Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion

Summer 2021 update

Dear Interim Clerk of the Privy Council,

The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL) is a micro-organization of less than 35 full time equivalents (FTE). In general, staffing and career progression opportunities have been and continue to be a challenge for our organization due to its size and diverse responsibilities. Considering that the OCL is a micro-organization, I cannot provide data and/or metrics information as the employees could be easily identified.

Nevertheless, the OCL is dedicated to meeting the highest standards of equality and non-discrimination, anti-racism, inclusion, dignity, and respect. My office is committed to listening, learning and taking meaningful action to bring about a lasting anti-racist and inclusive organization.

Our first meaningful action towards this objective was the recognition of systemic racism, bias and discrimination embedded in our society. In December 2020, the Head of Human Resources of the OCL signed the Statement of Action against Systemic Racism, Bias and Discrimination in the Public Service and committed to:

• Become self-aware of personal biases and privilege, and how they impact on our behaviours, decisions and advice;
• Educate himself on the nature of micro-aggressions and eliminate these actions and inactions;
• Set examples for staff to become self-aware of their own personal biases and privileges, and how they impact their behaviours and decisions;
• Provide support and tools to staff to address personal and systemic racism, biases and discrimination in our workplace;
• Seek out and challenge norms and practices that contribute to systemic racism, bias and discrimination, particularly in the areas of recruitment, assessment, hiring and talent management practices; and
• Enhance the feeling of belonging for members of equity-seeking groups by actively demonstrating and promoting respect for diversity, inclusive practices, and dignity for all.

As an organization, we have decided to require mandatory training by all staff of two courses offered by the Canada School of the Public Service (CSPS): Bridging the diversity gap (W003) and Understanding unconscious bias (W005). We will also require that managers take, Inclusive hiring practices for a diverse workforce (H205), which should be offered in the fall by the CSPS.

We have also organized two workshops for staff. The first, offered by two extremely engaging individuals from the Communications Security Establishment entitled “Being Black in Canada”, was well received, eye-opening, and very interesting. The second workshop was training on inclusive writing offered by the Translation Bureau of Public Services and Procurement Canada.

The OCL relies on the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for the provision of human resources services through a Memorandum of Agreement. Together with CHRC, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace that represents Canada’s diversity and that promotes a sense of value and belonging for all OCL personnel. These principles are reflected in our staffing processes.

I reiterate that the OCL is dedicated to meeting the highest standards of equality and non-discrimination, anti-racism, inclusion, dignity, and respect to ensure a diverse and inclusive organization.

Sincerely,

Nancy Bélanger
Commissioner of Lobbying