Management (15%)

a) An accountability framework, an action plan and accountability mechanisms are in place (5%)

The Official Languages Program  document sets forth the roles of the various individuals responsible for official languages (OL). Among other things, the document describes managers' responsibilities for ensuring that the OL Program is integrated into the Corporation's programs and activities, as well as the responsibilities of the Corporation's auditor for determining the extent to which the components of the Program are understood and implemented. Furthermore, the guide outlines the manner in which the obligations under the Official Languages Act (the Act) are to be fulfilled, specifically in terms of services to the public, language of work and equitable participation.

The Corporation's 2005-2006 Annual Report to the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC) contains, in addition to the targeted review (A & B), a series of implementation plans that outline measures related to Parts IV, V and VI. A separate action plan for Part VII is included in the Annual Report submitted to Canadian Heritage. These documents are endorsed by the CEO.

The person in charge of OL takes every opportunity to emphasize the importance of respecting the OL rights of employees and members of the public. The Corporation's OL group is responsible for, among other things, conducting investigations and making recommendations on the corrective measures to be taken to follow up on complaints received. Discussions were held with the President and other executives regarding the Corporation's Annual Review submitted to PSHRMAC and the Action Plan submitted to Canadian Heritage. Reports on compliance with Parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Act are sent to the Corporation's Board of Directors.

B

b) Visibility of official languages in the organization (5%)

The 2005-2009 Business Plan sent to the Treasury Board outlines the Corporation's commitment to OL issues. The Plan reaffirms institutional bilingualism and assistance to official language minority communities (OLMCs). The Executive Committee discussed this business plan, which was then approved by the Corporation's Board of Directors.

The 2005 Annual Report sets forth the Corporation's commitment to meeting its obligations under the Act, including adopting policies which promote the equitable treatment of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians when communicating with clients and employees.

As part of the Corporation's regular compliance reviews of its outlets and its dealer outlets, the internal audit team assesses whether they are meeting their OL obligations. Outlets to be audited are selected using risk assessment criteria. At outlets which are not designated bilingual, the internal audit team takes into account the presence of posters and materials in both OL. In the case of bilingual points of sale, auditors also assess signage regarding active offer, the presence of bilingual personnel and the quality of the service provided in the language of the linguistic minority.

Annual reports submitted to PSHRMAC and Canadian Heritage are sent to the Chief Operating Officer, senior vice-presidents and vice-presidents and are posted on the Corporation's intranet site. Furthermore, the Executive Committee discusses OL in preparing the quarterly complaints report.

The OL Champion is a vice-president and member of the Senior Management Committee.

The Corporation has a national and regional network of OL coordinators who maintain ongoing communication with the OL manager in Ottawa. The latter is responsible for the implementation of all parts of the Act and coordinates with the OL Champion, or her representative, through weekly discussions or meetings. This ensures effective coordination of Parts VI, V, VI and VII of the Act.

A

c) Complaints (5%)

A mechanism is in place for dealing with complaints filed with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL). In order to better involve managers responsible, the complaint investigation process has been decentralized. Thus, the regional coordinator concerned is informed of the complaint and discusses it with the appropriate manager. The manager, after consulting with the regional coordinator, determines what corrective measure should be taken, and shares this information with OCOL and the OL Manager.

The OL Manager prepares a quarterly report on complaints and measures taken, which he submits to the CEO and appropriate head office and regional managers for discussion, in order to prevent the recurrence of similar problems in the future.

The Corporation's OL Group also conducts spot-checks of its postal outlets and recommends  corrective measures to be implemented as a result of its internal audits and complaints filed with OCOL.

A

Sub-total:

A

Service to the Public - Part IV (25%)

a) Bilingual services advertised to the public and sufficient bilingual staff (3%)

The telephone numbers of designated bilingual postal outlets are published in both official languages in the telephone directory white pages. When the Corporation released its 2005-2006 Activity Report and its 2006-2007 Action Plan, it also informed OLMCs of the locations where they can obtain services in the official language of their choice.

A total of 72% of employees in bilingual positions serving the public meet the language requirements of their position. (Source: Data from Annual Review of Official Languages, Official Languages Information System [OLIS II], March 2006).

C

b) Observations on active offer and service delivery (15%)

According to observations of in-person service made by OCOL between mid-June and mid-July 2006, an active visual offer was present in 94% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 8% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 78% of cases.

According to observations of service on the telephone made by OCOL between mid-June and mid-July 2006, an active offer by staff or by an automated system was made in 64% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 77% of cases.

D

c) Service agreements delivered by third parties or in partnership provide for the delivery of bilingual services (2%)

Bilingual dealer contracts include a language clause which stipulates that they must serve clients in both official languages, in accordance with the Corporation's standards.

The OL team visits designated bilingual outlet operators to make them aware of the importance of offering services in both OL and providing these services in the clients' official language of choice. Regional managers also regularly visit dealers in their jurisdiction to ensure their compliance with language requirements as well as the implementation of corrective measures, if required. In June 2006, a third party conducted audits of the Corporation's 800 designated bilingual outlets on its behalf.

