Management (15%)

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

The National Film Board (NFB) of Canada has an accountability framework with regard to official languages (OL) that describes the roles and responsibilities of the Commissioner, the OL Champion, directors, middle managers and the OL Coordinator. Furthermore, it includes a section on handling complaints, whether submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) or to the NFB. The framework describes the manner in which Parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official Languages Act (the Act) are to be implemented. A section on accountability and coordination mechanisms specifies that the duties of OL Champion and OL Coordinator are closely connected, that quarterly meetings with these two stakeholders are planned to discuss OL-related issues and that informal meetings are also scheduled, as needed. The Management Committee approved the framework on December 6, 2006.

There is no formal action plan to ensure the full implementation of Parts IV, V and VI of the Act.However, the NFB does have a 2005-2008 Action Plan for the implementation of section 41 of the Act, which was approved by the Management Committee. Moreover, in accordance with the 2005-2008 Action Plan, the NFB uses the Government of Canada's horizontal results-based management accountability framework on official languages. It should be noted that to improve its OL program, the NFB created an OL Development Plan for 2006-2007. This plan includes four key activities: the development of an accountability framework, an informative section on OL on the intranet site, a communications policy (including service to the public) and an action plan on the implementation of Parts IV, V and VI of the Act.

The annual review on the implementation of Part VII, submitted to Canadian Heritage, allows senior management to fully grasp the OL situation with regard to Part VII. The NFB Commissioner sets OL objectives related to the strategic plan in the performance appraisals of the OL Champion and directors general of the English Program and French Program.

B

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

Promoting linguistic duality within and outside the organization is part of the NFB's official mission, core values and objectives.

The 2002-2006 Strategic Plan indicates that special effort must be made to help filmmakers from minority language regions. The Report on Plans and Priorities (2006-2007) states that the NFB will continue to foster diverse voices and content by working in both OL. The Performance Report (2005-2006) indicates that the NFB produces, in both official languages, Canadian audiovisual content addressing social issues that affect communities across Canada and that convey Canadian values within Canada and around the world. The NFB's internal audit program provides for periodic OL audits.  Following an internal audit, the NFB undertook a restructuring exercise that contributed to its efforts to comply with the obligations of Part VII. The merger of the Marketing Unit and the Communications and Network Development Unit reinforced the NFB's ability to become better aware of the needs of official language minority communities.

The Management Committee discusses the issue of official languages. For example, in September 2006, presentations and discussions were conducted regarding the impact of the changes to the Act on NFB activities and programs. In March 2006, the availability of film collections in both OL and the relevance of producing English and French versions, depending on the market, were discussed.

The OL Champion is the Director General of Strategic Planning and Government Relations, and she sits on the Management Committee.

The OL Champion meets regularly, both formally and informally, with the OL Coordinator, who also works at Strategic Planning and Government Relations. They also meet twice a year with the directors general of the English Program and the French Program to discuss the implementation of the Action Plan for Part VII and the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official Language Communities (IPOLC) Program.

A

c) Complaints (5%)

The mechanism for handling and resolving complaints is outlined in the accountability framework. To prevent conflicts of interest, when complaints are filed regarding Parts V and VI of the Act, the Human Resources Department and the director concerned process the complaint. A copy of responses and corrective measures is forwarded to the Strategic Planning and Government Relations Branch. When complaints are filed regarding Parts IV and VII of the Act, the Strategic Planning Branch processes the complaints together with the director concerned.

As of December 2006, OCOL had not received any OL complaints for the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Indeed, OCOL only has three complaints on record since 2001 for the National Film Board and two of them were refused. 

A

Sub-total:

A

Service to the Public - Part IV (25%)

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

The NFB advertises its bilingual points of service on Burolis. Bilingual services continue to be advertised to the public in the blue pages and on the NFB Web site. In addition, a 1-800 line, based in Montreal, serves members of the public in their language of choice, particularly when they are purchasing films. The NFB Web site is bilingual and the layout is identical in both languages. The NFB has an online film library that offers films in English, French or both languages.

A total of 100% of employees in bilingual positions serving the public meet the language requirements of their position. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 2006)

A

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 75% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 0% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was adequate in 88% 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 78% 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%)

Fifty-one libraries across Canada have film lending partnership agreements with the NFB. These libraries are expected to display the NFB 1-800 number so callers can ask questions in the official language of their choice. However, since the libraries provide this service free of charge to the NFB, there is no guarantee that the NFB 1-800 number is always displayed.

