Operating context

Institutional GBA Plus Capacity

Governance: The Canadian Grain Commission is a small science-based and regulatory department with a focused mandate as set out in the Canada Grain Act to, in the interests of the grain producers, establish and maintain standards of quality for Canadian grain and regulate grain handling in Canada.

Despite being a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has incrementally increased resources and collaborative cross-organizational efforts towards GBA Plus objectives. These efforts will continue to enhance a diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative of all Canadians.

Capacity: The Canadian Grain Commission strives to eliminate barriers and address disadvantages in employment experienced by members of the four designated groups - Women, Visible Minorities, Indigenous Persons, and Persons with Disabilities.

Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan: The Canadian Grain Commission actively pursues GBA Plus objectives in its 2021 to 2024 Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan, which includes a formal governance structure that reports to senior management. This multi-year plan includes commitments to ensure:

• Effective leadership for employment equity and diversity, including planning, governance and accountability, monitoring, measurement, and reporting;
• Representation of designated group members is equal to or better than workforce availability as a result of Canadian Grain Commission efforts to eliminate barriers and address disadvantages in employment experienced by members of the four designated groups (Women, Visible Minorities, Indigenous Persons, and Persons with Disabilities); and
• Managers and employees understand and take action to ensure employment equity and to value and leverage diversity.

Additionally, this multi-year plan helps guide the Canadian Grain Commission’s actions to raise awareness, address representation gaps, and work towards implementing Accessibility Act requirements. Continued emphasis is being placed on addressing:

1. Persons with Disabilities (current representation gap organizationally is -13)*
2. Women in the technical group (while the representation of Women in the Canadian Grain Commission overall is +4, the current representation gap in technical areas is -12)*
3. Indigenous Persons (goal is to strengthen representation rate organizationally, which is at +1)*

The Canadian Grain Commission’s Open Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion further outlines the department’s commitment and actions to ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.

The Canadian Grain Commission continues to seek ways to apply this commitment throughout the department. For example, the Canadian Grain Commission participated in the Mosaic Leadership Development Program inaugural cohort and the Indigenous Career Navigator Program. In addition, an active, employee-driven National Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee provides diverse perspectives from across the organization and supports this work. The committee has generated a first edition of the organization’s Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter as well as a calendar that highlights celebrations, festivals and commemorative periods as a way to celebrate diversity within our organization and Canadian society as a whole. This will lead to a wider understanding of diversity among managers and employees and more varied actions to ensure employment equity.

Additionally, first launched in December 2021, the Canadian Grain Commission continues to host a diversity and inclusion speaker series as part of the department’s commitment to raise awareness and support open dialogue on equity, accessibility, and anti-racism.

Highlights of GBA Plus Results Reporting Capacity by Program