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

Summer 2021 update

Dear Ms. Charette:

I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you Public Safety Canada’s progress on the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service.

Given Public Safety’s vital role in supporting a safe and secure society, we recognize the fundamental importance of reflecting the diversity of our country and serving all Canadians without bias. We also recognize the importance of public accountability and demonstrating results to Canadians. Today, I want to provide a clear account of our actions to date and plans.

Creating a Framework for Action

Addressing bias, diversity and inclusion in the national security community has been a Public Safety agenda for some time. The events of Summer 2020 that ignited a global response and discourse around systemic racism and the inequities endured by Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities underlined, for us, the pressing need to address and speak to issues of anti-racism, discrimination, employment equity and diversity and inclusion more broadly. Accordingly, we launched an employee engagement and consultation process to develop a Strategic Framework on Diversity and Inclusion for Public Safety, which was published in Fall 2020.

The Framework provides a roadmap and foundation for change and is built on three pillars: Building Awareness and a Culture of Inclusion; Increasing the Diversity of Public Safety Canada’s Workforce; and, Fostering an Inclusive and Accessible Environment. Using the pillars and objectives of the Framework as our guide, we have leveraged existing initiatives at Public Safety (PS) and set in motion multiple new actions to address diversity and inclusion (D&I), equity and anti-racism in the Department.

Building Awareness and a Culture of Inclusion

We have created new groups and structures to lead the development and implementation of initiatives that build awareness, create a culture of inclusion, and provide support for employees. In February 2021, a D&I Secretariat was established in the Deputy Minister’s office. The Secretariat has been working to develop, coordinate and implement a range of initiatives and is engaged with counterparts across the Public Service.

We have also put in place an Assistant Deputy Minister-level Champions structure, including Champions for: Diversity and Inclusion; Learning and Development; Engagement; Wellness; and Workplace. The Diversity Champion is working in close coordination with the D&I Secretariat to promote awareness and advance reforms. Given that D&I is a horizontal issue, all Champions are working together in their roles to advance our efforts at Public Safety.

Development of a new Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Council is also underway to advise and support the work of the D&I Champion and the Secretariat. The Public Safety Black Employee Network was also recently established with the goal of fostering inclusion and professional advancement of Black employees within Public Safety and the Federal Public Service.

As part of early efforts to enhance departmental culture, character and identity, a Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC) was launched in Spring 2020 to provide an open venue to engage all employees on a wide range of departmental issues, including those related to D&I, discrimination, systemic racism and employment equity. On average, 130 to 150 employees participate in the bi-weekly meetings, representing approximately 10% to 12% of the Public Safety workforce. These regular discussions, which are chaired by the Associate Deputy Minister, have been vital to employee engagement and have opened the door for more open and honest conversations around D&I issues.

Public Safety hosts an annual D&I Week in the Fall which includes a range of activities to bring cultural and social awareness to diversity in our workplace. Employee outreach and engagement has been conducted via internal communication tools, including our regular InfoCentral newsletter and blogs. We also host Town Hall meetings where employees are invited to share their opinions, feedback, or ask questions on a range of issues, including D&I at Public Safety.

Part of building awareness and increasing knowledge on issues such as D&I, racism and unconscious bias is ensuring employees have the right tools and training. There is now a dedicated space on the internal PS website for all D&I resources, including a new toolkit for employees, managers and teams, as well as Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) training information and other guidance. This space will be evergreen and will continue to grow as we build on our resources and expand our knowledge.

In addition to ongoing promotion of training initiatives that have been in place at Public Safety for the past few years, such as GBA Plus and Positive Space training, PS has expanded the Unconscious Bias Series offered by CSPS as mandatory for all Public Safety employees at all levels with a supplementary mandatory training on Inclusive Hiring Practices for hiring managers and human resources advisors, as well as in-house training on D&I for new sub-delegated managers. Over the past several months, we have seen a notable increase in the number of Public Safety employees completing recommended and mandatory training and these numbers will continue to grow.

Along with our focus on the PS workforce and workplace culture, we are also continuing to advance considerations of D&I and GBA Plus in our policies and programs. Given the Public Safety mandate and the broad scope of our work in areas such as national security, community safety and emergency management, applying D&I considerations in our policies and programs is vital.

Over the past year, Public Safety has been working to modernize its administration of Grants and Contributions (Gs&Cs) programs to improve services to Canadians and ensure enhanced access to all potential recipients. To do this, PS developed an internal methodology to review programs through a D&I lens, established a multi-disciplinary working group to support the review, and shared best practices and coordinated efforts with other departments. We found significant areas for improvement, such as: standardizing data collection practices for funding recipients to address data gaps in community-level demographics; improving outreach activities to grassroots organizations in preparing for the call for proposals; and revising the selection processes to remove barriers and address any unconscious biases. We are now planning to roll out these changes for all of our Gs&Cs Programs over the next year. 

