Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

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 Agency’s approach to recruiting and promoting Indigenous and racialized peoples is to use workforce availability (WFA) data and quarterly dashboards to track progress. These dashboards highlight critical metrics such as WFA, required workforce alignment, and current demographics, enabling targeted actions and clear communication with senior management, sector heads, and recruitment teams. With ambitious hiring targets set at WFA +1% from 2023-2024, our upcoming report will evaluate progress, showcasing our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Sharing these dashboards with recruitment teams and sector heads ensures organizational alignment with diversity goals, facilitating progress monitoring and strategy adjustments as needed. While successfully achieving representation goals for racialized and Indigenous peoples, challenges remain in ensuring consistent communication and momentum across all levels. Additionally, identifying representation of Black employees and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities pose a challenge, prompting the need for enhanced data collection and reporting strategies.

Moreover, the Agency integrates qualitative objectives into performance management agreements, mandating diversity, and inclusion commitments for executives. Corporate priorities for 2023-2024 include advancing anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, alongside preparing the next generation of public service leaders through talent recognition, development, and succession planning.

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 Agency has completed a comprehensive three-year Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) action plan. Currently, we're assessing its impact on our systemic culture to guide future initiatives and ensure ongoing improvement, with performance measures in place to monitor progress. These plans focused on leader accountability, enhancing cultural competence, and combating bias, racism, and discrimination. Additionally, we promote networking and support for identity-based groups.

We've implemented the Tool for Mitigating Biases and Barriers in Assessments to ensure fair hiring practices post Public Service Employment Act amendment. Results from the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) are informing internal strategies for improvement, alongside pulse surveys that contribute to our accessibility plan and progress monitoring.

To support Indigenous employees, we've hired an Indigenous Career Navigator, aligning with the "Many Voices, One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation Action Plan."

An exit questionnaire now gathers employees' experiences regarding diversity and inclusion, providing valuable insights over time.

Since launching the Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Evergreen Action Plan, we've been creating and executing engagement plans, including 63 internal articles and 25 events. These initiatives aim to educate, raise awareness, and support employees in applying an EDI lens to their work.

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 Agency employs a structured approach to track progress towards its goals, leveraging action items from the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Evergreen Action Plan 2021-2024. This plan prioritizes leadership, education, awareness, and people management, with a focus on monitoring attrition rates, self-identification rates, and job application numbers.

Introducing an exit survey allows for comprehensive evaluation of employment experiences across demographic groups, offering valuable insights to address challenges and enhance the workplace environment. Additionally, focus group discussions with volunteers, managers, supervisors, and senior management provide a holistic assessment of progress and areas for improvement, informing the next iteration of the EDI action plan.

By compiling both quantitative and qualitative data, the Agency ensures a dynamic and responsive approach to continuous improvement, adapting strategies based on real-time feedback. Once finalized, key findings and the new EDI plan will be communicated to all employees, fostering awareness and alignment across regions.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee, representing diverse perspectives and levels across Canada, plays a vital role in shaping the Agency's approach. Through regular updates and feedback sessions, communication channels remain open, ensuring employees are informed and engaged in the Agency's journey towards inclusivity and progress.

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.

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

The Agency has incorporated qualitative objectives in performance management agreements, including mandatory commitments to diversity and inclusion for executives. For executives, the Agency incorporated and assessed corporate priorities set by Privy Council Office in 2023-2024.

Furthermore, all Agency’s employees were encouraged to add non-mandatory work objectives. For example, the non-mandatory work objective “People Management” included the following performance indicator “Continue efforts to increase the diversity of the workforce in your organization, including through actively targeting new staff processes to Indigenous and other equity deserving groups, and foster the inclusion of a broad range of voices and views in governance and federal decision-making”.

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 a relatively small agency, we sponsored one employee through the Mosaic Leadership Development program, providing them with essential skills and training to advance to senior positions. In accordance with the program's terms, the employee was paired with a senior leader who served as their sponsor throughout the program.

Additionally, the Agency successfully delivered on a staffing strategy targeting Indigenous candidates to fill an executive position, simultaneously creating opportunities for career growth and diversity in leadership roles. Furthermore, the Agency offers a variety of programs for employees (including a mentoring program, a coaching program, and several leaderships development programs). We are currently working on enhancing our sponsorship approach to better meet our objectives.

Question 6

Have you, as head of your organization, personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees?

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

Please provide details.

While I have not personally endorsed every recruitment campaign, the Agency has effectively implemented a staffing strategy prioritizing Indigenous and racialized candidates. Notably, we successfully hired an Indigenous candidate for an executive position, leveraging targeted selection processes and pools established by larger federal organizations to access a wider talent pool.

In support of these efforts, we welcomed an experienced Indigenous Career Navigator through a deployment from another federal agency. Their integration into various committees underscores our commitment to Indigenous employees, offering guidance and support to potential candidates throughout the recruitment process.

While we meet representation targets in three out of four equity groups, there's a gap in representation among people with disabilities. To address this, our Human Resources (HR) team actively promotes diversity by tapping into external resources such as Public Service Commission pools and partnering with organizations like LiveWorkPlay and WorldSkills.

Additionally, our HR Advisors utilize the Agency’s representation metrics and candidates’ self-identification data to further support diversity and inclusion initiatives, aligning with our organizational goals.

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?

