Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

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
  • Racialized people
• My organization has set promotion goals for:
  • Indigenous employees
  • Racialized employees

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?

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) 2023 – 2026 Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EEIAR) Action Plan details the following objectives for recruitment:

• Year one (2023-2024) – overall representation of 13% above workforce availability (WFA) for Indigenous Peoples, racialized people (including Black employees) and persons with disability groups (met year one objective).
• Year two (2024-2025) – overall representation of 19% above WFA (currently meeting this objective).
• Year three (2025-2026) – overall representation of 25% above WFA.

The Agency’s EEIAR work plan 2023 – 2026 details the following objectives for promotional rates:

• The proportion of promotions (successful candidate in a staffing process) of equity-seeking employees is the same or above the proportion of their representation among all employees.
  • Indigenous employees – 4.5% of employees self-identify as part of the Indigenous Peoples’ group. In 2023-2024, 9.3% of successful candidates in staffing processes that resulted in a promotion self-identified as Indigenous employees. ACOA exceeded the proportionality objective for Indigenous employees.  
  • Racialized employees (including Black employees) – 9.2% of employees self-identify as racialized people (3.1% as Black people). In 2023-2024, 9.3% of successful candidates in staffing processes that resulted in a promotion self-identified as racialized people and 3.1% as Black people. This means that ACOA met the objective of proportionality for employees’ who are part of the racialized people and Black people groups.

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).

Examples of activities

• As part of the Agency’s response to the forward direction of the Call to Action implementation, extensive dialogue on ways to be a more representative and inclusive workplace were held at every management table and during all-staff sessions across the Agency.
• The Agency’s 2023 – 2026 EEIAR Action Plan details the following objectives related to inclusion:
  • Existing employee-led networks are supported, and new employee-led networks are created, for equity-seeking groups. The chair or a representative from each network is also a member of the Agency’s EEIAR Committee.
    
    • The Agency already had the following employee led networks: Positive Space Ambassadors (2SLGBTQI+), Accessibility, Professional Youth and Wellness/Mental Health.
    • During 2023, the following employee-led networks were created: Black employees, Multicultural employees, Indigenous employees, Employees with disabilities, Women and Allies as well as some diversity and inclusion regional committees.
  • Provide support and learning opportunities for employees to gain deeper awareness and understanding of the importance of an inclusive workplace with no systemic barriers.
    
    • Supervisors were provided with opportunities to further their competency of valuing diversity and inclusion by participating in the Agency’s Diversity. Inclusion. Competency. Excellence. (DICE) conversation, a mandatory dialogue on topics relating to anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusivity, reconciliation and positive space, as well as various events such as panels of employee-led networks and Leaders Leading Leaders activities, the Between the Lines book club, Insights Discovery workshops, webinars from the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, and tools from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
• A Valuing Diversity and Inclusion competency was developed in 2022-2023, and has been a mandatory competency on all management/supervisory level posters since January 2023.
• The following value statement related to inclusion, respect and accessibility was developed and encouraged to be included on the Agency’s staffing advertisements: ACOA is dedicated to establishing bias-free selection and assessment practices that provide an equal opportunity for all, including women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized people (including Black people), persons with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
• Delivery of the DICE conversation is ongoing and remains mandatory for all employees. It introduces dialogues and raises awareness on inclusion, equity and anti-racism. More than 85% of employees and executives have participated in the DICE conversation.

Metrics used to measure inclusion within the Agency

• Public Service Employee Survey – Question 51, which relates to the implementation of the Call to Action within departments as a positive impact for the workplace. The Agency had 69% positive answers compared to 49% for the public service. The following are the Agency’s 2023-2024 results per equity seeking group:
  • Indigenous employees – 85% positive answers compared to 46% for the public service.
  • Racialized employees – 51% positive answers compared to 55% for the public service.
  • Persons with disabilities – 66% positive answers compared to 43% for the public service.
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ – 83% positive answers compared to 49% for the public service.
• Federal Public Service Mental Health Dashboard – The Agency’s results for organizational culture and civility and respect, indicators of an inclusive workplace, are 77.6% and 86.4% positive responses compared to 65.1% and 79.9%. 

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?)?

Currently, the Agency is measuring progress through:

• leveraging information for statistical purposes related to the hiring of new employees and self-identification;
• capturing the intentional hiring processes where candidates self-declare as part of an equity group;
• the results of the Public Service Employee Survey;
• the results of the Federal Public Service Mental Health Dashboard;
• consultations with employee-led networks and continuous feedback from representatives on the Agency’s Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee;
• its Head Office and Regional Labour-Management Consultation Committees;
• collaboration with other Regional Development Agencies.

