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ARCHIVED - A Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions


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The 2014 Guidance for the Preparation of TB Submissions includes a revised submission form, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, enhanced guidance on costing, tools for submission writers and new service standards for submissions. Departments and agencies have until April 1, 2014, to fully implement the updated guidance.

However, as communicated in the Guideline on Chief Financial Officer Attestation for Cabinet Submissions, a CFO Attestation letter must be annexed to all submissions that have financial implications, effective January 1, 2014.

Appendix E: Official Languages

Background

Organizations must ensure that initiatives submitted to the Treasury Board for approval are subject to a systematic analysis of their impact on the organization's capacity to communicate with and provide services to the public in both official languages, on language of work, on the participation of English‑speaking and French‑speaking Canadians and on the vitality and development of English and French minority communities in Canada and the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society (Parts IV, V, VI and VII of the Official Languages Act).

Roles and Responsibilities

Organization preparing the submission

  • Complete the Official Languages Checklist (Appendix E1) to determine whether an impact analysis is required.
  • Provide an Official Languages Impact Analysis using the Official Languages Impact Analysis Guide (Appendix E2) if the answer to one of the questions in the Official Languages Checklist is "yes." This analysis should be done in consultation with the organization's official languages (OL) advisor and legal services.
  • Attach the Official Languages Checklist (Appendix E1) and if required, the Official Languages Impact Analysis (see Appendix E2) to the submission.

Analysts in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

  • Ensure that the Official Languages Checklist (Appendix E1) has been completed.
  • Review the organization's Official Languages Impact Analysis (see Appendix E2) if one is submitted.

Analysts in the Official Languages Centre of Excellence in the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer

  • Support the Treasury Board Secretariat analysts, as appropriate.

Appendix E1: Official Languages Checklist

Organization

Title of submission

Name of analyst in institution

Telephone number

Sector


Question

YES NO

1. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval for a new policy or a revision of an existing policy?

2. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval for a new service or program or a revision of an existing service or program, or an extension of a service or program of more than two years?

3. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval for a service delivery contract under which those delivering services are not employee of federal organizations?

4. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval related to a change in organizational form or a privatization?

5. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval for a change in how services are delivered to members of the public or to federal employees?

6. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval to award a grant or contribution to a non‑governmental organization?

7. Is the submission seeking the Treasury Board's approval for a new federal‑provincial agreement or a revision of an existing agreement?

8. Is the submission that is seeking the Treasury Board's approval related to the relocation of a head office?

Instructions

If you answered "NO" to all of the above questions, an impact analysis is not required. Please attach this form to the submission.

If you answered "YES" to any of the above questions, please complete the Impact Analysis and attach this form as well as your analysis of the impact of the proposal on your organization's official languages obligations to the submission.

Appendix E2: Official Languages Impact Analysis Guide

Organizations submitting for Treasury Board approval one of the initiatives mentioned in Appendix E1, must determine its impact on communications and services to the public, language of work (including participation of English‑ and French‑speaking Canadians), and the vitality and development of English and French minority communities in Canada and the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

In particular, the impact analysis should describe the nature of the impact, how the proposals in the submission take it into account, and the measures taken to ensure that the organization meets its obligations.

Impact on communications and services to the public

The organization must determine whether the initiative will have an impact on communications and services to the public and, if so, the organization must be able to confirm that communications with and services to the public will be in both official languages, in accordance with the Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations, and the Treasury Board policies and directives on official languages.

If the initiative includes delivery of services to the public by a third party under a service contract or a transfer payment agreement, the organization must be able to confirm that the contract or agreement will include a clause guaranteeing that communications with and services to the public will be in both official languages, in accordance with the Treasury's Board's policies and directives on official languages.

If the initiative is a federal‑provincial agreement, the organization must determine whether it should include clauses to guarantee that communications with and services to the public for federal responsibilities will be in both official languages.

Impact on language of work

The organization must determine whether the initiative will have an impact on the use of English and French in the work environment. If so, the organization must be able to confirm that employees can continue to work in the official language of their choice in designated bilingual areas (in terms of work tools, information systems, personal and central services, supervision, language spoken at meetings, and training and development).

In the case of the relocation of a head office from a bilingual region to a unilingual region, the organization must confirm the language of work rights of employees electing to relocate will be maintained.

If the initiative includes delivery of services to employees by a third party under a service contract, the organization must be able to confirm that the contract will specify that communications with and services to employees will be in both official languages, in accordance with the Treasury Board's policies and directives on official languages.

Impact on vitality of official language minority communities and promotion of English and French in Canadian society

The organization must describe how the spirit and intent of Part VII of the Official Languages Act and the Government of Canada's commitments and duties under that Part VII were respected during the development of the initiative.

In particular, the organization must describe the initiative's impact on the vitality and development of English and French minority communities in Canada and the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

The organization must also indicate whether it has taken measures to consult segments of the public affected by the initiative and, if so, identify the measures in question.

If the initiative is intended to support activities that benefit members of official language minority communities, the organization must describe the following:

  1. how the initiative will meet the Government of Canada's commitments and duties set out in Part VII of the OLA; and
  2. how services and communications will be in both official languages, in accordance with the OLA.

For more information, please see "A guide for Federal Institutions – Official Languages Act (Part VII) – Promotion of English and French".