Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada

Self-assessment on the forward direction of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service

Read the full unanswered self-assessment that was sent to deputy heads in April 2024.

Read the message to deputy heads that accompanied this self-assessment.

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?

An updated Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan has recently been finalized for the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (ORSCC), which includes specific indicators that will help promote Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) in the workplace. Initiatives to recruit and promote Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized people is always at the forefront of our planning. We use workforce availability estimates to determine underrepresentation across occupational groups and the organization as a whole, and we have open and honest discussions with hiring managers on ways that we can run selection processes with minimal bias and barriers as a means to increase applicant participation from across all employment equity and employment equity seeking groups, and find qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. This has led the ORSCC to not only have a more diverse and inclusive workforce, but a workforce that is representative of the Canadian population.

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).

Yes, the Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan places a strong emphasis on inclusion, incorporating clear goals and objectives with performance measures to track progress. This includes special events, training and awareness campaigns, policy review, and other initiatives. We will also utilize the results of the forthcoming Public Service Employee Survey to measure progress on fostering inclusion 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?)?

In the ORSCC’s new EEDI Plan, we have the five following pillars of engagement: (1) Leadership – governance, accountability, and communication; (2) Collaboration – education and awareness; (3) Policy, Programs, and Technology; (4) People Management – staffing, talent management, career development, succession planning, and retention; and (5) Reporting – data oversight and monitoring. Each pillar has several goals, each which includes targeted activities, areas of responsibility, timelines, and clear performance measures which will be reviewed every six months. We will also be participating in the Public Service Employee Survey this year, and will be analyzing the results to further identify new gaps and progress.

Consequential accountability

Question 4

How is your organization using performance management and/or talent management processes to establish accountability for results?

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.

N/A

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?

Neither I nor my executive team have 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.

N/A

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.

Recent advertised processes have not yielded a significant number of candidates, which has impeded our smaller sized organization from launching a targeted recruitment campaign. However, our job advertisements encourage participation from employment equity groups, and our staffing advisors advocate for eliminating any employment equity gaps in representation when working with hiring managers, where for some selection processes we have successfully conducted initial screening of candidates from employment equity groups for further assessment and appointment.

Question 7

Has your organization prioritized official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement?

Work is underway to develop an approach to prioritizing 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?

Official language training has previously been offered to all employees at the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada. Funding for more intensive language training is done on a case by case basis, where Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement will be a factor in determining prioritization going forward.

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

The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (ORSCC) has not had a request for Indigenous language training to date, and currently does not have plans to offer it. However, we will consider any such request from staff depending on how it fits within the ORSCC’s mandate.

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.

As a smaller sized organization, the primary employee network for the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada is the very active Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee, with Full Time Equivalent support in Human Resources (HR) who is dedicated to supporting the work of the committee as well as employment equity initiatives across the organization. The Committee members are consulted on policies and programs. They are also involved in conducting and sharing research concerning the various employment equity and equity seeking groups to promote ongoing discussions, learning activities, and best practices with management.

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.

N/A

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.

Given the smaller size of the organization and low turnover rate, there are more limited opportunities for advancement than would be found in a larger sized organization. This prevents us from moving forward more quickly with some of our objectives in relation to providing opportunities for advancement for Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees.

Being a smaller size, we also do not have the opportunity to support diverse employee networks, instead relying on the Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee and resources within HR to support all employment equity and equity seeking 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?