Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

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
• My organization has set promotion goals for:
  • Indigenous employees
  • Black 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?

Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) has set goals for recruiting and promoting the three groups targeted in the Call to Action on Antiracism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, namely Indigenous peoples and Black and other racialized people. Goals have been set for fiscal year 2023–2024 and future fiscal years. 

However, we did not just look at the situation for these groups—we also looked at the representation of persons with disabilities when analyzing the composition of the workforce, to include representation goals for this group as well. 

Set goals and consequent strategies

In order to set goals, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team examined the representation of employment equity (EE) groups from various angles, including

• occupational group; 
• classification level; 
• business sector; 
• geographical location (where the employees work); and 
• turnover and promotion rates. 

The aim was twofold: to identify sectors where the representation of EE groups was lower than that seen in the labour market, and to identify trends in terms of systemic over-representation. 

When considered by occupational group, the results of this analysis highlighted an under-representation of Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees, regardless of classification level or geographic region. We therefore set consistent three-year recruitment and promotion goals (indeterminate appointments) specific to certain occupational groups. Our analysis of turnover and promotion rates for these employees showed that they were equal to or lower than the turnover rate of employees as a whole.  

Communicate goals

The goals and the results of the analysis were presented to all employees in a written memo from CED’s Deputy Minister / President and at a “Live at CED” session. In both cases, the context and expectations of the Call to Action were presented, along with a profile of representation within the Agency and the goals put in place to correct the gaps observed. 

Measure the progress

Due to the small size of the organization (400 employees), progress will be measured every six months to allow CED to assess the effectiveness of the strategies implemented and make any necessary adjustments. In situations where progress measured does not meet expectations, a more detailed analysis will determine whether the strategies were ineffective or inadequate, or whether barriers exist that need to be eliminated or mitigated.

The results will first be shared with the Departmental EE, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, made up of representatives of all the partners involved, the Labour-Management Executive Committee and then with all employees.

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.
• Work is underway to set goals.

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).

Our organization has undertaken to set goals to foster greater inclusion in fiscal year 2023–2024 and in future fiscal years. 

The review of representation within the Agency included the identification of indicators to measure inclusion, including the turnover rate of EE group employees targeted by the Call to Action. One of the three-year goals communicated to employees is to maintain a turnover rate for Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees that is at least equal to or lower than the rate for employees as a whole. 

This is a first step in assessing the impact of our inclusion efforts. 

We also want to focus on the lived experiences of employees so that we can be informed by data that is more qualitative, such as how employees perceive their experience at the Agency. Our goal is to better define inclusion for the employees so that it can be more accurately measured.

This will include taking into account the results of the Public Service Employee Survey and the Employee Exit Questionnaire (internal tool), as well as the findings of employee consultations (surveys and focus groups) planned for the summer and fall of 2024. Once we have a more precise definition of inclusion, we will be able to come up with indicators to measure it and set goals and strategies to improve it.

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?)?

CED has established an approach to measure progress towards achieving its objectives.

In the interest of transparency and openness, the recruitment and promotion objectives we have set for the three groups targeted by the Call to Action have been communicated to all employees through multiple forums. The goal is to ensure that we reach as many people as possible and garner the support of all stakeholders. The same approach applies to measuring progress.

In addition to a written communication to all employees, followed by a speech at a general staff meeting, both delivered by CED's President and Deputy Minister, we also took advantage of the first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Forum, chaired by the EDI co-champions, to present the results of the workforce composition analysis.  The objectives we have set to address or close the gaps we have observed, and the strategies to enable us to achieve them.

This Forum serves as an open and constructive exchange platform to support the engagement of equity-seeking groups and their allies as well as to facilitate organization-wide discussions on diversity and inclusion issues. It is also the preferred forum for the organization to report on our progress in these areas, gauging the partners involved, share best practices, evaluate our strategies in place and correct them, if necessary.

A Ministerial Committee on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, chaired by the Chief HR Officer, has a mandate to ensure open and constant communication between all partners involved in the organization and to ensure better coordination of initiatives and activities related to EDI. An update on progress towards the objectives and immediate actions related to the Call to Action is on the agenda for each meeting. This approach allows for rich discussions on CED's progress in these areas, on the effectiveness of the strategies and solutions implemented, in addition to being a safe space to propose new approaches.

Regular updates with the Agency's senior management are planned on a semi-annual basis to reflect the efforts of each sector to achieve objectives, to share successful best practices and to reiterate the importance of the essential role and power of influence that each of them plays.

Finally, it is expected that employees will be informed on an ongoing basis of the Agency's commitments to anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion and the progress of the initiatives implemented. This can be done during speeches by the Deputy Minister and President, the Head of Human Resources, EDI Champions, or any other stakeholders or partners involved.

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.
• 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.

The contribution of all members of senior management is required to combat racism and ensure an accessible and inclusive workplace for all. The performance agreements of all Agency executives include a commitment to antiracism and equity, diversity and inclusion. Executives are encouraged to support the implementation of immediate measures and to influence their respective management teams to do likewise.

