Canadian Security Intelligence Service

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

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 Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy has set concrete goals to increase overall Employment Equity (EE) representation by 2026/2027. The organization is committed to increasing diversity within the executive cadre and its overall workforce by appointing qualified candidates from EE groups. While these goals are based on the Canadian Workforce Availability (CWFA) set in 2016, CSIS set a more ambitious aim to take into account Canadian representation changes since that time. CSIS’ goals consider our current representation rate and CFWA at the level of occupational groups, subgroups, and organizational unit (branch level) and are informed by local representation (population) in Canadian regions where CSIS has offices. While CSIS has not set specific goals for promotion, it has set goals for representation at the executive level, appointments for which are most often made from within CSIS.

The goals will be reassessed once the 2020 census data is released. By 2026/2027, CSIS anticipates its workforce representation to increase to 25% for visible minorities (racialized people) 3.4% for Indigenous Peoples and 8.9% for persons with disabilities (PWD) and, considering the significant gap for Women in Science and Technology, to 25% in this position group.

In 2022, the Human Resources (HR) Analytics team developed guidance and tools to support hiring managers’ decision-making in staffing processes, including promotional appointments, and held information sessions for HR practitioners and hiring managers with a focus on defining EE staffing options. Wording on internal job posters was modified where EE gaps need to be addressed, as committed in the DEI Strategy Action Plan. This includes executive (EX) job posters as a way to increase diversity at our senior leadership level. Diverse interview panels have been integrated for EX processes, and an integrated coaching program was launched to all employees.

Since November 2022, hiring managers and HR practitioners consult with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team to complete an EE gap analysis and decide on the best staffing option before publishing a job poster. This analysis looks at the CFWA reports in comparison to the CSIS workforce population. The analysis has been key in supporting evidence-based decisions regarding whether a “dedicated” career opportunity is appropriate, or whether qualified candidates from one or more EE groups “will” be considered or “should be” considered. The fourth staffing option is to use an “appointment without competition” based on a specific need for a candidate from an EE group.

EE representation goals were published for employees and the public in CSIS’s DEI Strategy. Employees have access to EE annual reports and to regular internal reports that illustrate disaggregated representation in comparison to previous periods, as well as trends in EE representation by occupational level, attrition/retention, hiring, promotions and retirement.

While CSIS has more work to do to attain equitable representation in all job groups and at all levels, there has been steady improvement in representation over the last three years.    

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).

CSIS has firm goals to foster greater inclusion, including in the areas of representation, reducing potential bias in policies and selection processes, internal and public outreach and accountability, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and cultural awareness, integration of DEI in strategic planning, Indigenous reconciliation and data-driven goals. CSIS was the first Five Eyes intelligence gathering organization to release publically its comprehensive DEI Strategy and action plan and is the only agency to make specific commitments under Canada’s United Nations Declaration (UNDA) Action Plan.

CSIS has committed under its DEI Strategy to implementing changes in these areas by 2025/2026. The data-driven goals are clearly identified as 10 commitments in the CSIS DEI Strategy Action Plan that support overall inclusion, equity and diversity. Methods used to better inform these objectives included the collection of qualitative and quantitative data:

CSIS used all relevant HR data within its HR information system and from exit interviews, and analyzed its 2020 Public Service Employee Survey results to inform the DEI Strategy recommendations, ultimately identified by employee working groups, and the action plan to address them. PSES results validated concerns raised by employees, specifically those who identified as members of employment equity (EE) groups. CSIS’ Human Resources (HR) Analytics team produced disaggregated data reports to complement these groups’ stories, which have facilitated the implementation of the DEI Strategy.

In summer 2021, following the Call to Action by the Clerk of the Privy Council, CSIS administered an internal DEI survey to all employees. The responses gave an understanding of employees’ lived experiences – mostly touching on racism, discrimination and harassment. Employees could self-identify in more than one EE group and identify their gender and sexual orientation. Results of the survey helped shape the commitments in the CSIS DEI Strategy to ensure it addressed matters most important to employees, such as career mobility, training, micro-aggressions, harassment, workplace support and lack of diversity in certain job types and regions. This survey was the first of its kind at CSIS and will be re-administered every 4-5 years to produce key performance indicators regarding inclusion and equity.