The NFB currently does not have any service contracts with a third party and, therefore, has no way to confirm that the services provided by third parties are in fact provided in both OL and are of appropriate quality.

C

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

As set out in the 2006-2007 Development Plan, the NFB is currently working on a communications policy that will include a language of service component. This policy will be finalized in the winter of 2007 and will be accessible on the NFB intranet site. For the time being, the Human Resources Guide contains a section called “Official Languages Policy” that includes employees' language of service obligations. In effect since 2004, this policy also makes all personnel aware of the institution's commitment to respect the equality of English and French.

Supervisors formally communicate with their employees serving the public within the framework of the employee performance appraisal process to remind them of how to offer and deliver services in both OL. Informal meetings may also be held, as necessary. 

Spot checks of public contact points (e.g., voice mail messages intended for the public) continue to be conducted on occasion to determine whether service is available in both OL. These practices should be formalized in the new communications policy.

C

Sub-total:

C

Language of Work - Part V (25%)

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

The NFB has its own language of work policy that covers employees' rights and supervisors' obligations with regard to supervision, training, work instruments and internal services.

The necessary supports are in place. For example, the NFB has a record of all employees' official language of choice to ensure that their language preference is respected. Furthermore, the orientation guide for new employees contains a section on OL that outlines certain employee rights with regard to language of work. The Practical Guide to Performance Appraisal for managers includes a component on language of assessment to ensure that employee appraisals are conducted in their language of choice. There is a   full-time internal revision service in place to ensure that internal documents are available and are of comparable quality in both OL. As well, the NFB's online linguistic tool, called ExpressPlus, is available to all NFB employees and freelancers. This tool assists both English and French-speakers who draft, revise, proofread, translate or approve NFB documents such as memos, work orders, intranet articles, news releases, reports or any other documents in either OL.

A total of 100% of supervisors in bilingual regions who must supervise employees in both OL are able to do so. (Source: Annual Review on OL, March 31, 2006)

A

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

The NFB does not remind employees or managers of their language of work rights and obligations, since respect for OL is an integral part of the NFB's organizational culture. 

Given this culture of respect, Management Committee meetings and all other meetings are always held in both OL. Meeting minutes are drafted in the language used to present the items addressed during the meetings.

To monitor the application of the Policy on Language of Work, the NFB uses the performance appraisal results of the persons responsible for OL. This year, the analysis of the results of the language of work survey conducted by OCOL will also provide an indication of the application of the Policy on Language of Work.

The survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of OCOL, showed that overall, 89% of Anglophone respondents "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime. Due to the very small number of NFB Francophone staff members located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in New Brunswick, Statistics Canada did not survey them on our behalf.

C

Sub-total:

B

Equitable Participation - Part VI (10%)

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

Overall, the workforce is 63.7% Francophone. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 2006)

B

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

In Quebec, the workforce is 24.4% Anglophone. (Source: Annual Review on Official Languages, March 31, 2006)

A

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 2005-2008 Action Plan on the implementation of section 41 of the Act, as well as the status report submitted to Canadian Heritage, serve as permanent mechanisms to ensure that strategic planning, and policy and program development take into account the obligation to foster the development of official language minority communities (OLMCs). Given that the OL Champion is also responsible for government relations, she receives all funding applications and submissions to Parliament. She ensures that these submissions take this obligation into account.

The new legislative provisions of the Act, as well as the impact of these changes on NFB activities, were presented to the Management Committee in September 2006. Since the three-year Action Plan complies with the requirements of section 41and contains several positive measures regarding OLMCs, the NFB determined that it was already fulfilling the new obligations. Nevertheless, it made a commitment to reinforcing the work already undertaken and to make employees aware of their specific responsibilities in this regard.

The OL Champion, the OL Coordinator, the directors general of the English Program and the French Program, and the Marketing and Communications Branch are responsible for the implementation of Part VII - Development of OLMCs.

With respect to the English Program, the Executive Producer for the Central Quebec Region is in constant contact with OLMCs and advocacy associations, such as the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN). In the French Program, the executive producers for the Ontario, Western, Acadian and Quebec regions, excluding Montreal, are in constant contact with OLMCs and advocacy associations, such as the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA). These OLMCs and associations know the executive producers for their regions and are able to communicate their needs.

