Management (15%)

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

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has an accountability framework for official languages (OL) that was approved by the Agency Commissioner at the beginning of the 2006-2007 fiscal year. It describes the roles and responsibilities of various external and internal stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include the Commissioner, assistant commissioners, OL champions, managers, the OL Division, regional OL coordinators and employees. The framework sets out the manner in which the obligations under parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official Languages Act (the Act) are to be carried out. The OL Division and the National OL Champions Committee are responsible for coordination mechanisms.

Senior management supports the 2005-2008 OL Action Plan; one of its objectives is to better integrate OL into the Agency's programs and operations. It was approved in November 2005 and includes objectives for the management of the OL Program and parts IV, V and VI, as well as related timelines and required action. In order to promote the achievement of the Action Plan's objectives, the OL Division gave a presentation to the OL champions, who gave the same presentation to the Management Committee. The Action Plan is submitted once a year to the Board of Management and the Management Committee so that it can be updated. The Action Plan was discussed updated at a meeting of the Management Committee and the Agency's Board of Management in July and August 2006.

In order to better understand the overall OL situation at CRA, the Champions Committee holds a round-table discussion every six months, during which managers are asked to provide an update to their colleagues on the status of the implementation of the Action Plan. In addition, the National OL Champions Committee meets every three months and members discuss, among other things, the status of the implementation of the Action Plan.

OL objectives are part of the performance appraisals of the Executive Group. Since 2004, OL have been incorporated into the performance agreements of line managers (MG Group). Also, OL objectives are included in the performance agreements of various employees who are required to serve the public.

Every year, each branch and regional office prepares an OL plan in which they incorporate the objectives of the 2005-2008 Action Plan. A report is then submitted on the implementation of the OL Program.

A human resources (HR) monitoring pilot project was undertaken in November 2006. Its purpose is to ensure that HR programs support CRA's operations and that programs are managed in accordance with CRA's HR policies, standards and procedures. Four program areas are monitored, including OL.

The assessment of the Management Accountability Framework completed in April 2006 took OL into account.

A

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

The CRA has implemented an integrated planning process. The new performance measure framework enables the Agency to remain focused on its business objectives and on related achievement measures. This includes OL objectives. The section dealing with workforce adjustments includes seven criteria, one of which addresses the impact on OL.

In its Corporate Business Plan for 2006-2007 to 2008-2009, CRA commits to the development and implementation of a three-year OL Action Plan, offering quality services to clients and creating a workforce that is representative of Canada's population. The 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities also refers to enhancing services offered to Canadians. Although the 2005-2006 Performance Report does not explicitly refer to OL, it indicates that the CRA has continued to work towards delivering high quality services to the public.

The Audit Plan of the Agency's Internal Audit Unit includes criteria to identify OL-related risks. In the winter of 2006, four regional offices were targeted by a CRA internal audit, which included criteria pertaining to OL.

The Management Committee regularly discusses OL issues. For example, in July 2006 the Champion issued a reminder regarding the precedence of Part IV over Part V while in September 2006, full-time language training was discussed.

The National Champion is the Assistant Commissioner of the Human Resources Branch and is a member of the Agency's Management Committee (AMC). In addition, the Ontario Region Assistant Commissioner is the National Language of Work Champion, and is also a member of the AMC.

Coordination between the Champion, the person responsible for OL, and branch and regional OL coordinators is achieved at meetings of the National OL Champions Committee, which are held every three months. The Coordinator meets informally with the Champion on a regular basis, as required.

B

c) Complaints (5%)

The CRA and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) are currently negotiating an agreement on complaint resolution. Managers are responsible for resolving complaints and the OL Division assists them with advice and tools, as required. A quarterly complaints report is sent to OL champions and coordinators for information and follow-up purposes to prevent the reoccurrence of similar problems. This report helps identify trends and shortcomings.

