Management

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

The Department has an accountability framework setting out its obligations under parts IV, V, and VI of the Official Languages Act (OLA). It does not, however, cover part VII. EC developed a departmental strategy and action plan for official languages (OL), still in draft format. Consultations with regions and other stakeholders are under way. Each Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) and Director General (DG) will develop his/her own action plan. The DG/Human Resources will follow-up on progress regularly.

Through its network of official languages champions and co-ordinators, the consultation process allows regions to report on their accomplishments.

b) Visibility of official languages in the organization

The Report on Plans and Priorities makes indirect reference to the OL in connection with integrated management where it is a question of ensuring that managers have the tools and expertise to comply with central agencies' standards, where it deals with the importance of service to Canadians and where it is a question of an exemplary workplace that respects fundamental values. The Performance Report makes no reference to OL. Environment Canada's Modern Management Action Plan (MMAP) specifically mentions OL. The Department examines OL issues both internally and externally.

The Official Languages Champion for the Department is an Assistant Deputy Minister. He is supported by a network of champions throughout the Department. There is a network of co-ordinators alongside the network of champions. The networks consult each other regularly.

The Champion is a member of the Management Executive Committee. The Chief of Official Languages is occasionally invited to attend these meetings. OL are discussed regularly. The DM recently set up a special task team responsible for examining the new departmental governance structure and its impact on the management of the OL programme as well as language training.

The HR Branch conducts spot checks and reviews language requirements, levels of proficiency and staffing of bilingual positions. However, OL are not systematically integrated into internal audit.

c) Complaints

Until the implementation of the accelerated resolution process for simple complaints, all correspondence regarding complaints was addressed to the office of the Deputy Minister. The complaints process is overseen by the Chief of Official Languages at the departmental level. Local managers are involved in finding solutions and follow-up. If the lesson learned with respect to one complaint can be applied to other managers or to the Department nationally, it is brought to the attention of all regional directors.

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages noted a systemic problem concerning the work environment of the Ice and Marine Branch that was not conducive to the equal status of both official languages.

Service to the public - Part IV

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

The points of service for the Department are clearly identified in Burolis and in the Blue Pages.

While visiting service outlets in the fall of 2004, OCOL representatives noted that Burolis was not up to date, specifically with regard to service outlet 93999.

As of March 31, 2004, the Position and Classification Information System (PCIS) indicated that 82.5% of incumbents of bilingual positions serving the public met the linguistic requirements of their position.

b) Findings on active offer and service delivery

According to observations on in-person service made by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in the fall of 2004, active visual offer was present in 83.3% of cases; active offer by staff was made in 33.3% of cases, while service in the language of the minority was adequate in 66.7% of cases.

The results of the telephone service audit conducted by the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency showed that active offer was made by staff 51.2% of the time and on telephone answering systems 44.6% of the time, while the service was actually available 69.8% of the time.

c) The service agreements delivered by third parties or in partnership provide for the delivery of bilingual services

Service agreements with third parties contain a clause on the provision of services in both OL. This responsibility is also addressed in EC's accountability framework. Managers are aware of this requirement. Complaints are the only mechanism for monitoring whether services are provided in both OL.

d) Bilingual services quality monitoring

Employees and managers are informed of their obligations with regard to service to the public and there are reminders. Information on this subject is also available on the Intranet and the topic is occasionally addressed in Inforoute articles.

Managers must take departmental OL obligations into account in their day-to-day operations.

Pursuant to the results of the telephone service audit, EC plans to conduct its own follow-up on the corrective measures that must be taken during this fiscal year and will also include the offices not covered by the original audit. The Department plans to carry out a more comprehensive audit process.

Language of work - Part V

a) Adequate bilingual supervision and language of work policy

According to Position and Classification Information System (PCIS) data as of March 31, 2004, 80.7% of incumbents of EX positions in bilingual regions met the language requirements of their positions, while 84.8% of supervisors met the language requirements of their bilingual position.

The Department has a language of work policy that is distributed to all staff and the information is available on the departmental Intranet. Staff are encouraged to take second language training, and training is offered at certain worksites at lunchtime. New brochures and new information material are also planned.

The departmental strategy and action plan call for increased awareness sessions and on-line tools for employees and decision-makers, access to training and tools, and corporate funding in support of second language learning/maintenance from EC's Learning and Innovation Fund.

b) Use of each language in the workplace

The Department developed and distributed a number of documents (guidelines, support tools) nationally to inform managers and employees of their obligations, responsibilities and rights under Part V of OLA.

The managers encourage employees to use their first official language. Employees have access to guidelines that set out the terms and conditions for communications between the regions and the format of bilingual communications.

In the NCR, the Policy and Communications Service set up a special committee to study the results of the most recent Public Service Employee Survey in order to increase the opportunities for employees to write documents in the official language of their choice.

Executive Committee meetings are held in both OL. Members are free to use the language of their choice.

The Public Service Employee Survey showed that overall 65.6% of Francophone respondents in the NCR and in bilingual regions of Ontario and New Brunswick did "strongly agree" or "mostly agree" with the language of work regime. In Quebec, 82.4% of Anglophone respondents did "strongly agree" or "mostly agree" with the language of work regime.

Equitable participation - Part VI

a) Percentage of Francophone participation throughout Canada

According to PCIS data as of March 31, 2004, 28.0% of all EC employees are Francophones.

b) Percentage of Anglophone participation in Quebec

According to PCIS data as of March 31, 2004, 9.0% of EC employees in Quebec are Anglophones.

Development of minority language communities and promotion of linguistic duality - Part VII

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

There is no formal mechanism to ensure that strategic planning and policy and program development take into account the development of official language minority communities. However, the Department is making efforts to raise awareness. A briefing session was recently given to the Management Executive Committee. The Champion shares best practices as well as pertinent stories about people living in linguistic minority communities, which serve to make employees aware of the needs of official language minority communities. The approach fits well with the Department's fundamental values of respect, equity and inclusiveness.

The institution does not systematically consult official language minority communities.

The Institution complies with the government's communications policy. Announcements are published in minority language media outlets.

Employees are informed of communities' needs during OL information sessions.

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

Respect for diversity, including OL, is an element of the departmental Action Plan. However, it is not clear how this commitment will ensure that strategic planning and policy and program development take account of the promotion of linguistic duality.

The Champion's presentations promote linguistic duality. This subject has been raised at Management Executive Committee meetings and there have been conversations on this topic with champions in various regions. Staff are encouraged to take second language training, and training is offered at certain worksites at lunchtime. Articles promoting linguistic duality also appear in Inforoute.

The Deputy Minister recently set up a special task team to examine the Department's new governance structure and its impact on the OL program and language training, which promotes linguistic duality.

There were no examples of initiatives aimed at promoting linguistic duality within Canadian society provided, except the Department's goal to ensure its services are available to the general public in both official languages.

OVERALL RATING