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?)?

Since 2022, the CSIS Human Resources (HR) Analytics team has published on its internal website five bi-annual employment equity (EE) dashboards. These dashboards, available to all employees, measure progress in representation. They:

1. Generate and publish data to track success in ensuring the composition of the CSIS population meets or exceeds the Canadian Workforce Availability (CWFA) of designated groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and members of racialized groups). These data illustrate where gaps exist at the branch level and are used by HR practitioners and hiring managers to knowledgably determine when to use staffing options to increase representation (dedicated processes, EE status “will” or “should” be considered, appointment without competition).
2. Establish benchmarks for data-driven decision-making. These benchmarks are determined by comparing the CFWA with the CSIS workforce population on a quarterly basis. Data in the EE Annual Report is available to all employees on the internal website, and the annual CSIS Public Reports in 2023 and 2024, available to employees and the public, included unprecedented transparency of representation data.

The Spring 2024 dashboard marked the completion of 22% of all commitments in the three-year action plan, significant advancement on 38% more, and initiation activity on a further 27% of commitments. In total, CSIS has taken action on 87% of all commitments.

In addition to scorecards, which measure quantitative progress, the CSIS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team has established key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure effectiveness of the 45 commitments identified in the DEI Strategy Action Plan. Some methods of measurement rely on employee feedback, workforce population analysis, participation rates in DEI events and activities (e.g., training), and completion of performance evaluation objectives.  

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.
• 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.

During annual performance reviews, all executives are evaluated on how they address employment equity (EE) gaps and organizational needs. This includes implementing the CSIS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy Action Plan in their Branches; considering DEI data in every appointment decision and participating in and encouraging their staff to participate in enterprise-level efforts and branch / regional activities, such as mandatory training. Engagement by executives in these activities is considered in talent management and the establishment of performance ratings.

Some branches in CSIS include DEI commitments in all employees’ performance objectives. The DEI Strategy Action Plan commits to the establishment of a standardized DEI objective in the performance objectives of all employees, which is under development. This performance objective will enhance the objective already present in all employees’ annual objectives and evaluations, which measures respect in the workplace. 

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.  

CSIS has enrolled employees, as endorsed by the CSIS Director, from employment equity (EE) groups in the Mosaic Program and other external leadership development programs. The Director has mentored and sponsored numerous Indigenous employees by supporting and investing in their development.

The CSIS Director has requested that members of his executive team sponsor and mentor racialized and Indigenous employees and these senior Executives are mentoring and sponsoring numerous individuals in these groups.

In 2023, CSIS took a purposeful approach to staffing priority project work to enable exposure and experience for racialized employees.

Through the Talent Management process, CSIS has sponsored Indigenous employees, Black and other racialized employees to participate in all of our EX Leadership Development training.

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
  • Racialized employees

Please provide details.

The CSIS Director has supported several initiatives under his leadership that have broken down barriers to ensure equitable and inclusive recruitment processes. Two of these initiatives were implemented to address employment equity (EE) gaps in the Intelligence Officer (IO) cadre:

• In summer 2021, CSIS ran a dedicated IO job posting for racialized and Indigenous candidates to increase diverse representation of qualified entrants in the IO cadre.
• In spring 2022, CSIS issued a “Direct-to-Region” IO job posting for racialized and Indigenous candidates residing in Toronto, Quebec, and British Columbia Regions. This campaign offered flexibility to candidates from diverse communities to stay in their region, as well as strategized to close gaps by increasing diverse representation of qualified entrants in these regions.

These campaigns offered flexibility to candidates from diverse communities to stay in their region while they met training requirements and for work placements.

The Director requested and received personal briefings on these campaigns, including on their progress and outcomes to-date.