A

Sub-total:

A

Service to the Public - Part IV (25%)

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

The CRA informs the public and official language minority communities (OLMCs) of its bilingual points of service by publishing them in Burolis. In most cases, toll-free numbers offering services in English and those offering services in French are published separately in telephone directories. Clients' official language of choice for correspondence is noted each year in their Income Tax and Benefit Return.

When there is a change in offices, regions advise the OL Division, which then forwards the information to the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC). In addition, when a change in office is anticipated, regions share this information with OLMCs. For example, the Pacific Region regularly visits OLMCs to share relevant information on its offices, including any changes.

A total of 76% of incumbents of bilingual positions serving the public meet the language requirements of their position. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 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 100% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 34% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 89% 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 90% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 90% of cases.

C

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

Subsection 4, Chapter 2, Section 2 of the CRA's Material Management Manual provides information regarding the OL obligations for contracting. Clauses are included in third-party service agreements to specify suppliers' linguistic obligations. There is no regular monitoring mechanism in place to verify that services delivered by third parties are provided in both OL and are of appropriate quality.

C

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

The CRA has adopted PSHRMAC's Policy on the Use of Official Languages for Communications With and Services to the Public. Employees can access this policy on the InfoZone intranet site. This site also includes the 2005-2008 OL Action Plan and various supporting fact sheets, which serve as guidelines, including one on the bilingual capacity to serve the public in both English and French and another on active offer. This initiative has helped make all personnel aware of the institution's commitment to the respect the equality of English and French.

When call letters are sent to directorates and regional offices asking them to prepare reports on the implementation of the OL Program, they are reminded of the objectives of the PSHRMAC policy. Employees are reminded by Headquarters or regional OL coordinators how to offer and deliver services in both OL. For example, the Assistant Commissioner for Ontario sent out a memo to all directors to address concerns regarding active offer. The Pacific Region sent all regional employees an email on the importance of respecting the client's official language choice through an active offer of service. The same region also offers its employees the interactive workshop “Parlez-vous français”, which raises awareness of the importance of active offer. A pamphlet on   in-person service and service on the telephone, as well as bilingual telephone messages and automatic email replies, is available to all personnel on theInfoZone site. The Atlantic Region also produced a series of “pocket translators” on various topics.

In order to verify the availability and quality of services to the public offered in the official language of the minority, the CRA uses the reports and annual action plans submitted by directorates and regional offices that contain information on service delivery to the public. Other measures, such as surveys conducted by specific directorates or regional offices, also ensure the quality of bilingual services. Six offices from the Ontario region, including St. Catharines and Hamilton, undertook a joint monitoring study of the active offer of service. They used the “mystery client” approach to maintain the integrity of their study. The CRA is currently completing an audit of its communications and services to the public in the Pacific Region. Results should be available in February 2007. Line managers are accountable for implementing the OL Program and have to report on OL activities every year in the Annual Report on OL.

A

Sub-total:

B

Language of Work - Part V (25%)

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

The CRA adopted PSHRMAC's Language of Work Policy. Employees can access it on the InfoZone site, which also includes the 2005-2006 OL Action Plan and guidelines (fact sheets), which inform employees on the designation of bilingual regions, language of supervision, language of meetings, workplace-related training and language training.

In designated bilingual regions for language of work purposes, the CRA has implemented various measures to promote the use of the official language of the minority in the workplace. For example, the Corporate Strategies and Business Development Branch developed a policy to increase its bilingual capacity to deliver its products and services. The policy sets out employees' and managers' rights and obligations, and strengthens the Branch's commitment to serve internal clients in both official languages. It also sets out the steps to be taken by management team members to ensure that unilingual employees and managers have the opportunity to develop their ability to work and manage in their second official language, in a strategic and timely fashion.

