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Message from the Commissioner of Official Languages

Graham Fraser, Commissioner of Official Languages

I am pleased to present the 2010–2011 Report on Plans and Priorities, which sets out the corporate priorities, expected results and spending estimates for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL).

My primary responsibility as Commissioner is to ensure that language rights are protected and respected in Canada and to influence how linguistic duality is promoted in Canadian society. As an officer of Parliament, I provide parliamentarians with unbiased advice based on objective and factual information to help them fulfill one of their important roles—that of holding the federal government accountable for its stewardship of the equal status of English and French in Canada.

During the course of 2009–2010, as have the House of Commons and Senate standing committees on official languages, I have encouraged the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the various federal institutions providing services to the travelling public, the media and the athletes to take the necessary measures to ensure that Canada's two official languages are fully reflected during the Games. In 2010–2011, I will report to Parliament on how official languages and linguistic duality will have been handled during the Games. My goals in doing so are to improve the travelling public's experience at other international events and to leave Canadians with a permanent official languages legacy. One of the lessons we can already draw from the Games is the importance of integrating linguistic duality as a key element of leadership in the culture of service within federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act. It is important to ensure that linguistic duality is part of Canada's image at the national and international levels.

Our country's two official language communities have an important role to play in promoting linguistic duality. I will therefore continue to raise awareness within these communities of the value of linguistic duality as a key element of Canadian identity. More particularly, during the next year, I will continue to act as a bridge builder between the federal government and levels of government, as well as local governments and official language minority communities, so that public policies better reflect Canada's linguistic duality.

I will also support official language minority communities in order to foster their development and vitality. In the context of the fifth anniversary of amendments to the Official Languages Act, I will help develop a better understanding of the obligations of the government and all federal institutions with regard to official language community development and the promotion of English and French in Canadian society.

I will also continue to strengthen OCOL's organizational capacity by applying sound management principles and practices with respect to our corporate priorities.

Finally, I will ensure that OCOL continues to provide a diverse and respectful workplace in which each employee can achieve his or her full potential while serving Canadians.

Graham Fraser


Section I – Overview

1.1 Summary Information

Raison d'être

The mandate of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) is to promote the Official Languages Act, oversee its full implementation, protect the language rights of Canadians, and promote linguistic duality and bilingualism in Canada.

Responsibilities

The mandate of the Commissioner of Official Languages is set out in section 56 of the Official Languages Act:

It is the duty of the Commissioner to take all actions and measures within the authority of the Commissioner with a view to ensuring recognition of the status of each of the official languages and compliance with the spirit and intent of this Act in the administration of the affairs of federal institutions, including any of their activities relating to the advancement of English and French in Canadian society.

The Commissioner therefore has the mandate to take every measure within his power to ensure that the three main objectives of the Official Languages Act are met:

  • The equality of English and French in Parliament, the Government of Canada, the federal administration and the institutions subject to the Act;
  • The preservation and development of official language communities in Canada; and
  • The equality of English and French in Canadian society. 

The Commissioner of Official Languages is appointed by commission under the Great Seal, after approval by resolution of the House of Commons and the Senate, for a seven-year term. The Commissioner of Official Languages reports directly to Parliament.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture

To pursue its mandate effectively, OCOL strives to attain its single strategic outcome through continued progress on its three interrelated program activities (two operational and one management) as follows:

Strategic Outcome

Canadians' rights under the Official Languages Act are protected and respected by federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act; and linguistic duality is promoted in Canadian society.

Program Activity 1. Protection through Compliance Assurance 2. Promotion through Policy and Communications
3.  Internal Services

1.2 Planning Summary


Financial Resources ($000)
2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
20,615 20,648 20,648

 


Human Resources (full-time equivalents*)
2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
177.5 177.5 177.5

* Full-time equivalent: FTE

Alignment of the Program Activity Architecture to Government of Canada Outcomes

The Commissioner of Official Languages is an officer of Parliament who reports directly to Parliament and is thereby independent from government. The strategic outcome and the expected results for OCOL are detailed in Section II of this Report on Plans and Priorities.

Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome

OCOL has a single strategic outcome (SO 1): Canadians' rights under the Official Languages Act are protected and respected by federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act, and linguistic duality is promoted in Canadian society. The table below describes how each corporate priority contributes to the strategic outcome and what OCOL plans to do in 2010–2011 to achieve or make progress on each priority (more details on the initiatives identified in the table are provided in Section II under Planning Highlights). OCOL has four corporate priorities: three operational priorities and one management priority.


Operational Priorities Type1 Links to Strategic Outcome Description
1.   Work with federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act so that they fully integrate linguistic duality as an important element of leadership. Previous commitment2 SO 1 Federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act that successfully implement the Act by acting in accordance with its spirit and complying with its objectives are characterized by strong leadership and commitment on the part of their managers. OCOL: 

1.1   will raise awareness among federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act of the skills required for integrating linguistic duality as an important element of leadership in order to, among other things, create a workplace conducive to the use of both official languages;

1.2   will work with certain federal institutions, especially those serving the travelling public, so they actively offer their services in both official languages;

1.3   will verify and examine to what extent federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act take into account the needs of official language communities in developing and implementing their policies and programs and delivering their services, and will intervene with federal institutions;

1.4   will report to Parliament on how official languages and linguistic duality will have been handled during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in order to improve the travelling public's experience during other international events and leave Canadians with a permanent official languages legacy.

2.   Promote to Canada's two official language communities, the value of linguistic duality as one of the key elements of Canadian identity. New SO 1 Canada's two official language communities have an important role to play in promoting linguistic duality. OCOL:

2.1   will raise awareness of the importance and value of linguistic duality among Canadians (Anglophones and Francophones), among youth in particular at the post-secondary level, and among key players;

2.2   will engage regional federal councils in promoting linguistic duality within the federal public service and Canadian society;

2.3   will continue to act as a bridge builder between the federal government and other levels of government, as well as local governments and official language minority communities, so that public policies better reflect Canada's linguistic duality.

3.   Support official language minority communities in order to foster their development and vitality. Previous commitment2 SO 1 OCOL plays an important role in enhancing the vitality of Canada's Anglophone and Francophone minority communities. Therefore, OCOL:

3.1   will contribute to a better understanding of the implementation of Part VII of the Act in the context of the fifth anniversary of the amendments to the Act, and will encourage the government to pursue a constructive dialogue with official language minority communities;

3.2   will intervene before the courts to ensure that the Official Languages Act and the provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms pertaining to official languages are respected and ensure a consistent interpretation of language rights that is compatible with the development and vitality of official language minority communities.

4.   Strengthen organizational capacity by applying sound management principles and practices with respect to corporate priorities. Previous commitment2 SO 1 The Commissioner, as an officer of Parliament, aims to continually improve OCOL's internal management with respect to program activities (protection, promotion, internal services). OCOL:

4.1   will update governance mechanisms to provide an accountability framework that acknowledges its independent status;

4.2   will update the multi-year human resources management strategic plan.


1. Type is defined as follows: previous commitment—commitment made in the first or second fiscal year prior to this RPP; ongoing—commitment made at least three fiscal years prior to this RPP; and new—new commitment made in this RPP.

2. The priorities defined here as previous commitments were presented in the 2009–2010 RPP with the text having been slightly revised in this year's RPP.

Risk Analysis

OCOL's strategic context and operating environment are characterized by external and internal risks that influence the choice of its corporate priorities and affect its plans and performance. This section briefly describes this particular environment, with specific reference to the four primary risks faced by the organization.

External Risk Factors
The first risk is related to the perception that the Official Languages Act has become less important or less relevant in recent years, and this perception is still present, as demonstrated by recent public debate. To address this issue, in the past year, OCOL has renewed its ombudsman role in order to influence federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act through concrete preventive and corrective measures. By addressing issues of systemic compliance and by improving official languages performance on an ongoing basis, the efforts involved are an investment towards the achievement of better compliance results that will benefit Canadians. These efforts will continue in 2010–2011.

