A departmental plan describes a department’s priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.
Key priorities
- Establish a framework for intervention with the various federal government entities.
- Establish concrete mechanisms to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the Official Languages Act (the Act) on the vitality of official language minority communities.
- Support an organizational culture that optimizes synergy between branches and strengthens the commitment of all staff to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ (the Office of the Commissioner’s) mandate.
Refocusing Government Spending
In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–2024, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.
While not officially part of this spending reduction exercise, the Office of the Commissioner will respect the spirit of this exercise.
Highlights
A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.
Protection of rights related to official languages
Departmental results:
- Rights related to official languages are protected.
- Canadians benefit from the Commissioner’s interventions before the courts.
Planned spending: $8,873,979
Planned human resources: 68
In 2024–2025, the Office of the Commissioner is planning the organizational and procedural changes required to implement the new powers granted to it by the Act.
The organization will continue to implement its complaint management strategies to strengthen its ability to meet its service standards while developing new compliance strategies that will result from the new powers granted to it by the Act.
The Office of the Commissioner will also continue to encourage federal institutions to respect their obligations under the Act through various interventions throughout the year and will continue to intervene before the courts to ensure that they continue to interpret language rights broadly and liberally and that the Act is implemented as intended.
More information about the protection of rights related to official languages can be found in the full Departmental Plan.
Advancement of English and French in Canadian society
Departmental results:
- Canadians know their language rights and those of official language minority communities and recognize the importance of linguistic duality and bilingualism.
- The Commissioner influences decision-makers in Parliament, government and communities on issues related to the Act.
Planned spending: $8,366,894
Planned human resources: 50
With the new Act, the Office of the Commissioner is redefining its role in promoting language rights by ensuring that the efforts of each of the responsible entities complement each other and by strategically providing information sessions to federal institutions.
The Office of the Commissioner will ensure that the implementation of the Act remains the government’s priority and will communicate its new means of intervention to institutions subject to the modernized Act and to Canadians.
Finally, the Office of the Commissioner will establish concrete mechanisms to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the Act on the vitality of official language minority communities.
More information about the advancement of English and French in Canadian society can be found in the full Departmental Plan.