Furthermore, the Taxpayers Services and Debt Management Branch set up a local committee, at which each of its directorates is represented. The Committee's mandate is to prepare and implement the Branch's annual OL Action Plan, and to develop strategies that contribute to the promotion of a bilingual workplace. To date, the Branch has published three “Did you know…” feature stories on various subjects for its employees, in order to promote the use of both OL in the workplace. Other examples of strategies include the promotion of language training and the integration of simultaneous translation services in operating processes.

The CRA offers full-time language training programs to its employees in partnership with the Canada School of Public Service and the private sector, to ensure that the incumbents of bilingual positions meet the language requirements of their positions. It also offers part-time language training to encourage skills retention and career development.

A total of 81% of supervisors in bilingual regions who must supervise employees in both OL are able to do so. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 2006)

B

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

The OL Champion reminds managers of their OL obligations, as required. For example, in March 2006, the champion sent out a reminder to all regional human resources directors to clarify the requirements related to position identification and language criteria during a selection process.

Employees are reminded to use their official language of choice in the workplace through the Employee Corner of the InfoZone site.

Management Committee meetings are conducted in both OL and documents distributed at these meetings are prepared in both OL.

The CRA has mechanisms in place to monitor the application of the Policy on Language of Work. For example, it will use the results of the language of work survey to better target its activities. In addition, the Agency uses a virtual mailbox on its intranet site where employees can report good practices or shortcomings in the use of the official language of the minority in the workplace. Employees' comments remain anonymous. The CRA uses the annual reports and plans submitted by the directorates and regional offices, which contain information on the use of the official language of the minority in the workplace. The Public Affairs Branch commissioned a private research firm to assess employees' satisfaction with various Branch products and services, including services in their preferred official language. Findings indicated that 80% of employees reported that Branch services were delivered in their official language of choice.

The Survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the CRA showed that overall, 71% of Francophone respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR), New Brunswick and in bilingual regions of Ontario "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime. In Quebec, 72% of Anglophone respondents "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime.

C

Sub-total:

B

Equitable Participation  - Part VI (10%)

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

Overall, the workforce is 24,3% Francophone. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 2006)

A

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

In Quebec, the workforce is 6,2% Anglophone. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 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 CRA has permanent mechanisms in place to ensure that strategic planning, and policy and program development take into account the obligation to foster the development of OLMCs. For example, high-level OL champions review Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions to ensure that the CRA takes this obligation, as well as the impact on OLMCs, into account. The “Considerations and Perspectives” section of the template used to prepare these documents includes OL issues. The process used by directorates and regions to prepare the Annual Report submitted to PSHRMAC also helps take this obligation into account. Furthermore, the CRA has had a Guide on Implementing Part VII of the Act for managers since April 1998. It was updated in February 2006 to include the amendments to the Act.

On February 22, 2006, the Assistant Commissioner sent Management Committee members a memo to inform them of the amendments to the Act. However, there were no discussion or no presentation to the Management Committee on this subject. CRA managers and OL advisors also attended the Atlantic Symposium on Part VII of the Act and the meeting on Northern Francophone community issues, two events organized by Canadian Heritage. On September 28, 2006, Canadian Heritage also presented the Federal Strategy to Support Official-Language Minority Communities and the Impact of the New Sections under S-3to CRA's National OL Champions Committee.

The National OL Champions Committee consists of a national champion, a champion for services to the public and language of work and a champion from each of the regions and directorates. Regional champions and regional OL coordinators are responsible for liaising with OLMCs. They have identified themselves to OLMCs and advocacy associations, such as theFédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada and the Quebec CommunityGroups Network. The Guide on Implementing Part VII of the Act includes a list of the major national and provincial OL minority associations.

The CRA fosters awareness among its employees about its role in developing OLMCs by posting the Guide on Implementing Part VII of the Act on its InfoZone intranet site. A memo was also sent to employees in the winter of 2006 to inform them of the new obligations under the Act.

