Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Goal setting

Question 1

Has your organization set goals (for fiscal year 2023-2024 or future fiscal years) for recruiting and promoting Indigenous peoples and Black and other racialized people?

• My organization has set recruitment goals for:
  • Indigenous peoples
  • Black people
  • Racialized people
• Work is underway to set goals.

Please provide details and/or examples, including what your organization is using to set its goals (e.g., operational priorities, labour market availability [LMA], population data, workforce availability [WFA]), and how these goals are communicated to employees, if applicable. What has been the most helpful in advancing towards the goals you have set? What challenges, if any, have you encountered?

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has short-term recruitment goals for all designated employment equity groups. These goals (broken down by occupational group) are incorporated in the department’s 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and Action Plan that is available to all employees through AAFC’s Intranet (AgriSource) and SharePoint Online sites. They are reviewed and updated annually as part of the overall update to the DEI Strategy and Action Plan. The 2022-25 DEI Strategy and Action Plan has been communicated to staff through clear newsletter articles and messages from the Deputy Minister.

Branches also have Employment Equity (EE) Plans that outline staffing and recruitment targets and priorities aimed at addressing representation gaps at the Branch level by 2025. These targets are based on Workforce Availability Estimates and anticipated staffing requirements. Branches receive updates on their progress regularly throughout the year.

Setting recruitment and promotion goals

The establishment and annual update of the short-term recruitment goals considers the following:

• Recommendations from the departmental 2021 Employment Systems Review
• Changing demographics, and historical hiring, promotion, and separation data
• Progress against activities in the 2018-2021 Diversity and Inclusion Plan and the 2022-2025 DEI Strategy and Action Plan
• The Clerk’s Call to Action and Forward Direction instructions
• Recommendations from the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) Horizontal Employment Equity Audit on the Employment of Racialized Persons in Management and Executive Positions
• Recommendations from other central groups including the Public Service Pride Network
• Results from AAFC’s Diversity and Inclusion Index and Public Service Employee Survey
• Extensive consultations with employees, DEI Networks, DEI Champions, and bargaining agents 

Helpful factors or initiatives

Diverse Staffing Board Initiative

Launched in 2021 as a pilot, AAFC expanded the Diverse Staffing Board Initiative (DSBI) in 2022 to create a department-wide inventory of AAFC employees willing to bring diversity to the table and help managers minimize potential barriers and biases when recruiting new talent. For 2023-2024, the DSBI had 73 registered volunteers. Out of 15 requests, DSBI members were able to support 12 staffing processes.

Training on Inclusive Hiring Practices

Following the 2021-22 mandatory requirement for all AAFC managers with staffing sub-delegation to complete the Canada School of Public Service course, Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce, the Department has continued to track the number of managers and employees completing this training.  As of March 2024, 720 AAFC employees completed this course. The compliance rate for this mandatory training is 100 percent.

Targeted Processes

Hiring managers are encouraged by Staffing Advisors to consider departmental and Branch goals and gap reports when undertaking staffing processes. Branches who ran specific targeted processes saw the most success in meeting their recruitment goals and contributing to improving the departmental representation.

Using departmental data, Human Resources (HR) identifies the AAFC positions that most frequently require staffing processes. This strategic approach led to the launch of several department-wide talent inventories and collective staffing processes focused on employment equity group members, yielding fully and partially qualified candidates for consideration. 

A recruitment plan for Executive (EX) and EX feeder groups aimed at racialized candidates, including participating in the Identification of Future Black Leaders Initiative was led by the Federal Black Executive Network.

Biggest challenge - identifying employees as members of EE groups

One of the biggest challenges in supporting the development and promotion of EE employees has been identifying employees as members of EE groups, and having the ability to use that data.

• The reluctance of some people to self-identify, and the fact that self-identification is voluntary and can be modified at any time poses challenges in terms of the accuracy of metrics and measuring of trends over time. For example, when someone is hired through a targeted process with a narrowed area of selection, there is nothing to ensure that the individual then self-identifies in the departmental system. To try to address this gap, AAFC has regularly run self-identification campaigns, including a concise self-identification campaign in December 2023.
• Self-identification data cannot be used for anything other than statistical reporting without the consent of the person. In response to this challenge, AAFC developed and launched a DEI Consent Form in December 2022 that enables the department to use self-identification data to facilitate the nomination and participation of employees from EE designated groups (including racialized employees) in government and departmental development and learning initiatives that support career development and advancement. 

