User Instructions for the GBA Plus Departmental Summary

Table of Contents

Overview

Information and Data Sources

Training

Template Instructions

1. General Information

2. Brief Description of Proposal

3. Target Group (Policy Intent)

4. Expected Outcomes

    A. Direct Benefits
    B. Indirect Benefits
    C. Income Distribution Impacts
    D. Generational Impacts

5. A) Barriers to Participation or Access and/or Negative Impacts

5. B) GBA Plus Responsive Approach

6. Gender Results Framework

7. Public and Stakeholder Engagement

8. Monitoring and Evaluation

9. Data Sources

10. Summary GBA Plus Statement for Publication

11. Contact Information

Overview

GBA Plus is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, and sexual orientation.

The GBA Plus Departmental Summary Template is a tool that captures key GBA Plus information for an initiative, policy or program in order to support and inform decision-making. These user instructions are intended to provide additional clarity, definition and examples to support the use of the template.

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Publicly Available Information

The information provided in the GBA Plus summary template may be made publicly available.

Information and Data Sources

Foundational to a strong GBA Plus is clear and credible information upon which to base the analysis. Some key Government of Canada resources include:

Examples of other data resources include:

Training

Statistics Canada offers a variety of workshops, training, and conferences to help analysts expand and improve their data skills. For the full list of current offerings, please visit https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/services/wtc.

For more information on Government of Canada training related to GBA Plus please visit the websites of Women and Gender Equality Canada and the Canada School of Public Service.

Template Instructions

Please read through these instructions carefully as you fill out the GBA Plus Departmental Summary document, also referred to as the “template.” Examples from Budget 2019, the 2020 Economic and Fiscal Snapshot, Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 have been provided throughout to provide clarity for more complex cases. Please see Budget 2019’s Gender Report, the 2020 Economic and Fiscal Snapshot GBA Plus Summary (Snapshot 2020), Budget 2021’s Impacts Report and Budget 2022’s Impacts Report for more examples.

1. General Information

This section collects descriptive information about the proposal, the organizations which will be involved in its development and delivery, and the timing of the GBA Plus summarized in this template.

Proposal Title

Sponsoring Department

Type of measure

Timing of Conduct of GBA Plus

2. Brief Description of the Budget/Off-Cycle Proposal

This section seeks a brief description of the proposal, not of the GBA Plus. This entire section should be 300 words or less.

Problem Statement

Proposal Summary

3. Target Group (Policy Intent)

This section seeks information on the target population for the proposal, which may be different from the groups affected (section 4). Please choose one of the three categories that best describes the target group that the proposal is intended to benefit: all Canadians, specific regions or sectors, or a particular demographic group. It is expected that a single category would be selected in most circumstances; however, in rare instances, it may be appropriate to identify more than one target group (e.g. an initiative targeted aimed at Indigenous persons in the Atlantic regions).

If none of the options come close to reflecting the primary target group, then please use the explanatory box at the end of this section to specify the target group and provide further details.

All Canadians

This is a tax integrity proposal

International proposals

Specific regions or sectors of the economy

A particular demographic group

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iExamples for Target Group

For the majority of budget proposals, defining the target population will be straightforward; however, for proposals that have broader objectives (i.e. environment, research, etc.) as part of their design, there may be overlap across these categories. Here are some examples of how the target population was defined for some of the more complex measures from previous Budgets and Economic and Fiscal Updates:

4. Expected Outcomes

A proposal can affect people in a number of different ways, not all of which may be immediately obvious. It is important to consider all angles of how the proposal may affect people. This analysis should be linked to the quality of life domains identified in the proposal template for a given proposal.  (The GBA Plus corresponds with the “fairness and inclusion” angle of the framework, which focusses on distributional impacts.)

A. Direct Benefits

This section seeks to collect information on the gender and demographic characteristics of the recipient group over the short- and medium-term (five years). This group may align with the target client group or it may have different characteristics.