Since it has maintained a close relationship with OLMCs for a number of years, the CRA has not initiated a review of its policies and programs to identify those that have an impact on the vitality of OLMCs,

The CRA has taken certain positive measures to foster the development of OLMCs. Although the CRA is not a designated institution by Canadian Heritage, it reports its accomplishments regarding Part VII in its Annual Report to PSHRMAC. The St. Catharines Tax Services Office has set up a Francophone advisory committee. This committee includes Francophone community representatives and CRA employees, and its objective is to build relationships with representatives of the Francophone community and discuss its specific needs as well as provide information on CRA services. The Burnaby-Fraser Tax Services Office works in partnership with the Province of British Columbia and the French- language School Board of British Columbia, among others, to implement three programs, including the “Teaching Taxes” program in British Columbia French-language secondary schools.

Senior management discussions have been held on how to take into account the needs of OLMCs when changes are contemplated. Specifically, managers responsible for establishing call centres were informed that they had to take into account language requirements related to service to the public, language of work, and OLMC development.

A CRA regional OL coordinator is a member of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario. The CRA will also participate in issue tables organized by Canadian Heritage.

The CRA will not be developing an action plan to foster the regional development of OLMCs, since it considers that the obligations under Part VII have been taken into account. The Agency has distributed a Guide on Implementing Part VII, which serves as a reference tool and sets out procedures for quality services, communication, consultations, partnerships, key strategic documents, accountability and formal coordination. It will also include its accomplishments regarding Part VII in the Annual Review it submits to PSHRMAC.

B

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

The CRA has permanent mechanisms in place to ensure that strategic planning and policy and program development take into account the obligation to promote the equality of status and use of English and French. For example, high-level OL champions review Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions to ensure that the CRA takes this obligation into account. The “Considerations and Perspectives” section of the template used to prepare these documents includes OL issues. The process used by directorates and regions to prepare the Annual Report to PSHRMAC also helps take this obligation into account Furthermore, the CRA has had a Guide on Implementing Part VII of the Act for managers since April 1998. It was updated in February 2006 to include the amendments to the Act.

On February 22, 2006, the Assistant Commissioner sent Management Committee members a memo to inform them of amendments to the Act. However, there were no discussions or presentations to the Management Committee on this subject. CRA managers and OL advisors also attended the Atlantic Symposium on Part VII of the Act and the meeting on Northern Francophone Communities, two events organized by Canadian Heritage. On September 28, 2006, Canadian Heritage also presented the Federal Strategy to Support Official-Language Minority Communities and the Impact of the New Sections under S-3on CRA's National OL Champions Committee.

The National OL Champions Committee consists of a national champion, a champion for services to the public and the language of work, and a champion from each of the regions and directorates. It is the regional champions and regional OL coordinators who liaise with the relevant associations, to which they identified themselves. For example, the Pacific Region liaises with the Association francophone de la Colombie-Britannique.

The CRA fosters awareness among its employees about its role in promoting linguistic duality by posting the Guide on implementing Part VII of the Act on its InfoZone intranet site. A memo was also sent to employees in the winter of 2006 to inform them of the new obligations specified under the Act.

The CRA has not initiated a review of its policies and programs to identify those that have an impact on promoting the equality of status and use of English and French.

The CRA has taken certain positive measures to promote the equality of status and use of English and French, both internally and in Canadian society. For example, the Prairies Region encourages its employees to take part in cultural events to help maintain their second language. The CRA also promotes the Rendez-vous de la francophonie. In the Quebec Region, an initiative to maintain the second language encourages employees to speak in English on Fridays. Similarly, Quebec and Ontario regional offices offer exchange opportunities to their employees.

The CRA will not be developing an action plan to promote linguistic duality, since it considers that the obligations under Part VII are taken into account. The Agency has distributed a Guide on Implementing Part VII, which serves as a reference tool and sets out procedures for quality services, communications, consultations, partnerships, key strategic documents, accountability and formal coordination. It will also include its accomplishments regarding Part VII in the Annual Review it submits to PSHRMAC.

C

Sub-total:

B

OVERALL RATING

B