AAFC’s current action plan encourages the use of talent management and sponsorship targeted to develop our Indigenous, racialized and equity-seeking employees to prepare them for future promotion opportunities. As we develop our next 2026-2029 DEI Action Plan, we will look at adding specific promotion goals in consultation with DEI stakeholders.

Question 2

Has your organization set goals to foster greater inclusion (for fiscal year 2023-2024 or future fiscal years)?

• My organization has set goals to foster greater inclusion.

Please provide details and/or examples, including which metrics or data your organization is using, if applicable (e.g., your Public Service Employee Survey results, pulse surveys, exit interviews, human resources administrative data).

Setting inclusion goals: Department-wide

AAFC’s inclusion goals are captured in the 2022-25 DEI Strategy and Action Plan (Strategy). The Strategy is broader than just an Employment Equity plan and includes a vision statement, 3-year action plan with key initiatives, short term recruitment goals and a comprehensive Monitoring Framework that outlines key activities, performance objectives and indicators, baseline, target etc.

The following recommendations, data, and metrics were considered in the establishment and updating of the goals within the Strategy:

• Recommendations from the departmental employment systems review that occurred in 2021
• Changing demographics, and historical hiring, promotion, and separation data
• Progress against activities in the 2018-2021 Diversity and Inclusion Plan and the 2022-2025 DEI Strategy and Action Plan
• The Call to Action and Forward Direction instructions
• Recommendations from the CHRC Horizontal Employment Equity Audit on the Employment of Racialized Persons in Management and Executive Positions
• Recommendations from other central groups including the Public Service Pride Network
• AAFC’s Public Service Employee Survey and Diversity and Inclusion Index results
• Extensive consultations with employees, DEI Networks, DEI Champions and bargaining agents

Setting inclusion goals: Branches

To address representation gaps in the four employment equity groups, each branch completed an Employment Equity Plan that outlines staffing and recruitment targets and priorities to address representation gaps at the Branch level, by 2025. These targets are based on Workforce Availability Estimates and anticipated staffing requirements, and Branches receive annual updates on their progress.

Branches have implemented staffing actions that contribute towards reaching their goals. These include narrowing the area of selection to focus on particular EE groups; using existing pools and inventories of Indigenous and other equity group candidates; or implementing numeric identifiers for candidates in lieu of names for screening to combat unconscious bias.

Setting inclusion goals: DEI Networks

AAFC has five well-established and active DEI Networks that are led by employee Co-Chairs, supported by Executive Network Leads, and championed by Assistant Deputy Ministers. These networks are also supported by a Network Secretariat team who provide guidance and administrative support to networks on their events.  

AAFC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Networks are involved in a broad range of activities and play a key role in helping the Department achieve its diversity and inclusion goals by: 

• Raising awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility issues. This includes employee engagement through regular events and activities open to all staff; 
• Supporting recruitment and retention activities; 
• Identifying and suggesting resolutions for systematic barriers; and, 
• Using their diverse perspectives to contribute to initiatives and reports from other areas of the Department. 

Each DEI Network sets out its own inclusion goals and activities for each year through an integrated planning exercise.

Measuring progress

Question 3

Has your organization developed an approach for measuring progress towards your established goals? 

How is the approach being implemented within your organization (e.g., how is it communicated to employees? What are the roles of executive team members including the Chief Data Officer and Head of Audit and Evaluation and regional management if applicable? How are you reporting on results and outcomes both internally and externally?)?

AAFC’s 2022-25 DEI Strategy and Action Plan is published on the department’s intranet site and available to all employees. A comprehensive Monitoring Framework is in place to track and measure progress against the established goals laid out in the Strategy. The Framework outlines key activities, performance objectives, indicators, baselines, targets, as well as data sources and leads for each.

Progress against the Strategy is monitored bi-annually and reported annually, using the Monitoring Framework.

• At mid-year (Fall), Human Resources gathers key HR-related analytics and reports back to branches and senior management on progress.
• At year-end (Spring), each branch provides details on their progress against their responsibilities assigned in the Strategy and HR adds in key metrics.
• An annual report card is published on the Department’s DEI SharePoint Online site that is accessible to all employees. Progress is also shared with DEI Networks and stakeholder committees.

