Department of Justice

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
  • Racialized employees
• 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?

At Justice Canada, we have set representation and recruitment goals for all three equity groups mentioned above in our 2022-2025 Employment Equity (EE) Plan. For Indigenous peoples, and Racialized people, we have worked with Statistics Canada to develop a benchmarking methodology that projects current and future population growth against workforce availability (WFA) estimates using a demographic simulator that has a high degree of accuracy. We have applied these projections to the workforce availability estimates of these two populations to establish benchmark goals (Demosim 2021) that are more current and ambitious than WFA, as these two groups are the most rapidly growing populations in Canada. We have also set representation and recruitment benchmarks for Black people based on their percentage representation within the Canadian population for 2021. This methodology follows the guidance provided by Treasury Board for the inclusion of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. In July of 2023, Justice Canada launched our new self-identification campaign, to collect a new and updated data set of our internal representation, including for options for multiple new identities that were not available for employees before. The options align with the identities Treasury Board will be including in their new questionnaire when it is launched. The data from this initiative will help us better understand our population.

The quantitative goals were set as of April 1, 2022, and can be found in Justice’s EE Plan.

Question 2

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

• 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).

Work is currently underway at Justice Canada to set goals for inclusion, specifically for fiscal year 2025-2026. Quantitative goals for retention and separation rates were already set as part of our 2022-2025 EE Plan. Numerous qualitative objectives were committed to in the EE Plan as well. We report on these goals and commitments in our annual year-end reports on employment equity. We have started reviewing disaggregated data from the Public Service Employee Survey, and the Mental Health and Wellness Survey to analyze qualitative information. We will also review the findings and recommendations of our Employment Systems Review once available; and we have started to track proportional representation of equity groups in several learning and development activities, including our departmental LP-01 Training and Development Program.

In addition, we have established several performance indicators for each of the qualitative initiatives that have been outlined in our Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework. These performance indicators will be implemented, and data will be collected to measure and report on progress against them in fiscal year 2024-2025. This data will then be analyzed for trends and gaps, and goals will be set to address areas of concern for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

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?)?

Justice Canada has developed an approach for measuring progress towards our established goals. The goals as outlined in the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework are reported on through a Performance Scorecard, which outlines whether we are “on track” to complete the project/initiative, “attention is required” on some aspect of the initiative; or, although rare, whether we need to “stop” an initiative altogether due to some unforeseen or unintended outcome. For the measures outlined in the 2022-2025 EE Plan, we report on them through a comprehensive progress report at year-end. Our Performance Measurement and Program Evaluation team assisted in developing the performance indicators to report on for the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework. Both the Performance Scorecard and the Employment Equity Year-end Progress Report are shared with management, bargaining Agents, employment equity advisory committees and all staff via email, formal presentations at committees and placed on our web page.

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.
• 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.

At Justice Canada, all EX/LC Performance Agreements include commitments to demonstrate progress towards and achievement of established goals will form part of the ongoing and year-end assessment of executive performance in support of the Forward Direction on the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service.

To support concrete measurement of results achieved, the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat (ARADS) prepared Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (AEDI) Qualitative and Quantitative Objectives for 2023-2024.

The AEDI Quantitative and Qualitative objectives flow directly from our 2022-2025 EE Plan and each EX/LC is required to report on their results as part of their performance agreement.

At year-end, these managers need to demonstrate accomplishment of concrete outcomes against these AEDI commitments in their results achieved for the year.

Although some non-EX managers and supervisors already have AEDI-related performance objectives and indicators in their PMAs, for the 2024-2025 Performance Management Cycle, work is currently underway to develop AEDI-related Performance Objectives and Indicators that will be included in all non-EX managers and supervisors for the Department to ensure consistency throughout the organization.

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.  

Over the past two years, Justice Canada has conducted a Diversity-Focused Talent Management process at the senior cadre level, where members of equity groups are prioritized for talent management opportunities, to address and eliminate barriers, and facilitate career progression for these groups. Through this process, the EX/LC Staffing and Talent Management Team from Human Resources also piloted a Sponsorship Initiative in the Senior Cadre. Through the Sponsorship pilot, twenty-two (22) sponsorship relationships were established. Currently, the Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development is leading the development and implementation of a targeted departmental Sponsorship Program, open only to Indigenous, Black, Racialized, people of different sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions (SOGIE) and persons with disabilities. Informal sponsorship of equity group employees continues throughout various executive and non-executive levels of the organization as well.

At Justice Canada, we have also been reviewing the nominations to our Leadership Development Programs to ensure proportional representation of equity group members, and to intentionally select members of these equity groups to nominate to upcoming cohorts. We have also supported equity group members in targeted leadership programs interdepartmentally such as the Mosaic Program and through the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX).

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.

Along with colleagues in the Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation Portfolio, Human Resources Branch and ARADS, I have personally sponsored a targeted LC-01 Recruitment Process open only to Indigenous candidates, to address a long-standing gap in Indigenous representation in our LC cadre. The process was launched in April 2023. Human Resources obtained commitments from hiring managers to appoint to specific positions from the pool from the onset. We ensured the process was inclusive, by collaborating with our Advisory Committee for Indigenous Peoples and the Knowledge Circle on Indigenous Inclusion, on the development of an assessment strategy and tools. 100% of board members were representative. Currently, an orientation process is under-development to fully integrate, and support newly hired/promoted employees to their new management positions.

In addition, I previously sponsored an LC-02 process that was advertised with a cascading area of selection expanding more broadly to Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and racialized groups. A prequalified pool was established from this process in 2022 and hiring managers are required to hire from this pool for their LC-02 positions. If they are unable to, then they are required to provide me with a justification.  