Public Safety also continues to implement the Bias Sensitivity, Diversity and Identity (BSDI) in National Security initiative, which has been ongoing for a several years, to inform and shape bias-sensitive and inclusive approaches to national security policies, programs, and operations. Through this initiative, Public Safety has developed a BSDI toolkit to guide practitioners in applying a BSDI lens to their work and developed implicit bias training tailored to the national security environment (delivered to 120+ practitioners since September 2020, with more workshops planned for Fall 2021). We have also hosted several engagement activities (e.g., annual expert symposium, a public opinion survey, webinar series) focusing on issues of bias, diversity and identity, and systemic racism in the national security and law enforcement communities.

Increasing the Diversity of Public Safety Canada’s Workforce

Through the Department’s Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Recruitment Strategy, Public Safety is making significant efforts to create transparent, bias-free and merit-based appointments reflective of Canada’s diverse population including all gender identities, Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ2S+ communities.

Actions under this strategy include promotion of available pools such as the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program, the Inventory for Indigenous Students, the Courage to Soar Program for Indigenous Women and the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity. Public Safety also maintains a list of staffing options for managers that highlight employment equity (EE) staffing opportunities.

Over the past year, the data show Public Safety has been consistently close to or meeting the Workforce Availability Targets (WFA) for women and Indigenous peoples and although we have not met the WFA for racialized groups and persons with disabilities, we are seeing a gradual increase in representation. In terms of the Executive (EX) cadre, Public Safety has also focused on appointing and supporting diverse senior leadership. We have been closing the gap in representation at the EX level and we are now meeting WFA targets for women, racialized groups and persons with disabilities. There have also been positive staffing changes for other classifications (e.g., increased representation of racialized groups for the Economics and Social Sciences (EC) classification), and an increase in employee self-identification (65% to 75%), although we have yet to reach our goal of 80%.

Nevertheless, gaps in EE representation persist within PS and meeting WFA targets is only a baseline goal. Public Safety will continue to address these gaps through our human resources programs and initiatives, and continue to promote EE hiring at all levels and classifications to support current and future organizational needs. We are continuing to promote and encourage the completion of self-identification forms to address data gaps and ensure a more comprehensive and accurate picture of our workforce. 

Work is also underway to implement a Mentorship+ Program. This is the first employee equity targeted mentorship program at Public Safety to address systemic barriers that EE group members face in career progression, retention and promotional opportunities. We are exploring implementing the Sponsorship portion of Mentorship+ in partnership with other organizations so that the requisite number of executive level sponsors can be sourced. 

Fostering an Inclusive and Accessible Environment

A Public Safety forum that is central to all three pillars of our Framework, and this pillar in particular, is the Inclusive by Design Committee (IBDC) – an open employee advisory group that focuses on fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace from the ground up. Implemented in 2019, we have enhanced and leveraged the IBDC to build more positive change and advise on efforts to address the Call to Action over the past year. The Committee includes diverse representation and is responsible for providing advice and support to all employees and management on achieving diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility priorities at Public Safety. It also includes an Accessibility sub-working group that is working to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion at PS, aligning with broader efforts to implement the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada.

Public Safety is also participating in the demonstration phase as an early adopter of the GoC Workplace Accessibility Passport Initiative which is designed to facilitate conversations between employees with disabilities and their managers about the tools and supports they need to succeed in their jobs. This will support employee mobility and career development by ensuring portability of adaptive tools and support measures between federal organizations.

There are signals that we have much more work to do. Recent employee Pulse Survey results (a Public Safety initiative launched in Fall 2020 to regularly survey employees on a range of issues, including their perspectives on D&I) demonstrated that although the majority of employees feel they can discuss D&I issues openly at work, are confident that management is addressing D&I issues and feel part of an inclusive community at work, there were decreases in positive responses between the two survey time periods (2020 vs 2021) and notable differences in perceptions among those in the EE and EE-seeking groups. Furthermore, as noted in the 2020 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) results, although a lot of the results were overall positive, EE designated groups were consistently less satisfied with their experience at Public Safety.

Priorities Going Forward

Over the next year, we have a wide range of planned efforts to continue to build on the pillars of our D&I Framework.

One area of focus will be to enhance capacity and continue to streamline and centralize all D&I efforts at Public Safety. More centralized efforts and governance with a consistent and dedicated focus on D&I will help ensure sustained action, reduce duplication of efforts, and facilitate reporting of results.

