Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion

Summer 2021 update

Dear Ms. Charette:

It is my sincere honor and privilege to write to you today in response to the Call to Action on Anti-racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Public Service, issued January 22nd, 2021.

With a mindset of continuous exchange, dialogue and collaboration, let me take this as the first of many opportunities to highlight concrete actions that the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has been and will be undertaking to implement the Call to Action and combat racism, bolster diversity and equity, while fostering inclusion at the Centre. I will also elaborate on some of our planned activities that will enable us to deliver transformative change for Indigenous people, Black people and other racialized groups, persons with disabilities and members of LGBTQ2 communities within our organization.

I am a strong advocate of Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) and since my arrival in November 2020, I have taken deliberate actions to deliver concrete results and meaningful initiatives that will help bring the needed cultural changes to our organization. As an example, FINTRAC was one of the first public sector organizations to join Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s 50-30 challenge. I am proud to champion our commitment to improve access for women, racialized persons including Black Canadians, people who identify as LGBTQ2, persons living with disabilities, as well as First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to positions of influence and leadership on committees and in senior management.

I also have the support of our Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Karen Figuerola, who has recently taken on the EEDI Champion role within FINTRAC. As a leader, belonging to one of the designated employment equity groups, and as an individual who, given her own diverse upbringing, brings passion and humanity to the importance of true inclusion and diversity, Karen has been actively engaged and has joined other CHRO’s in the public service in signing the Statement of Action Against Systemic Racism, Bias, and Discrimination in the Public Service. Furthermore, as FINTRAC’s Designated Senior Official for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, she will continue to engage, contribute and collaborate with the Centre on Diversity and Inclusion at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. 

Setting the Stage

Of the nine actions in the Call to Action, our initial focus has been placed on raising awareness and building engagement as the foundational pieces and setting my expectations for our leadership cadre to ensure that we can raise the bar on this key file.

Staffing and talent acquisition, as well as targeted leadership development initiatives are also well underway, as outlined below and will continue to be expanded upon and integrated into our EEDI Action Plan that is currently under development.

Finally, Annex A has been included to provide you with a snapshot of FINTRAC’s demographic profile, as of March 31, 2021.

Challenges and Barriers

As a small (less than 500 employees) separate agency within the High Security Organizations (HSO) community, we do face some unique and common challenges, but I also see a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on our small size and agility to break down barriers and mitigate challenges. Through active engagement with our passionate and dynamic workforce and a focus on concrete actions and investments, I expect to see a tangible culture shift and lasting positive impacts.

Creating a more inclusive and diverse organization hinges on having access to the best data possible and this is currently a challenge given the limitations of our current HR system, which hinders our reporting and monitoring capacity. However, as part our Digital Strategy, we are investing in the implementation of a new Human Capital Management system over the next year to provide us with improved data and reporting capacity, which will help us to optimize the delivery of EEDI programs and services and enhance our data analytics to inform agile decision making. Additionally, with real-time analytics and data at our fingertips, we will be in a position to continuously measure progress on EEDI and identify areas of improvement to eliminate barriers and biases from core people management programs such as staffing and talent acquisition, leadership development, talent management and employee experience. Furthermore, we are closely following the work that the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer is doing to modernize the self-identification process and intend to align with it and conduct a self-identification campaign to ensure that we are accurately capturing our demographics.

A dedicated resource has also been put in place to actively lead the Centre’s efforts, initiatives and programs directly aimed at combatting racism and bolstering our commitment to EEDI.

Awareness and Engagement Initiatives

Diversity without inclusion is not enough. A key component to fostering inclusion is through raising awareness and creating opportunities to increase engagement. On this front, the Centre is currently engaged in the following:

