Committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers on Official Languages (CADMOL)

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History

CADMOL was created by the Clerk of the Privy Council in 2006. CADMOL was originally mandated to supervise the development and implementation of horizontal official languages initiatives, such as the five-year Action Plans for Official Languages. In fall 2017, the Clerk of the Privy Council expanded CADMOL’s role, tasking it with monitoring the implementation of recommendations from Patrick Borbey and Matthew Mendelsohn's report on the use of official languages in the federal public service, entitled The Next Level: Normalizing a Culture of Inclusive Linguistic Duality in the Federal Public Service Workplace. To reflect these changes, new terms of reference were developed and subsequently endorsed by all CADMOL members in January 2018.

Terms of reference

CADMOL plays a key leadership role with respect to official languages. It is mandated to support and monitor the development of official languages programs and policies. It provides strategic advice and leadership to advance files and priorities within federal member institutions. CADMOL contributes to fostering coordinated government action on official languages and the related outcomes for Canadians. It also consults representatives from official language minority communities (OLMCs) and organizations that promote both official languages.

Chair

CADMOL is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, who is vested with constituent authority. Under their leadership, meetings are co-chaired by assistant deputy ministers of federal institutions that play a key role in the governance and horizontal coordination of official languages.

• Canadian Heritage
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Official Languages, Heritage and Regions Sector
• Treasury Board Secretariat
  • Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
• Privy Council Office
  • Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Public Service Renewal Secretariat
• Justice Canada
  • Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector

Membership

CADMOL members are assistant deputy ministers and equivalents from federal institutions that play a role in implementing the Official Languages Act.

The list of CADMOL member institutions has been updated and expanded over the years, in line with government priorities. Under the previous terms of reference, CADMOL members included only the federal institutions partnering in the government’s five-year official languages strategies. Membership was subsequently extended to federal institutions that have a high potential to contribute to a culture of bilingualism across the public service and ongoing official languages reform. CADMOL now includes 27 member institutions. The original 17 members were as follows:

1. Global Affairs Canada
2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
3. Translation Bureau
4. Privy Council Office
5. Public Service Commission of Canada
6. Canada School of Public Service
7. Employment and Social Development Canada
8. Finance Canada
9. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
10. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
11. Justice Canada
12. Canadian Heritage
13. Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions
14. Health Canada
15. Treasury Board Secretariat
16. Service Canada
17. Transport Canada

In keeping with government priorities over the past few years, new member institutions include the following:

18. Canada Border Services Agency
19. National Defence
20. Environment and Climate Change Canada
21. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
22. Indigenous Services Canada
23. Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
24. Correctional Service of Canada
25. Shared Services Canada
26. Public Services and Procurement Canada
27. Statistics Canada

Current priorities

Over the past year, CADMOL leadership has focused mainly on the following themes (non-exhaustive list):

• Modernization of the Official Languages Act
• Implementation and assessment of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023
• Development of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028
• Official Languages Lens in programs and policies in response to COVID-19
• Post-secondary education
• Second-language instruction
• Francophone immigration
• Official languages research
• Litigation and court decisions to understand the impact on federal institutions
• Second-language evaluation, language training and linguistic security
• Intersections between official languages, equity, diversity and inclusion
• Recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages
• Best practices and initiatives in federal institutions

Structure and operations

CADMOL activities take many forms, including the following:

1. An annual plenary meeting, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, to provide an update on shared challenges and set CADMOL priorities
2. Regular meetings chaired by the four co-chairs to address key and emerging official languages needs and advance priorities
3. Consultations with OLMCs and organizations promoting both official languages
4. Email communications and information sharing

CADMOL is also required to report on its work to the Public Service Management Advisory Committee (PSMAC).

To support CADMOL, steering committees have been created to further official languages priorities and issues. Members, which include directors general responsible for the programs in question, meet as required. They report and submit recommendations to CADMOL for guidance as needed. They focus on coordinating horizontal federal strategies, official languages research, and other issues of strategic interest (e.g., the modernization of the Official Languages Act and the language of work).

Secretariat

The CADMOL Secretariat is provided by the Interdepartmental Relations and Accountability Directorate, Official Languages Branch, Canadian Heritage. All coordination activities are carried out in close conjunction with the other co-chair representatives (Justice Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat and Privy Council Office). The Secretariat is responsible for providing CADMOL with support by planning meetings and preparing the minutes and follow-up activities. The Secretariat develops the content of the agendas and prepares the background material on agenda topics.