Veterans Review and Appeal Board

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

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 Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB, the Board) is using current employee representation data, workforce availability data and the resultant gap to set goals and measure progress.

Information about employment equity groups and the importance of employees self-identifying and keeping their data up to date was shared with staff to help raise awareness.

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 Board uses the employment equity data provided by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) to set inclusion goals. The Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) and quarterly Pulse results also speak to how staff rate the Board’s level of inclusion.

The Board uses inclusive language in its job descriptions, and supports hiring managers in using diverse, accessible and inclusive staffing and assessment training and tools, including the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities, the Inventory of Graduates with Disabilities, the Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities, and the Public Service Commission’s candidate pools and inventories for various equity groups.

To foster goals around awareness and education, VRAB employees’ performance agreements state that they must attend a minimum of two learning events related to diversity and inclusion each fiscal year.

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?)?

Inclusive hiring

As part of the Veterans Affairs portfolio, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board works with Veterans Affairs Canada to obtain data in relation to workforce availability across the equity groups, and to set related goals and targets. Progress measurement often proves challenging due to the Board’s small size (i.e., representation rates are often not disclosed as they may allow for employees to be identified).

Awareness and education around inclusion

VRAB employees’ performance agreements state they must attend a minimum of two learning events related two diversity and inclusion each fiscal year.

VRAB’s onboarding program for new staff also requires all employees to complete four mandatory Canada School of Public Service courses/activities around diversity and inclusion, i.e., Introduction to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) (INC101), Adopting an Inclusive Mindset at Work (INC122); Reflecting on Cultural Bias: Indigenous Perspectives (IRA101); and An Answer to Rex Murphy's Questions on Racism in Canada by Deputy Minister Daniel Quan-Watson (INC1-V38). Training officers from the Board are responsible for ensuring that staff have completed these mandatory trainings.

Approaches to and plans for inclusion are communicated formally through the Board’s Human Resources Plan, and are informally and regularly shared with staff throughout the year as part of communications activities and events in celebration of key dates and milestones.

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. 

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

VRAB employees’ performance agreements provide that they must attend a minimum of two learning events related to diversity and inclusion each fiscal year. VRAB onboarding also requires all employees to complete four mandatory Canada School of Public Service courses/activities around diversity and inclusion. Training officers from the Board are responsible for ensuring that staff have completed these mandatory trainings.

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.

N/A

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 is currently prioritized based on need within specific organizational areas, particularly those who directly support Veterans, as well as employee baseline language level and demonstrated interest. From there, priority is given to Indigenous, Black and other racialized staff.

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

Not at this time.

Question 8

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

• 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.

VRAB’s Middle Manager team meets regularly to discuss best practices and initiatives, including topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our Workplace Wellness team organizes guest speakers and forums to highlight the importance of these initiatives and best practices within the Government of Canada.

VRAB supports direct participation of staff in the larger Veterans Affairs Canada portfolio Diversity and Inclusion, Accessibility, Workplace Wellness and National Managers Community initiatives, which offer regular sessions on inclusion and diversity.

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.

Due to the Board’s small size representation rates are often not disclosed as they may allow for employees to be identified.

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.

Work continues to increase diversity, equity and inclusion understanding for all staff. In addition, the Board arranges and supports sessions that highlight other communities who face barriers and discrimination.

For example, the Board has highlighted the LGBT Purge of Veterans by having one of our own Members share their experience. As well, a Board Member who is Métis shared their experience. The Board also invited a member of the Muslim community to speak about their experience.

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. 

This year the Board has welcomed many new staff members to the team. Regular pulse checks have begun, and responses confirm that the majority of staff feel the Board respects individual differences (i.e., culture, work styles, ideas, abilities).