Management (15%)

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

The National Arts Centre (NAC) does not have an accountability framework for official languages (OL) as such. Its Official Languages Policy describes only the manner in which duties are to be carried out and the roles and responsibilities regarding Parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act (the Act).

The NAC does not have an action plan for Parts IV, V and VI of the Act, but it does submit an annual status report and an action plan for Part VII to Canadian Heritage..

The NAC has appointed a person responsible for all OL-related issues. This individual, who is also the OL Champion, is responsible for Part VII and helps review all NAC publications. She is also the contact person for all OL queries and consultations.

D

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

The NAC's 2004-2005 Annual Report, One Nation, 1000 Performances, deals with OL, French theatre, English theatre, performances from Quebec and official languages minority communities (OLMCs), Alberta Scene events, etc. While OL are not integrated in internal audits, the person responsible for OL regularly visits the NAC's facilities, which are housed in one building, to assess the status of OL.

The Executive Committee discusses OL, as needed. Positive measures set out under Part VII were discussed in March 2006, while issues surrounding language of work were addressed over the summer. Discussions on Parts IV, V and VI of the Act were held during a January 31, 2007 meeting.

The Champion does not sit on the Executive Committee. The person responsible for OL attends meetings as required and contributes directly to all Committee discussions and decisions regarding OL. She maintains direct and ongoing relations with the President, with whom she shared her 2007 priorities for OL on December 21, 2006. To ensure a comprehensive understanding of the status of OL, the same person is responsible for all parts of the Act.

B

c) Complaints (5%)

The NAC receives very few complaints regarding OL. When a complaint is submitted, it is forwarded to the person responsible for OL, who then ensures that the appropriate managers are personally involved in implementing sustainable solutions. The management team is kept up-to-date and the information is conveyed to other NAC teams to prevent similar problems from recurring.

A

Sub-total:

B

Service to the Public - Part IV (25%)

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

Bilingual services are advertised in Burolis and in the blue pages.

A total of 84% of incumbents of bilingual positions serving the public meet the language requirements of their position (Source: NAC data, Official Languages Information System [OLIS II], December 31, 2005).

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 100% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 33% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 100% 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 100% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 100% of cases.

B

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

The OL Policy sets out the requirement to respect the clients' language of choice. It also provides for the inclusion of a language clause in contracts to ensure that communications with the public are in both OL. Standard clauses are added to contracts as required and are presently included in telemarketing, auditing and travel service contracts.

The Director, Administrative Services, is responsible for all contracts. Since the NAC is a relatively small institution, it is the Director's responsibility to ensure that services are provided in both OL, where required.

B

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

The NAC's OL Policy sets out the obligations with regard to services to the public and helps raise employee awareness in this regard. Furthermore, all NAC employees have received a pocket-sized copy of the OL Policy.

On June 13and October 25, 2006, the person responsible for OL sent emails to employees who serve the public informing them of their obligations regarding services to the public and active offer, and gave them active offer pins. The person responsible for OL meets with every team at least once a year to discuss OL.

The manager responsible for the team who spends the most time dealing with the public provides his employees with a document reminding them of the need to offer good quality services in both OL. The “Ovation” prize for client service underscores the importance the NAC places on the quality of its services to the public. The award recognizes an employee, or group of employees, for excellent service to the public, including services in both OL.

All NAC employees work in the same building. Thus, team leaders can easily verify that services are provided in both OL and are of appropriate quality. The NAC uses telephone surveys to evaluate subscriber satisfaction with some of its programming (dance, concerts). These surveys include questions regarding the equal use of both OL during oral presentations.

B

Sub-total:

B

Language of Work - Part V (25%)

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

The NAC's OL Policy addresses language of work with regard to personal and central services, work instruments, meetings, communications and supervision.

Measures are in place at the NAC to promote the use of both OL. For example, the NAC has implemented a language training program that provides small groups of participants with weekly French or English courses during work hours. The person responsible for OL has distributed material from the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC) to the entire organization. This material deals with bilingual meetings and the use of standard English and French expressions on the telephone. An in-house lexicon has been made available to employees and a monthly newsletter, Une langue en art, also promotes the use of both OL.

A total of 100% 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], December 31, 2005).

A

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

The distribution of PSHRMAC material to all staff, along with the monthly newsletter, Une langue en art, serve as indirect reminders to both managers and employees about language of work. In December 2006, the person responsible for OL invited all employees to take part in the NCA Dictation, giving everyone a chance to win prizes by taking a French- or English-language dictation. Employees could double their chances of winning by participating in both.