In addition, the theme of the common organizational goal, shared by all staff members for the new 2024–2025 performance management cycle, is inclusion and accessibility. All employees are called upon to ensure that, collectively and individually, our work environment is exemplary in this respect.

The Deputy Minister has specifically asked executives to ensure that progress is made on representativeness and inclusion over the next three years. Together with their management teams, executives are ultimately responsible for the goals set for eliminating gaps in the representation of Indigenous peoples and Blacks and other racialized people and for ensuring a turnover rate for these groups that is equal to or lower than that of CED employees as a whole. The HR team is responsible for monitoring progress and ensuring that data is available and accessible.

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?

• 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.  

As President and Deputy Minister of CED, I am an unwavering spokesperson for the richness that the diversity of our management teams represents for my organization and, more broadly, for the federal public service. I offer targeted support to employees from equity-seeking groups identified in the Call to Action framework, as well as to all forms of diversity, whether recognized or not by the Employment Equity Act.

I have personally challenged my executive team to do the same, encouraging them to support the career development of employees from equity-seeking groups when the opportunity arises.

Moreover, the EDI team is working on developing a sponsorship strategy adapted to the reality of the Agency (small organization) and the needs of employees who are part of the next generation of executives from equity-seeking groups.

Once the sponsorship strategy is implemented, I will reiterate this commitment to my leadership team to sponsor equity-seeking employees, including Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees, with the goal of ensuring succession in leadership roles within the organization.

In the same vein, CED is raising awareness among all managers of potential biases and barriers within performance management and talent management processes. We have also established an inclusion ambassador role as part of the performance management exercise for the next generation of Executive (EX) managers.

We have also developed an approach to support the career development of employees from equity-seeking groups identified by the Call to Action. A new career questionnaire will be made available to all employees this year, allowing employees from equity-seeking groups who are part of the succession pool to identify themselves and gain access to a pathway tailored to their needs or to development opportunities.

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.

In the winter of 2024, as Deputy Minister / President of CED, I personally endorsed a recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees encouraging all sectors to hire students from the groups targeted in the Call to Action by promoting and personally endorsing hiring campaigns aimed at providing students with work experience within the federal public service.

I specifically endorsed the use of the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity and applications for the Federal Student Work Experience Program from candidates who are members of visible minorities or Indigenous groups. Although persons with disabilities are not specifically targeted in the Call to Action, I encouraged my team to explore the Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities initiative.

The strategy identified when we set three-year representation objectives is to identify the most talented talents and, once they have completed their program of study, to hire them through the graduate student bridging option when positions are available or become available.

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?

Given its geographic location (presence in the regions of Quebec) and its specific mandate (regional economic development), CED must ensure that its employees are able to meet the obligations of the Official Languages Act relating to service to the public and language of work. 

At least once a year, an active offer of second-language training (to maintain or upgrade skills) is made to employees. In the winter of 2024, a directive was introduced prioritizing employees belonging to equity-seeking groups targeted by the Call to Action, regardless of whether or not they are ready for advancement.

To date, it has not been necessary for us to use the prioritization criterion since all interested individuals have been able to participate in the trainings offered.

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

Currently, the second language training offered to CED employees focuses on one or the other of Canada's two official languages (French and English). There is no Indigenous language training planned for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

However, we plan to gauge employees' interest in this subject and, if the need is clear, add one or more Indigenous languages to our language training offerings in the coming years.

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).
• Work is underway for my organization to further engage with or to provide support for and/or invest resources in departmental employee networks and communities.

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

In 2022, CED had an important discussion about equity, diversity and inclusion. The discussion led to the implementation of a new governance structure that better defines the stakeholders and their respective roles within the organization. The governance structure emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces for employees, both from diverse and non-diverse backgrounds, where they can talk about their experiences and contribute to organizational thinking on inclusion and the fight against all forms of racism.

Implemented in 2023–2024 on a gradual basis, the new structure gives employee networks greater autonomy and facilitates communication among employees, managers, EDI champions and the Human Resources team.

New champions who influence the creation of employee networks

Early in their mandate, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) co-champions helped organize CED’s very first EDI Forum, in cooperation with the Agency’s HR team. The event, which featured a panel discussion with representatives of CED’s diversity and intersectionality employee networks (CED’s Black Employees Committee – CEDBEC) and other federal organizations, proved to be an unparalleled venue for addressing, head-on, issues such as inclusion, racism, etc., and highlighting the importance of investing resources in employee networks.

The event was a huge success and influenced the creation of a new group of diverse employees: the Network of Asian CED Employees.

Ongoing support and commitment from the HR team

To ensure ongoing support for all EDI partners, the HR team acts as the direct point of contact with employee network representatives and EDI co-champions, and chairs the departmental EDI Committee. This new departmental committee will facilitate communication and collaboration among all partners and influence decision-making on the Agency’s various EDI initiatives. 