Ongoing learning and development will be central to building a culture of awareness and inclusion. Beyond existing training resources, the D&I Secretariat will lead efforts to develop additional in-house training for day-to-day skills for all Public Safety employees, including senior management, on how to build more inclusive workspaces.

We want to keep the momentum going with employee engagement through various forums without overwhelming people. We will continue to conduct our internal Pulse Surveys several times a year to complement the PSES results to help us monitor employee views on our overall work environment. The Secretariat will explore establishing focus groups to help identify gaps and challenges in meeting the Call to Action at a more in-depth level and discuss ways to overcome them.

It is also important to create safe spaces for employees to engage on a more personal and informal level. The Secretariat is launching the Trust Circle initiative this fall to provide confidential spaces that are agile and accessible to equity-impacted communities and allow employees to share their experiences of struggles, resilience and strengthen their connections and relationships.

In terms of our workforce, Public Safety will continue to provide tools that facilitate EE recruitment goals and implement initiatives that support the leadership and career development of Indigenous, Black and other racialized and under-represented EE groups through endeavours such as the Mentorship+ program. We’ll also work to address our workforce data gaps and limitations (e.g., employee self-identification) and look for other meaningful ways to measure progress and results. There are barriers to inclusion, however, that should be addressed at the Public Service-wide level, such as the application of Official Languages policy, which can hinder the recruitment and advancement of Indigenous peoples, as well as individuals whose first language is neither French nor English.

Finally, Public Safety remains committed to strengthening D&I considerations in evidence-based policy and program development. Among other multiple efforts, we will build on the success of our Gs&Cs modernization project and begin applying the model to all of our funded programs, and we will continue to advance several actions under the BSDI.

Conclusion

In closing, I want to acknowledge and express my appreciation for the collaborative work of my colleagues. The coordination of efforts, the sharing of ideas and best practices and, above all, the engagement of all staff has been essential to our progress to date and in the future.

As the Call To Action reflects, the time for transformational change in our attitudes, behaviours and the composition of the public service is now. As a Department, we have taken many steps, and there are many more to be taken. I strongly believe that the staff of Public Safety understand the need for change and will actively support it. As Deputy, I recognize that my leadership and engagement is a necessary and powerful force that will drive us forward and I am committed to achieving the goal of having an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizational culture and workplace at Public Safety.

Sincerely,

Rob Stewart

Data annex

Employment Equity (EE) Group Representation within Public Safety and Workforce Availability Estimates

In order to ensure the Federal Public Service represents the Canadians it serves, TBS provides workforce availability (WFA) estimates to be used as benchmarks to measure employment equity and representation for the public service. Figure 1 demonstrates EE representation in the Public Safety workforce for the first and final quarters (Q1 and Q4) of the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Consistent with the general public service, representation for women and Indigenous peoples at Public Safety has overall been in line with the WFA estimates. There are, however, gaps in representation for members of visible minority groups and persons with disabilities. Table 1 below shows the gaps in EE representation at Public Safety by job classification for the same time periods. Although there are multiple classifications where targets are being met, there are notable gaps for PM positions among women, AS positions among persons with disabilities, and EC positions among visible minority groups. For the latter group, there has been a decrease in the gap from Q1 to Q4, though increases in employee self-identification should be taken into consideration when interpreting these findings. The terminology for the EE categories is based on the Employment Equity Act. As outlined by TBS, the term “Indigenous people” aligns with international usage and in this report replaces the legislative term “Aboriginal peoples” that appears in the Act. Work is underway to consider adjusting the terminology used for other categories.

Figure 1. EE Group Representation at Public Safety vs. WFA for Q1 and Q4 (2020-2021)

	PS (Q1)	WFA (Q1)	PS (Q4)	WFA (Q4)
Women	59.1%	61.0%	59.0%	61.0%
Indigenous Peoples	3.7%	4.0%	4.0%	4.0%
Visible Minorities	12.2%	16.9%	14.0%	17.0%
Persons with Disabilities	5.7%	8.9%	6.0%	9.0%

Table 1. Gaps in EE Group Representation at Public Safety by Job Classification for Q1 and Q4 (2020-21)

Gaps represent number of full time equivalents (FTEs) required to reach WFA estimates

Classification	Code	Women		Persons with Disabilities		Indigenous Peoples		Visible Minorities
		Q1	Q4	Q1	Q4	Q1	Q4	Q1	Q4
Administrative Services	AS	—	—	15	13	—	—	—	—
Auditing	AU	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	2
Clerical and Regulatory	CR	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Computer Systems	CS	6	3	2	2	—	—	4	5
Economics and Social Science Services	EC	3	2	7	8	—	3	37	26
Executive	EX	3	—	—	—	2	1	—	—
Financial Management	FI	8	6	2	2	—	—	—	—
Information Services	IS	3	—	2	3	—	—	—	—
Personnel Administration	PE	—	—	1	—	—	1	1	—
Program Administration	PM	16	22	9	7	2	—	13	9

