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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

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 Act to protect and respect the language rights of Canadians. It also influences other key players in 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 for achieving the objectives, spirit and intent of the Act. 

The evaluation function will be instituted in 2011-12 and will support the performance measurement framework. Implementation of this framework, as mentioned in OCOL’s 2009-10 Performance Report, will be carried out over three years and will take into account the organization’s specific capacity and risks. As a result, OCOL will be in a better position to realign its reporting requirements and set appropriate and meaningful performance targets.

The performance measurement framework must also take into account the initiative for modernizing business processes introduced in 2010-11 and the renewal of computer systems. Consequently, the expected outcomes, the performance indicators and performance measurement strategies presented in the following table, as well as on the tables on pages 12, 13, 15 and 16 of this report, may be amended in 2011-12.

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 OCOL attain its strategic outcome. The following subsections describe the PAA’s three program activities and, for the first two, identify the expected results, performance indicators and performance measurement strategies established in 2009-10. These subsections also present data on the financial and human resources that will be dedicated to each program activity over the next three years. An explanation is given on how OCOL will achieve the expected results by 2013-14 while addressing the organization’s priorities. The benefits for Canadians are also articulated.

2.2 Program Activity 1: Protection of Linguistic Rights

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 of Linguistic Rights

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 obligations under the Act and what they need to do to fulfill these obligations.	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 of 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: semi-annual reports to institutions, performance report cards, intervention correspondence.)

 

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($000)
2011-12		2012-13		2013-14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
68.0	6,910	68.0	6,910	68.0	6,910

Planning Highlights for this Program Activity

Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2011-12, OCOL will pursue the above expected results and work towards achieving its three corporate operational priorities (presented in Section 1.2 of this report) through activities such as the following:

Working with federal institutions, especially those serving the travelling public, to ensure they actively offer their services in both official languages:

-  Publishing the 2010-11 audit of Air Canada’s services to the public.

-  Conducting activities in certain federal institutions and in certain other organizations subject to the Official Languages Act that serve the travelling public.

Verifying and examining the extent to which federal institutions and other organizations subject to the Act take into account the needs of official language minority communities when developing and implementing their policies and programs and delivering their services, and intervene with federal institutions:

-  Following up on the Audit of Service to the Public at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada conducted in 2009.

-  Continuing the audit begun at Industry Canada in 2010-11 to determine the extent to which this institution takes into account the needs of official language communities when developing and running its programs.

-  Analyzing the performance of 13 federal institutions regarding their obligations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act.² Results will appear in volume II of the Office of the Commissioner’s 2010-11 annual report, which will be released in fall 2011.

Work with the federal government on the lessons learned at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to ensure major national and international events held inCanada adequately reflect Canada’s linguistic duality:

-  Distributing a guide based on lessons learned at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to target groups to help them organize major national and international events that reflect Canada’s linguistic duality.

-  Making key players—including relevant federal institutions, central figures in the Canadian sports system and the organizing committee—aware of the importance of properly reflecting Canada ’s linguistic duality in preparations for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games in Toronto.

Intervening before the courts to ensure that the Official Languages Act is respected and ensure a consistent interpretation of language rights that is compatible with the development and vitality of official language minority communities:

-  Intervening in Federal Court in the matter of Thibodeau v. Air Canada to obtain clarifications on the remedial powers of the Court in relation to Air Canada’s systemic breaches.  

-  Pursuing the legal recourse initiated by the Commissioner against CBC/Radio-Canada in 2010-11 to obtain recognition of his authority to investigate complaints concerning that organization’s obligations under the Act.The Commissioner is also asking the Court to order CBC/Radio-Canada to fulfill its obligations under Part VII of the Act when it makes decisions that may negatively affect an official language minority community. 

Benefits of this Program Activity for Canadians

The program activity of Protection of Linguistic Rights 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 Official Languages Act of areas where greater efforts are required to more fully respect the letter and spirit of the Act.

2.3 Program Activity 2: Promotion of Linguistic Duality

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 the context of fulfilling its promotion role, OCOL conducts research, studies and public awareness activities, and intervenes with senior federal officials so that they instil a change in culture to fully integrate linguistic duality in their organizations.