Executive Committee meetings are not held in both OL. However, supporting documentation and minutes are always provided in both OL.

Since all employees work in the same building, the person responsible for OL is able to take quick action to resolve any failure to apply the policy on language of work. For example, she acted to ensure that both OL were used in an email sent to a number of employees, for which the sender had planned on using only one OL.

The survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of OCOL, showed that overall, 81% of all Francophone respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime. There are no offices in Quebec.

C

Sub-total:

B

Equitable Participation  - Part VI (10%)

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

Overall, the workforce is 23.6% Francophone. (Source: OLIS II, December 31, 2005).

A

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

The entire NAC workforce is located in the NCR.

N/A

Sub-total:

A

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%)

Strategic planning of NAC activities related to music, French theatre, English theatre and dance systematically take OLMCs into account. For example, NAC Orchestra tours include a major educational component involving OLMCs. The Orchestra also ensures its visibility among OLMCs through its choice of touring locations. OLMC artists are included in the programming of all Scene festival events. Planning for the Zones théâtrales festival focuses on enhancing OLMC vitality and Fourth Stage community programming attracts area OLMC representatives.

At a March 2006 meeting, the person responsible for OL informed senior management of the scope of the amendments to the Act and discussed the importance of taking positive measure to promote OLMC development. This took place following a section 41 coordinators' meeting.

The NAC has appointed persons responsible for the implementation of Part VII. The various NAC stakeholders responsible for liaising with OLMCs include the Assistant to the Artistic Director, the Community Programming Director and those responsible for youth programming. They act under the direction of the person responsible for OL, who maintains ongoing cooperation with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) and its member associations.

The NAC plans to review its OL Policy during the 2007-2008 fiscal year to determine its impact on OLMCs.

The NAC has taken a series of positive measures, including distributing classroom training kits to all English and French schools in Canada, organizing specific educational activities in English and French schools as part of each NAC Orchestra tour, and putting on bilingual concerts for its youth audience.

The NAC holds annual consultations when planning programming for upcoming seasons. The NAC regularly holds in-person or telephone consultations with the Association des théâtres francophones du Canada, the Association professionnelle de la chanson et de la musique, as well as with the schools via the appropriate school boards. The most recent consultation was held with the Fédération culturelle canadienne française (FCCF) in December 2006. Information gathered from these discussions is forwarded to both the relevant divisions and the person responsible for OL, who acts as a spokesperson with senior management. Senior management has indicated that the NAC is required to take OLMCs into account in its programming decisions. The NAC provides feedback to FCCF and the schools regarding decisions made for programming.

The NAC is currently reviewing its Action Plan. It is also developing a performance evaluation mechanism and performance indicators, which it will submit to Canadian Heritage.

B

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

Corporate planning of NAC activities takes linguistic duality into account by ensuring that all documents are translated, that all memos to employees are simultaneously issued in both OL and that Young People's Concerts and Kinderconcerts present a good balance of English and French content. NAC also shows that it takes linguistic duality into account by having separate English and French theatrical divisions.

Information regarding the NAC's obligations to take positive measures was presented to senior management in March 2006. The following December, the person responsible for OL once again discussed this information with the President fo the NAC. In late January 2007, the Executive Committee held further discussions regarding a strategy, which has now been approved for implementation. The NAC has also appointed persons responsible for the implementation of Part VII. A copy of the NAC's OL Policy is provided to all new employees and a Human Resources representative briefs them on its content.

The NAC plans to review its OL Policy in 2007-2008. The organization believes that its programming already adequately promotes the equal status of English and French.

Internally, the NAC has promoted the equal status of English and French by developing a bulletin on the proper use of French and a bilingual lexicon containing thousands of entries, by sending frequent memos drafted by the person responsible for OL, by distributing the From Bonjour to Au Revoir reference card to all employees, and by putting up PSHRMAC posters.

Other positive measures taken by the NAC include distributing “English – Français” pins and signs distributed to front line employees, actively participating in the March 2006 Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, referring employees to the translation manager to ensure that French documents are of good quality, and raising awareness among box office agents and the House Manager regarding their OL obligations.

The NAC has included the promotion of linguistic duality in its Action Plan submitted to Canadian Heritage. The plan provides for a set of positive measures and was the subject of prior consultations with the relevant associations. A performance measurement mechanism and performance indicators will be included in the 2007-2009 Action Plan that is currently being developed.

B

Sub-total:

B

OVERALL RATING

B