Office of the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman

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

Goal setting and communication

The Office of the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence (DND ) and Canadian Armed Forces (“the Ombudsman”) had released an Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Strategic Plan in spring 2023. The plan included a list of action items and key performance indicators (KPI) comprising meaningful and measurable goals. Specific to the recruitment and promotion of Indigenous peoples and racialized people, the EEDI Strategic Plan outlines the Ombudsman’s goal of meeting and then exceeding our identified workforce availability. Looking ahead, the Ombudsman will be releasing a report card internally to the Office using the data we have collected internally, as well as the workforce availability data provided by DND. The report card will reflect the status of our commitments to the office each fall, including any updates or newly added commitments as the environment changes.

Methods and successes

The Ombudsman uses various methods to meet our recruitment goals, including leveraging processes that are specific to employment equity (EE) groups. We also consider EE when proceeding with non-advertised job appointments. For promotions, our EEDI Strategic Plan outlines efforts to ensure that EE is considered when determining talent management plans; and the Ombudsman continues to prioritize internal growth when possible. Additionally, we complete a communication campaign annually on the importance of self-identification to improve the accuracy of the data provided to the Ombudsman by the Department.  Maximizing the awareness and understanding of the value held with self-identification ensures that our reference data is the most accurate with increased self-identification.

Furthermore, the Ombudsman uses the Tool for Mitigating Biases and Barriers created by DND for each staffing action. This tool helps hiring managers recognize and document any biases or barriers in the hiring process and their strategies to address them. Staffing actions cannot proceed without completing this form, ensuring biases and barriers are addressed from the start.

Our latest data (March 2023) shows that we have exceeded our recruitment goals for racialized people, reaching 143% compared to 106% in 2022. However, this improvement is not directly linked to our EEDI Strategic Plan, as it had not been released yet. We cannot report the attainment rate for Indigenous employees as the number is less than five.

Challenges and barriers

The main challenge faced by the Ombudsman is that our current progress is tracked by workforce availability data. First, the data itself is often delayed, but in addition to this, our data is then provided to DND versus directly to the Ombudsman, furthering delays, and access to current data. Second, as the Ombudsman is a small office, we have been unable to gauge our successes related to the recruitment and promotion of Indigenous employees, as numbers smaller than five cannot be provided to respect anonymity. Third, the workforce availability data we are provided by DND does not include a breakdown of racialized groups and therefore makes more specific goals difficult to introduce.

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).

As mentioned above, the Ombudsman has developed and released an EEDI Strategic plan that consists of action items and KPIs specific to EEDI initiatives.

Action items were developed to enhance and enable inclusive practices and will be tracked by their completion status. Action items include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting reviews on internal documentation using Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus and an EEDI lens to remove any systemic barriers.
• Maximizing the use of EEDI tools as provided by DND.
• Including EEDI questions within our exit interview process.
• Regularly distributing information about departmental and governmental wide initiatives progress and events to all employees.

In addition to the action items, KPIs have been developed with corresponding metrics and data. The source of the data includes the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) as well as data collected by the Ombudsman’s internal HR team.

These KPI’s include, but are not limited to:

• Number of standard operating procedures developed by our office that have been reviewed/updated to ensure the use of an EEDI lens, inclusive language and/or GBA Plus considerations for systemic and structural issues.
• Number of employees that have completed the Introduction to GBA Plus course.
• PSES questions surrounding diversity, anti-racism, and flexible work hours.

As the first fiscal year has now concluded since releasing the EEDI Strategic Plan, data is currently being collected to report to the Ombudsman and employees of the office on the status of all action items and KPI’s.

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?)?

As mentioned above, the Ombudsman has developed an EEDI Strategic Plan with measurable action items and KPI’s. As we have just concluded the first year of generating the required data, the information will be collated, assessed, and distributed in the format of a report card to the Office.

Once the data is ready, the Ombudsman’s senior management team will be the first group to be consulted for review and feedback on next steps, where required. Our internal GBA Plus committee and PSES working group will be consulted shortly thereafter. Once consultations are complete, the report card will be finalized and provided to the Ombudsman for distribution.

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.

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

Within our EEDI Strategic Plan, there is a section on enhancing promotion rates and opportunities for all diversity groups. Under this section, action items and KPI’s have been developed to maximize the use of performance agreements, learning plans and talent management plans. Specific to talent management plans, the EEDI Strategic Plan includes an action item related to the supporting EE groups in attaining developmental opportunities.

Although we are not yet able to report on the status of the action item as we are still collecting data, we are at minimum ensuring accountability of the completion of performance agreements within the Office and will report on the compliance within our EEDI Strategic Plan report card.

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?

• My executive team has sponsored at least two Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees to prepare them for leadership roles.

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.  

The Ombudsman is a small organization with the population of two executives. As a result, it can be difficult to commit to managing and maintaining sponsorship of this nature.

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.