The information is shared throughout management tables, and then with employees.

The Chief Information Officer, in collaboration with the Director General of Human Resources, is planning to enhance the Agency’s reporting through more automated systems in the coming fiscal year to allow the availability of real-time data. 

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.
• A lack of progress towards representation and inclusion goals results in consequences.

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

The Agency’s vice-presidents and executive (EX) level employees have specific performance indicators in their performance management agreements (PMA) regarding inclusive hiring, sponsorship of employees’ who are part of equity-seeking groups, and access to language training to help with career development. Not meeting these objectives could impact their performance pay. The following performance indicators were part of their 2023-2024 PMA objectives.

Vice-presidents/EX level employees – Inclusive hiring

• Contribute to the Agency’s multi-year goals by implementing intentional processes for staffing actions to increase representation and reduce employment equity gaps across all classifications at the Agency.
• Contribute to exceeding workforce availability Agency-wide by at least 13% in 2023-2024 and up to at least 25% by 2025-2026 for Indigenous Peoples, racialized people/visible minorities (including Black employees) and persons with disabilities.
• Demonstrate leadership by participating in and encouraging the use of hiring processes that are culturally sensitive and driven to remove barriers for the appointment of Black people and other racialized people, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, other equity-seeking groups as well as employees with multiple or intersectional diversity characteristics.
• Engage employees and implement cultural changes to strengthen inclusion, diversity and anti-racism.
• Prioritize language training and development programs for Indigenous employees, Black people and other racialized employees, and persons with disabilities.
• Vice-presidents – Sponsor two Indigenous employees or Black/racialized employees, or persons with disabilities or members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to support them in preparing to take on leadership roles at the Agency or in the Government of Canada. 
  • EX level employees (optional) – Sponsor an employee with a talent management plan aspiring to become an executive.

Vice-presidents/EX level employees – Valuing official languages

• Promote the benefits of linguistic duality, help colleagues overcome linguistic insecurity and promote best practices such as how to chair bilingual meetings.
• Support a workplace culture where language rights of employees are always respected.

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?

• I have 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.
• Work is underway to develop an approach to sponsorship.

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.  

ACOA participates in the following formal career development programs where employees who have self-declared as Indigenous Peoples, Black people and/or racialized employees have been intentionally selected and are being sponsored by senior executives:

• Mosaic Leadership Development Program (Treasury Board Secretariat)
• Mentorship Plus (Treasury Board Secretariat)
• Executive Leadership Development Program (Treasury Board Secretariat)
• Building Black Leaders (Atlantic Federal Council)
• Diversity Leadership Development Program (Atlantic Federal Council)

The Agency has also implemented its talent management program and leadership learning journey, Building and Supporting Leaders, which:

• supports career and leadership development for all employees, with enhanced intentional opportunities for people who are part of equity-seeking groups;
• provides a safe, healthy, accessible, respectful and supportive workplace;
• fosters and promotes continuous development through effective career conversations, self-awareness and personalized learning;
• provides mentorship and sponsorship to employees who self-declare as part of an equity-seeking group to prepare them for leadership roles.

Through talent management, the Agency’s President sponsored an Indigenous employee who was successfully promoted and a Black employee who has been offered an acting opportunity.

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 not personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees.

Please provide details.

Clear direction was provided to senior management to increase the Agency’s representation of Indigenous People, Black people, racialized people and persons with disabilities, and to have mandatory intentional hiring processes for EX level positions, where gap exists and when gaps existed in specific classification groups. Therefore, from September 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, 80% of completed staffing processes at the Agency were intentional, which played a significant role in meeting the objectives to increase representation. 

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?

Performance indicators have been included in the Vice-presidents’/EX level employees’ performance management agreements to prioritize language training and development programs for Indigenous employees, Black people and other racialized employees, and persons with disabilities.

A new language training framework was developed and recently approved by the Executive Committee to centralize ACOA’s language training coordination and budget within the Human Resource Directorate. Once implemented, this approach will allow strategic decision making to further support the prioritization of official language training for Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees, which aligns with ACOA’s Building and Supporting Leaders’ talent management program. 

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

The Agency has not received any requests to date for Indigenous language training. Should one be received, it will be treated similarly to other learning activities related to the duties of the position in question.  

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.

