2023–2024 Departmental Results Report – Supplementary information tables – Gender-based analysis plus

Section 1: Institutional GBA plus capacity

Governance

PrairiesCan has a gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) Champion, GBA+ Committee, GBA+ responsibility centre, and GBA+ subject matter focal points, who keep up-to-date on GBA+ developments. The department has internal guidance laying out how GBA+ is integrated and considered in decision-making for all initiatives.

Capacity

PrairiesCan focused on employee development in 2023-24. The department continued to recognize the importance of GBA+ knowledge as a foundation for all staff. PrairiesCan continues to use the Canada School of Public Service GBA+ training for employees, supervisors and executives.

Another way in which the department supports institutional capacity for inclusive economic growth is through its research and analysis function. In 2023-24, PrairiesCan contracted The Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS) to launch the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) studies across the Prairies to better understand the unique challenges and barriers faced by women and youth entrepreneurs. Data collection for 2023 women and youth reports was completed in spring and summer 2023, with the reports expected to launch late 2024. PrairiesCan will continue to collaborate with THECIS and other partners to ensure it has access to accurate and timely inclusive data and research.

PrairiesCan is continually improving its GBA+ practices to ensure that diversity and inclusion considerations are consistently used in decision-making.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus

PrairiesCan allocated approximately 0.75 FTEs to GBA plus activities in 2023-24.

Section 2: Gender and diversity impacts, by program

Core responsibility: Economic development in the Prairies

Program name: Business Growth, Business Services, Community Initiatives, Innovation

Program goals: These programs promote growth and diversification in the economy of the Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, promoting the adoption of clean technologies and inclusive growth. The department aims to increase participation of underrepresented groups in the economy by supporting businesses directly or through not-for-profit organizations by providing funding, business services, training, etc… PrairiesCan is continually improving its GBA+ practices to ensure that diversity and inclusion considerations are consistently used in decision-making.

Target population: Specific region (the Prairies region – Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Distribution	Group
By gender	Broadly gender-balanced (third group)
By income level	No significant distributional impacts (third group)
By age group	No significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors (second group)
Scales Gender scale First group: predominantly men (80% or more men) Second group: 60% to 79% men Third group: broadly gender-balanced Fourth group: 60% to 79% women Fifth group: predominantly women (80% or more women) Income-level scale First group: strongly benefits low-income individuals (strongly progressive) Second group: somewhat benefits low-income individuals (somewhat progressive) Third group: no significant distributional impacts Fourth group: somewhat benefits high-income individuals (somewhat regressive) Fifth group: strongly benefits high-income individuals (strongly regressive) Age-group scale First group: primarily benefits youth, children or future generations Second group: no significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors Third group: primarily benefits seniors or the baby boom generation

Specific demographic group outcomes

PrairiesCan’s programs support businesses majority-owned or majority-led by underrepresented groups and projects providing supports to underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous peoples, women, youth, 2SLGBTQI+, persons with disabilities, newcomers to Canada and members of official language minority communities.

The department also offers tailored programs that specifically target certain underrepresented groups.

Programs include:

• Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI);
• Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP);
• Economic Development Initiative (EDI);
• Francophone Economic Development Organizations (FEDOs);
• Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP); and
• Indigenous Business Development Services (IBDS).

PrairiesCan is continually improving its GBA+ practices to ensure that diversity and inclusion considerations are consistently used in decision-making.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

In 2023-24, PrairiesCan implemented a new Departmental Results Framework (DRF), and its accompanying performance indicators. This work considered the inclusion of GBA plus-related indicators and resulted in PrairiesCan establishing two performance indicators directly related to GBA plus objectives. The department also uses other indicators to measure the participation of underrepresented groups in the economy.

A list of key GBA+ related indicators can be found in the table below.

Key program impact statistics

Statistics	Results	Data source	Comment (maximum 25 words per statistic)
Number of PrairiesCan-assisted entities that are majority-led by underrepresented groups	66	PrairiesCan’s internal systems	This indicator has been newly added to PrairiesCan’s DRF in 2023-24.
Number of underrepresented clients served	17,127	PrairiesCan’s internal systems	This indicator has been newly added to PrairiesCan’s DRF in 2023-24.
Number of jobs created (women)	753	PrairiesCan’s internal systems	Observed results are self-reported (on a voluntary basis) to PrairiesCan by its clients
Number of jobs created (youth)	622	PrairiesCan’s internal systems	Observed results are self-reported (on a voluntary basis) to PrairiesCan by its clients
Number of jobs created for (Indigenous peoples)	205	PrairiesCan’s internal systems	Observed results are self-reported (on a voluntary basis) to PrairiesCan by its clients

Other key program impacts

Another specific impact was related to PrairiesCan’s support to Indigenous Peoples. In 2023-24 PrairiesCan identified a need to increase access and participation of Indigenous clients in PrairiesCan’s core programs. To address this, a landing page was created on the PrairiesCan website for Indigenous organizations to facilitate in pathfinding them to departmental core programs as well as other federal government supports.

GBA plus data collection plan

In 2023-24, PrairiesCan continued to collect GBA plus related data from its applicants and sought opportunities to improve its collection plan. PrairiesCan’s current data collection exercise gathers diversity and inclusion parameters from applicants as they are provided with opportunities to voluntarily report whether the applicant organization is owned/managed by underrepresented group(s) and whether the project targets supports to underrepresented group(s). From this data, PrairiesCan has the ability to make evidence-based decisions and improve its analytical tools in support of departmental programs and services.