Although the Ombudsman hasn’t led any recruitment campaigns within the last fiscal year, we have widely distributed and advertised all applicable recruitment campaigns  including both Departmental and government-wide initiatives. This is done via email distribution and announcements at monthly office wide meetings.

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 Ombudsman releases an organizational learning and development plan annually which encourages employees to leverage personalized official language training. We are fortunate in that we have been able to approve and encourage official language training for all employees that have shown interest and managers approve dedicated time for employees to participate in official language training.

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

The Ombudsman does not currently have Indigenous language training within our organizational learning and development plan.

Although not directly related to Indigenous language training, it is important to note that the Ombudsman produces external facing products in five Indigenous languages to further promote diversity and inclusion.

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 Ombudsman has a multitude of internal committees, all of which have their own individualized terms of reference with governance structures set in place. Committees such Occupational Health and Safety, GBA Plus, and the PSES working group are frequently consulted throughout the process of developing or updating any organizational policy or program. Employees are encouraged to play a role in the committees as well as participate in events planned by the committees. As a way to ensure participation is supported and encouraged organizationally, the Ombudsman sets a corporate priority within performance agreements annually requiring active participation in at least one activity and/or initiative related to inclusivity, diversity, mental health (including behind the scenes through brainstorming, planning, coordination, agenda prep, meeting minutes, or at the forefront through leading discussions/consultations/activities, chairing meetings, etc.).

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.

Question 10

Does your organization have a calendar to avoid holding major meetings and events during significant religious, spiritual, and cultural periods?

• Work has not yet started to develop this calendar for my organization.

If the calendar already exists, please provide additional details on how this calendar is communicated or promoted within your organization.  

This initiative does not currently exist; however, consideration will be given on potential methods of implementation for this initiative.

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.

1. Access to real time data in relation to workforce availability and the reliance on DND for the data.
2. The Ombudsman is a small organization and thus we face challenges in seeing progress within achieving goals set out by DND relating to EE , most specifically within management. As our executive cadre solely consists of two leaders as well as minimal turnover within management and feeder groups, it is difficult to commit to increasing EE within management. However, the Ombudsman has committed to consider EE when positions are vacated.

Question 12

Recognizing that employees often have multiple identities, what actions is your organization undertaking to support Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are also members of other communities, such as persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and religious minorities who face compounding barriers of discrimination?

Please provide details.

The Ombudsman recognizes that diversity and inclusion cannot exist without acknowledging intersectionality and resulting complexities. Our EEDI Strategic Plan notes that intersectionality is not currently considered within our EE statistics and therefore data provided via the workforce availability lacks important nuance.

In an effort to address this, it’s imperative that we maintain, track, continue to improve and adapt action items developed to address these concerns, via means such as the following:

• Creating inclusive practices with meaningful and measurable action items and KPI’s through consultation with our GBA+ Plus committee, PSES working group, and senior management team.
• Fostering a diverse workplace culture that encourages inclusivity, respect for all identities and celebrates cultural, religious, and other significant days to raise awareness and appreciation.
• Prioritizing training and education by mandating GBA+ Plus training and encouraging the participation in grassroot networks across the Department and government.
• Establishing safe spaces within the physical office space, including a designated multi-faith reflection space.
• Providing flexible work arrangements, within our capability, to accommodate different needs such as those related to disabilities or religious practices.
• Leveraging the results of the PSES via our internal PSES working group to ensure that employees’ voices are heard, and concrete action is taken.
• Consulting with our internal GBA+ Plus committee to review practices and programs with an intersectional lens.

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. 

Implementing the forward direction of the Call to Action has brought about many positive impacts on the culture of the Ombudsman.

Firstly, the Call to Action resulted in formalizing efforts in data collection. In response to the initial Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti Racism, Equity and Inclusion, the Ombudsman noted that there was a gap in data and metrics to measure performance. The Ombudsman committed to develop a quantitative method to demonstrate our progress moving forward. Since then, the Ombudsman has developed both quantitative and qualitative measures in action items and KPIs within the EEDI Strategic Plan. The Ombudsman is a micro-organization that is often required to rely on DND; however, the Ombudsman ensured to uphold the commitment in closing the data gap. Although we are only now collecting the final data for review and release, we can report that the consultations done with employees throughout the process of developing the EEDI Strategic Plan brought forward constructive and important conversations. The development and consultations of the EEDI Strategic Plan provided employees a voice and ensured that the action items and KPIs would be effective and meaningful.

Secondly, the Call to Action has resulted in adjustments within the function of our GBA+ Plus committee. Although the committee continues to share information on special days and events throughout the year, the Call to Action has also resulted in discussion of other ways the GBA+ Plus committee could better strengthen the support given by the committee. The Ombudsman is now working towards contracting a subject matter expert on GBA+ Plus to provide support on formalizing learning for committee members to be in the best possible position to provide guidance and insight internally from a GBA+ Plus lens.