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?

In 2023-2024, Justice Canada revised our departmental Language Training Program and included prioritization of equity group members, not only for those ready for advancement, but those interested in becoming bilingual at all levels of the organization. Those ready for advancement that require official language training are considered through talent management, however the program is also open to others that may have longer-term aspirations as it takes some time to obtain language proficiency. Managers are strongly encouraged to prioritize equity group members in their respective units, sections, portfolios, or sectors.

This is one of the programs for which employees have provided consent to share their self-identification information with managers or human resources to be considered for language training, through our Self-Identification and Voluntary Self-Declaration Process. Since the launch of our self-declaration process and the instructions from the Forward Direction to the Call to Action on Anti-racism, Equity and Inclusion, Managers have been requesting this information more frequently to make decisions on this type of prioritization.

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

Justice Canada, through our Advisory Committee for Indigenous People, has participated in an Interdepartmental Working Group on Indigenous Languages. This working group has been researching best practices across the Government of Canada on the use and promotion of Indigenous Languages. The Interdepartmental Working Group recently ran out of funding but continues to share free, virtual classes and learning resources as available, which Justice continues to promote within the Department.  Justice values the work of this group and will explore opportunities to provide additional funding in collaboration with other departments.

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.

Justice Canada supports five (5) employment equity advisory committees (Women, Persons with Disabilities, Indigenous peoples, Racialized Groups and 2SLGBTQIA+/SOGIE communities). Each committee/equity group has a Departmental Champion, and each committee has 1 to 2 co-chairs to lead the committee membership in advocacy and collaboration. Additionally, each committee is allocated an annual budget to coordinate awareness events, and a joint budget through ARADS, for Corporate Learning/Training Initiatives. There is a Champion of Champions for employment equity, diversity and inclusion, who along with the Director of ARADS, co-chairs an Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee (EEDISC). This steering committee is one of the vehicles through which the Chairs and Champions collaborate on horizontal programs and initiatives. The mandate of the employment equity advisory committees, EEDISC, and ARADS is to provide advice and guidance to the Deputy Minister on matters pertaining to AEDI. Thus, collaboration with these groups is mandatory for all employment and AEDI initiatives. Participants are provided time to participate in committee related activities.

Justice Canada also created ARADS in November of 2020 to liaise between Management and the employment equity advisory committees and lead the Department’s efforts in becoming an anti-racist, equitable, diverse, representative, and inclusive organization. Since then, the Department has approved permanence of a structure for ARADS that is currently under-development.

Justice Canada also supports an Employment Equity Manager’s Network (EEMN), and a Black Employees Network (BEN); and liaises regularly with equity, diversity and inclusion committees in the regional offices and various sectors/portfolios across the Department. Justice also liaises regularly with interdepartmental networks such as the Jewish Federal Public Servants Network (JPSN), Muslim Federal Employees Network (MFEN), the Network of Asian Federal Employees (NAFE), Indigenous Federal Employees Network (IFEN), and other networks in regions.

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.  

ARADS, with support from the Communications Branch, the employment equity advisory committees, and employees across the department, have developed a commemorative dates calendar that is available on the ARADS’ internet page (ARADS Hub). Communications to all employees and managers launching the calendar, included instructions referencing to avoid significant religious, spiritual, or cultural periods, when planning any major events or meetings.

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.

Several barriers that we have encountered in advancing work on the Call to Action include:

• Slow culture change: Significant culture change may be needed related to the overall workplace environment. To date senior leadership has followed best practices in providing information, resources, and support to supervisors and managers, however feedback from equity groups suggests that many supervisors and managers have not fully invested in proactively taking part in the required culture change. It will be necessary to overcome resistance or reluctance from some managers and employees who may not fully understand or support the importance of these initiatives and may not understand the lived experiences or perspectives of equity group members.
• Fear of reprisal resulting in a complaint averse culture: It is essential to create safety, using anti-oppressive techniques and trauma-informed approaches when engaging with equity group members throughout complaint processes, while also ensuring the processes themselves are culturally competent and free of biases and barriers for these groups.

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 Justice Canada, we launched a Self-Identification and Voluntary Self-Declaration Questionnaire in July 2023 to collect intersectional data from employees.  The Self-identification section of this questionnaire contains multiple identities, which will enable an analysis of intersectional data. Now that we have a 98% completion rate, we can develop dashboards illustrating this data and identify as well as address compounding barriers of discrimination. Justice Canada is also currently engaged in an Employment Systems Review, which will contain employee perspectives and lived experiences, and we are reviewing our Public Service Employee Survey data with an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lens at a disaggregated level. This review should help us identify areas of focus from an intersectional perspective.

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. 

Although we expect culture change to be slow, the actions taken to date are beginning to have an impact on the Department. EDI issues have become more integrated in the day-to-day operations of the Department, and managers are actively working towards identifying and eliminating systemic racism.

For example, consultation and collaboration with the Department’s EE Advisory groups is now part of standard practice when the Department is considering implementing new, or modifying existing, programs (such as the Language Training Program or development of a new Recruitment Strategy). Involvement of these groups has increased to such an extent that the Department has had to create special timekeeping codes to capture this work by legal professionals.

Additionally, the Department has undertaken targeted recruitment campaigns to address significant representation gaps. As a result, we are now seeing more and more managers taking the representation of their own units into account when staffing, and where appropriate invoking organizational needs to fill those gaps.

Finally, with the implementation of Justice’s Self-declaration process, more managers are looking for self-declaration data for their teams in order to support their decision making in various areas and prioritize people from equity groups for programs such as sponsorship, leadership development and language training.