• General Communications and Events – a combination of emails to employees and sliders on the Intranet are used to regularly communicate messages related to EEDI. Sliders consist of an image and a short message to quickly draw the employee’s attention to a topic. Emails are published to provide information on the history, importance, current action, and alignment with the Centre’s values. Examples include Canadian Multiculturalism Day, National Indigenous History Month, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Asian Heritage Month, and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination amongst others. Employees are also invited to take part in virtual events throughout the year to learn about the realities of our diverse workforce and how they can become allies and agents of change themselves.
• Values Statement – in 2020, the Centre implemented a Values Statement that was developed in collaboration with employees across the Centre. This is one of the foundational pillars for the workplace culture we want to foster and diversity and inclusion plays a central focus.
• Panel Pledge 2.0 – the Centre has adopted the Panel Pledge 2.0. This is an initiative that I championed at Shared Services Canada to seek gender parity on government panels. Pledge 2.0 expands the commitment to increase the representation of Black and racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and members of the LGBTQ2 community, in local, regional, national and public facing Government of Canada events.
• International Women’s Day – the Centre also held a number of virtual events in recognition of International Women’s Day in March. Specifically, myself, and Lisa Campbell, the President of the Canadian Space Agency hosted a virtual International Women’s Day event. The theme for the event was “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): Breaking Barriers” and showcased three outstanding women in the Aerospace field. This event included remarks and a moderated discussion with panelists from the Black and LGBTQ2 communities. Topics of discussion included each panelist’s personal leadership story, the challenges they have faced as Women in STEM and the importance of diversity and inclusion.
• The Federal Youth Network and Knowledge Circle for Indigenous Inclusion – the Centre has provided funding in support of the Government of Canada’s commitment to Reconciliation, the implementation of the Many Voices One Mind Action Plan (MVOM) and Indigenous public servants, and its commitment supporting young and new public servants.
• Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR) – the Centre is currently engaging with CILAR on a sponsorship opportunity to support innovation leaders in the Black, Indigenous & Persons of Colour (BIPOC) community. CILAR’s mandate is to help end anti-black and systemic racism and other barriers to participation in the innovation economy by establishing best practices and scaling network partner programs across five pillars: youth development, job opportunities, venture & capital, community & leadership, and inclusive innovation & technology.
• Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group – in 2021-2022, the EEDI Champion will be establishing an EEDI working group to engage with equity seeking groups and learn more about the challenges that they are experiencing so that measures can be put in place to support their growth and development. Other existing networks will also be leveraged, such as the Network of Asian Federal Employees (NAFE), which employees were encouraged to join in the promotion of Asian Heritage Month.

Staffing and Talent Acquisition Initiatives

Recognizing the existence of representation gaps, the Centre is actively working to close these gaps and increase its diversity through such activities as:

• Specialisterne – FINTRAC has been working closely with the Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA) from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and non-profit organization Specialisterne on a neurodiversity initiative, which will facilitate the recruitment and retention of individuals on the autism spectrum, or with similar neurodiversities (neurodivergent) in professional positions. This initiative provides a great opportunity to: change the way we recruit and tap into this underutilized talent; expand and diversify our talent pool; innovate and enhance current recruitment and onboarding; increase team awareness of neurodiversity; build capacity for managing and leveraging a more diverse workforce.
• Staffing and Talent Acquisition Policy and Program Renewal – in June 2021, the Centre introduced its modernized, flexible and innovative Staffing and Talent Acquisition Policy Suite. Within the policy suite, there is a commitment to diversity and inclusion that requires sub delegated supervisors to systematically factor Employment Equity considerations into their human resources plans and staffing strategies. It’s no longer just about having a representative workforce, it’s also about conducting our staffing activities in a manner which does not discriminate or create systemic barriers. Furthermore, through this modernization initiative, we are also addressing barriers to inclusion within our policies and program, including:
  • Removing preference for Canadian Citizens.
  • Using modern, reliable and standardized tools to assess talent and potential, including psychometric tools.
  • Using plain and inclusive language in the terminology used such as candidate profile, nice to have qualifications, need to have qualifications, etc. and referring to the successful candidate as being the “right talent’’ for the job as opposed to the ‘’right fit” to avoid the perception that the selected candidate was chosen to align with the hiring manager’s personal values which could be translated by candidates into someone who looks, thinks, and acts like the majority.
• Targeted staffing and talent acquisition – the Centre has partnered with Canada School of Public Service, alongside eight (8) departments in the core public administration, to establish an inventory for members of employment equity designated groups to staff positions in various occupational groups (finance, IT, admin, communications, procurement, etc). Furthermore, in the past year, FINTRAC launched three enterprise-wide talent acquisition processes (open to the general public) and targeted only members of one of the designated employment equity groups for the first round of selections. Finally, the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program is being promoted as a further source of potential talent. The Centre will continue to explore other targeted staffing and talent acquisition initiatives to increase representation levels for underrepresented groups.

