Pacific Economic Development 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?

• 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?

Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) conducted a workforce analysis on Employment Equity (EE) in 2023 which compared labour market availability data from the 2016 census and the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability with agency self-identification data. Through this analysis, it was determined that PacifiCan meets or exceeds labour market availability for Women, Indigenous Peoples, and Members of racialized communities.

While work is underway to set specific goals, PacifiCan has focused on increasing awareness and fostering EE recruitment and promotion opportunities through specific marketing of qualified candidates who self-identified in staffing processes, providing training on identifying and removing biases and barriers, and developing an inclusive work culture. Supported by these efforts, current (2024) workforce analysis on EE demonstrates that PacifiCan has further increased representation in all EE groups.

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).

Analysis on PacifiCan’s workforce representation is conducted on a regular basis, with a goal to understand PacifiCan’s current workforce complement in more detail. The data, as well as the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) results, exit interviews, workforce surveys, and consultation with PacifiCan employees, are used to understand the current challenges in the agency as well as staff perspectives of PacifiCan’s culture.

Through this analysis and engagement, PacifiCan created the 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan and are currently developing an equity, diversity, and inclusion plan. This will include specific recruitment plans, a proposed sponsorship program, learning and development opportunities, as well as meaningful and measurable goals for the future.

PacifiCan has set goals to foster greater Indigenous inclusion and cultural awareness. In support of these goals, PacifiCan is actively developing an internal capacity plan to guide the agency in building Indigenous cultural awareness and competencies to support the agency’s work with Indigenous Peoples and help create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for Indigenous staff.

PacifiCan has launched an employee working group on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility to foster greater inclusion.

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?)?

Pacifican plans to develop a thoughtful and meaningful approach for measuring and sharing 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.
• 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.

PacifiCan continues to prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion as agency-wide performance management commitments, in alignment with the Corporate Priorities for Deputy Ministers. Values and Ethics is embedded within PacifiCan’s performance management documents. Work is underway to develop approaches to establish accountability for results.

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.  

Work is underway to develop an approach to sponsorship.

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?

• Work is underway so that I will personally endorse at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees.

Please provide details.

PacifiCan currently exceeds representation for Indigenous and racialized employees. Thus, PacifiCan’s Deputy Head endorsed a targeted recruitment campaign where underrepresentation occurs for persons with disabilities (PacifiCan representation is at 4.5% while workforce availability is at 9.3%).

PacifiCan regularly engages with and attends post-secondary events and targeted career fairs to recruit and market opportunities. As a micro-agency, the agency continues to seek partners in the equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility areas to develop effective retention and recruitment strategies and provide resources for employees. 

PacifiCan actively promotes and utilizes the Public Service Commission’s and other recruitment options, including: Indigenous Intern Leadership Program, Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity, Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities, Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities, and Indigenous Career Pathways. PacifiCan directors and managers participated in training sessions on reducing biases and barriers in assessments and inclusive hiring practices.

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 not prioritized 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?

While PacifiCan has not yet prioritized official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement, PacifiCan continues to provide access to both part-time and full-time language training, where feasible, to all staff. In 2023-2024, 29 employees participated in part time second language training and employees were regularly offered the opportunity to challenge the Second Language Evaluation exams.

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

PacifiCan has not yet explored offering Indigenous language training.

Question 8

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

• Governance structures are in place to support employee networks and communities (e.g., champions, champions/chairs participate at management tables).
• 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.

PacifiCan has two Executive champions for equity, diversity, and inclusion who are influential figures at senior management tables. As the equity, diversity, and inclusion working group is new, work is underway at PacifiCan to further engage with and provide support and/or resources to the group.

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?

• Work is underway to develop this calendar at my organization.

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

PacifiCan has a calendar to acknowledge and celebrate significant religious, spiritual, and cultural periods. Work is underway to promote the use of this calendar to avoid holding major meetings and events during periods of significance.

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.

Although our workforce is representative in three of the four Employment Equity groups, as a newly formed micro-agency, it can be difficult to balance limited resources, targeted opportunities, and detailed representation analysis with the confidentiality of employees’ equity seeking status. In addition, as central systems do not support self-identification of religious or 2SLGBTQIA+ equity status, or have updated equity group definitions, we do not have a complete picture of our workforce population.

PacifiCan employees are supportive of the work being conducted within the agency to create a more inclusive workplace for staff. Lack of central funding for Government of Canda priorities and high workload pressures of a micro-agency limit PacifiCan’s capacity to wholly advance initiatives.

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.

PacifiCan has taken steps to increase agency awareness of all communities, through the celebration of commemorative dates and holidays, promotion of events and learning activities, as well as encouragement to participate in department, local or national networks or groups. PacifiCan supported the British Columbia Federal Council in creating the Pacific Interdepartmental Pride Network dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive place for 2SLGBTQIA+ employees and allies in the federal government.

PacifiCan also engages in open communication and supporting networks where employees feel comfortable to share lived experiences. Training, activities, and presentations are being held at the highest executive meetings and these executives are asked to clearly communicate the departmental priorities to their managers and employees. PacifiCan has endorsed inclusive initiatives such as accessible font and formatting as default for programs and gender expression options for employees.

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 on the Call to action, PacifiCan, as a newer agency, has focused on embedding inclusivity in our culture. PacifiCan employees collaboratively created a culture canvas, which maps the values, working practices, and cultural priorities we embrace to create a thriving workplace culture.

PacifiCan has taken steps towards impactful actions including:

• embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in our work, as seen in our Departmental Plan, Departmental Results Report, and Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
• launching the equity, diversity, and inclusion working group,
• initiating an internal capacity plan for Indigenous cultural competency and awareness,
• sharing cultural and religious events and learning and development opportunities with all staff,

Through these efforts, we have noted an increased number of staff chose to self-identify, as well as greater open dialogue at governance tables on inclusive practices and efforts. PacifiCan is committed to continuing the fight against racism and will support each other through meaningful, collaborative action.