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2010-11
Report on Plans and Priorities
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
The original version was signed by
The Honourable Josée Verner
President of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada
Table of Contents
Message from the Commissioner of Official Languages
Section II – Analysis of Program Activities
- 2.1 Strategic Outcome
- 2.2 Program Activity 1: Protection Through Compliance Assurance
- 2.3 Program Activity 2: Promotion Through Policy and Communications
- 2.4 Program Activity 3: Internal Services
Section III – Supplementary Information
Message from the 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.
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
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 |
|---|---|---|
| 20,615 | 20,648 | 20,648 |
| 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.
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.
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.
| 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.
Section II – Analysis of Program Activities
2.1 Strategic Outcome
OCOL's work focuses on attaining its single strategic outcome. OCOL plays a leading role in encouraging federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act to protect and respect the language rights of Canadians through their policies and programs. OCOL also influences other stakeholders contributing to the promotion of linguistic duality in our society. While OCOL has a unique role to play in ensuring compliance with the Act, it is nonetheless one of several federal players with responsibilities related for achieving the objectives, spirit and intent of the Act.
The performance indicators set out below are intended to measure OCOL's identifiable progress towards its strategic outcome through the Commissioner's influence as an officer of Parliament. With reliable information on the impact of its interventions, OCOL can ascertain which actions should be pursued and which should be changed to be even more effective in its efforts.
OCOL is in the process of reviewing its performance measurement framework implementation strategy. In 2009–2010, a number of measurement instruments were designed, based upon which baseline data is being collected. Following this review, OCOL will be in a position to realign its reporting requirements and set appropriate and meaningful performance targets. OCOL will start measuring its actual performance in certain areas of the organization in 2010–2011. Full implementation is expected in 2011–2012.
| Strategic Outcome | Performance Indicators |
| 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. | Extent to which recommendations (made through audits, investigations, annual reports) are implemented within two years after their tabling. Frequency and impact of opportunities used by OCOL to promote linguistic duality. |
| Performance Measurement Strategy | |
| Follow-up and analysis of responses of federal institutions and organizations to the recommendations. Tracking and analysis of selected promotional activities (including speeches, symposia and information sessions), appearances before parliamentary committees and meetings with parliamentarians. |
|
OCOL's Program Activity Architecture (PAA) is designed to help it attain its strategic outcome. The following sub-sections describe the three program activities in OCOL's PAA and identify the expected results, performance indicators and performance measurement strategy for each one. These sub-sections also present the financial and human resources that will be dedicated to each program activity over the next three years; explain how OCOL will achieve the expected results while also working on corporate priorities; and articulate the benefits of each program activity for Canadians.
2.2 Program Activity 1: Protection Through Compliance Assurance
Activity Description
Through this program activity, OCOL investigates complaints filed by citizens who believe their language rights have not been respected, evaluates compliance with the Official Languages Act by federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act through performance measurements and audits, and intervenes proactively to prevent non-compliance with the Act. As well, OCOL may intervene before the courts in cases that deal with non-compliance with the Act.
| Program Activity 1: Protection Through Compliance Assurance | |
| Expected Results | Performance Indicators (Performance Measurement Strategy) |
| Canadians receive timely and appropriate responses to their complaints, requests for intervention and inquiries. | Percentage of OCOL responses to complaints, requests for interventions and inquiries delivered as per service standards. (Statistics on response time.) |
| Quality of the investigation process. (Review and analysis of sample investigation files) |
|
| Federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act are fully aware of the extent of their linguistic compliance and what they need to do to fulfill their obligations under the Act. | Extent to which investigation, audit and annual report recommendations are implemented within two years after their tabling. (Follow-up and analysis of the responses received from federal institutions and organizations to investigation recommendations; follow-up audit reports and files.) |
| Extent to which interventions led to improvements in the official languages practices of targeted federal institutions within two years of the intervention. (Follow-up and analysis of the official languages practices in targeted federal institutions through: quarterly reports to institutions, performance report cards, interventions' correspondence.) |
|
Planned Resources |
2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | 2012–2013 |
| Financial Resources ($000) | 6,858 |
6,870 |
6,870 |
| Human Resources (FTEs) | 68.0 |
68.0 |
68.0 |
Planning Highlights for this Program Activity
Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2010–2011, OCOL will pursue the above expected results and work on the three corporate operational priorities (presented in Section 1.2 of this Report) through activities such as the following:
Raising 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:
- Conducting a follow-up of the audit regarding language of work at the Department of National Defence Headquarters.
- Through performance report cards, analyzing the performance of certain federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act in terms of efforts made regarding language of work.
Working with federal institutions, especially those serving the travelling public, so they will actively offer their services in both official languages:
- Conducting a “service to the public” audit of Air Canada.
- Analyzing the performance of certain federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act, namely those that serve the travelling public, in terms of efforts undertaken regarding service to the public, through such methods as performance report cards.