The Agency has nine employee-led networks as well as regional diversity and inclusion committees. One representative from each network is a member of the Agency’s Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EEIAR) Committee, which is co-chaired by the Agency’s EEIAR Champion and the Agency’s EEIAR Sponsor (both at the EX level). This provides a direct link for networks to voice their input to senior management, share opportunities to continuously grow as a network and help the Agency be an inclusive, respectful, healthy and accessible workplace.

The Agency’s Office of Inclusion, Equity and Anti-Racism has established a position to provide leadership, strategic direction, policy advice, professional development and expertise on inclusion, equity and anti-racism to support the elimination of systemic barriers and to help the networks advance their respective objectives. An intentional internal to the Government of Canada staffing process is currently underway to fill the position. In the interim, the employee-led networks were informed that they can communicate directly with the Human Resources Directorate for guidance, support and the funding of activities.

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.
• Work is underway on our integrated business plan and/or mental health plan to embed anti-racism, equity and inclusion work.

Question 10

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

• Work is underway to develop this calendar at my organization.

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

N/A

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.

1. One of the initial and main barriers faced by the Agency when implementing the forward direction on the Call to Action was directly linked to the exclusion in this direction of women, persons with disabilities and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as this didn’t align with the Agency’s existing Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EEIAR) Action Plan and staffing objectives. It took dedicated effort to communicate and adjust plans to ensure that the Agency’s approach to implementing this direction was done in conjunction with all other actions plans in place to support the advancement of equity groups and communities, highlighting the collective efforts toward a common goal.  
2. As a small department, it was challenging, especially at the onset, to strike a balance between setting robust intentional recruitment objectives to enhance representation while continuing to support the development of internal talent. Effective communication and strong leadership from senior management was key to promoting an inclusive workplace and clearly communicating that all employees are valued and continue to be supported in their growth and development.
3. Another challenge is the benchmarking used to set recruitment objectives.  Currently, the Agency relies solely on the Treasury Board Secretariat’s (TBS) workforce availability (WFA) data to identify representation gaps, which has limitations (e.g., outdated data, policy decisions for geographic coverage, etc.). For instance, the Agency’s Employment Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism multi-year staffing objectives aim to close all classification gaps in terms of representation. However, for the EC classification, this will not be a realistic objective given that the WFA data is set to national levels only and does not consider the WFA located in Atlantic Canada or in the National Capital Region as with other classifications. Discussions have taken place with the TBS to understand the WFA data and the ability to adjust the Agency’s staffing objectives accordingly.

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.

The Agency’s EEIAR Action Plan is inclusive of all equity-seeking groups and their voices are being included in the Agency’s EEIAR Committee, which is a safe space for employees to express their concerns and raise opportunities. The Agency’s Diversity. Inclusion. Competency. Excellence (DICE) conversation also recognises intersectionality and its impact on systemic barriers, which are often greater for employees who self-identify as members of various communities. Other actions such as consultations, panels, a book club, and employee-led network activities also contribute to raising awareness on intersectionality.

The forward direction of the Call to Action created a sense of need for the establishment of the Women and Allies network within ACOA as a significant step to addressing gender equity gaps, intersectionality and ensuring women’s voices were at the tables. It underscores the importance of inclusive initiatives and the recognition of women’s pivotal roles in leadership. This network serves as a platform for advocacy and change, fostering an environment where diverse voices can contribute to shaping policies and practices. It is a testament to the ongoing efforts to create a more equitable workplace, ensuring that all employees feel represented and valued.

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. 

1. Even before the initial Call to Action, the Agency’s commitment to Employment Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EEIAR) was commendable. The establishment of an office dedicated to these principles, along with the creation of employee-led networks and ongoing consultations, had set a strong foundation for the new Call to Action. By setting clear objectives for the Deputy Minister and Executives, the Agency has seen a pivotal shift at all levels of management toward people management, with a concerted effort to increase representation and foster inclusion. This strategic approach, coupled with accountable leadership, has significantly advanced the EEIAR Action Plan and cultivated a culture of respect and inclusion at all levels.
2. ACOA’s proactive approach to diversity and inclusion is a testament to its commitment to serving the community effectively. The forward direction of the Call to Action has accelerated the Agency’s intentional recruitment processes. A more diverse and representative workforce brings a wealth of perspectives that drive innovation and better reflect the community it serves. This not only enriches the Agency’s culture but also enhances its service to the public. As employees recognize the value of everyone’s input, the organization becomes stronger and more adaptable, ensuring that it meets the diverse needs of all Atlantic Canadians with greater understanding and responsiveness.