Natural Resources Canada
Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion

Summer 2021 update

Dear Ms. Charette:

I was pleased to receive Mr. Shugart’s call to action on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in January. Your continued leadership in this space makes it clear that more than a quick fix is required. In truth, this transformation has been needed in the public service for decades. For too long, dedicated public servants have faced discrimination and insurmountable institutional barriers. A single instance of discrimination is one too many, yet I continue to witness the ugly realities of racism, anti-Semitism, ableism, homophobia, and other types of discrimination that remain widespread.

The Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Context

NRCan is a science-based department. We know that evidence and data are paramount to the development of good programs and policies and to the provision of services to Canadians. We also have Indigenous reconciliation at the centre of our mandate, given the history of resource development in Canada. Our work has led us to collaborate with Indigenous communities nationwide so that we may benefit from their knowledge and perspectives.

NRCan is also lucky to support grassroots employee networks that host events and provide support and advice on a peer-to-peer level. The following networks are currently active at our department:

These elements shaped how we responded to the call to action. Our approach would need to be data-driven, keep Indigenous reconciliation at its core, and be based on consultation and co-development with employees at all levels.

We also acknowledge certain areas of weakness. For one, we lack sufficient data in many areas such as inclusion within our workplace and representation within the natural resource sector. We also have a less-than-representative workforce. Relative to the Canadian population, NRCan has large representation gaps for persons with disabilities and racialized people—these gaps are shown more precisely in the attached data annex.

Taking Action

Since receiving the call to action, NRCan has engaged in extensive discussions across the Department. In July 2021, my senior management committee approved a plan of action based on five pillars: Establishing a Data Foundation; Internal Workforce Analysis; External Workforce Analysis; Indigenous Reconciliation; and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy Lens. This required cooperative planning and execution and collaborative development of new content, initiatives, and policies. We expect to see the tangible impact of the departmental action plan by the end of 2021–2022. We are creating a performance management framework to measure the effectiveness of this plan.

Each sector has its own EDI action plan, for which assistant deputy ministers and other senior leaders are accountable. Beyond the commitment that will be in every executive’s performance management agreement, I have made my expectations clear that practical, meaningful work to address representation, inclusion, and anti-racism will be weighted heavily in my assessment of success.

Progress Thus Far

In some areas, we have made substantial progress. We have established the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which reports directly to me. This office is responsible for coordinating the Department’s work on EDI through consultation and support to the sectors and networks. We have also strengthened the role of the networks through their participation in the new EDI Advisory Committee and support for new networks such as the Black Employees Advisory Council of NRCan.

The Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion also ensures that senior management, sectors, and specific functional groups—such as working groups on data, grants and contributions, clean energy, procurement, and audit and evaluation—are mapping out strategies for embedding EDI principles and practices within their work.

Program Design and Delivery

We are re-evaluating our program design and delivery processes to ensure that anti-racism, equity, and inclusion principles are fully integrated. To support this, we are creating an EDI toolkit that will enable all staff to analyze their products and processes critically. An expanded GBA+ initiative is actively supporting these efforts.

Some of our flagship programs already have EDI considerations built in. NRCan is showing international leadership through the Equal by 30 Campaign, a global commitment to close the gender gap and provide insights on the inclusion of women and historically excluded groups in the clean energy workforce. The Canada Greener Homes Grant, which launched earlier this year, has incorporated EDI principles from its inception. At launch, service organizations and energy advisors were briefed on equity and inclusion to ensure the same energy retrofit services would be delivered to all Canadians regardless of background. In addition, we are giving higher weighting to diversity and inclusion employment opportunities as part of our call for proposals for energy advisor recruitment and training.

Many of our other programs, such as the Expanding Market Opportunities Program and the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program, have also embedded EDI requirements. In these cases, applicants must submit their organization’s EDI plan as part of their project application.

Communications and Education

Communications and educating staff are critical to EDI success. First, we completely overhauled our internal webpages on EDI. In addition, we have prioritized engaging employees directly on issues such as anti-racism and Indigenous reconciliation by hosting open dialogue and safe space events. This year, we have also implemented a requirement for all staff to complete eight hours of self-directed Indigenous learning.

Many sectors are hosting employee-led discussion groups to share perspectives and learn about EDI issues. Some have created a shared values charter that is integrated into their onboarding process. Others are relying on employee-led working groups and advisory teams to assess their needs and deliver on their initiatives. These are just a few examples that have already informed and inspired hundreds of employees across the country.

Recruitment and Talent Management

We have launched several initiatives designed to improve our methods of recruitment and talent management. The internal NRCan Census, launched in June 2021, is the most deliberate step we have ever taken to understand our workforce better. For the first time, it was targeted to all employees.

The Department has also created ready-to-hire Federal Student Work Experience Program inventories from the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity and the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities. This has led to 27 hires so far. In the future, we will strongly recommend that Federal Student Work Experience Program hires leverage these inventories.

In September 2021, we are launching a talent acquisition strategy for the inclusive recruitment of all equity groups. This strategy requires hiring managers to consider candidates from equity-seeking groups first for indeterminate and term positions longer than three months while representation gaps exist at the departmental and sector levels. To support this, we are creating “talent-at-the-ready” inventories for AS-04, EC-07, and EX-01 levels. These inventories will include fully qualified candidates, who can be easily appointed, from equity-seeking groups.

We are considering a new Indigenous stream of NRCan’s Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program to enhance the representation of Indigenous policy analysts. This effort includes outreach to universities with high populations of Indigenous students, developing assessment tools that are inclusive by design, and addressing unconscious bias at the interview stage.