At that same time as progress is reported to Senior Management, additions or revisions to the Strategy are proposed and approved for the following year. The additions/revisions are based on lessons learned, new direction (e.g. Forward Direction instructions), and updated data/statistics. This enables AAFC’s Strategy to remain relevant and responsive to emerging issues.

To inform the Department and branches on their progress against key DEI metrics, AAFC developed the following tools that are shared regularly throughout the year:

• EE Progress Reports are produced using a variety of HR-related data at both Department and Branch levels. Branch level reports are shared directly with Branch Heads and key branch contacts quarterly or semi-annually as per reporting frequency. Departmental Reports are shared with Senior Management, DEI Champions, Bargaining Agents, DEI Networks and with operational committees. Reports are posted on the Knowledge Workspace page for all staff, senior management, hiring managers and branch planners. The HR Data Analytics Team is undertaking a deeper dive analysis on impactful metrics (e.g. salary differential, promotion rate, Official Languages capacity.
• AAFC’s Diversity and Inclusion Index is composed of key performance indicators that measure the department’s performance against its long-term DEI goals from the perspective of employees: 
  • Diversity indicators measure the representation of equity seeking groups in the workforce and in leadership positions
  • Inclusion indicators are taken from key questions taken from the Public Service Employee Survey results
  • Assessments in each area are combined to assign an overall assessment rating
  • Historical data has been incorporated to allow the department and each branch to assess their progress over time

Consequential accountability

Question 4

How is your organization using performance management and/or talent management processes to establish accountability for results?

• Quantitative goals are part of performance management agreements. 
• Qualitative objectives are in performance management agreements.
• Progress towards representation and inclusion goals is part of the criteria for being considered for talent management.

Please provide details about how performance management and/or talent management processes are being used to establish accountability for results.

AAFC senior management is committed to DEI:

• AAFC’s Director General, HR Directorate, is the Department’s Senior Delegated Official for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. They are responsible for the Diversity Program and ensuring that the Department engages in DEI initiatives, specifically those identified in AAFC’s DEI Strategy.
• Two Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADM) co-champion as Departmental Diversity Equity and Inclusion Champions and there is a separate ADM  Champion for Indigenous Inclusion and Reconciliation. Together, these Departmental Champions support diversity initiatives across the Department.
• Executives have been identified as Network Champions for each DEI Network and work closely with employee co-chairs to help guide the essential contributions of our networks.
• Inclusion efforts are also supported by the Departmental Ombuds, and Wellness and Official Languages Champions.
• The Corporate Secretary in the Deputy Minister’s Office leads the work of the DEI Network Secretariat which supports the Department’s DEI Networks.
• The Corporate Communications Team works with the DEI Network Secretariat, DEI Policy and Programs team, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) and EX Champions, and with Network Co-chairs to support a range of employee-focused initiatives. It also provides strategic advice and communications support for DEI departmental events involving the Deputy Minister and/or all staff, as well as on related to national/international commemorative dates on an on-going basis.

EX performance agreement commitments

AAFC continues to demonstrate its leadership and accountability in DEI by formally including DEI corporate commitments in all executives’ performance agreements.

While the ADM and Executive Champions included specific performance measures related to their roles, all other Executive performance agreements include the following commitments:

1. In accordance with the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, and the Accessible Strategy for the Public Service, contribute to the department’s short-term hiring goals set in the AAFC Strategy and Action Plan and goals to hire 224 Persons with disabilities by 2025 (85 in 2023-24) aimed at improving underrepresentation in the workforce.
2. Be a leader and ally for diversity, equity and inclusion by actively participating in activities and events that support diversity, safe spaces, accessibility, inclusion and advancing Reconciliation. Take direct, practical actions to address racism, discrimination and foster a culture of inclusion and ensure you support accessibility and act on duty to accommodate obligations within your organization.
3. Identify equity, equity-seeking group employees and Indigenous employees for sponsorship and other targeted learning and development opportunities to address barriers to career progression, using AAFC's DEI Consent Form.

*ADM or EX Champions should include specific measures related to their role as Champions.