The Agency has implemented a language training program open to all employees, with a focus on prioritizing Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees to promote equity in employment. The program, led by Human Resources, offers learning opportunities without barriers for groups that qualify for equity measures.

Since fall 2023, the organization has been working to make language training accessible to all employees enrolled in the program, thus removing the need for self-identification to access the training. This initiative aims to eliminate barriers and make language training more accessible.

The program continues to evolve, with plans for the upcoming year including consultations with relevant committees such as the EEDI committee and the Indigenous Employee Circle. These consultations aim to identify specific obstacles these groups face in accessing courses and achieving their learning goals, and to discuss possible solutions to address them promptly.

Furthermore, the organization seeks to integrate racialized, Black, and Indigenous employees into the program early in their careers if it would benefit them. This is intended to remove obstacles to their professional progression by starting training in their second official language before they are ready for promotion.

The Agency also has the option of contracting with external schools for more specific training needs, such as full-time courses. This ensures that access to language training does not pose an obstacle for employees identified in talent management.

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

Currently, the Agency does not offer a centralized Indigenous language training, nor are there immediate plans to implement it. However, this may change as the Agency continues to evaluate its training programs and consider the needs and interests of its workforce.

Moreover, Agency employees have access to a lot of personalized trainings for professional development purpose allowing them to request Indigenous language training. 

Question 8

Has your organization provided support and/or invested resources for organizational employee networks and communities?

• Engagement with employees and employee networks in my organization’s decision-making is meaningful and regular.
• Governance structures are in place to support employee networks and communities (e.g., champions, champions/chairs participate at management tables).
• Material supports are provided for employee networks and communities (e.g., dedicated funding, FTE support, allowing time to engage in activities).

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

The Agency actively promotes organizational employee networks and communities, fostering meaningful engagement and regular involvement in decision-making processes. These networks are supported by our governance structures, with champions and chairs participating at management levels.

Employee Networks like the Indigenous Learning Circle provide safe spaces for employees to connect and collaborate based on shared identities. Employees are encouraged to join these groups upon onboarding and throughout their tenure, contributing to accessibility initiatives, education, and awareness plans. Additionally, our leadership engages with the Wolf Pack, an employee-led group of Indigenous employees, to gain deeper insights into their perspectives and experiences.

Our governance structure includes EDI co-champions and an Assistant Director, ensuring that EDI, Gender-Based Analysis (GBA), and accessibility considerations are integrated into decision-making processes. This framework enables us to remain responsive to the needs and perspectives of our diverse workforce.

Complementing our full-time equivalent (FTE) and operational and maintenance (O&M) budget for EEDI initiatives, we maintain a centralized accessibility budget. This holistic approach underscores our commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity, promoting employee engagement and well-being throughout our organization.

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 not been embedded in my organization’s 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.  

Yes, our organization maintains an internal calendar that covers significant religious, spiritual, and cultural dates. We ensure awareness of these important occasions through diverse channels, including Agency-wide communications and notices in communal spaces like Atrium (the Agency’s intranet).

While the primary aim of this calendar isn't specifically to avoid scheduling major meetings and events on these dates, it serves as a vital reference point for considering such factors when planning activities. 

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.

In a small department, work related to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion (EEDI) is often led by committee members who have full-time jobs and volunteer their efforts in their own time. This creates resource constraints, such as limited availability and focus, impacting the pace and depth of implementation.

It appears there may be a lack of genuine interest and enthusiasm in engaging with EEDI initiatives, as some individuals seem to feel fatigued with discussions on the topic. This may suggest that efforts in this area are being treated more as a compliance or 'check-the-box' exercise rather than a meaningful opportunity for growth and change.

Government policies, such as the Official Languages Act (OLA), and our capacity to fulfill our obligations under the Call to Action can present challenges for equity-seeking groups. For example, racialized employees may be required to learn a third or fourth language, which can pose additional difficulties. Similarly, asking Indigenous employees to learn Canada's first and second official languages may be seen as a form of colonization and can impact their engagement and well-being.

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.

Our organization adopts a holistic approach to supporting Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees who are also part of other communities such as persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and religious minorities.

We recognize the compounded barriers these employees may face and strive to address their unique needs. We have established Employee Networks that provide a platform for dialogue and advocacy, ensuring diverse voices are heard.

We offer training and education on intersectionality and unconscious bias to all employees, including leadership, to foster a culture of understanding and respect.

Accessibility is a key priority throughout our organization, ensuring employees with disabilities have equitable access to opportunities and resources. In addition, we offer mentorship programs and provide access to an Indigenous Career Navigator who focuses on meeting the intersectional needs of employees, offering personalized support for their career development and advancement.

We have established safe spaces and confidential resources for employees to discuss their challenges and experiences in a supportive environment. We also regularly seek feedback from our employees through surveys and discussions to identify areas for improvement and adapt our initiatives accordingly.

Through these actions, our organization aims to create an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees can thrive, regardless of their intersecting identities.

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. 

In the first year of implementing the forward direction of the Call to Action, our organization has experienced significant cultural shifts.

Firstly, there has been a noticeable increase in awareness and dialogue surrounding diversity and inclusion (D&I) matters, with employees engaging more openly and thoughtfully in these conversations.

Secondly, education efforts are underway, empowering staff with knowledge and tools to support an inclusive workplace.

As a result, accountability is becoming a key focus area, as we aim to embed these values throughout the organization and measure progress.