Management (15%)

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

The Official Languages Reference Manual serves as the accountability framework for Industry Canada (IC). This document describes all official languages (OL) roles and responsibilities and specifies how obligations pursuant to Parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official Languages Act (the Act) are to be fulfilled.

The documents comprising the Industry Canada 2006-2007 Action Plan include the objectives, a list of activities, persons in charge, timeframes and performance indicators for Parts IV, V, VI of the Act, and were approved by the Executive Committee. The 2004-2008 Action Plan covering Part VII of the Act is still in effect.

The achievement of Action Plan objectives for Parts IV, V, VI is assessed while preparing the OL Annual Review (full review), which is submitted to the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC). An IC officer is responsible for reporting on progress to senior management. The Review is posted on the Human Resources Branch intranet site. Commitments related to OL obligations are included in many performance agreements.

A

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

The 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities refers to the OL objectives and describes the activities and investments planned for the economic development of official language minority communities (OLMCs). The 2005-2006 Performance Report devotes a section to OL. Official languages are integrated into internal audits.

The Executive Committee discusses OL two to three times per year. The OL Champion, an Assistant Deputy Minister, addresses OL issues at this committee, as the need arises. The Champion addressed employees on his role in a message that was posted on the electronic newsletter, This Week @IC. The Part VII Coordinator and the manager responsible for Parts IV, V and VI of the Act maintain regular contact.

A

c) Complaints (5%)

The complaint handling system is explained in the Administrative Guidelines on the Investigation and Resolution of Official Languages Complaints.

Complaints from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) are systematically forwarded to the OL Unit, which serves as a liaison between managers and OCOL. Managers are responsible for handling and resolving complaints, preparing responses and implementing corrective measures as needed.

The Human Resources Branch keeps a record of all complaints and an annual report is presented to senior management. Industry Canada also reports on complaints received in its Annual Review to PSHRMAC.

B

Sub-total:

A

Service to the Public - Part IV (25%)

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

Designated bilingual offices are identified in Burolis, in the blue pages and on the IC website.

A total of 95 % of employees in bilingual positions serving the public meet the language requirements of their position. (Source: Position and Classification Information System (PCIS), March 31, 2006)

B

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 84% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 12% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 74% 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 92% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 89% of cases.

D

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

The Official Languages Reference Manual specifies that the obligation regarding service to the public applies to contractors or third parties that communicate with or provide services to the public on behalf of IC. There is also an OL clause in contribution agreements. Program officers check for the presence of this clause and verify the contents. Complaints received, contribution reports and reports from entrepreneurs and third parties serve as indicators of the quality of services delivered in both OL.

B

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

The Official Languages Reference Manual contains a section on communication with and services to the public that establishes the requirements related to communications and bilingual service delivery. It also raises employee awareness regarding IC's commitment to respect the equality of English and French. The Manual is posted on the IC intranet site.

Managers are responsible for training, informing and supervising employees regarding active offer of service in both OL and service delivery in the clients' language of choice. Each office is responsible for assessing client satisfaction. Training sessions and presentations for employees offered during the summer and in September 2006 included an OL component to raise the awareness of employees who provide services to the public of their obligations under to the Act.

The newsletter, This Week @ IC, provides language tips for all employees on a weekly basis. Eighteen community futures development corporations (CFDCs) in Ontario were visited to assess their services and recommend improvements, including providing support for new communication tools (signage, website, active offer) and recruiting. Individual human resources plans for each sector and region incorporate OL and include a review of the linguistic capacity of their work unit.

A telephone audit of some offices was conducted during the year. In preparing the Annual Review for PSHRMAC, managers are required to report on service to the public. The Review is posted on the IC Intranet site.

C

Sub-total:

C

Language of Work - Part V (25%)

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

The Official Languages Reference Manual contains a section on language of work, which outlines the rights and obligations related to internal communications, obtaining personal and central services, work instruments and computer systems, supervision, language of meetings, and training and development.