Executives are evaluated against these commitments in the performance management discussion that impact their renumeration.

Specific, tangible actions outlined in the forward direction of the Call to Action

Question 5

Have you, as head of your organization, and/or your executive teams sponsored at least two Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees to prepare them for leadership roles?

• My executive team has sponsored at least two Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees to prepare them for leadership roles.

Please provide details about the nature of sponsorship that you and/or your executive team have provided, along with other programs, such as mentorship or leadership development, if applicable.  

AAFC has a series of distinct programs that seek to prepare people for advancement in their careers. Specific efforts have been made to ensure engagement for employees from Employment Equity groups. In addition to the programs noted below, there are also Talent Management Plans in the Public Service Performance Management Application that may also lay out other ways managers (not just executives) are supporting employment equity employees to advance in their career “to prepare for leadership roles”.

EE Sponsorship Program

AAFC sponsored four (4) EE employees for leadership through its EE Sponsorship Program (Program) to support the government's ongoing commitment to develop our potential leaders (equivalent to EX minus 1 and 2 levels) from underrepresented equity groups and increase diverse representation in senior management positions.

The Program’s objectives are to provide selected employees with:

• developmental leadership opportunities and exposure to senior management activities, such as training and work experiences; and
• opportunities to help them meet the qualifications and skills required in future executive selection processes.

Although the Program does not guarantee advancement opportunities or promotional appointments for protégés, one protégé has successfully moved to an EX position at another department. AAFC is currently working on next steps to launch the official cohort in the fall of 2024-25.

Manager Leadership Development Program

AAFC’s Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) is designed to support the development of AAFC managers at the Executive equivalent, EX minus 1 and EX minus 2 levels.

To identify Black and Racialized candidates and other EE group candidates interested and eligible to participate in this program:

• Branches encouraged employees to complete the DEI Consent Form when expressing their interest in participating in MLDP; and
• Each DEI Network (including the Visible Minorities Network and the Indigenous Network Circle) was asked to identify 2 members for consideration to MLDP. Seven EE/equity seeking employees participated in the program as a result.

In addition, course content has been modified to incorporate DEI to ensure managers have the knowledge and skills required to lead in an inclusive manner.

AAFC’s Mentoring Program

AAFC’s Mentoring Program provides employees from all regions, branches, levels, and classifications to share corporate knowledge, improve communication skills, achieve personal goals, and gain invaluable skills to help participants advance in their careers.

Employees are invited to perform a self-assessment to determine if they are best suited to the role of mentor, associate, or both, and are matched based on their applications by a member of the Mentoring Program team. Where possible, a mentee can be paired with a mentor of the same designated group.

Mosaic Leadership Development Program

The Mosaic Leadership Development Program is run by the Treasury Board Secretariat Centre on Diversity and Inclusion, and is a leadership development program for employees at the EX minus 1 level that equips equity-seeking employees to enter the EX group.

AAFC has two employees participating in the current cohort. These employees are set to complete the program by December 2024.

Question 6

Have you, as head of your organization, personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees?

• I have personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for:
  • Indigenous employees
  • Black employees
  • Racialized employees

Please provide details.

Focused processes

In 2023-24, AAFC conducted the following focused processes, from which managers are able to hire EE candidates:

• EG-03 - Completed April 2024 using a narrowed area of selection to Indigenous Persons. There were 100 fully qualified candidates. 
• Administrative Support AS-01 – Process is in progress. Used a narrowed area of selection to Persons with disabilities. There are 143 partially assessed candidates.
• Executive Assistant AS-03 - narrowed area of selection to Persons with disabilities.11 qualified or partially qualified candidates (pending second language evaluation). 3 referral requests were received.
• Persons with Disabilities Inventory - Closed in March 2024. There are 1750 candidates available for referral. 10 referral requests were received.
• Student hiring strategies - Focuses on hiring students with disabilities as well as Indigenous students. Automated process to assess students in a timely manner.130 qualified students. 26 referral requests received. 5 student hires. 
• Information Services Branch led an IT-03 / IT-04 process and prioritized qualifying members of EE groups.
• Programs Branch led a CO-2 process, external to government, with a narrowed area of selection to Persons with disabilities. There has been 1 hire to date.

