Gender-based analysis plus

In August 2018, the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) established a GBA+ Responsibility Centre within its Results and Delivery Division. The location of the GBA+ Responsibility Centre in this unit supports a results-oriented, organization-wide approach to integrating GBA+ into PSC activities and decision-making processes.

In 2019-20, the PSC will formally adopt its GBA+ Action Plan (2019-21), which outlines key goals and planned initiatives for implementing its GBA+ Integration Framework (March 2018). The framework covers the following 5 components:

1. Governance and capacity
2. Awareness and training
3. Integration and impact
4. Data and research
5. Monitoring and reporting

A GBA+ Champion at the vice-president level will remain informed and engaged regarding the PSC’s progress in GBA+ implementation, and create opportunities to raise GBA+ awareness across the PSC. Existing senior management committees will also monitor progress in GBA+ implementation.

The PSC will report internally and externally on the implementation of GBA+ activities and initiatives listed in the action plan, and will track how GBA+ considerations have effectively informed the development and implementation of key PSC policies, programs and services.

In 2019-20, the GBA+ Responsibility Centre will continue working with key PSC partners such as its Diversity and Inclusion Directorate, while continuing to contribute to external initiatives such as quarterly interdepartmental GBA+ network meetings to share information, guidance and best practices.

During the 2019-20 fiscal year, a 0.75 full-time employee will be dedicated to GBA+ implementation across the PSC. This person will act as the GBA+ Focal Point (GBA+ Responsibility Centre). The director of the Results and Delivery Division will oversee GBA+ implementation.

Additional resources from the Results and Delivery Division may periodically be engaged in supporting specific GBA+ implementation activities. PSC staff across sectors will also be involved in integrating GBA+ considerations in their work, as relevant.

For the first full year of implementing GBA+, the PSC is focusing on applying GBA+ in several key initiatives, to allow for experimenting with various approaches and identifying the most fruitful strategies to meaningfully integrate GBA+ considerations into PSC activities and decision-making processes.

In 2019-20, the PSC will therefore continue to work on integrating GBA+ into key PSC initiatives, such as:

• developing targeted recruitment initiatives
• modernizing the government recruitment platform
• developing policy guidance documents for government-wide distribution

Involvement in these initiatives will include, but not be limited to:

• advising and supporting sectors on incorporating GBA+ into their work and developing options to mitigate potential impacts when identified
• identifying and circulating relevant disaggregated data to inform evidence-based considerations of GBA+ factors
• playing a challenge function for key deliverables such as briefing notes and draft Treasury Board submissions (and associated GBA+ appendices)

In parallel, the GBA+ Responsibility Center will continue to:

• build staff awareness of the PSC’s commitment to integrate GBA+ into its activities
• provide tools and resources to empower PSC employees to effectively integrate GBA+ into their work
• actively champion the use of disaggregated data to support evidence-based integration of GBA+ considerations in PSC activities
• monitor new and existing PSC projects and initiatives to ensure that a GBA+ lens is used throughout the process

The PSC will integrate GBA+ considerations in its internal evaluation process, in accordance with government-wide requirements.

Lessons learned and feedback gathered from the sectors based on the first full year of GBA+ implementation will be used to develop more formal mechanisms to systematically integrate GBA+ considerations at various stages of PSC policies, programs and services, along with associated performance monitoring strategies.