Notable demographic characteristics

Multiple groups

No notable characteristics

Long-term benefits

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2022 Making the Switch to Zero-Emission Vehicles More Affordable  is available to all driving-age Canadians; benefits will initially accrue to early adopters of ZEV, who are more likely to be men, middle-aged, well-educated, high-income earners, and live in urban areas. In this example, increased ZEV uptake will have significant benefits for all Canadians by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality over the longer term.

B. Indirect Benefits

This section seeks to collect information on the notable gender and demographic characteristics of the group or groups of people who may receive secondary benefits from the proposal – for example through playing a role in the delivery of a proposal or experiencing the benefits of the proposal in a secondary way.

As with the direct benefits section, if there is more than one distinct group being indirectly affected, please provide details on the specific breakdowns.

If there is insufficient supporting data to make a determination, please choose "There is insufficient information to adequately assess the indirect impacts" and use the box at the end of this section to explain those data gaps. It is expected that every budget proposal has been sufficiently developed as to be clear who may be directly benefitting; however, it is understandable that not all proposals have the data available to confirm indirect beneficiaries.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 Examples:

C. Income Distribution Impacts

Distributional impacts should be considered relative to existing incomes and tax contributions. Please explain the assumptions behind your assessment in the explanation box at the end of this section.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2019 Example: Ensuring Everyone Who Is Eligible Receives Canada Pension Plan Benefits will ensure that seniors who have not applied enroll CPP contributors for a CPP pension once they reach age 70 if they have not applied. In this example, "Strongly benefits low income individuals" was selected.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iSnapshot 2020 Example:Health & Social Support for Northern Communities provides support for northern communities including support for air carriers, enhanced food subsidies and other emergency health care preparations and response. The measures will benefit low-income individuals, who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19, and who are overrepresented in small, isolated, and remote Northern communities. In this example, "Somewhat benefits low income individuals" was selected.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2021 Example: Removing Barriers to Internal Trade has the potential to increase productivity and reduce costs of goods and services, benefiting Canadians broadly. Lower-income Canadians will benefit disproportionately as a result of reduced costs of living as this group spends more as a percentage of their income on consumption of goods. In this example, "Somewhat benefits low income individuals" was selected.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2022 Example: An Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities would improve the employment prospects of persons with disabilities and make workplaces more inclusive and accessible. It is expected that persons with disabilities from all age groups (with various intersecting identities and low income) would predominantly benefit from this measure, given their lack of attachment to the labour market. In this example, “Somewhat benefits low income individuals” was therefore selected.

D. Generational Impacts

Generational impacts should be considered relative to the contributions of those benefiting from the proposal.  For example, a new government program for retired seniors that is funded from the current tax base would primarily benefit seniors.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2021 Example: Support for Farmers and Agricultural Climate Solutions are expected to benefit older men since 71 per cent of operators in the agriculture are men and the average age of all farm operators is 55. In these examples, "Primarily benefits the baby boom generation or seniors" was selected.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2022 Example: Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is expected to benefit Indigenous peoples, in a gender-balanced way, by ensuring that laws, policies and programs are fair and equally accessible to all Canadians. It is likely to benefit youth and future generations, as advances made pursuant to the Act will be forward looking. As such, “Primarily benefits youth, children or future generations” was selected.

5. A) Barriers to Participation or Access and/or Negative Impacts

This section should be used to identify the gender and demographic groups which are expected to face a barrier to participation/access and/or be negatively affected by the proposal. Please select the appropriate checkbox and identify the demographic characteristics of the group(s) impacted. Demographic characteristics should only be selected if they are predominant relative to the Canadian population at large.

If no barriers to access/participation or negative impacts are anticipated then please skip to section 6.  If these have been identified then please complete section 5 B) GBA Plus Responsive Approach.

