7);
• developing policies and directives, where appropriate, to support the implementation of Part IV (see response to Recommendation 3);
• developing an internal communications strategy and implementation strategy (see response to Recommendation 1);
• establishing mandatory training on official languages through the Service Canada College (see response to Recommendation 3); and
• strengthening mechanisms for consultations with representatives from official language minority communities (see response to Recommendation 6).

Existing regional action plans on official languages will be aligned with the departmental action plan on Part IV of the Act.

Commissioner's Comments

We are satisfied with all of the proposed measures that will be included in the new departmental action plan for Part IV of the Official Languages Act. However, SC must build on the action plan and establish concrete steps to set up a structured and coordinated mechanism for regular consultation with national, provincial and regional representatives of official language communities. This approach will enable SC to better identify the specific program and service needs of these communities. Provisions must also be added to the plan to ensure that representatives of official language communities are kept abreast of all departmental decisions.

Service Canada Action Plan

As part of its three-year action plan (see response to Recommendation 2), HRSDC will work to determine which policies and directives are needed to support the implementation of all departmental obligations under Part IV of the Act. The policies and directives regarding Part IV activities are distributed internally by the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of CSB via e-mail.

The Service Canada College is currently working with the OLSC, the DOL, and the SPRB's Office to develop an enhanced online training module covering all aspects of the Act in order to offer training on official languages. This training will be available to all employees and will be mandatory for those who are responsible for serving the public. The online course will be followed by a day of in-class learning or a virtual session in which designated learners will be able to broaden the depth of their knowledge in an interactive forum with official languages specialists. This innovative approach will help increase employees' awareness of Canada's linguistic duality and their respective rights and responsibilities, including services offered to Canadians under HRSDC's mandate.

Service Canada Action Plan

To encourage leadership management excellence and to reflect public service renewal, all of HRSDC's 2010–2011 Performance Management Agreements include a mandatory performance measure relevant to a representative workforce that is respectful of Canada's linguistic duality. This performance measure is intended to contribute to a healthy and enabling workforce and workplace, and to help meet both current and future organizational needs.

Moreover, as of 2011–2012, performance objectives reflecting all departmental bilingual service delivery obligations will be included in procedures for evaluating the performance of relevant employees, including senior executives, managers, team leaders and front-line personnel responsible for serving the public in English and French at designated bilingual service points. Targets will be based on the management and accountability framework to be developed for Part IV of the Act (see response to Recommendation 1).

In 2009–2010, the DOL developed Departmental Guidelines on the Language Requirements of Positions and the Staffing of Bilingual Positions and Departmental Procedures on the Application of the Exclusion Approval Order to assist managers at all levels and the human resources (HR) community in ensuring that language requirements for all positions are established and positions are staffed in compliance with the Act and the Public Service Employment Act.

The departmental guidelines and procedures were piloted within the HR community to ensure that the level of expertise and knowledge that is required to assist managers in their staffing and HR planning processes was adequate. These documents were also posted on the DOL intranet site for reference and sent to regional HR directors for distribution to staffing advisors. Documents were also developed to assist in promoting these guidelines and procedures to the Portfolio Senior Management Committee (Deputy Ministers and ADMs) and were posted on the DOL intranet site. From November 2009 to mid-January 2010, the DOL hosted in-person sessions in the National Capital Region and teleconference sessions for all HR advisors in the regions, to ensure that the guidelines and procedures were being effectively implemented in all regions.

The DOL will explore in 2011–2012, in partnership with departmental stakeholders, the possibility of giving mandatory training to senior executives and managers with staffing authority, on all aspects of the linguistic designation of positions and language profiles required to meet job descriptions.

The DOL plays an active role in supporting the development of HRSDC's managers and team leaders. To this end, a member of the DOL acts as a facilitator and subject matter expert for Parts V and VI and section 91 of the Official Languages Act by attending the Service Leadership and Management Excellence Development Program sessions that are offered by the Service Canada College.

Service Canada Action Plan

The Guidelines on Language Requirements of Positions and Staffing of Bilingual Positions developed by the DOL include tools to assist managers at all levels in establishing and reviewing the language requirements of their positions, ensuring that they have the capacity for service to the public and to employees and that positions are staffed in compliance with the Act and the Public Service Employment Act.

With regard to service to the public, HRSDC will examine the number of designated bilingual positions in bilingual service points to ensure that it is sufficient for providing bilingual services at all times. In addition, HRSDC will establish a directive to determine the language profile required by employees whose job descriptions include serving the public in both official languages in person, by telephone, via the Internet or by mail. This work is part of the review of the policies and directives needed to support the implementation of all of HRSDC's obligations under Part IV of the Official Languages Act (see response to Recommendation 3).

Moreover, the DOL and Service Canada College will be developing initiatives to support employees in maintaining their second language. This work will also include a strategic plan to inform managers and highlight the importance of supporting their employees to attain and maintain a second language competency in their work environment. An online self-study language acquisition program is being negotiated for release in the fall of 2010. This free program will be available to all HRSDC employees and will be available for use both at home and at work.

Service Canada's Official Languages Training Policy provides an opportunity to strengthen bilingualism by emphasizing the employer's and the employees' personal commitment to maintaining a second language. Also, a great effort is ongoing to shift the culture at Service Canada in regard to language training and language competency acquisition.