Departmental efforts supporting the recruitment of Black and Racialized Persons

AAFCactively promotes Government of Canada recruitment programs for equity seeking groups e.g., Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities; Indigenous Career Pathways; Federal Internship Program for Persons with Disabilities, Interdepartmental Indigenous Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM), and the Indigenous Apprenticeship Program for the Information Technology group.

AAFC hiring managers are asked to review and ensure that their hiring processes are culturally sensitive and to remove barriers to appointment of Black employees and other racialized employees, Indigenous employees, and employees with disabilities.

Consideration is given to non-imperative staffing and language training for managerial positions where Black employees and other racialized employees, Indigenous employees, and employees with disabilities are being considered for appointment.

Question 7

Has your organization prioritized official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement?

• My organization has prioritized official language training for:
  • Indigenous employees
  • Black employees
  • Racialized employees

How is your organization prioritizing official language training?

Departmental and Branch Official Language training programs

AAFC’s 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy includes an initiative to increase representation of equity and equity-seeking groups in learning and developmental opportunities to support career progression and employee retention.  AAFC has launched 2 pilot language training programs outlined below since 2023. Employees are also encouraged to complete the DEI Consent Form to enable use of self-identification data when identifying participants for branch and departmental language training programs.

Indigenous French Language Training Pilot

In 2022-23, in support of Departmental reconciliation, AAFC’s Official Languages team worked in close collaboration with the Indigenous Support Awareness Office (ISAO) to develop and launch a pilot French language training program designed for AAFC’s Indigenous employees – the first cohort included 4 students.

The pilot program, designed with particular needs of the community, aims to bring Indigenous employees with no French language skills (Level X) to a Level B in reading and writing within 24 months, through part-time language training. The goal is then to integrate participants into the corporate language training program to bring them to Level B in oral communication. ISAO and the Indigenous Network Circle oversee the nomination of employees to participate in these pilots.

In 2023-24, the three Indigenous employees in the initial cohort (launched in 2022-23) advanced to Step 2 of that pilot, bringing them to their Level A in reading and writing.

Three new Indigenous employees nominated by the Indigenous Network Circle started a new Step 1 (Level X) training in January 2024.

Visible Minorities French Language Training Pilot

In 2023-24, AAFC’s Official Languages team worked in close consultation with the Co-chairs of the Visible Minorities Network to develop and pilot a French language training program specifically for non-French speaking employees who are members of the Visible Minorities Network. The pilot used lessons learned from the Indigenous French Language Training Pilot launched the year before.

This pilot program is designed to consider the particular needs of the community without the pressure of having to reach a targeted Second Language Evaluation (SLE) level by a set date. The Visible Minorities Network oversees the nomination of employees to participate in the pilot.

The Visible Minorities language training pilot was launched in February 2024 with four students.

Does your organization offer access to Indigenous language training or have plans to offer access? Please provide details. 

AAFC does not currently offer training in Indigenous languages to employees.

Question 8

Has your organization provided support and/or invested resources for organizational employee networks and communities?

• Engagement with employees and employee networks in my organization’s decision-making is meaningful and regular.
• Governance structures are in place to support employee networks and communities (e.g., champions, champions/chairs participate at management tables).
• Material supports are provided for employee networks and communities (e.g., dedicated funding, FTE support, allowing time to engage in activities).

Please provide additional detail about how your organization engages with and supports employee networks and communities.

AAAFC has five well-established employee-led DEI Networks:

• Gender and Sexual Diversity Inclusion Network (GSDIN)
• Visible Minorities Network (VMN)
• Indigenous Network Circle (INC)
• Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (WiSTEM)
• Persons with Disabilities Network (PwDN)

Two Assistant Deputy Ministers act as Departmental DEI Co-Champions and there is a separate ADM Champion for Indigenous Inclusion and Reconciliation. Each network also has EX Network Champions at the Director General level to work closely with employee co-chairs.

Diversity Champions are responsible for consulting with network members, ensuring strategic issues are discussed and addressed; sharing information between senior management and the network; providing leadership and direction to the network; and providing support for departmental DEI initiatives.

