Public Safety 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
  • Black people
  • Racialized people
• My organization has set promotion goals for:
  • Indigenous employees
  • Black 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?

Public Safety Canada conducted an in-depth workforce analysis using employee and self-identification data from the department’s Human Resources Management System Peoplesoft database to identify areas of underrepresentation of the four designated employment equity groups based on 2016 workforce availability (WFA) estimates. The department also analyzed disaggregated employee data for the Black and other racialized sub-groups and compared with available benchmarks to help guide the establishment of recruitment and promotion goals for Black and other racialized employees. The other benchmarks used included 2016 WFA estimates for visible minorities overall, 2021 census data, and representation data for the Public Service overall. Finally, the analysis also examined historical employment equity representation rates, and staffing, promotion and turnover trends, to establish numerical hiring and promotion goals in each occupational group where underrepresentation has been identified.

Public Safety Canada’s recruitment and promotion goals are included in the department’s 2024-2027 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The goals have been shared through all employee communications, departmental intranet pages and through presentations at the department’s Workplace Consultative Committee.

Challenges encountered in establishing goals:

• Lack of central agency guidance, methodology or tools available to help guide the department in establishing its hiring and promotion goals.  
• The current WFA estimates are not current and are eight years out of date (based on 2016 census).
• There are no WFA estimates or other official benchmarks available to support the establishment of goals for the Black and other racialized sub-groups.
• Uncertainties around Budget 2024 and departmental employee/Full-time equivalent  projections contributed to challenges in establishing three-year hiring targets.

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).

Public Safety Canada (PS) has developed an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan that includes indicators and goals for fostering greater inclusion. This plan was co-develop in consultation with PS employees and employee networks. Further, PS is also in the process of developing a Diversity and Inclusion Logic Model and a Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Performance Measurement Framework.

To measure progress, PS will analyze departmental Public Service Employee Survey results as well as those broken down by equity groups. Human Resources data on representation, recruitment, promotion, and departures continues to be monitored to identify progress or areas of focus. As well, feedback received as part of the exit questionnaire/interviews process will be analyzed to identify possible trends, issues, and take specific actions related to the findings. PS continues to support and collaborate with departmental employee networks to ensure their voice, perspectives and needs are included in the workplace.

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?)?

Public Safety Canada’s (PS) 2024-2027 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan includes performance indicators that will assist in the monitoring and reporting of established actions and objectives. In this Action Plan, PS commits to reporting on progress and achievements made towards EDI objectives to all employees through annual reports and ongoing presentations to various groups and committees.

The department is also developing an EDI Performance Measurement Framework that would include diversity and inclusion related qualitative and quantitative performance indicators, as well as a data collection, and analysis strategy.

To measure progress on the hiring and promotion goals, PS will use its PowerBI Organizational Health Dashboard which is updated on a quarterly basis and available to all employees. The Dashboard includes information on the representation rates of the four designated employment equity (EE) groups and includes a time series filter which allows the department to track progress towards reducing its gaps at the departmental, branch and classification group levels. Due to the small size of the Black and other racialized sub-groups, PS has also developed an EE dashboard containing disaggregated data which will be used to measure progress for these sub-groups. Information will be shared where possible while ensuring the protection of individual’s identities.

The department is also developing new indicators on diversity and inclusion as well as further analysis on disaggregated data.

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.

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

As part of their performance agreement, all executives at Public Safety Canada are required to contribute to the recruitment and retention of members of employment equity groups to demonstrate a commitment and efforts to diversity and inclusion and to meet the equity, diversity, and inclusion organizational goals.

Furthermore, all employees and managers are required to include the common mandatory work objective on wellness, equity, diversity and inclusion to their performance agreement. This objective includes some concrete actions to ensure employees and managers can contribute to a healthy, respectful and inclusive work environment, free from harassment and discrimination that promotes mental health, psychological safety, diversity and linguistic duality.

A monitoring and reporting strategy was also created to measure the mandatory common objectives’ results. Statistics on the following elements will be available soon:

• Compliance rate with departmental requirement to include the common mandatory objective in performance agreements;
• Assessment of the common mandatory objective achievement at the mid-year phase;
• Assessment of the common mandatory objective achievement at the year-end phase.

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.  

• As part of PS’ commitment to support leaders of the future from employment equity and equity seeking groups, the department is supporting two participants in the Mosaic Leadership Development program, one of which is sponsored by our Associate Deputy Minister.  The Associate Deputy Minister is also sponsoring a racialized employee from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
• PS has also launched a Sponsorship + program in 2022. In this program, senior leaders (Sponsors) at the EX-02 to EX-05 levels are matched with Protégés from employment equity groups at the EX minus 1 level who exhibit the talents and aptitudes for leadership. Five members of the first cohort continue to be supported.
• All Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs) have been working at identifying protégés to sponsor. At this time, most of PS assistant deputy ministers are formally sponsoring one or more Indigenous, Black or other racialized employees. Emphasis will be placed to formalize the cases where the sponsoring is currently informal. Additionally, Public Safety Canada's second cohort of its internal Sponsorship program for EX minus ones and twos will allow to solidify more sponsoring relationships, ensuring all ADMs are meeting the expectation of having two protégés, as indicated in their performance agreement and the Call to Action.
• A second cohort of the Sponsorship + program was launched in February 2024 and work is underway to identify additional candidates in groups identified in the Call to Action. In this second cohort, there is a requirement for senior management leaders at the EX-03 level to sponsor two protégé each.