The appropriate executive producers from the English Program and the French Program participate in meetings arranged by Canadian Heritage, and are thus better aware of the needs of OLMCs. In return, executive producers communicate the needs of OLMCs to employees working on their teams at meetings.

As agreed at the Management Committee meeting of September 2006, since the NFB is already very active in OLMC development, policies and programs will not be reviewed to identify those that have an impact on OLMCs.

The Momentum Program, launched in January 2006, and intended for Francophones in Ontario, is an example of a positive measure that fosters the development of OLMCs. The program offers training and professional development workshops to up-and-coming filmmakers, and then invites them to submit proposals for the production of a documentary. There is also the AnimAcadie competition, which aims to produce two digital animation films with up-and-coming filmmakers from OLMCs.

The NFB gathers information on OLMC needs through consultations with OLMCs conducted by executive producers. Awareness is also raised through meetings arranged by Canadian Heritage and through FCFA and QCGN.

A structured consultation to share information took place in September 2006 between the Studio Acadie team from Moncton, and filmmakers and producers from the Atlantic Region. Since 2001, these annual meetings have helped to strengthen ties with the Francophone community in the Atlantic provinces.

A planning meeting was held on December 6, 2006 to prepare for the annual meeting of the Fédération culturelle canadienne française (FCCF) during which the NFB consults with some OLMCs. Following the consultations, the executive producers forward the information gathered to their respective teams. The two decision-making committees of the English Program and the French Program take the consultation results into account.

There is no formal feedback mechanism to inform individuals and agencies consulted of the results of the consultations. However, the NFB forwards the minutes of the consultation meetings to the OLMCs involved. The annual review of the implementation of section 41 is also discussed with the FCCF during bilateral meetings of the signatories of the arts and culture cooperation agreement.

The 2005-2008 Action Plan on the implementation of section 41 of the Act already takes the changes to the Act into account. The Action Plan includes performance indicators, and the annual review presented to Canadian Heritage is used as a results assessment mechanism. It was developed in conjunction with the executive producers who had contacted OLMCs and were thus able to highlight the needs of the various communities.

B

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

The 2005-2008 Action Plan on the implementation of section 41 of the Act, as well as the status report submitted to Canadian Heritage, serve as permanent mechanisms to ensure that strategic planning, and policy and program development take into account the obligation to foster the advancement and use of English and French. Given that the OL Champion is also responsible for government relations, she receives all funding applications and submissions to Parliament. She ensures that these submissions take this obligation into account.

The new legislative provisions of the Act, as well as the impact of these changes on NFB activities, were presented to the Management Committee in September 2006. Since the three-year Action Plan complies with the requirements of section 41 and contains several positive measures regarding OLMCs, the NFB determined that it was already fulfilling the new obligations. Nevertheless, it made a commitment to reinforce the work already undertaken and to make employees aware of their specific responsibilities in this regard.

The OL Champion, the OL Coordinator, the directors general of the English Program and the French Program, and the Marketing and Communications Branch are responsible for the implementation of Part VII (Advancement of English and French).

With respect to the English Program, the executive producer for the Central Quebec Region is in constant contact with relevant associations, such as QCGN. In the French Program, the executive producers for the Ontario, Western, Acadian and Quebec regions, excluding Montreal, are in constant contact with the relevant associations, such as the FCFA, and these associations know the executive producers for their region.

The executive producers and their employees are aware of the obligation to take positive measures to promote linguistic duality through the nature of their work. The resulting outputs of their work reflect the culture of both language groups and are distributed all across Canada and around the world, which contributes to the promotion of linguistic duality.

As agreed at the Management Committee meeting in September 2006, since the NFB is already very active in OLMC development, policies and programs will not be reviewed to identify those that have an impact on the advancement and use of English and French.

The NFB has taken several positive measures to advance English and French internally and in Canadian society. For example, the NFB participates in Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie events.  Furthermore, during the 65th anniversary of animation at the NFB, a DVD set was prepared in both OL and distributed around the world. The list of available versions of NFB cinematographic works promotes linguistic duality.

The 2005-2008 Action Plan includes the promotion of linguistic duality, as well as positive measures for linguistic duality. The Action Plan includes performance indicators, and the annual review submitted to Canadian Heritage is used as a results assessment mechanism. The Action Plan was developed further through meetings organized by Canadian Heritage and consultations with the English Program and French Program officials, who have established relationships with various OLMCs.

A

Sub-total:

B

OVERALL RATING

B