The DEI Network Secretariat in the Deputy Minister’s Office supports the DEI Networks and provides:          

• Strategic support, guidance, and training for co-chairs and members 
• Assistance, tools, guidance and funding to support Network activities  
• Support for integration and collaboration between Networks 
• Coordination of contributions from the Networks for Departmental reporting and to inform new policies
• Support and coordination with a dedicated team in corporate communications to develop and promote a wide-range of DEI activities, initiatives, products and resources

The Indigenous Support and Awareness Office (ISAO) works toward establishing a culturally supportive and culturally competent workplace for Indigenous employees and improving relationships with, and benefits for, Indigenous Peoples.

The DEI Networks and ISAO are both active and impactful. In 2023-24, 46% of AAFC employees participated in DEI learning and training sessions organized by DEI Networks and ISAO including eight network-led awareness and learning sessions, 16 ISAO-led learning events and 50 branch-led activities. There were 29 DEI articles published. Corporate Communications works closely with ISAO and the Indigenous Network Circle at AAFC to help advance Reconciliation efforts, including the promotion of activities at the Mikinàk Ceremonial Lodge in Ottawa.

In addition, several individual branches have established branch-level DEI Committees to raise awareness and lead DEI initiatives and events for their employees.

AAFC has a Workplace Wellness Programs Team, which supports the Department’s commitment to provide a psychologically healthy, safe and supportive work environment through a number of programs and initiatives including the Harassment and Violence in the Workplace Prevention Program Office, the Employee and Family Assistance Program, and training and tools.

AAFC’s Workplace Well-Being Ombudsperson provides an impartial safe space for all employees to discuss workplace issues without the fear of reprisal. As a member of senior management, the Ombudsperson provides support to employees, and gives feedback and suggestions to managers and senior leaders on changes that can improve, create and maintain healthy, productive, diverse and inclusive workplaces. 

In addition, AAFC engages with and supports employee networks and communities through the following:

• Regular meetings between the DEI Network Co-chairs and the DEI Network Secretariat which supports them.
• Monthly DEI Network Collaboration meetings which include DEI and EX Network Champions, DEI Network Co-chairs, Human Resources and other key departmental partners. This meeting provides a venue for the sharing of information; for collaboration and coordination; and for consultations with the DEI networks on initiatives.
• Semi-annual Stakeholder Meetings to consult and brief bargaining agents and other DEI partners on the progress of Departmental DEI efforts and network efforts.
• Corporate communication tools including:
  • AAFC’s intranet site (AgriSource) and the Knowledge Workplace (SharePoint) page which lists EE and DEI information, resources and supports.
  • DEI Observance Days Calendar which highlights recognition days including religious holidays, non-religious celebrations, and multicultural festivals from around the world
  • The DEI Networks Events Calendar which contains all meetings and events organized by the five DEI Networks, Departmental DEI activities, and DEI related learning events. 

Question 9

Has anti-racism, equity and inclusion work been embedded in your organization’s integrated business plan and/or mental health plan?

• Anti-racism, equity and inclusion work has been embedded in the organizational plan.
• Anti-racism, equity and inclusion work has been embedded in regional and/or branch plans.

Addressing discrimination and raising awareness

AAFC imbeds anti-racism work throughout its DEI Strategy/Action Plan which identifies actions to address discrimination experienced by employees from all employment equity and equity-seeking groups, including actions for anti-racism in workforce. 

By raising awareness of systemic racism and supporting more inclusive workplaces, the following activities also support the objectives of the DEI Strategy/ Action Plan:

• In 2023-2024 alone AAFC held 16 awareness events and posted over 70 awareness articles on its intranet site.
• AAFC maintains two Departmental calendars available to all employees on the internal website:
  • The DEI Events Calendar lists DEI activities and learning events
  • The DEI Observance Days Calendar highlights religious holidays, non-religious celebrations, and multicultural festivals.
  Managers are encouraged to refer to both to support employees for example when planning meetings, authorizing leave for religious or culturally significant days.
• AAFC provided mandatory unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training to all executives in 2020-21. The sessions aimed to increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of systematic racism, and to provide senior managers with the tools to have meaningful conversations about systemic racism with their management teams. 
• AAFC employees must complete mandatory training for various DEI related courses offered by Canada School of Public Service including Preventing Harassment and Violence in the Workplace as well as the department’s onboarding training on reconciliation, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• The Managers’ DEI Toolkit provides managers with the tools and resources they need to increase their knowledge and awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion, guide them in demonstrating inclusive behaviours, and provide advice on how they can best support employees by creating a culture of inclusion.
• AAFC has also hosted four Safe Space sessions to inform AAFC employees of the challenges faced by employees of equity and equity seeking groups as well as to provide recommendations on creating an inclusive environment. Sessions were held on the impact of anti-Muslim hate and racism for members and their communities, on addressing ableism and supporting inclusion for all, on being your authentic self at work and on creating a safe and inclusive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
• AAFC’s ISAO continues to develop a department-wide Indigenous Awareness Learning Series to build awareness of the history, barriers, opportunities, cultural contexts, traditional practices, and current environment relating to the participation of Indigenous Peoples in agriculture, through tailored learning activities.
   