OCOL is working closely with interested groups, including official language minority communities and parliamentarians, to ensure that it is fully aware of their current perceptions, needs and expectations. OCOL will continue to work closely with parliamentarians to ensure that its role and mandate are well understood. It will also pursue its close monitoring of all legislation and court challenges relevant to its mandate. OCOL will continue to promote the knowledge of, and respect for, Canada's two official languages as an important element of leadership within federal institutions. Strong leadership contributes to better compliance. Furthermore, the Commissioner continues to act as a bridge builder between official language minority communities and federal institutions, and also works with other levels of government (provincial and territorial), as well as local governments, to ensure official languages are given appropriate consideration during the formulation of public policies and programs.

The second risk faced by OCOL is its independence from the Government of Canada. To deliver on its mandate, OCOL must maintain its independence to be able to provide unbiased advice and information to Parliament. Significant progress has been made following the recent Treasury Board decision regarding the applicability of Treasury Board policies to officers of Parliament. However, not all issues have been resolved and vigilance must continue to be exercised to ensure that the independence of officers of Parliament is respected by the federal government.

Internal Risk Factors
The third risk is OCOL's organizational capacity. As an organization, OCOL faces pressures due to insufficient resources to fulfill its mandate and deliver results, as well as the specific challenge of recruiting staff with specialized skills at a time when numerous retirements are occurring at all organizational levels. OCOL will update its strategic human resources management plan so that it can build, strengthen and support its workforce in an evolving environment.

The fourth risk involves information management. There are important concerns regarding expertise, experience and capacity in the area of information and technology management to support the increasing responsibilities and current and emerging needs of OCOL. An IM/IT Gap Analysis has been completed, and it indicates a significant discrepancy between OCOL's current information management capacity and technological products and services and its business requirements. Given the absence of support and warranties for OCOL's technical platform, the hardware and software currently in use run a significant risk of failure. Thus, OCOL's ability to deliver its programs is jeopardized. OCOL is therefore seeking funding from Treasury Board and, if this request is approved, OCOL will be able to start implementing its five-year IM/IT Strategic Plan in 2010–2011.

Expenditure Profile

In 2010–2011, OCOL plans to spend $20,615,000 to make progress on its four corporate priorities, meet the expected results of its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcome.

Spending Trend from 2006–2007 to 2012–2013

The figure below illustrates OCOL's spending trend over seven years, representing the past three years, the current year of 2009–2010 and the next three years.

Expenditure Profile - Spending Trend Graph

Actual spending corresponds to total expenditures as published in the Public Accounts of Canada in terms of the credits approved in the Main Estimates and the Supplementary Estimates, including the standard collective agreement settlements, severance benefits and annual carry forward (Treasury Board Votes 15, 20, 25, 30). The increase in actual spending was primarily due to collective agreement settlements and additional funding received in 2007–2008 for the development and implementation of the access to information and internal audit functions in order to meet new requirements under the Federal Accountability Act. Both these new functions further improve OCOL's ability to demonstrate transparency in its management practices.

The forecast spending for 2009–2010 includes all parliamentary appropriations: the Main Estimates, the Supplementary Estimates as well as the standard collective agreement settlements and annual carry forward.

Finally, the planned spending from 2010–2011 to 2012–2013 reflects Main Estimates only.

Funding Allocation Graph

2010–2011 Allocation of Funding by Program
Activity

The figure opposite displays the allocation of OCOL's funding by program activity for 2010–2011.


 

Voted and Statutory Items

The table below illustrates the way in which Parliament approved OCOL resources, and shows the increase in resources derived from the Supplementary Estimates and other authorities in prior years, as well as how funds will be spent.

Voted and Statutory Items displayed in the Main Estimates
($000)
Vote # or Statutory Item Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording 2009-2010
Main Estimates
2010-2011
Main Estimates
20 Program expenditures 17,849 18,429
(S) Contributions to employee benefit plans 2,087 2,186
       
Total  19,935 20,615

The above amounts are those supplied by Treasury Board Secretariat. Details in the Votes and Statutory Items above do not add to the Total due to rounding. The net increase of $680,000 in the 2010–2011 Main Estimates results from an increase in collective agreement settlements negotiated in 2009–2010. This increase is distributed between program expenditures and contributions to employee benefit plans.