A

d) Policy on service to the public and bilingual services quality monitoring (5%)

A policy on service to the public is included in the Official Languages Program document. It sets out the requirements for communication and service delivery in both OL, which include affixing the active offer icon, greeting clients in both OL, as well as serving the public on the telephone and in person. The policy also indicates that, as a Crown Corporation, Canada Post has the duty to serve its clients in the official language of their choice. As a result, the Corporation raised the linguistic profile of staff positions at its designated bilingual outlets to intermediate level “B” in order to better serve members of the public in their official language of choice.

In order to raise employee awareness regarding effective service delivery, the Corporation published an article in the February 2006 issue of its semi-monthly newsletter, InfoPost, entitled “Serving clients in the OL of their choice”. A subsequent reminder was sent out to reaffirm employees' obligations to greet clients in both OL and to serve them in their official language of choice, both in person and on the telephone. A further reminder entitled The importance of a bilingual greeting, endorsed by the Vice-President of Operations, was sent out to all employees at the Corporation's bilingual offices on October 2, 2006. This message served to remind employees of the procedure they should follow to provide bilingual services to clients at all times.

Several methods are used to monitor service delivery in both OL, including “mystery clients” and internal audits that frequently include questions on bilingual services. Regional managers also conduct onsite visits to help bilingual dealer outlets in applying the Act.

In June 2006, the Corporation asked an independent firm to visit the 800 outlets designated bilingual to ensure compliance with various requirements, including bilingual stickers on doors, bilingual icons on counters as well as active offer and service in the official language of the linguistic minority. After receiving the results, the Corporation implemented the required corrective measures. It then repeated the exercise in October and November of 2006, under the supervision of another independent firm, to ensure appropriate follow-up to the first investigation and compliance with the corrective measures.

A

Specific Problem

OCOL has found a significant and persistent problem with service delivery in the language of the linguistic minority in the Corporation's designated bilingual dealer outlets.

Sub-total:

D

Language of Work - Part V (25%)

a) Language of work policy and adequate bilingual supervision (12.5%)

A policy on the language of work is included in the Official Languages Program document and sets forth employees' and supervisors' rights and obligations in designated bilingual regions, for language of work purposes. For example, employees can access internal services (e.g. compensation, health or pension services) in their official language of choice, regardless of the linguistic requirements of their position. Employees who hold bilingual positions can also work (i.e. communicate, participate in meetings and be supervised) in their official language of choice.

Measures have been put in place to support the Corporation's internal language of work policy, including tool development, language training, the “Bilingual Stars” Review Committee, as well as translation, terminology and interpretation services.

A total of 58% of supervisors in bilingual regions who must supervise employees in both OL are able to do so. (Source: Data from Annual Review of Official Languages, Official Languages Information System [OLIS II], March 2006).

C

b) Use of each official language in the workplace (12.5%)

The Corporation reminds its managers and employees in designated bilingual regions for language of work purposes of their rights and obligations through internal publications such as pamphlets and presentations, and through its intranet site.

In January 2006, an e-mail reminder was sent to vice-presidents and directors general in bilingual regions regarding the importance of creating a workplace conducive to the use of English and French. The Corporation's intranet site includes a practical guide on language of work for managers and supervisors.

Employees are reminded of their OL rights. For example, the manager responsible for OL uses meetings to emphasize the participants' right to use their OL of choice. The Corporation's Code of Conduct, entitled Living our Values, stipulates that the Corporation is committed to creating a work environment conducive to the use of both English and French in bilingual regions. The Code directs employees to the Corporation's Language of Work Policy, which is posted on its intranet site.

Management Committee meetings are conducted in both official languages and the minutes of Board of Directors meetings are bilingual.

The Corporation also uses its Annual Review of OL (Parts IV, V and VI), which it submits to PSHRMAC, to monitor the application of the Language of Work Policy. In that regard, an annual status report is submitted to the Management Committee and to the Board of Directors.

The survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of OCOL showed that 70% of Francophone respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR), New Brunswick and bilingual regions of Ontario "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime. In Quebec, 58% of Anglophone respondents "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime.

C

Sub-total:

C

Equitable Participation  - Part VI (10%)

a) Percentage of Francophone participation throughout Canada (5%)

Overall, the workforce is 22.1% Francophone. (Source: OLIS II, March 2006).

A

b) Percentage of Anglophone participation in Quebec (5%)

In Quebec, the workforce is 5.2% Anglophone. (Source: OLIS II, March 2006).

C

Sub-total:

B

Development of Official Language Minority Communities and Promotion of Linguistic Duality - Part  VII (25%)

a) Strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the development of official language minority communities (12.5%)

The OL Manager reviews submissions to the Treasury Board and memoranda to Cabinet to ensure that they take into account the obligation to foster the development of OLMCs and the impact of these documents on these communities. The Corporation's Business Plan also includes a separate statement regarding its commitment to its obligations under Part VII of the Act.

