2020-21 Departmental Plan: Gender-based Analysis Plus

Governance structures

Shared Services Canada (SSC) has been increasingly integrating Gender Based Analysis+ (GBA+) into programs and services. The 2020–21 GBA+ Action Plan will serve as an integrative mechanism to encourage comprehensive GBA+ practices across the Department services and programs. Strategic initiatives incorporated in the Action Plan draft include:

• Increase Awareness, Capacity and Training;
• Improve the Quality and Increase the Application of GBA+; and
• Improve Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation and Data Quality.

These initiatives will be supported by SSC governance bodies including the Treasury Board and Budget Proposal Submission process, and internal and external partnerships.

Human resources

Currently, the GBA+ Responsibility Centre resides in Strategic Services within the Human Resources (HR) team. They work in close collaboration with the Strategy Branch to continue promoting GBA+ awareness and its implementation across departmental programs and services.

• 2 Full-time equivalents (FTEs) within HR serve as the focal points and support implementation across the Department. The number of total planned FTEs may evolve as SSC continues to consider how to advance GBA+.
• GBA+ is addressed through existing departmental governance structures, including Diversity and Inclusion Champions and Advisory Committees.
• SSC participates in the Women and Gender Equality Interdepartmental working group.

Planned Initiatives

In 2020–21, GBA+ will continue to be applied and monitored where required (i.e., in all Treasury Board Submissions, Memoranda to Cabinet, Budget Proposals, etc.). Focus will be placed on ensuring fair and equitable practices in procurement initiatives, promoting accessibility in IT system implementation and delivery of the Departmental Employment Equity Action Plan.

SSC will also work to finalize and approve the Department’s official GBA+ Implementation Plan. Performance will be monitored through HR and assessed against the successful implementation of activities and indicators identified in the GBA+ plan.

SSC focused initiatives planned for the next fiscal year include the following:

Women

One of SSC’s GBA+ goals is to actively promote Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, increasing the representation of women in Information Technology (IT) and investing in developing women to achieve gender equality and decrease discrimination. The Champion for Women will continue to lead a comprehensive strategy in partnership with public, private and academic sectors focused on recruitment and development opportunities (e.g., Roberta Bondar Career Development Program for Young Women).

LGBTQ2

Supported by our Champion and Network, gender equality will continue to be advanced through the Positive Space Training, updated forms/correspondence (i.e. removing Mr./Mrs.), support 2020 Pride/Awareness Days (Human Rights Day, Day of Pink, Pride Month, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, LGBTQ2 in STEM Day, Capital Pride Week, National Coming Out Day) and active participation in speaking engagements representing SSC’s LGBTQ2 initiative.

Indigenous Peoples

SSC strategies and priorities in regards to Indigenous Peoples GBA+ intersectional goals are achieved in collaboration with Diversity and Inclusion Champions and advisory committees. Some of these goals include: promoting related commemorative events, developing strategies to decrease discrimination, and addressing issues highlighted in Public Service Employee Survey results. Highlights include national training sessions, research and options to support the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act.

Accessibility

Accessibility continues to be high priority within the Department, which will be supported by an accessibility roadmap and Accessibility Plan. Planned activities will include creating a hub of accessibility information and continued learning activities to raise accessibility awareness as well as piloting and advising on accessible digital communication and collaboration tools (i.e. Office 365).

Visible Minority Employees

SSC is addressing intersectional gaps involving the Visible Minority group, in collaboration with SSC’s Visible Minority Champion and Advisory Committee. Some of these goals include: promoting related commemorative events; developing strategies to decrease discrimination; promoting consultation and training to improve the Department’s recruitment and staffing processes. Examples including Federal Internship for Newcomers Program Promotion, Discrimination and Harassment Case Study and Cultural Food and Language Day.

Regional Capacity

SSC continues to build regional capacity through recruitment, engagement and investments in learning and development. As well, employees are enabled by technical and logistical support wherever they are located.

Employment Equity

SSC has demonstrated a significant increase in its Employment Equity (EE) representation during the reporting period:

Date	March 31, 2018	March 31, 2019	December 31, 2019
EE Population	5427	6425	6943
Women	1730	2155	2283
Indigenous Peoples	171	193	198
Visible Minorities	865	1094	1165
Persons with disabilities	308	360	358

Conclusion

SSC will be leveraging GBA+ to monitor gaps and to identify innovative strategies to address them. Examples include focusing specifically on the recruitment of women into the Computer Systems (CS) group, continue increasing the intake of Indigenous employees, removing technological barriers to help fully integrate employees with disabilities, preventing and eliminating discrimination, and providing support to employees, victims of discrimination. The Department will monitor progress through the HR Dashboards.

Reporting capacity and data

SSC’s mandate is to provide IT infrastructure and services to other federal government departments, as such the Department does not provide services directly to Canadians.

SSC’s HR team collects and maintains the departmental microdata which forms the basis of GBA+, (i.e., self-identification information: a woman, an Indigenous person, a person with a disability, a member of a visible minority group, age, official languages, location).