  The Mikinàk Ceremonial Lodge provides Indigenous Peoples a gathering space to exchange ideas, practice cultural activities and heal from past injustices. It also provides a place of education, offering non-Indigenous people many teachings on Indigenous cultures and history.

AAFC’s DEI Networks are involved in a broad range of activities and play a key role in helping the Department achieve its diversity and inclusion goals including by:

• Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility awareness;
• Identifying and suggesting resolutions for systematic barriers; and,
• Using their diverse perspectives to contribute to initiatives and reports from other areas of the department.

Sample network activities supporting departmental anti-racism efforts and raising awareness include:

• The Visible Minorities Network hosted discussions, events and meetings on the potential impact of artificial intelligence on racialized groups, on Black workers as a separate employment equity, and collaborated with AAFC’s Public Affairs Branch to highlight the Toronto Black Farmers Collective initiative.
• The Indigenous Network Circle provides an Indigenous employee lens on initiatives related to the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and Reconciliation and has raised awareness of Indigenous issues through articles on National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Moose Hide Campaign Day, National Indigenous History Month, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day and Louis Riel Day.

Question 10

Does your organization have a calendar to avoid holding major meetings and events during significant religious, spiritual, and cultural periods?

• My organization currently has a calendar for this purpose.

If the calendar already exists, please provide additional details on how this calendar is communicated or promoted within your organization.  

AAFC’s has two main DEI calendars:

• The DEI Observance Days Calendar which highlights recognition days including religious holidays, non-religious celebrations, and multicultural festivals from around the world.
• The DEI Networks Events Calendar which contains all meetings and events organized by the five DEI Networks, Departmental DEI activities, and DEI related learning events.

These calendars are promoted through the departmental intranet site, through the DEI SharePoint On-line site and in tools such as the Managers’ Toolkit and the On-boarding Guide. DEI articles also often provide links to the two calendars.

Additional information about your organization’s ongoing initiatives 

Question 11

What are two or three specific barriers that you have faced in advancing work on the Call to Action?

Please provide two or three examples.

Specific and detailed analytics

The lack of data or a mechanism to collect data beyond the four EE groups (for example 2SLGBTQIA+ community or specifically the Black community) has made it extremely difficult to establish goals and measure progress to support these groups.

The reluctance of some people to self-identify, and the fact that self-identification is voluntary and can be modified at any time poses challenges in terms of the accuracy or metrics and measuring of trends over time. For example, when someone is hired through a targeted process with a narrowed area of selection, there is nothing to ensure that the individual then self-identifies in the departmental system.

Impact of the pandemic

The post pandemic situation has completely reset the way we manage and illustrates the importance of keeping employees supported and engaged both at individual and organizational levels and investing in more flexible, innovative, and barrier-free people systems and processes moving forward.

For example, with the return to the physical office and the implementation of the hybrid/ work from home policies, AAFC consulted employees and met with the DEI Networks and took actions on their suggestions i.e. all-access washrooms. Throughout these changes AAFC has communicated openly, frequently and in detail to employees any proposed or implemented changes.

Developing DEI competencies

Societal events sparked in 2020 have catapulted the focus on DEI to centre stage. The systems, structures and resources dedicated to DEI have struggled to keep up. Expectations for how quickly change can be implemented in this context are challenging to manage.

There has been greater visibility, empathy and expectations in advancing anti-racism, equity, and inclusion both in the public as a whole and within the public service. To respond to this changing environment AAFC needs leaders at all levels who are agile and adaptable with diverse views to reflect the reality of the Canadian population it serves so we are evolving our recruitment, hiring, selection, training and promotion efforts to increase our diversity.