Employee Development Initiatives

We are investing in developing inclusive leadership skills and in establishing a sense of belonging and trust for all employees, as well as those joining us now and in the future, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender expression by taking concrete and transparent steps.

• Enterprise Learning & Leadership Development – as part of the mandatory training for sub delegated managers, the Centre will be implementing training on inclusive hiring practices for a diverse workforce. In 2021, our National Training Standards will be launched and will prominently feature a number of courses related to EEDI, such as courses on bridging the diversity gap, systemic racism and racial discrimination, unconscious bias, and reflecting on cultural bias – Indigenous perspectives. 

  In alignment with our People and Culture Strategy (19-24) and our values, FINTRAC is committed to acquiring, developing and retaining an inclusive and diverse leadership workforce. In 2020, working in partnership with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), FINTRAC began its gradual introduction of the Character Leadership model as part of our People Management Framework and we are elevating character alongside competence to ensure leadership excellence. Additionally, in 2021, FINTRAC’s first Leadership Champion role was created, and Donna Achimov, Chief Compliance Officer, has taken on this enriching opportunity.

• Official Languages – in parallel with the launch of the Staffing and Talent Acquisition Policy suite, the Centre also implemented a new Official Languages Policy, which sets out the parameters for non-imperative staffing. In addition, a Second Language Teacher will also be hired to provide dedicated language training services. These measures will help address a known systemic barrier for members of designated groups, where bilingualism is a barrier to their career advancement.
• Talent Management Pilot Initiative – FINTRAC launched its talent management pilot for its leadership cadre in 2020. In the initial launch, a number of employees were identified for leadership development training, including members of designated employment equity groups. The Centre will also be implementing a more formalized leadership development program, and cohorts will include representation designated employment equity groups. As the approach to talent management continues to evolve and our training standards are implemented, there will be an increased emphasis on looking at how the Centre can enhance it support to develop employees that represent equity-seeking groups.
• Mentorship Plus – the Centre has a mentorship program already in place, and will be enhancing it by adopting the Mentorship Plus Program which includes a sponsorship component to ensure that employees from under-represented groups and equity-seeking groups have further access to developmental opportunities.

Results Monitoring and Accountability

In order to continue raising the bar and shift the corporate culture, the Centre recognizes that it needs to monitor results and ensure accountability. It will be doing so through some of the following initiatives:

• Performance Management Agreements – the leadership cadre will be held accountable through concrete objectives in their performance management agreements. At the end of 2021-2022, all levels of management will be required to report on how they are:
  • Leading efforts to address systemic racism and barriers, including having discussions on racism and discrimination during management/team meetings and enhancing employee awareness;
  • Enabling and promoting communications and learning opportunities to employees related to respect, inclusion and diversity;
  • Enabling and promoting the talent management and recruitment of members of Employment Equity Groups;
  • Leveraging targeted Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives that aim to reduce barriers and support employee development and growth.
• Enhanced Reporting – with the implementation of a new Human Capital Management system, the Centre will be better positioned to enhance its reporting capabilities, and to monitor and report on tangible results. Through the use of dashboards, the leadership cadre will also be better equipped and accountable for monitoring and track their progress.

In closing, we have an ambitious agenda at the Centre, and I look forward to keeping you abreast of my agency’s progress in creating a more inclusive and diverse organization. While the task at hand is by no means small, it is long overdue and as you indicated, a true test of our leadership as leaders in the public service and I welcome this challenge.

Sarah Paquet
Director and Chief Executive Officer

Annex A – Demographic Information

2020-2021 employment equity representation

2020-2021 Hires

2020-2021 Departures

2020-2021 Executive Hires