Canada Border Services 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
• 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?

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) uses workforce availability (WFA) data to establish goals. According to the last report on employment equity from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the CBSA has closed the gaps for all employment equity categories with the exception of Persons with Disabilities.

Internally, the CBSA continues to focus on strengthening representation across all employment equity categories at disaggregated levels which include at the branch or regional levels. Goals are communicated to employees through Agency-wide messages from senior officials. Additionally, goals and priorities are regularly developed in consultation with employment equity networks and advisory circles.

Effective strategies:

• Embed Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the enterprise level as a key priority and report quarterly to demonstrate progress and flag concerns.
• Reconciliation and Anti-Racism and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are 2 of 7 key Agency priorities.
• Keep the dialogue current by ensuring it is a topic at governance tables at least twice a year, and have it as a quarterly bilateral item at senior management discussions.
• Build and develop reflection spaces that feature Indigenous culture, ceremony and art as a way to educate and share knowledge on Indigenous culture and history. As an example, CBSA has embedded Indigenous artifacts in its graduation ceremonies as well as has an annual Tipi raising ceremony to honour National Indigenous History Month.
• Have dedicated resources working towards intentional efforts for recruitment and career development, this has made a notable impact employment equity categories, particularly increasing the diversity of recruits at the CBSA College.
• Government-wide goals with clear measures have been helpful in moving the yardstick on hiring persons with disabilities as departments are working collaboratively together.
• Make data accessible to the Agency including the staffing community. The CBSA has launched user friendly workforce dashboards that are shared quarterly. These dashboards allow for better workforce and succession planning.

Challenges:

• Data integrity continues to be a challenge due to timeliness of personnel information.
• The self-identification process is currently outdated, for example the vocabulary used no longer reflects the identities of our workforce. This will be mitigated once the new inclusive form is implemented and data is tracked centrally.

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).

The CBSA has implemented goals to foster greater inclusion through leadership development, improved cultural awareness and promotion and knowledge of bias and barriers. These goals are included in the CBSA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and Accessibility Plan.

The CBSA uses questions in the Public Service Employee Survey to measure employee sentiments. Specifically, the Agency’s Accessibility Plan uses the following measures:

• employees’ sense of belonging and feeling accepted as a measure of a team,
• employees’ seeking accommodation measures from an immediate supervisor
• rate of discrimination and,
• rate of harassment

The CBSA’s current Action Plan sets out goals to reduce the gaps between equity deserving communities and their counterparts. In the next iteration of the CBSA’s Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (2024-2027), clear goals have been established with clear links to measurable data. The CBSA has also developed a Human Resources Data Strategy which will strengthen the ability to examine Human Resources programs and activities from an employment equity lens.

The CBSA uses a variety of data to track and monitor progress. These sources include human resources administrative data, self-identification information, Public Service Employee Survey results, program questionnaires and surveys, culture surveys as well as focus groups and listening circles. The CBSA has developed an employee survey strategy (to be launched in the third or fourth quarter 2024-25) to better allow it to collect meaningful information on its workforce.

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?)?

The CBSA is in the process of finalizing its next Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (2024-2027). The Agency has a working committee comprised of members from employee networks and advisory circles that represent the various equity-deserving communities. This working committee has been consulted in the development of performance measures and goals articulated within the new action plan. The CBSA also has a National Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee which also includes bargaining agents.

In relation to governance, reporting and oversight, the CBSA has multiple senior management governance tables that are responsible for endorsing the proposed performance measures and associated plan, as well as monitoring progress. Specifically, the Workforce and Workplace Management Committee, which is chaired by the Vice-President of Human Resources, governs the annual Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action plan and monitors its progress through annual reports. Final oversight and endorsement is provided by the CBSA Executive Committee, chaired by the President and attended by all Vice-Presidents. Progress reports are provided to Agency Director Generals and Vice-Presidents on all Equity, Diversity and Inclusion metrics and committed actions. Additionally, the President reviews the Anti-Racism and Equity Diversity and Inclusion progress reports at the branch and regional level with senior leaders in their bilateral conversations. An annual report is governed at the Executive Committee to ensure that all senior leaders are aware of Agency progress.  

The CBSA also shares results publicly on its public-facing website. It posted the first CBSA Accessibility Progress report in December 2023. There are other reports related to equity, diversity and inclusion which are shared publicly. Notably, the CBSA completed a Gender-based Analysis plus evaluation of the Traveller Stream as well as an evaluation of Employment Equity in Staffing at the CBSA. The results and outcome of these evaluations are available publicly.