Additionally, the CSIS Human Resources team undertook a recruitment campaign to hire a Diversity Recruiter on the Talent Acquisition Team whereby candidates from a range of different backgrounds and cultures were assessed in order to appoint the Diversity Recruiter. The Talent Acquisition Team was given a goal to recruit four Indigenous people through a recent IO job posting which attracted over 21 Indigenous candidates. The Talent Acquisition team works on an ongoing basis to promote CSIS’ goal to hire Indigenous, Black and racialized candidates.

Question 7

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

• Work is underway to develop an approach to prioritizing official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement.

How is your organization prioritizing official language training?

CSIS’ talent management process for executive movements evaluates employment equity (EE) status and official language capacity of those identified as ready for advancement. Senior leaders review the need for language training in all cases. To date, all employees from EE groups who have been identified as ready for advancement have met the bilingual requirement without needing training.

In the coming year, CSIS will review talent management processes pertaining to aspiring executives and establish approaches to support candidates, including candidates from EE groups, to obtain language levels to facilitate their advancement.

Where CSIS determines that it is an organizational requirement to increase representation through a specific staffing action, it facilitates the use of non-imperative staffing for qualified internal and external candidates if no candidates meet both the organizational need of being a member of a specific underrepresented EE group and the official language requirements of the position.

CSIS offers significant access to language training opportunities. With approval, employees (including Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees) are provided part-time language training courses and access to a language training subscription is also available to support employees’ language development.

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

N/A

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.

Employee-driven initiatives are strongly encouraged at CSIS. Employee networks receive funding, on request and approval, to organize and participate in external and interdepartmental diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities (e.g., external conferences locally and internationally) and important internal initiatives (e.g., Black and Indigenous History Month ceremonies and events in 2024). These activities are supported financially by the Branch responsible for the organization’s DEI program or at the corporate level by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

A process is presently underway to establish dedicated budgets for formal employee networks. In the interim, approval and financial support for participation of employees and employee networks in DEI related activities typically is linked to meaningful learning and opportunities for network members and other CSIS employees to increase awareness of and action on DEI related matters. Often these include experiential learning and/or best practices to be implemented for the betterment of the organization.

Employee networks receive a significant level of proactive support from the Employee Communications & Engagement team, which prioritizes support for DEI initiatives. Advisors work closely with networks to develop communications, graphics, and multimedia products for messaging and organized events. These services help transform the networks’ mandates into reality – spreading education and awareness on important matters to all employees.

Employee networks also benefit from support and advice provided by the CSIS DEI Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Committee, both of which have executive Champions at the senior-most levels of the organization. These committees allow the networks to gather diverse feedback on ideas, seek resources (e.g., volunteers for events), express concerns (e.g., identify barriers), request changes and accommodations (e.g., multi-faith prayer rooms and specific accessibility improvements), and provide input to the organization from many diverse lenses. Periodically, network representatives meet with the CSIS Executive Committee (Deputy and Assistant Deputy Minister level committee) to update on their initiatives, share barriers and discuss solutions.

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.  

Through an annual consultative process, CSIS establishes an events calendar to identify religious holidays and awareness days that will be the subject of communications to all employees. Events are recognized on television displays at CSIS Headquarters and regions, and via messaging from senior CSIS leaders, Canadian Heritage or the Prime Minister’s Office. Selected events feature guest speakers, internal film viewings, physical displays, links to Canada School of Public Service events and training opportunities, etc. In addition to religious, spiritual and cultural periods, other significant events or days are highlighted or commemorated (e.g., Anti-Bullying Day on May 4) with communications and/or events.

A multicultural calendar is also available and accessible to all employees.

CSIS uses the events calendar to create awareness of major holidays/events, which are recognized/celebrated by our employees. CSIS has a “Religious Observance” policy in place that offers employees approved absences for religious holidays.

“At the request of the employee, the supervisor should make every effort to allow an employee to be absent from work, for reasons relating to religion, without loss of income. When operationally feasible, such efforts are to include the use of annual leave or compensatory leave, shift exchanges in the case of shift workers, variable hours of work (compressed work week) or individual arrangements for make-up time within a period of six months.”

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.