N.B.:

• — indicates no identified gaps
• Fluctuations in EE numbers may, in part, be attributed to changes in employee self-identification practices

Departmental Pulse Survey Results

Table 2 provides Pulse Survey data on employee perspectives regarding diversity and inclusion at Public Safety collected in November 2020 and May 2021 broken down by EE and EE-seeking groups. Percent totals represent the sum of respondents who selected ‘Somewhat Agree’ or ‘Strongly Agree’. Although the majority of responses were positive, there were notably lower ratings from persons with disabilities, members of visible minority and LGBTQ2S+ communities. There was also an overall drop in positive responses between 2020 and 2021. The terminology for the EE categories is based on the Employment Equity Act. As outlined by TBS, the term “Indigenous people” aligns with international usage and in this report replaces the legislative term “Aboriginal peoples” that appears in the Act. Work is underway to consider adjusting the terminology used for other categories.

Table 2. Public Safety Employee Responses to D&I Questions on the Pulse Surveys by EE Group

	Women		Persons with Disabilities		Indigenous Peoples		Visible Minorities		LGBTQ2S+		Public Safety
Survey Year:	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021
Number of respondents:	279	344	31	40	14	17	54	81	20	37	448	587
At work, I feel I can discuss diversity and inclusion issues openly	83%	74%	71%	58%	79%	65%	59%	59%	75%	59%	78%	71%
I feel I am part of an inclusive community at work	77%	76%	65%	58%	64%	71%	63%	60%	70%	59%	76%	72%
I am confident that management is addressing diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace	72%	68%	55%	63%	71%	65%	52%	52%	55%	49%	70%	66%

Public Service Employee Survey

The Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) presents results by demographic groups and is a good source of data for how employees in different groups experience the department. Table 3 provides data on employee responses for select diversity and inclusion questions on the 2020 PSES, broken down by EE group. Percent totals represent the sum of respondents who selected ‘Somewhat Agree’ or ‘Strongly Agree’. Although the majority of responses were positive, there are notably lower ratings from persons with disabilities and visible minority groups. The terminology for the EE categories is based on the Employment Equity Act. As outlined by TBS, the term “Indigenous people” aligns with international usage and in this report replaces the legislative term “Aboriginal peoples” that appears in the Act. Work is underway to consider adjusting the terminology used for other categories.

Table 3. Public Safety Employee Responses to Key D&I Questions on the 2020 PSES by EE Group

	Women	Persons with Disabilities	Indigenous Peoples	Visible Minorities	Public Safety	Public Service
My department or agency works hard to create a workplace that prevents discrimination	69%	55%	72%	59%	72%	73%
I would feel comfortable sharing concerns about issues related to racism in the workplace with a person of authority.	80%	63%	80%	63%	79%	79%
I think that my department or agency respects individual differences (e.g.: culture, work styles, ideas, abilities)	76%	56%	71%	69%	75%	77%
My department or agency implements activities and practices that support a diverse workplace	79%	62%	72%	66%	78%	78%
My department or agency implements initiatives that promote anti-racism in the workplace	76%	64%	72%	61%	75%	75%
In my work unit, I would feel free to speak about racism in the workplace without fear of reprisal	82%	69%	77%	63%	82%	79%

Training on Unconscious Bias and Cultural Competency

As of March, 2021, Public Safety has expanded the Unconscious Bias Series offered by Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) as mandatory for all employees at all levels. The following Table shows the percentage of the Public Safety workforce that has successfully completed CSPS courses based on data snapshots at three different time points.

Table 4. Percentage of the Public Safety Employees who have Successfully Completed Unconscious Bias Training Courses

Course Title (Code)	Completed Successfully as of: 2020-12-31	Completed Successfully as of: 2021-03-31	Completed Successfully as of: 2021-06-30
Bridging the Diversity Gap (W003)	1.7%	6.2%	25.3%
Your Role in Workplace Diversity (W004)	1.5%	5.4%	22.5%
Understanding Unconscious Bias (W005)	4.9%	9.2%	23.6%
Overcoming Your Own Unconscious Biases (W006)	5.0%	8.9%	21.4%
Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace (W007)	4.1%	7.4%	19.4%
Unpacking Unconscious Bias (W095)	NA	1.7%	2.4%
Harassment and Violence Prevention for Employees (W101)	NA	6.9%	17.5%
Total Number of Employees at Public Safety	1,191	1,317	1,269

N.B.:

• Numbers are approximate
• NA: Course did not exist at this time period