AAFC also needs leaders who can manage a diverse work team in an inclusive and supportive way. AAFC has spent a great deal of effort in supporting inclusion by raising DEI awareness and learning across the department and in promoting best practices and tools for managers such as the Managers’ DEI Toolkit and the DEI Networks Events Calendar and DEI Observance Days Calendar.

Question 12

Recognizing that employees often have multiple identities, what actions is your organization undertaking to support Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are also members of other communities, such as persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and religious minorities who face compounding barriers of discrimination?

Please provide details.

DEI Networks working together

A monthly collaboration meeting established to enable AAFCC’s five DEI Networks to work closely together, identifying commonalities between their challenges and plans, intersectionality of their members, and collaborating on initiatives to use resources as effectively as possible.

Question 13

In your first year of implementing the forward direction of the Call to Action, what impact has this work had on the culture of your organization?

Please provide the two or three most important impacts. 

The Forward Direction of the Call to Action supports and provides weight to the work that AAFC has prioritized over the last number of years. The Department has set and communicated multi-year hiring, promotion, and inclusion goals to identify areas where change was needed, as outlined in the Forward Direction. Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism are very high on the list of departmental priorities, and AAFC has made great strides in taking action to support these goals for example:

• We ensured that our DEI plans became real and measurable actions by evolving our monitoring thorough a monitoring plan and a new reporting cycle.
• We took great effort to recruit employees from designated and equity seeking groups including running a first ever Public Service recruitment campaign which populated our Persons with Disabilities Talent Inventory, by expanding our Diverse Staffing Board Initiative, and by conducting targeted recruitments processes that resulted in 27 hires. 
• We supported the career ambitions of our employees from designated and equity seeking groups including by prioritizing their learning and development through the use of the new DEI Consent Form and by launching an Executive Sponsorship Program.

AAFC uses its Diversity and Inclusion Index to both measure the department’s performance against its long-term DEI goals and to understand and drive culture change from the perspective of our employees. In addition to historical representation data, the Index uses questions taken from the Public Service Employee Survey results as performance indicators to capture the employee perspective on departmental culture and our inclusion efforts.   
Other recent activities supporting Indigenous, Black, Racialized, equity and equity seeking employee include:

• We engaged a consultant to review the way we govern and manage our DEI work in the department with a view to further improving collaboration and coordination and to amplify the impact of our efforts.
• We created the Innovation Centre to foster creativity and collaboration and to support our employees with disabilities with innovative and adaptive technologies.
• We set up AAFC’s Peer Support Program, a peer-based, informal and confidential support option for AAFC employees who may be experiencing a difficult situation.
• We demonstrated our inclusion by updating the visuals for our AAFC Networks and by installing artwork by Indigenous artists in both the Mackinac Lodge and our new Innovation Centre.
• We shared information and increased DEI awareness amongst our employees with over 1100 employees participating in DEI related events.
• In addition, our branches have stepped up drafting their own employment equity plans, running their own targeted processes, leading their own initiatives and organizing events supporting DEI within their branch.

The Call to Action Forward Direction did highlight three areas where we can do more to create the culture change we want in our department:

1. It inspired us to explore setting goals for promotions. Our current action plan encourages the use of talent management and sponsorship targeted to develop our Indigenous, racialized and equity-seeking employees to prepare them for future promotion opportunities. As we develop our next 2026-2029 DEI Action Plan, we will look at adding specific promotion goals in consultation with DEI stakeholders.
2. It reinforced the importance of equipping managers and senior managers to handle complex and difficult conversations around DEI. While we have started this work with mandatory unconscious bias training, the Managers’ Toolkit and the DEI Recognition Calendar, we will reach out to managers again and use our recently revived Managers’ Community to have conversations with managers on what they need to support the culture change we want.
3. It gave us a good incentive to continue to explore and incorporate intersectionality in our DEI efforts as we have only started these discussions.

To summarize, the Call to Action Forward Direction reinforced the importance of the efforts we have been making so far to create a culture change that betters support Indigenous, Black, racialized, equity and equity seeking employees and it highlighted areas where we can focus efforts moving forward.