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?

• 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.  

CED has not only developed a calendar of holidays and periods that have significant religious, spiritual or cultural significance for its employees, but has also drafted a guide to help raise awareness among employees and managers about the importance of considering the particularities of their respective teams when planning major meetings and/or events. The guide promotes the consideration of diversity and inclusion with a view to ensuring that everyone is present at major events. 

Senior management has been made aware of the need to pay particular attention to the organization of corporate events to avoid certain periods deemed more sensitive. Various versions of calendars of cultural and religious dates have been posted on the Agency’s intranet site. An internal memo was sent out informing all employees about the calendar. 

Furthermore, the internal major event planning form was amended to include a question on the consideration of cultural and religious dates in the planning process. A presentation at a meeting of the Administrative Professionals Network helped raise awareness about this practice and the importance of taking this issue into account when organizing team meetings or major events.

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 first barrier we faced was the small size, both of our organization and of the EDI team. While medium-sized and large federal organizations often have entire teams to deliver programs and carry out initiatives related to diversity, inclusion and accessibility, CED, although bound by the same commitments and obligations, has much more limited resources. This means we have to be creative, reinvent ourselves and reallocate resources accordingly. Careful planning and the prioritization of activities is key if we are to achieve our goals, which must be just as ambitious as those of other, often larger, organizations.

A second barrier faced by the organization was the difficulty of consulting with employees from employment equity groups. In fact, until quite recently, there was only one employee network. This meant we had to come up with other ways of consulting with and learning about the various forms of diversity. With this need for consultation in mind, we held the first-ever Diversity Forum in the winter of 2024, which provided a venue for addressing issues of inclusion, equity and racism; and we set up the Departmental EE, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which brings together the various partners involved in achieving the Agency’s EDI objectives.

Nonetheless, these barriers did not prevent us from achieving tangible results. Instead, they forced us to think differently, implement innovative solutions and involve all stakeholders in solving the challenges we face and will continue to face going forward

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.

At CED, we not only looked at the situation of the groups specifically targeted by the Call to Action, but we also chose to include the situation of women and persons with disabilities when analyzing the composition of the workforce, with a view to ensuring that they too are included in the Agency’s representation goals, and so that we can develop inclusion indicators that also take their specific realities into account. 

The concept of intersectionality has proved to be particularly relevant in that it recognizes that diverse individuals, regardless of whether or not they belong to a recognized employment equity group, do not constitute a homogeneous group, and that they present multiple intersecting identity factors. We recognize that a person can be part of more than one equity-seeking group and that this shapes their perspective and experience.

The employee consultations planned for the summer of 2024—to be used in the development of our equity, diversity and inclusion plan—will provide a safe space to discuss these realities. 

CED is also committed to providing all its employees with a healthy and inclusive workplace, free from discrimination and racism, where mental health issues are tackled head-on. That is why we regularly promote and encourage employees to take part in information, awareness and training activities on the subject of mental health. We also regularly promote the various resources available to employees, such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP); the Informal Conflict Management Service (ICMS); the services of the Office of the Ombuds for Small Departments and Agencies (Public Services and Procurement Canada); and the services of Health Canada’s Harassment and Violence Prevention Unit (HVPU), which acts as CED’s designated recipient for notices of occurrence of workplace harassment and violence. 

Besides providing employees with support and resources, we know that building an inclusive workplace is a collaborative effort. That is why we have reviewed CED’s mandatory training program to include training for managers and employees to remind them of their crucial role in creating and maintaining a respectful and inclusive workplace for all and recognizing and eliminating the biases and barriers that get in the way.

The experiences of 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, must be heard and taken into account in the definition of an inclusive workplace and the establishment of inclusion goals. That is why there will be a specific focus at the employee consultations scheduled for the summer of 2024 on the perspectives, barriers and specific needs of these employees, in order to ensure that no one gets left behind.

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 Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service and the ensuing forward direction have brought the importance of these issues to the forefront across government by addressing head-on the lived experience and barriers faced by Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees. The tangible actions to be put in place have also highlighted the importance of acting on multiple levers to ensure a fundamental and lasting change of culture.

Several elements of the Call to Action have positively influenced the implementation of a diversity and inclusion governance structure at CED, including the focus on: 

• the accountability of senior management with respect to these issues; 
• the importance of setting ambitious goals for improving the representation of employment equity groups at all levels of the organization; and
• the importance of employee consultation when defining inclusion and representation goals.

This has resulted in the development of a context conducive to the implementation of a diversity and inclusion governance structure at CED that has significantly improved collaboration and communication among all the partners involved and has given employee networks an opportunity to regularly discuss issues of interest. 

The measures to be implemented immediately have allowed us to better prioritize our actions and standardize our EDI practices across the public service.

Finally, the fact that senior management is directly involved in diversity, accessibility and inclusion issues means that these disciplines take on a greater importance in departmental discussions and planning exercises.

The organization, its employees and the workplace all benefit from this exercise.