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.

Public Safety Canada (PS) focused on reducing the representation gap for persons with disabilities (PwD) in 2023-24 by launching two targeted recruitment campaigns for PWD. This allowed PS to close the departmental gap for PWD, ending the 2023-24 fiscal with a representation of 10.4% compared to the Workforce Availability of 9.1%.

In 2024-25, employment equity data and our obligation in relation to the Call to Action will inform the launch of new targeted recruitment processes.

Lastly, in order to ensure that selection committees are representative of the diversified workforce we are trying to recruit, PS is currently building a repository of board members who represent the employment equity and equity-seeking groups. A call-out has been issued to all employees inviting those who are part of equity groups to be part of this repository of diverse board members for future selection processes.

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 order to make language training more accessible to employees with disabilities, Indigenous employees, and employees who are members of a visible minority group, Public Safety Canada offers part-time group language training sessions in English and French throughout the year. In alignment with the Call to Action forward direction, priority is given to employees from the aforementioned groups, with an average of 35-45% of participants per session.

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

Public Safety Canada employees who require training in Indigenous languages are able to discuss their requirements with their managers and include the training in their learning and development plans.

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.

Public Safety Canada (PS) regularly consults directly with employees and employee networks on departmental plans, initiatives and communications. Employee networks are further encouraged to share information with their network members and provide feedback. Some employee networks include the Black Employee Network, Employees with Disabilities Network, Positive Space Network, and the Indigenous Circle.

In addition, as part of a broad effort to enhance the departmental culture, character and identity, PS has appointed several senior management level departmental champions at the Assistant Deputy Minister level. These include: a Learning and Development Champion, a Diversity and Inclusion Champion, an Engagement Champion, a Wellness Champion, a Official Languages Champion and a Workplace Champion.

PS has a centralized budget dedicated to support employee networks and fund their activities.

PS also has a Respect, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion (READI) Committee that is an employee advisory forum. The READI Committee brings together representatives from all branches, all employee networks and communities to create a forum focused on fostering a respectful and equitable workplace and wellness of employees within the department. It facilitates regular information sharing and dialogues and acts as a consultation body to help inform and advance culture-related activities, initiatives and programs being developed in the department.

Lastly, PS's Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC), open to all employees, focuses on matters related to departmental culture, character and identity, in addition to, the Public Service Agenda related to corporate management and corporate agendas and initiatives. WCC makes recommendations, as required, to the Departmental Management Committee on policy and corporate management initiatives.

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 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.  

Public Safety Canada (PS) commemorates and highlights religious and cultural periods through all employee communications via email or the departmental intranet. to all employees. To avoid major meetings or events being held during significant religious and cultural periods, the department is currently exploring ways to integrate and launch a calendar that communicates this information. The PS Communications team is also looking at highlighting these religious/cultural periods in the form of employee stories.

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.

Public Safety Canada and its employees are committed to advancing the work on the Call to Action. In its continued effort to advance this work, the department has experienced certain challenges:

• Data & Measurement
  • Lack of central agency guidance, methodology or tools available to help guide the department in establishing their hiring and promotion goals.  
  • The current workforce availability (WFA) estimates are outdated (based on 2016 census). There are also no WFA estimates or other official benchmarks available to support the establishment of goals for the Black and other racialized sub-groups.
  • Different data sources (Phoenix vs. internal Human Resource System) used by the department vs. central agencies (Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Service Commission) make it difficult to compare results and understand differences in data.
  • There is a lack of consistency in Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) questions and categories from one survey to the next. This makes it difficult to measure progress over time (e.g. change to definition of racialized group category in the 2022 PSES).
  • Measuring changes in departmental culture, behaviour, awareness, belonging, and inclusion are very complex and would require employing persons with expertise in areas such as behavioural analysis.
• The lack of integration between the Call to action and other inclusion related work is creating a barrier with the engagement of certain groups such as Persons with Disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. This can lead to a perception of exclusion by some, and can also lead to possible lack of coherence in interdepartmental approaches.

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.

Public Safety Canada is currently developing a new PowerBI dashboard that, in additional to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion indicators, will provide information on intersectionality in the department (e.g. recruitment and retention trends). The intersectionality information will be used to develop and guide actions to help employees that have multiple identities and who face compounding barriers of discrimination.

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.

The first year of implementing the forward direction of the Call to Action has positively impacted Public Safety Canada’s culture:

1. Employees are more cognisant of and actively promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the department. All employees have mandatory work objectives of contributing to a healthy, respectful and inclusive work environment, free from harassment and discrimination that promotes mental health, psychological safety, diversity and linguistic duality. Further, recruitment and promotion quantitative performance indicators mean that equity, diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of management’s human resources decisions.
2. Public Safety Canada has developed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan that includes department wide roles and responsibilities. The roles and responsibilities are outlined for all employees, employee networks, governance committees and different branches and directorates. This ensures that EDI actions are integrated and embedded in organizational decision-making processes and culture.