Verifying and examining the extent to which federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act take into account the needs of official language communities when developing and implementing their policies and programs and delivering their services; and intervening with federal institutions:
- Analyzing the performance of certain federal institutions in terms of measures taken to address the needs of official language communities when developing programs and delivering services, through such methods as performance report cards.
- Conducting a “service to the public” audit of Service Canada to determine the extent to which this institution takes into account the needs of official language minority communities when delivering services.
- Conducting an audit of Industry Canada to review the extent to which this institution takes into account the needs of official language communities when developing and implementing its programs.
Reporting 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 to leave Canadians with a permanent official languages legacy:
- Publishing a follow-up report on how well linguistic duality is reflected during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
- Appearing before the House of Commons and Senate standing committees on official languages.
Intervening 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 preservation and development of the country's official language minority communities:
- Using the Commissioner's power to appeal to the Federal Court, pursuant to Part X of the Act, to clarify the scope and application of the Act where systemic or important compliance issues remain unresolved through the main complaint resolution process.
- Promoting full compliance to the letter and spirit of the Act in line with the interpretation principles articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada and other Canadian courts, in particular in the VIA Rail and DesRochers decisions.
- Exploring ways to maximize the use and efficiency of the powers conferred to the Commissioner pursuant to Part X of the Act in order to achieve results for all Canadians by reviewing current practices.
Benefits of this Program Activity for Canadians
The program activity of Protection Through Compliance Assurance provides Canadians with a mechanism for recourse when they feel their language rights have been violated, and increases awareness within federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act of areas where greater efforts are required to more fully respect the letter and spirit of the Official Languages Act.
2.3 Program Activity 2: Promotion Through Policy and Communications
Activity Description
Through this program activity, OCOL works with parliamentarians, federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act, official language communities and the Canadian public in promoting linguistic duality. OCOL builds links between federal institutions, official language communities and the different levels of government to help them better understand the needs of official language communities, the importance of bilingualism and the value of respecting Canada's linguistic duality. In order to fulfill its promotion role, OCOL conducts research, studies and public awareness activities as well as intervenes with senior federal officials so that they instill a change in culture to fully integrate linguistic duality in their organizations.
| Program Activity 2: Promotion Through Policy and Communications | |
| Expected Results | Performance Indicators (Performance Measurement Strategy) |
| Parliament receives useful advice and information about the official languages implications of evolving legislation, regulations and policies. | Impact of the Commissioner's interventions on the formulation of evolving legislation, regulations and policies (through appearances to parliamentary committees and other representations with parliamentarians). (Content analysis of: (i) parliamentary committee reports, transcripts and Hansards; (ii) draft versus final bills to determine whether the Commissioner's interventions were considered.) |
| The public, official language minority communities, the media and federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act have access to information and tools to understand official language rights and obligations and the importance of linguistic duality in Canada. | Reach to, and/or feedback from: the public, official language minority communities, the media and those subject to the Act about the information and tools provided and/or made available by OCOL. [Tracking and analysis of reach and feedback from selected interactions (speeches, regional liaison with official language communities, federal institutions, seminars at conferences, participation at federal councils, correspondence) with the public, official language minority communities, the media and those subject to the Act.] (Tracking and analysis of reach and/or feedback from the distribution of publications through statistics on distribution downloads of publications as well as from OCOL's booths at events.) (Review of the number and range of inquiries and correspondence with the public.) |
| Canadian public policy is influenced by research and analyses on language rights and linguistic duality issues. | Key public stakeholders have had access to, and considered, the OCOL research and analyses in their policy making. (Tracking of feedback from key stakeholders and content analysis of a selection of study recommendations and formal letters to government officials to see how they influenced government policies.) |
Planned Resources |
2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | 2012–2013 |
| Financial Resources ($000) | 7,407 |
7,419 |
7,419 |
| Human Resources (FTEs) | 55.0 |
55.0 |
55.0 |
Planning Highlights for this Program Activity
Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2010–2011, OCOL will pursue these expected results and support its three corporate operational priorities (presented in Section 1.2 of this Report) through activities such as the following:
Raising 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:
- Conducting a study to identify behaviour that fosters a workplace conducive to the use of both official languages.
Raising awareness of the importance and value of linguistic duality among Canadians (Anglophone and Francophone), particularly among youth in particular at the post-secondary level, and among key players:
- Implementing a comprehensive communications strategy for 2010–2013, including promotion activities and communications products targeting these audiences.
- Developing tools and carrying out promotional activities to raise awareness among the travelling public of their language rights and the importance of receiving services in the official language of their choice.
- Continuing to promote second language learning at the university level to interested parties and the Canadian population as a whole, based primarily on the study on second-language learning in Canada's universities, published in 2009.
Engaging regional federal councils to promote linguistic duality within both the federal public service and Canadian society:
- Encouraging regional federal councils across the country to promote linguistic duality as a value in the public service and holding activities in the context of an annual Linguistic Duality Day.