During 2023-24, the CBSA was one of six entities audited as a part of the Office of the Auditor General audit on an Inclusive Workplace for Racialized Employees. Upon completion of this audit, the CBSA worked with the Office of the Auditor General to hold an information session related to the findings and recommendations, where close to 700 Agency employees attended. In addition to the audit, the CBSA conducted an Employment Systems Review which included gathering feedback through over 100 interviews with employees from equity deserving groups. The Employment Systems Review was conducted by a third party to support objectivity.

The CBSA is committed to creating an open and transparent environment so we can work collectively to advance Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts.

Consequential accountability

Question 4

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

• Qualitative objectives are in performance management agreements.
• Work is underway to develop approaches to establish accountability for results in either of these processes.

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

Every year, the CBSA establishes Mandatory Leadership Commitments, which are comprised of the Government of Canada Corporate Priorities and Agency Priorities, as well as associated performance measures. The CBSA ensures that themes in the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion; and, other important initiatives are well-reflected in the annual Mandatory Leadership Commitments.

In 2023-24 the CBSA implemented a top-down approach to cascade priorities and performance measures to employees at all levels, to ensure that everyone is collectively working towards the achievement of Government-wide and organizational priorities. The CBSA has also committed to working with stakeholders to define and develop common performance measures, including expected behaviours, that promote an anti-racist and inclusive work environment.

The CBSA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where employees are treated equitably and feel a sense of belonging. As such, the Agency is conducting an analysis on performance management ratings to determine whether biases exist and to address any gaps.

Additionally, the CBSA established a National Calibration Committee that meets annually at year-end to review, discuss and finalize executive performance ratings and talent map placements. Guidance and recommendations based on performance and talent management directives are provided at calibration meetings, reducing potential bias by identifying and addressing common rating errors. Also, the Committee is provided with a detailed analysis of the proposed performance ratings, which includes the distribution across employment equity groups. This process ensures a fair and consistent approach to executive performance assessments.

In spring 2023, the CBSA established the Executive People Management Committee to promote and enable effective executive organizational and people management. The committee has a robust mandate, which includes:

1. Providing information, advice and strategic recommendations to the deputy head to support a culture of Executive (EX) talent management;
2. Ensuring the Agency provides fair opportunities to a diverse leadership cadre that reflects the Canadian society;
3. Recognizing the need to find new ways to organize the leadership cadre to tackle common issues; and informing and developing common strategies to collectively manage EX human resources issues, while respecting individual delegated authorities.

The CBSA is making great strides to develop strategic processes to support non-Executives in the Agency, and more specifically equity-deserving group members. The CBSA has begun to identify measures to support the calibration and streamlining of non-Executive talent management data within the Agency – to compliment the rigorous process developed for Executives. The CBSA is engaging with employee networks and advisory committees in the review of the Agency’s framework. As an example, during a workshop on Many Voices One Mind, Indigenous employees provided good ideas of how the Agency could strengthen its processes. The CBSA will be reviewing its processes with an Indigenous lens to ensure that barriers are removed. The Agency is finalizing its framework for non-executives which will take into account the Government of Canada’s goals to advance Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Reconciliation.

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.  

In 2023-24 the CBSA established a framework for sponsorship and mentorship which will be rolled out more formally as a part of the Agency’s 2024-2027 Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Since 2021-22, the CBSA has made a concerted effort to increase diversity in leadership roles. The Executive cadre is more diverse and representative today than it has been historically. The growth in representation is attributed to a number of targeted initiatives including staffing, mentorship, talent management and sponsorship.

In 2022-23, the CBSA developed and delivered an Employment Equity, Executive Leadership Development Pilot. This pilot had 11 graduates from the various equity-deserving groups, and provided individuals with active coaching and mentorship. This pilot has prepared these individuals for executive roles, and as of March 31, 2024, 4 people have been appointed indeterminately or are in acting roles.

The CBSA also participates in the Mosaic Leadership Development Program and has one employee who has successfully graduated from the first cohort while another candidate is completing the program requirements.

The President of the CBSA and her executive team have actively used sponsorship to support and prepare individuals for leadership roles. At the executive level, sponsorship is embedded in the talent management framework and includes job assignments that help to diversify one’s experience to prepare them for the next level.

The CBSA conducted a survey of its executive cadre to identify how many individuals have been mentored and sponsored. 156 Executives responded to this questionnaire. CBSA executives have mentored 21 Indigenous employees and 229 Racialized employees. Executives have also sponsored 17 Indigenous employees and sponsored 143 Racialized employees over the last three year period. Sponsorship and mentorship is a key commitment in the CBSA’s action plan, and the Agency will be providing additional resources to support executives in their mentorship and sponsorship work.