Barriers to access or participation

Barriers to participation or access are not always obvious but should always be considered. Barriers usually arise as a result of an existing inequality.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2021 Example: Creating New Opportunities for Skilled Tradespeople is expected to benefit men as they are overrepresented in most Red Seal trades (86 per cent of apprentices are men). Women comprised about 14 per cent of apprentices overall, and fewer women than men apprentices were registered in a Red Seal trade (59 per cent versus 81 per cent). Acknowledging this disparity and in an attempt to not perpetuate an existing inequality, an additional $5,000 per apprentice position ($10,000 in total) will be provided to incent employers to hire and train apprentices from underrepresented groups, including women, Black and racialized Canadians. In this example, "Predominantly Women" would be selected and the expected barriers explained in the text box.  Section 5 B i) would then be completed.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2021 Example: Working with Provinces and Territories to Advance the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence  will directly benefit women and girls, notably those at higher risk of experiencing gender-based violence, including women and girls with disabilities; Black, Indigenous and racialized women and girls; immigrant and refugee women; 2SLGBTQI+ people; and women living in northern, rural, and remote communities. These groups also face increased barriers in accessing supports and services due to systemic inequalities. . In this example, “Predominantly Women” would be selected, other intersecting demographic characteristics  and expected barriers would also have to be explained in the text box. Section 5 B i) would then be completed.

Negative Impacts

Negative impacts occur when one group is materially harmed or lesser off, either intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of the initiative being proposed.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2021 Example: Supporting Safe Air Travel includes advancing the Known Traveler Digital Identity pilot project. Research has shown that facial recognition technology could result in increased scrutiny and delayed processing time for certain demographics. In this case, "The proposal carries, or could carry, negative impacts for one or more specific demographic group(s)" would be checked off, the demographic characteristics of those negatively impacted would be selected, an explanation would be provided in the text box, and section 5 B) ii. would be completed.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2022 Example: Clean Electricity will negatively impact coal mining communities through job losses, income insecurity due to job loss, re-training requirements, re-employment and increased job competition in local industries. Individuals over the age of 60 who are still in the labour market may also experience severe economic and social impacts and be unable to adapt to a clean new electricity system. In this case, “The proposal carries, or could carry, negative impacts for one or more specific demographic group(s)” would also checked off, the demographic characteristics of those negatively impacted would be selected, an explanation would be provided in the text box, and section 5 B) ii. would be completed.

5. B) GBA Plus Responsive Approach

This section should be completed if section 5 A) was completed and should be used to describe any program designs or implementation elements associated with the proposal that seek to reduce potential barriers to access/participation or to mitigate negative impacts of the proposal.

i. Steps for addressing potential barriers to access or participation

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2019 Example: Expanding the Canada Service Corps is aimed at youth across the country, providing them with volunteer opportunities to increase leadership and develop new skills. Recognizing that some youth may experience barriers in participating, the program developed new incentives and supports to reduce the barriers identified by underrepresented youth, including targeted outreach to increase participation amongst young men and boys.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2021 Example: Enhancing the Canada Workers Benefit could introduce barriers to participation (as described in the above example under 5. A). In response to the potential barrier to access that secondary earners could face, introducing a secondary earner exemption will allow secondary earners benefitting from the CWB, about 75 per cent of whom will be women, to exclude a portion of their earnings from the benefit's income test, mitigating or preventing this decline. This new feature will help ensure that everyone is able to participate in the workforce

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2022 Example: Addressing Global Health Priorities contains elements to promote access to health services and products for those who may be in vulnerable situations or marginalized, including women and girls. Canada supports implementing partners that consider the needs of program recipients at all stages of programming to help identify potential barriers and better promote access to health services and products.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2022 Example: Renewing and Expanding the Oceans Protection Plan recognizes that some partners such as Indigenous peoples, are often in remote areas, and may therefore experience barriers to participation (e.g., not having a reliable internet connection). The Oceans Protection Plan will continue to take steps to reduce barriers to participation, such as through regional engagement sessions to reach a greater number of communities.

ii. Mitigation measures to respond to potential negative impacts

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2021 Example: In the Supporting Safe Air Travel example outlined above, Transport Canada would select "The proposal includes mitigation measures" and explain the mitigation measures to ensure that advanced technologies used for identity verification, such as facial recognition, do not introduce negative impacts based on disability, ethnicity, age or gender.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: i Budget 2022 Example: In the Clean Electricity also highlighted above, the Regional Energy Tables and Pan-Canadian Grid Council will seek diverse and inclusive membership, and engagements through the course of its work, thereby reducing any potential negative impacts on workers and communities. The Regional Energy Tables and Pan-Canadian Grid Council will enable the transition to net-zero electricity, which will create significant economic opportunities, in the form of new industries, markets, supply chains and jobs, and enable communities to capitalize on those aforementioned economic opportunities.