A regional working committee was created to more closely review problems related to language of work experienced by employees in the Quebec region and the National Capital Region (NCR), and to explore possible solutions. Management committees have identified sources of funding to support second language training for professional development and skills retention initiatives. Some of the initiatives launched in the sectors and regions include: private language training, group sessions for various levels in either official language, lunch and learn sessions, 6- to 8-week summer immersion courses, reimbursement of fees by management for courses taken after work hours and training methods selected by employees. Centralized translation and document editing services are provided through a contract with the Translation Bureau. The intranet site Mon Cicérone provides employees with a user-friendly guide that helps them integrate language training into their daily activities.

As of March 31, 2006, the Position and Classification Information System (PCIS) indicated that 95% of senior management and 94% of supervisors who must communicate with their staff in both languages in bilingual regions are bilingual.

B

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

Employees and managers are reminded of their OL rights and obligations at meetings or by electronic communications. Signs are posted in all meeting rooms to encourage participants to use their OL of choice. As an awareness measure, persons in charge of OL give information sessions and use internal electronic communications such as This Week @ IC to inform employees of their language rights.

The Executive Committee uses both OL. All executives in bilingual regions are bilingual at the CBC level and many presentations are bilingual. Participants are encouraged to communicate in their language of choice during meetings and the meeting chair ensures that all participants can follow the discussions. The performance objectives for executives stipulate that they must hold meetings in both OL and encourage employees to use the OL of their choice in their day-to-day communications. A report on the language status of all senior management members is produced annually.

The institution uses complaints received and the Public Service Employee Survey results as an indicator of the implementation of the Policy on Language of Work and reports on this in its Annual Report to PSHRMAC. The Policy Sector's second-language training pilot project was evaluated to ensure, among other things, that it serves to enhance the use of both OL in the workplace. Follow-up recommendations are being studied.

The Public Service Employee Survey showed that overall, 75% of Francophone respondents in the NCR, New Brunswick and bilingual regions of Ontario "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime. In Quebec, 73% 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 39.9% Francophone. (Source: PCIS, March 31, 2006)

B

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

In Quebec, the workforce is 7.3% Anglophone. (Source: PCIS, March 31, 2006)

B

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 2004-2008 Action Plan was developed following official consultations organized by Industry Canada and regional development agencies. The OL Champion sits on the Board of Directors for IC programs and services to ensure that OL are included in documents submitted to the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Further to the amendment to the Act, the OL Champion gave a presentation followed by a discussion in November 2006 to the Deputy Minister's Management Committee on the new obligations to take positive measures to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minorities in Canada and support and assist their development. Operations Sector management also attended a joint presentation on changes to the Act, given by Canadian Heritage and Justice Canada in June 2006.

A national coordinator manages issues related to Part VII of the Act on a full-time basis.She works with a team of five people and also relies on a network of eight full-time regional advisors who are well known by OLMCs. These advisors are supported by coordinators in each region. In addition, there is a network of 20 coordinators responsible for section 41 who work in programs and services.

The regions keep abreast of information appearing in the minority press to raise staff awareness regarding the OLMC issues and concerns. Industry Canada organized a series of conferences on the economic development of OLMCs where community leaders gave presentations to program and service managers. The Advisors Network regularly consults with OLMCs and participates in their initiatives, such as annual general meetings.

The intranet site ProAction 41 is a virtual resource centre for IC employees and managers and is regularly updated. It raises awareness on the requirements of section 41 and community needs. The CD-ROM containing geographical maps of OLMCs is also used to raise the awareness of managers who implement departmental programs and services.

In its 2004-2008 Action Plan, IC indicated that its mission with regard to section 41 was to make its programs and services accessible to OLMCs, thereby supporting their participation in the economic development of Canada in the minority language. Industry Canada is looking at various tools and options to help evaluate the impact of its policies and programs on OLMCs. The national coordination team for section 41 seeks programs and services, based on a list of departmental policies, to maximize the participation of OLMCs in departmental initiatives. Industry Canada also developed a communications and marketing strategy for the implementation of section 41 of the Act and is developing an assessment tool to identify the impacts of its initiatives on OLMCs

Positive measures undertaken by IC include strong partnerships in the communities and with regional development agencies (RDAs). It is estimated that in 2005-2006, approximately $3.2 million was spent on telelearning and teletraining, internships and communications activities. The Language Industry Program (LIP) has funded the projects of nine OLMC language companies. The first phase of the development of a CD-ROM containing the geographic maps of OLMCs demonstrated that there are more than 900 communities identified as OLMCs. The CD-ROM was distributed during information sessions to OLMCs and colleagues from other departments.