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
• Work is underway so that I will personally endorse at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees.

Please provide details.

The CBSA is committed to creating a representative workforce and has implemented a number of measures which reduce barriers for equity-deserving group employees. The President sponsors Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives across the Agency and has made Reconciliation and Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 2 of its 7 key priorities.

To increase representation on the frontlines, the CBSA enables Indigenous candidates to self-refer at any point in time. Indigenous candidates are also provided with mentorship and coaching through the selection process to ensure that they are provided with the best opportunities to succeed. The CBSA runs specific recruitment campaigns for Indigenous employees and have held events in communities.

In 2023-24, the CBSA ran 128 events and outreach activities that had an Indigenous focus. To further support Indigenous employees, the CBSA has two Indigenous Career Navigators who are responsible for providing support to Indigenous employees in creating learning plans, establishing career goals and assisting hiring managers to recruit and hire Indigenous talent.

In the corporate areas, the CBSA ran a targeted staffing process at the AS-04 group and level and preference was given to candidates who identified as being Indigenous or a Person with Disability.

Further to the above, the CBSA is one of the largest employers of students in the Public Service. Its Student Border Services Officer program is a pipeline for talent in the Government as the CBSA administers over 100 different acts and regulations. The CBSA uses diverse student hiring processes including the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity Inventory as well as the Students with Disabilities Inventory to fill gaps.

The President of the CBSA will continue to champion a diverse and inclusive workplace and personally sponsor at least one recruitment campaign as a part of the 2024-2027 Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

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
  • Racialized employees

How is your organization prioritizing official language training?

The CBSA has a robust training prioritization framework that is broken down into three categories 1) legislative 2) operational and 3) career development. CBSA has prioritized language training for employees within the designated employment equity categories as it recognizes that obtaining the second official language can open up opportunities for advancement.

Through this prioritization, the CBSA saw a significant increase in number of employees within employment equity groups gain access to training. In 2023-24, 32.1% of participants identified as racialized (vs 10.1% in 2022-23); 3.6% identified as Indigenous vs 1.1% previously, 5% identified as Black vs 1.2% previously; and 12.5% identified as a Person with Disability vs 4.1% previously.

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

The CBSA does not currently offer access to Indigenous language training. The CBSA funds a dedicated Indigenous Training Program that is focused on responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 57. In addition, the Agency provides financial support to the Indigenous Advisory Circle and the Indigenous Cultural Safety and Wellness Working Group to host knowledge keepers, elders and language keepers that share information on language learning and cultural support.

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 CBSA has five national committees that represent equity deserving communities in addition to nine regional and branch level committees that support work at other levels. Committees are provided with financial support either through salary or operational and management funds to cover translation, travel, events and activities. The CBSA has five champions for equity-deserving communities including Women, Indigenous Peoples, Racialized employees, Persons with Disabilities and the 2ELGBTQI+ community. The champions amplify the voices of their respective communities and provide financial support to advance the goals of the committees. Additionally, Agency management are encouraged to fund and support employee participation in employee network events and activities.

From a governance standpoint, equity-deserving groups are represented by a Champion at the Director General level or higher. These officials are a part of the governance process and ensure that the voices of their communities are included in the decision making process. The Champions also have the discretion to propose and recommend initiatives that benefit their community and will work collaboratively with program areas to advance the interests of their respective communities.

In 2023-24, the CBSA established a Champion Secretariat which helps to foster better collaboration across the Champion networks and their communities. The Secretariat brings Champions from the equity-deserving groups together with other Champions such as the Champions for Mental Health and Wellness, Management community, Official Languages and Gender Based Analysis Plus. By facilitating communication, sharing resources, and providing guidance, the secretariat enhances the Champions' capacity to collaborate and implement initiatives that advance the goals of the organization.

The CBSA also has a National Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and sub-committee and an Indigenous Framework Strategy Working Group which meets on a regular basis to discuss issues of importance and to co-develop action plans and strategies to advance the work of reconciliation, Anti-Racism and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the CBSA.

Additionally, the CBSA supports an Indigenous Cultural Safety and Wellness Working Group who promote a safe workplace for Indigenous employees by hosting speakers from the Employee Assistance Program, elders, teachings and various wellness supports. The Indigenous Advisory Circle hosts an informal Sharing Circle monthly which provides a safe space and an opportunity for employee peer support.

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.

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.  

In February 2024, the CBSA launched an Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Calendar. This calendar promotes and raises awareness around major and significant commemorative dates, religious holidays as well as celebrations identified by Heritage Canada along with its employees.