6. Gender Results Framework

Gender Results Framework

Rounded Rectangular Callout: iBudget 2022 Example: Increasing the Capacity of Superior Courts is expected to advance the Leadership and Democratic Participation Pillar. Increased judicial capacity of superior courts helps improve access to justice for all Canadians by addressing court delays, ultimately strengthening the public’s confidence in the justice system. New judges are selected through a superior courts judicial appointment process that aims to achieve a gender-balanced bench, reflecting the diversity of Canadian society. Of the judges who have been appointed since October 2016, 57 per cent have identified as women, 4 per cent as Indigenous, 10 per cent as visible minorities, 1 per cent as a person with a disability, and 7 per cent as a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

Canada's Gender Results Framework

Education and Skills Development

Equal opportunities and diversified paths in education and skills development

  • More diversified educational paths and career choices
  • Reduced gender gaps in reading and numeracy skills among youth, including Indigenous youth
  • Equal lifelong learning opportunities and outcomes for adults

Economic Participation and Prosperity

Equal and full participation in the economy

  • Increased labour market opportunities for women, especially women in underrepresented groups
  • Reduced gender wage gap
  • Increased full-time employment of women
  • Equal sharing of parenting roles and family responsibilities
  • Better gender balance across occupations
  • More women in higher-quality jobs, such as permanent and well-paid jobs

Leadership and Democratic Participation

Gender equality in leadership roles and at all levels of decision-making

  • More women in senior management positions, more diversity in senior leadership positions
  • Increased opportunities for women to start and grow their businesses, and succeed on a global scale
  • More company board seats held by women, more diversity on company boards
  • Greater representation of women and underrepresented groups in elected office and ministerial positions in national and sub-national governments
  • Increased representation of women and underrepresented groups as administrators of the justice system

Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice

Eliminating gender-based violence and harassment, and promoting security of the person and access to justice

  • Workplaces are harassment-free
  • Fewer women are victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault
  • Fewer victims of childhood maltreatment
  • Fewer women killed by an intimate partner
  • Increased police reporting of violent crimes
  • Fewer Indigenous women and girls are victims of violence
  • Increased accountability and responsiveness of the Canadian criminal justice system

Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being

Reduced poverty and improved health outcomes

  • Fewer vulnerable individuals living in poverty
  • Fewer women and children living in food insecure households
  • Fewer vulnerable individuals lacking stable, safe and permanent housing
  • Child and spousal support orders are enforced
  • More years in good health
  • Improved mental health
  • Improved access to contraception for young people and reduced adolescent birth rate

Gender Equality 
Around the World

Promoting gender equality to build a more peaceful, inclusive, rules-based and prosperous world

  • Feminist international approach to all policies and programs, including diplomacy, trade, security and development

 

7. Public and Stakeholder Engagement

This section seeks to confirm whether the public was engaged on the proposal and to understand the nature of the feedback received during those engagements.

General Comments

8. Monitoring and Evaluation

This section seeks to collect information on how the performance of the proposal will be actively monitored from a GBA Plus perspective. Please consider this section in relation to the quality of life domains identified in the proposal template.

General Comments

9. Data Sources

This section seeks to collect information on what data sources were used to inform this analysis. Were there any notable data gaps?

General Comments

This section should be used to clearly source the information used for this analysis. Do not worry about formatting but please hyperlink any URLs.

10. Summary GBA Plus Statement

General Comments

11. Contact Information

General Comments

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