For the third consecutive year, IC held formal consultations with OLMCs in partnership with RDAs. This year, the agenda was established jointly by the government agencies and OLMCs. Industry Canada ensured that national agencies representing OLMCs (the Comité national de développement économique et d'employabilité, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne, Community Table, the Quebec Community Groups Network) as well as regional, provincial and territorial agencies devoted to the economic development of OLMCs took part in these talks. Furthermore, managers of programs such as Francommunautés virtuelles and the Community Access Program, are conducting specific consultations with OLMCs.

Industry Canada posts its OL Action Plan and Status Report on its website, which also includes a link to CommunAction.ca. The CommunAction.ca website is a virtual resource centre that provides information on Government of Canada programs and services to support the economic development of OLMCs. Here, OLMCs have access to information on official languages activities and are kept abreast of the efforts made to contribute to the development of their respective community.

The annual Business Plan contains the results of OLMC consultations. The 2004-2008 Action Plan for the Implementation of Section 41 of the Act contains positive measures to foster regional OLMC development. The formative assessment of the IC Action Plan and the OLMCs' economic development component (IC portfolio) has been completed and recommendations are being reviewed. This assessment was carried out in collaboration with its regional offices and regional development agencies. Performance indicators to measure the impact and determine the results of departmental initiatives on the economic development of OLMCs are being developed.

B

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

Industry Canada produces an action plan for the implementation of section 41 of the Act and an annual status report. The OL Champion sits on the Board of Directors for IC programs and services to ensure that OL are included in documents submitted to the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Further to the amendment to the Act, the OL Champion gave a presentation followed by a discussion in November 2006 to the Deputy Minister's Management Committee on the new obligations to take positive measures to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minorities in Canada and support and assist their development. Operations Sector management also attended a joint presentation on changes to the Act, given by Canadian Heritage and the Justice Canada in June 2006.

The Part VII Coordinator ensures that departmental activities take into account the promotion of linguistic duality. Industry Canada has appointed OL promoters in the sectors and regions to advance projects and activities aimed at more equitable use of both OL in daily work activities. To raise personnel awareness, IC supports internal and interdepartmental events such as Les Rendez-vous de la francophonie. The Intranet site ProAction 41 targeted to IC employees and managers allows them to better know the requirements of section 41. In light of its mandate to foster the economic development of the regions and communities, IC believes that its policies and programs meet the obligation to promote linguistic duality.

Department employees were invited to participate in the annual launch of Les Rendez-vous de la francophonie in March 2006.
During these celebrations, IC organized a Journée de la Francophonie on March 8, during which the Department launched the Intranet site Mon Cicérone, which helps employees integrate language training into their daily activities.

Industry Canada supports linguistic duality through a number of projects for small and medium businesses. For example, IC allocated funds to Société Maillardville-Uni de Coquitlam in British Columbia to develop strategies to attract investors, small and medium businesses, and visitors to revitalize the Francophone neighbourhood of Maillardville and preserve and promote its Francophone heritage.

Industry Canada also supported or participated in events organized by other stakeholders. In addition to providing funding for the Semaine de la Francophonie, IC participated in the community economic development conference hosted by the Coordinating group on economic development and employability (RDÉE) of British Columbia and in a networking session with an economic delegation from Quebec, the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce in British Columbia (Business In Tune With Arts and Culture) and various representatives from the Francophone community in Nanaimo and other parts of the province.

The 2004-2008 Action Plan contains positive measures to promote linguistic duality. Industry Canada carried out a formative assessment of its Action Plan and is planning a final evaluation of the results.

B

Sub-total:

B

OVERALL RATING

B