Commissioner's Comments

We are satisfied with the proposed measures for this recommendation. We believe that it is important for SC to review the number of designated bilingual positions in bilingual service points to ensure that there are enough bilingual employees to provide service in both official languages at all times. HRSDC must also factor in the number of bilingual positions for employees who are not necessarily front-line staff, but who must also deal with the public, especially team leaders and analysts working in processing centres. When developing and implementing a directive to define the language profile for staff who serve the public in both languages in person, by telephone, via the Internet or in writing, HRSDC must conduct a careful review of the work descriptions to ensure that they reflect the actual tasks performed by employees working in various sectors.

Service Canada Action Plan

Service Canada is committed to putting citizens at the centre of its service delivery strategy. To that end, it undertakes research and analysis relating to demographics; economic and social trends; clients' perceptions, attitudes and characteristics; specific client needs; and international and domestic best practices to identify and guide the development and improvement of service policies and strategies aimed at meeting the service needs of key client segments. Research on official language minority communities is incorporated, where relevant, into strategy implementation plans. These plans are under development for strategies related to youth, seniors, and newcomers.

Service Canada's regional senior directors, managers, program officers, citizen service specialists, and senior development officers regularly meet, through different forums over the year, with official language minority community representatives at the provincial, regional and local levels. For example, citizen service specialists regularly meet with official language minority communities to explain Service Canada's programs and services. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity for Service Canada to identify the types of services that members of the official language minority communities are interested in receiving, and whether they are satisfied with the services that they are receiving (including the active offer of service). Members of official language minority organizations also use these opportunities to inform Service Canada representatives about the programs and services they offer. This two–way sharing of information has resulted in stronger ties and further discussions on ways to collaborate.

Official language minority communities are consulted when deciding whether to relocate or close bilingual service points, and all requests to open new service centres, including requests from official language minority communities, are examined as part of Service Canada's plans and priorities to improve its service delivery network. Service Canada is proud of its collaboration with the Province of Manitoba and the Franco-Manitoban community, which resulted in the opening of the Saint-Pierre-Jolys Service Canada Centre in 2002 and the relocation of the Winnipeg St-Vital Service Canada Centre in 2009. These bilingual service centres concentrate federal, provincial, municipal, and community-based French-language services in single-window outlets, as recommended by Judge Richard Chartier in his report on the implementation of Manitoba's Policy on French-Language Services.

In February 2010, the Office of Coordination and Accountability for Part VII of the Official Languages Act organized discussions with both English and French national official language minority organizations. The purpose of the dialogue sessions was to gain a better understanding of community needs and priorities, and for community organizations to better understand the role of the Office. A follow-up session is planned for the fall of 2010. Though these regular dialogue sessions focus on departmental policy and program issues, HRSDC will explore the possibility of adding specific questions regarding the delivery of services in both official languages.

HRSDC is committed to implementing formal mechanisms at the provincial and regional levels for consulting with official language minority communities regarding service delivery. This work will be conducted as part of the three-year action plan (see response to Recommendation 2).

Commissioner's Comments

We acknowledge the work SC has done in the context of the aforementioned activities. However, the objective of the recommendation is to ensure that HRSDC establishes a formal structured and coordinated mechanism for regular consultation with national, provincial and regional representatives of official language communities in order to better identify their specific service delivery needs. HRSDC must also ensure that these formal consultations include a feedback process for decisions. The new official languages action plan on Part IV of the Official Languages Act must cover all of the elements in this recommendation.

Service Canada Action Plan

Service Canada currently monitors performance of service in both official languages in several ways. For example, the Office for Client Satisfaction regularly conducts surveys to measure client satisfaction and assess service quality, including service in both official languages. Two client satisfaction telephone surveys, conducted in 2006 and 2008, sought the views of clients who had recently received services from Service Canada. The surveys' main focus was on the quality of service that clients had received, including being served in their language of choice. Additionally, a national in-person Mystery Shopper exercise was conducted for the first time in 2007–2008, which also yielded tangible results regarding active offer performance at selected Service Canada offices.

This year, Service Canada is conducting an in-person survey. Clients will be asked whether they were greeted in both English and French and whether they received service in the language of their choice. A client satisfaction survey and an in-person Mystery Shopper exercise are also scheduled for this year. Future plans are to conduct the client satisfaction survey and the in-person Mystery Shopper exercise every two years, on an alternating basis.

Currently, team leaders are responsible for the ongoing monitoring of the active offer of bilingual services provided by staff under their responsibility. Wait time indicators that take clients' choice of language into consideration are also being developed. Furthermore, Service Canada will be replacing the First Come, First Served system in the fall of 2010. The functionality of the new In-Person Client Management Tracking and Reporting Tool will allow for tracking and statistical reporting on the number of requests by language (including official language minority requests) and can be linked by the use of Geomatic software to identify communities.

Finally, HRSDC's Internal Audit Services Branch will be considering the Official Languages Program in the HRSDC 2011–2014 Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan. As part of the departmental audit planning process, elements from the various programs are evaluated based on a risk assessment methodology to assist in determining audit priorities.

It is recognized that, despite these measures, a more systematic and consistent approach would enhance HRSDC's ability to measure and monitor performance. As part of its three-year action plan (see response to Recommendation 2), HRSDC will put in place a performance measurement framework for the implementation of Part IV of the Act. The framework will include results from the client satisfaction survey, the Mystery Shopper exercise and a more systematic approach to on-site observations.

A project is currently underway to support this work and involves consultations with 10 federal departments and agencies to gather best practices in the area of performance management, which will be incorporated, as appropriate, into the framework.