Continuing 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 will better reflect Canada's linguistic duality:
- Supporting the Francophone communities of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in their interventions to help territorial governments develop a comprehensive plan for creating language regimes for these two territories.
- Encouraging networking among municipalities and raising their awareness of the importance of providing bilingual services and of the role of linguistic duality in the vitality and operations of cities.
Contributing 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 encouraging the government to pursue a constructive dialogue with official language minority communities:
- In the context of the fifth anniversary of the amendments to Part VII of the Act, identifying the progress made and the challenges met by federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act, and encouraging the government to pursue a constructive dialogue with official language minority communities in order to identify positive measures that would contribute to the full implementation of the Act.
- Monitoring the federal government's implementation of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008–2013 to identify successes, issues and needs for adjustments, and to make appropriate recommendations.
Intervening 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 ensuring a consistent interpretation of language rights that is compatible with developing and enhancing the vitality of the country's official language minority communities:
- Examining opportunities to intervene in the R. v. Caron appeal, which deals with the official status of the French language in Alberta under the Canadian constitution.
Benefits of this Program Activity for Canadians
Canada's language policies are part of a broader dialogue among legislators, the courts and citizens. The work undertaken by OCOL is part of that conversation. Through OCOL's efforts, federal institutions and the public gain a better understanding of the core value of linguistic duality and of the situation of official language communities. Those communities, in turn, benefit from this increased understanding and openness from institutions and the general population.
2.4 Program Activity 3: Internal Services
Activity Description
Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services, Communications Services, Legal Services, Human Resources Management Services, Financial Management Services, Information Management Services, Information Technology Services, Real Property Services, Materiel Services, Acquisition Services, and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.
Planned Resources3 |
2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | 2012–2013 |
| Financial Resources ($000) | 6,350 |
6,359 |
6,359 |
| Human Resources (FTEs) | 54.5 |
54.5 |
54.5 |
3. Given the legislated requirement to pursue court action under the law, legal services are excluded from Internal Services at OCOL and form part of Program Activity 1 – Protection Through Compliance Assurance. Equally, given its specific mandate, OCOL's communications services are not included in Internal Services but rather form part of Program Activity 2 – Promotion Through Policy and Communications.
Planning Highlights for this Program Activity
Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2010–2011, OCOL will pursue its strategic outcome through the corporate management priority (presented in Section 1.2 of this Report). To do this, it will build its organizational capacity through the application of sound management principles and practices that support its corporate priorities. More specifically, OCOL will deliver on activities such as the following:
Updating its governance mechanisms to provide an accountability framework that acknowledges its independent status by:
- Incorporating its advisory committee on human resources management and its advisory committee on information management and information technology into its decision-making process.
- Updating its delegation instruments and defining OCOL's requirements regarding levels of responsibility, accountability, consultation and information with respect to the management of human resources, finances and information.
- Developing a multi-year plan for monitoring the use of delegations in human resources, finance and information management.
- Developing a financial strategy to meet OCOL's current and emerging needs.
- Ensuring that corporate discipline and alignment with OCOL's strategic outcome are in place, thus providing effective strategic direction, support to the Commissioner and the delivery of results;
- Continuing to enhance OCOL's integrated operational planning exercise and improving the way financial and non-financial information is provided, thus offering better support to the decision-making process and ensuring optimal resource allocation.
Updating the multi-year human resources management strategic plan, taking into account:
- The results of the 2008 Public Service Employee Survey; the multi-year employment equity plan and other input with an impact on human resources management (for example, the results of the internal audit and feedback from the Public Service Commission of Canada).
Section III – Supplementary Information
3.1 List of Tables
The Internal Audit Plan can be found on OCOL's Web site at www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/internalaudit_verifinterne_e.php.
3.2 Other Items of Interest
Contact information for headquarters and regional offices
For further information, visit the Office of the Commissioner's Web site at http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca, or contact one of the following offices:
HEADQUARTERS
Canada Building
344 Slater Street
3rd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T8
Tel.: 613-996-6368 or 1-877-996-6368
Fax: 613-993-5082
E-mail: message@ocol-clo.gc.ca
REGIONAL OFFICES
Atlantic Region
Tel.: 506-851-7047 or 1-800-561-7109
Fax: 506-851-7046
Quebec Region
Tel.: 514-283-4996 or 1-800-363-0628
Fax: 514-283-6677
Ontario Region
Toronto
Tel.: 416-973-1903 or 1-800-387-0635
Fax: 416-973-1906
Sudbury
Tel.: 705-671-4101 or 1-888-272-3704
Fax : 705-671-3100
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Region
Winnipeg
Tel.: 204-983-2111 or 1-800-665-8731
Fax: 204-983-7801
Regina
Tel.: 306-780-7866 or 1-800-665-8731
Fax : 306-780-7896
Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut Region
Edmonton
Tel.: 780-495-3111 or 1-800-661-3642
Fax: 780-495-4094
Vancouver
Tel.: 604-666-5802 or 1-800-661-3642
Fax: 604-666-5803