Gender-based analysis plus – Supplementary information table

Introduction

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) is an analytical process used to assess how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. The federal government uses GBA+ in the development of policies, programs and legislation. GBA+ helps the government attain better results for Canadians by being more responsive to specific needs and circumstances.

In response to recommendations from the 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada, the government renewed its commitment to GBA+ and mandated the Minister for the Status of Women¹ to work with the President of the Treasury Board to ensure that GBA+ is incorporated into Departmental Results Frameworks, Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, and performance reporting.

In 2018, Parliament passed the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act. The Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports are being used to fulfil the President of the Treasury Board’s obligations to make public analysis on the impacts of expenditure programs on gender and diversity.

More information on GBA+ is available on the GBA+ Portal (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) in GCpedia.

Section 1: Institutional GBA+ capacity

The Privy Council Office’s (PCO) GBA+ Focal Point (1.5 FTE) continues to develop GBA+ tools and resources for analysts in the department. The Focal Point also operates a general mailbox, and participates in the PCO Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (EEDAC). PCO continues to maintain a GBA+ Champion at the Deputy Secretary level. The GBA+ Champion is responsible for the promotion of GBA+ at PCO.

GBA+ training is mandatory for over one third of positions at PCO, including for all executives in the EX-01 to EX-05 levels.

As part of PCO’s role of supporting Cabinet operations, PCO analysts provide the “challenge function” for departments to advance policy, legislative and government administration proposals through Memoranda to Cabinet (MCs) and other Cabinet documents, which incorporate GBA+.

The GBA+ Focal Point continues to work across PCO to support the GBA+ challenge function through tool development, training for PCO staff, case study development, and ad hoc support for PCO analysts to help them provide direction on GBA+ to departments. In addition, the GBA+ Focal Point is engaged on all PCO-led MCs, to ensure that GBA+ is properly completed.

PCO’s GBA+ Focal Point continues to provide ongoing updates on the quality of GBA+ in Cabinet documents to the Deputy Secretary, Cabinet Affairs analysts as well as policy and program leads.

PCO conducts an annual review of GBA+ in MCs and continues to develop a GBA+ framework/directive for the department. This work was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual review of GBA+ in MCs is expected to be completed by the end of 2021 and the work on the GBA+ framework/directive is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Section 2: Gender and diversity impacts, by program

• Core Responsibility: Serve the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Program Name: Social and Economic Policy
  • PCO continues to collaborate with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the Department of Finance Canada (FIN), and the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) to ensure the implementation of and reporting on the GBA+ Action Plan (2016-2020).
  • The GBA+ Focal Point and PCO analysts support the delivery of the Canada School of Public Service GBA+ Premium Course.
  • The GBA+ Focal Point conducts an annual review of MCs and continues to support WAGE, FIN, and TBS on the implementation and refinement of GBA+ as it applies to Cabinet documents.
  • The GBA+ Focal Point develops a GBA+ framework/directive for PCO.
• Target Population: Federal departments and/or agencies; Members of Parliament.
• Distribution of Benefits: Data not available for 2020-21. Due to COVID-19-related priorities, resources have been realigned to focus on providing support to the government’s response to the global pandemic. Appropriate processes and systems will be put in place to support data collection for future years.
• Key Impacts: Data not available for 2020-21. Due to COVID-19-related priorities, resources have been realigned to focus on providing support to the government’s response to the global pandemic. Appropriate processes and systems will be put in place to support data collection for future years.
• GBA+ Data Collection Plan: Work is currently underway at PCO to develop a GBA+ performance measurement framework and system (outcomes, outputs, indicators, targets, data sources, methodologies, etc.) to support the ongoing measurement of the level of achievement of objectives, initiatives and targets related to GBA+. It is expected that the GBA+ performance measurement framework and system will be finalized by fiscal year 2022-23. In addition, a comprehensive data strategy will also be developed and implemented in order to identify and leverage existing and potential new data sources (internal and external) to support systematic GBA+ data collection and analysis.