In addition, we are preparing to launch a department-wide talent management program to support the career progression and professional development of non-executive Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees, as well as persons with disabilities. This will launch alongside a department-wide sponsorship program, based on the Treasury Board of Canada’s Mentorship Plus program. It will be available to employees in the above-mentioned groups at the EX-minus one level who have demonstrated strong leadership and potential readiness for promotion.

A variety of backgrounds and experiences helps us better understand the breadth of Canadian society and improves our decision-making. It is also important for all Canadians to see themselves reflected in the demographic composition of the public service, especially public service leadership. We must be representative of those we serve.

Challenges and Barriers

In many other areas, we have more work to do. In consultation with the employee networks and sectors, we have identified four significant barriers. First is a general reluctance in workplace culture to take decisive, bold action on anti-racism and EDI. This is a system-wide issue driven by the complexity of systemic barriers, varying levels of knowledge about flexibility and tools, and a genuine concern that honest conversations will be difficult. People are fearful of getting it wrong. To counter this reluctance, we are using learning and awareness-building opportunities, communications, performance management levers, charters, and pledges in order to foster a commitment to action.

The second significant barrier consists of mixed signals. There is a general uncertainty, especially from mid-level management, around the expectations, parameters, and tools for inclusive recruitment. Complicating this is the lack of understanding of representation gaps and retention challenges and a competitive market for talent from equity-seeking groups currently employed within the public service. To address this, we are preparing clear guidance and learning activities for hiring managers. We are providing human resources planning information using data visualization tools such as Power BI and support to staffing advisors and hiring managers to clarify our goals.

The workload itself is a third systemic barrier. Doing EDI work properly takes time and resources, which are in short supply. We are paying particular attention to ensuring that racialized employees are not bearing the brunt of the work.

According to 2020 Public Service Employee Survey results, NRCan employees already face pressure to meet deliverables, and EDI adds a layer of complexity, particularly at the middle-management level. The employee networks have noted that, with the increased attention on EDI and the need to consult, they are experiencing increased pressure to contribute actively and meaningfully to EDI priorities. This work is carried out by employees who currently coordinate events, provide input, and support colleagues on a voluntary basis.

Official language requirements is the fourth barrier identified, especially in relation to career progression. It is apparent that current language standards prevent otherwise qualified candidates from advancing in their careers, and this has a disproportionate effect on Indigenous, Black, and other racialized candidates as well as candidates from outside Quebec and the National Capital Region. Re-evaluating these standards may allow for a greater degree of representation, especially at senior levels where requirements are more stringent.

Measurement and Results

To measure our success, we are developing a performance measurement framework that will integrate both qualitative and quantitative information. It is being designed in collaboration with employee networks, functional communities, and management to ensure that the metrics we are using are meaningful. As our departmental action plan has yet to be implemented fully, we have not assessed our results.

When measuring representation specifically, we will be looking at recruitment numbers, tenure, promotion and mobility, departures, and participation in sponsorship and leadership initiatives. In addition, we are exploring ways to analyze the performance management outcomes for NRCan executives to characterize the practical results attained in the 2021–2022 fiscal year.

Regrettably, NRCan has not made significant progress on the representation of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups. Compared with last year, the number of people hired from Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups has decreased by almost half. Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees made up only approximately 6.7% of all employees hired, yet they made up approximately 13.7% of departures. The number of executive appointments for Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees increased by two employees in 2020–2021. There was no appointment from these groups in the previous year. Overall, the data shows that NRCan did not improve its hiring of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups in 2019–2020 or 2020–2021.

Competition within the public service for qualified candidates from employment equity groups is a likely cause of this issue. We must acknowledge that the internal hiring process is far simpler than the external one, that employment equity members face barriers to accessing internal promotions, and that external hiring is particularly affected by systemic barriers. These barriers prevent Indigenous, Black, and other racialized people from applying to and succeeding in competitions, and they discourage managers from reaching out to members of these groups in new ways.

Hiring in the same manner that we always have leads us to the same communities, the same universities, and the same lack of diversity. The compounding challenges of external hiring create considerable competition between departments over the same pool of current employees. This means that, while certain departments increase their representation, the public service as a whole does not. We must all take the extra step to prioritize external recruitment while we create opportunities for internal promotion for equity-seeking groups. It is indeed more difficult, but it is necessary.

Capitalizing on Current Momentum

Through the systematic approach that I have outlined above, I am confident that NRCan will be able to embed EDI into the fabric of the Department. The momentum behind this work is high; it is clear that employees are energized, motivated, and expect change. These new equitable and inclusive policies and processes will guide us for decades to come.

Looking to the future, we will prioritize inclusive-by-design approaches when planning re-entry to the workplace. These approaches will foster a sense of belonging and respect for individual needs. We will develop key EDI competencies for our management team members. Such competencies are vital for advancing anti-racism and EDI. We will encourage and celebrate employee-led codes of conduct, charters, and pledges that remind us of our personal and professional obligations. Our human resources planning around onboarding, learning, official languages, talent management, recruitment, promotion, and succession will ensure that the renewal of our workforce will have representation, inclusion, and equity at its core. In addition, we will continue to collaborate with other federal departments and anti-racism and EDI secretariats to leverage tools and resources and learn from each other’s experiences.

Above all, we remain fully committed to this transformation. The public service is in a moment of serious self-reflection. It is not easy, but it is overdue. I commend all who are moving us forward through this important work. We pursue it in the spirit of equity, justice, and public service.

Yours sincerely,

Jean-François Tremblay
Deputy Minister
Natural Resources Canada

Annex

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