Official Language (OL) Requirements: One of the biggest barriers experienced is associated with official language requirements and candidate language capabilities (i.e., French essential, English essential and/or French/English bilingual imperative positions). This has hindered the screening in of diverse groups in the application process. We see this barrier when recruiting nationally with a view to increasing outreach to diverse candidate pools, since many Indigenous and racialized candidates are located in English regions and meet the language requirements for English essential positions only. This can be challenging when recruiting for bilingual imperative positions when candidates often meet all the requirements except for language, which normally leads to being screened out. Where feasible, CSIS uses non-imperative staffing when doing so can help to close an employment equity (EE) representation gap. This reduces the barrier associated with language requirements while ensuring that employees in EE groups will meet language requirements within a specified period and be better positioned for further advancement in their careers. 

Employment Equity (EE) Gap Analysis: When doing EE gap analyses, we rely on the comparison of the CSIS workforce population with the Canadian Workforce Availability (CWFA). A challenge presents in that the most recent CFWA report is derived from the 2016 census and the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability. Although these give an idea of EE representation, the dated nature of the information risks resulting in inaccurate comparator points and inadequate goals, notwithstanding that CSIS has set more ambitious goals than strictly indicated by CWFA. 

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.

Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus training, tools, resources and support are available to employees to increase understanding and application of intersectional analysis in decision-making at every program level. This includes in-person and virtual GBA Plus training (available to all employees); mandatory GBA Plus training for all supervisors; intersectional analysis of internal processes such as those in security and human resources to avoid biases and mitigate impacts; online tools and guidelines, and GBA Plus events and speakers designed to raise awareness.

Moreover, CSIS has an active GBA Plus Network that meets bimonthly to discuss GBA Plus advances, best practices, resources, etc., and to provide collective advice and ideas to resolve intersectional concerns in relation to operational and corporate policies and approaches.

The 2021 CSIS internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Survey offered respondents the option to identify in one or more employment equity (EE) groups, and identify their gender identity and sexual orientation. The 2020 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) results and the 2022 CSIS Accessibility Survey also served this purpose for those identifying in more than one EE group (e.g., racialized and persons with disabilities). CSIS analyzed this information on a disaggregated level allowing better interpretation of the lived experiences of those who identified in multiple groups. The resulting data informed the recommendations in the DEI Strategy and Action Plan and the Accessibility Action Plan. Throughout implementation of these action plans, the themes identified in the survey results are closely considered.

The DEI Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Committee serve as a sounding board and provide support and a safe space for employees of diverse groups to express concerns and need for change to peers and management. These committees have driven change for diverse groups by raising issues, including intersectional matters, to relevant stakeholders in order to implement recommendations and/or accommodations.

CSIS has developed learning paths and toolkits for employees to acquire actionable knowledge about various DEI, Accessibility and GBA Plus topics (e.g., micro-aggressions, bias awareness, accessibility accommodation). This is an ongoing initiative. 

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. 

Since the implementation of the Call to Action, CSIS has developed, published and begun implementing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan and Accessibility Plan. Both contribute to keeping the organization accountable to maintaining momentum concerning the Call to Action and other related commitments; and to making CSIS a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and barrier-free workplace.

One of the most prevalent changes observed is an important increase in employee engagement. Employees are proactively connecting amongst each other and with management and leaders to drive initiatives forward – through employee networks and individually – to shine light on what is important to them. There has been an increase in employee articles on the CSIS intranet – sharing personal stories about their identities and lived experiences. Some have planned and led events (e.g., organized training, speakers, and bake sales featuring culturally relevant foods). These are all examples of grass-roots employee initiatives that have resulted in learning and awareness in our organization, personal engagement and agency, and served as proud moments for our employees to share who they are.

There has likewise been an increase in the number of employees and managers at all levels reaching out to CSIS’ subject matter expert teams for consultations on matters related to DEI and accessibility. Inquiries include requests to review policies, to advise on religious accommodations, and to request learning resources to educate themselves and/or their team, among others. This shows an increase in awareness of and consideration for these important topics in our workplace, and growing comfort among employees in speaking out about related matters. While there is still much work to be done, CSIS is seeing a culture shift towards more openness and inclusion.