The CBSA is an operational 24-7 Agency, therefore there are operational limitations with regards to avoiding significant dates and holidays. Significant dates and holidays are typically the busiest for the CBSA as the public is travelling. Therefore, the CBSA must maintain workforce capacity to serve the travelling public and commercial operations.

The CBSA encourages management to be flexible with their employees who are observing holidays to ensure that their rights are respected.

Communication of significant dates are provided on a weekly basis across the Agency through the Agency’s daily newsletter. This is also amplified by the Human Resources branch who reminds management of potential accommodations and adaptations that are required. As an example, during Ramadan, a reminder was issued to encourage management to enable practicing employees with accommodations and support.

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.

The CBSA has faced challenges in Advancing Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Some examples of barriers include:

• The self-identification process is particularly challenging at CBSA. The CBSA’s current self-identification rate is approximately 60%, which falls short of its goal of 80%. Having accurate self-identification information is important in being able to understand equity gaps in its processes and systems. In 2021, the Agency conducted a survey of employees who did not self-identify to better understand the reasons why they were not completing the self-identification process. Some of the main reasons for not self-identifying included concerns around stigma, impact to career development, as well as level of confidentiality. As context, the CBSA is a law enforcement organization where approximately 50% of its workforce work on the frontline have physical and psychological minimum requirements. Frontline employees in particular are concerned about disclosing disabilities in particular, as they are afraid that it will impact their career mobility.
• To mitigate this, the CBSA has been working hard to promote and create awareness around the self-identification process and how the data is protected and used. The CBSA anticipates that the modernized self-identification form will encourage increased participation as it is more inclusive and reflective of the broad diversity of the Agency’s population.
• In consultation with the Agency’s employee networks and advisory committees, it has been noted that official language requirements as per the Official Languages Act remains a significant barrier in career mobility. This has been most notable for Indigenous Peoples, racialized employees and persons with disabilities. The CBSA is mitigating this through more proactive workforce planning. The CBSA has also updated its language training framework and funding model to support earlier opportunities for language training. Additionally, the CBSA continues to prioritize employees within the employment equity categories to support their career mobility.

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 CBSA takes an intersectional approach to consultations and engagement with the employee networks and advisory circles. Meetings are held at least once every 8 weeks with the national and regional networks to facilitate discussions on various issues and establish common goals aimed at integrating an intersectional perspective. The Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion unit at the CBSA ensures that communication between the networks are strengthened.

The Champion Secretariat which was established in 2023-24 will help to foster better collaboration across the employee networks and advisory circles. One of the goals of the secretariat is to address common issues that affect the equity-deserving communities, while understanding their unique differences. The CBSA is also using Gender Based Analysis in its human resource processes to better understand the barriers faced by the various communities.

The CBSA’s current consultation process has been recognized by the employee networks as highly effective and inclusive. It will continue to build on this success to co-develop programs and initiatives.

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. 

Prior to the forward direction, the CBSA had already implemented an Anti-Racism strategy. The forward direction of the Call to Action reinforced the importance of the Agency’s Anti-Racism strategy as well as its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The forward direction has brought forward positive impacts within the Agency as it clarifies the expectations for leaders. It has also been beneficial that the commitments to the Call to Action have been included in the corporate commitments.

Over the last year, the CBSA continued to be focused on increasing awareness and education. The Agency has experienced a gradual but notable transformation, as more people are prepared to come forward with their lived experiences. To build on this momentum, the Agency is turning awareness into action through hands-on workshops. As an example, the CBSA conducted workshops on how to detect barriers in the workplace and how to have conversations on accessibility, use inclusive language and demonstrate allyship. The allyship workshop was a best practice, and also shared internationally with World Customs Organization members. The direct impact of this work is that more people at CBSA today are comfortable identifying as a person with disability and engaging in these difficult conversations.

Embedding Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Reconciliation in the Agency’s business plan as well as identifying them as 2 of the 7 top priorities has put discussions around inclusion at the forefront. This has had a positive impact not only internally, but also externally. CBSA officers interact with over 70 million travelers annually and are responsible for receiving vulnerable populations such as refugees, asylum claimants etc. Additionally, the Agency has ports of entries on Indigenous Reserve lands that see regular border crossing from Indigenous Peoples. The Agency recognizes that it must be at the forefront of an inclusive public service.

Overall, the forward direction of the Call to Action has had a positive impact on the Agency's culture. Through education, awareness, and systemic change, we are creating an environment where equity, diversity, and inclusion are not just performative activities, but lived values. This transformation sets the stage for a more inclusive and equitable future for everyone.