The 2005-2006 Annual Report on Part VII submitted to Canadian Heritage, as well as the results-based action plan for the implementation of section 41 of the Act, have been presented to all vice-presidents in order to make them aware of obligations resulting from the amendments to the Act, which led to discussions on this topic. Members of the Corporation's Board of Directors and Management Committee were reminded of the new obligations under Part VII and, in 2006, discussed them on several occasions.

The OL Manager in Ottawa is responsible for the implementation of Part VII. Through interdepartmental meetings organized by Canadian Heritage, he liaises with OLMCs at the regional and national level. Last June, the Corporation sent an email to OLMCs providing them with the contact information of regional coordinators and a list of its designated bilingual points of service.

In order to raise awareness among personnel involved in OLMC development, the Corporation gives periodic presentations to internal interest groups such as the national and regional coordinators, literacy coordinators and the communications team.

Employee awareness is also raised regarding the needs of OLMCs through articles published in Performance magazine, such as the article featured in the January/February 2007 issue, “Developing linguistic minorities”. At the same time, regional coordinators work closely with minority groups and make themselves available, as required. In this regard, last October, as part of meetings organized by Canadian Heritage, the Corporation met with OLMC representatives from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon. Corporation representatives took this opportunity to inform relevant associations of their responsibility to liaise with them.

The Policy on the Promotion of English and French, which is posted on the Corporation's intranet site, highlights priority areas for the development of OLMCs during consultations with these communities. For example, in April 2006, the regional coordinator for British Columbia met with a representative of that province'sFédération des francophones to discuss a development plan for the community.

The Corporation has begun reviewing its programs and policies that have an impact on OLMCs, in consultation with these communities. For example, the Corporation revised the Literacy Awards Program's eligibility criteria to increase OLMC participation.

One of the positive measures taken by the Corporation to foster the development of OLMCs includes the national Literacy Awards Program, which recognizes local literacy initiatives. The Corporation promotes these awards within several organizations, including OLMCs. Improving literacy is an important objective that underlies the development and vitality of any community. In 2005, the Corporation presented seven literacy awards to members of OLMCs: one to an Anglophone in Quebec, and six others to Francophones outside of Quebec.

Although the Corporation does not conduct official consultations with OLMCs, it does keep track of their priorities through the interdepartmental meetings organized by Canadian Heritage. Thus, last June, it succeeded in resolving a distribution problem at the weekly paper Le Courrier de la Nouvelle-Écosse, which the latter had brought to its attention. The Corporation also sends its Annual Report on Part VII and its Action Plan to all OLMCs, and invites them to submit their comments and proposals. The Corporation considers this to be another mechanism for the consultation of OLMCs within its policy and program development process.

The Action Plan, which the Corporation submits to Canadian Heritage, was developed in conjunction with OLMCs and includes, in addition to positive measures for their development, main expected results, activities and performance indicators. The Corporation is currently developing a mechanism to assess the outcomes of its Action Plan.

B

b) Strategic planning and the development of policies and programs take into account the promotion of linguistic duality (12.5%)

The OL Manager reviews submissions to the Treasury Board and memoranda to Cabinet to ensure that they take into account the obligation to promote linguistic duality and the equal status of English and French. The Corporation's Business Plan also includes a separate statement regarding its commitment to its obligations under Part VII of the Act.

The 2005-2006 Annual Report on Part VII submitted to Canadian Heritage, as well as the results-based action plan for the implementation of section 41 of the Act, have been presented to vice-presidents in order to make them aware of the obligations resulting from the amendments to the Act, which led to discussions on this topic. Members of the Corporation's Board of Directors and Management Committee were reminded of the new obligations under Part VII on several occasions in 2006.

The OL Manager in Ottawa is responsible for the implementation of Part VII. Through interdepartmental meetings organized by Canadian Heritage, he liaises with OLMCs at the regional and national levels.

Last June, the Corporation sent an email to OLMCs providing them with the contact information for regional coordinators. Furthermore, general information on Part VII, including the obligation to take positive measures to promote linguistic duality, is periodically presented to internal interest groups, such as the national and regional coordinators responsible for the program's implementation, literacy coordinators and the communications team. The Policy on the Promotion of English and French, which is posted on the Corporation's intranet site, highlights the areas identified as priorities for promoting linguistic duality during consultations with OLMCs.

The Corporation has begun reviewing its policies and programs to determine which have an impact on the promotion and use of English and French.

The Corporation has taken positive measures to promote the equal status and use of French within the organization and in Canadian society, which include the Scrabbletons ensemble à la découverte des mots project. The Association des francophones des Kootenays Ouest in British Columbia invited Francophones and Francophiles to celebrate the French language by entering the above-named contest. This language marathon, aimed primarily at young people in immersion programs, is an activity to promote the bilingual nature of Canada and encourage closer links between Francophones and Francophiles.

The Action Plan submitted by the Corporation to Canadian Heritage includes positive measures, activities for promoting linguistic duality, the main expected results and performance indicators. The Corporation is currently developing a mechanism to assess the results of its Action Plan.

A

Sub-total:

A

OVERALL RATING

C