Program Activity 2: Promotion of Linguistic Duality

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 before parliamentary committees and observations made to parliamentarians. (Content analysis of: (i)  parliamentary committee reports, transcripts and Hansards; (ii)  draft versus final bill comparisons to determine  whether the Commissioner’s interventions were considered.)
The public, official language minority communities, the media as well as federal institutions and 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 feedback from: the public, official language minority communities, the media and institutions and organizations subject to the Act about the information and tools provided or made available by OCOL. (Tracking and analysis of reach and feedback from selected interactions (speeches, regional liaison with official language communities, federal institutions, presentations at conferences, participation at federal councils, correspondence) with the public, official language communities, the media and institutions and organizations subject to the Act.) (Tracking and analysis of reach to or feedback from the public following the distribution of publications through statistics on distribution from downloads of publications and from OCOL’s booths at events.) (Review of the number and nature of inquiries and correspondence with the public.)
Canadian public policy is influenced by research and analyses pertaining to language rights and linguistic duality issues.	Key public stakeholders have had access to, and considered, OCOL’s 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.)

 

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($000)
2011-12		2012-13		2013-14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
54.0	7,243	54.0	7,244	54.0	7,244

Planning Highlights for this Program Activity

Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2011-12, OCOL will pursue these expected results and work towards achieving 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 Official Languages Act of the skills required for integrating linguistic duality as a key element of leadership in order to, among other things, create a workplace conducive to the use of both official languages:

-  Raising awareness among federal managers and central agencies of the leadership role they must play in language of work, and encouraging them to adopt the leadership competencies profile geared to official languages and developed as part of the study on leadership in a bilingual public service published in 2010-11

-  Raising awareness among federal institutions of their obligations when using social media to communicate with employees and the general public. 

Raising awareness of the importance and value of linguistic duality and bilingualism among Canadians (English-speaking and French-speaking), particularly among youth at the post-secondary level, and among key players:

-  Continuing the work begun in the 2009 study Two Languages, a World of Opportunities: Second-language learning in Canada’s universities by organizing discussion forums in the regions and by continuing discussions with key players targeted in the study.

-  Developing various avenues to communicate with youth and continue to develop specific approaches for this particular segment of the population, through outreach activities as well as promotional products such as school posters and a Web database of language learning opportunities in post-secondary institutions.

Continuing to act as a bridge builder between the federal government and other levels of government, as well as official language minority communities, so that public policies will better reflect Canada ’s linguistic duality:

-  Begin a study on the bilingual institutional capacity of the judiciary for provincial and territorial superior courts appointed by the Government of Canada in order to review the situation and make recommendations for improving access to justice in both official languages.

-  Implementing an awareness strategy targeting municipalities, particularly the City of Ottawa—Canada’s national capital—regarding the important role that municipalities can play in promoting linguistic duality.

-  Holding a discussion forum in Halifax on the connections between linguistic duality and cultural diversity as a follow-up to the forums held in Toronto in 2007 and Vancouver in 2008, to broaden OCOL’s understanding of the relationship between cultural diversity and linguistic duality through action-oriented research.

Contributing to a better understanding of the implementation of Part VII of the Official Languages Act and continuing to encourage the government to pursue a constructive dialogue with official language minority communities:

-  Encouraging federal institutions to adopt a comprehensive approach to implementing Part VII of the Official Languages Act by including the outcomes of the national discussion forum on Part VII, which brought together federal institutions, official language communities and researchers.

-  Releasing, Volume I of OCOL’s 2010-11 annual report, which will mainly address Part VII of the Official Languages Act, in spring 2011.

-  Monitoring the implementation of the Roadmap for Canada ’s Linguistic Duality 2008–13,which is at the halfway mark; starting discussions with Canadian Heritage in particular, to provide feedback and appropriate recommendations for developing an initiative that will come after the Roadmap.

-  Analyzing the performance of 13 federal institutions in terms of their obligations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, following an examination of their performance through Performance Report Cards.³ Results will appear in volume II of the Office of the Commissioner’s 2010-11 annual report, which will be released in fall 2011.

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 on the part of institutions and the general population.

2.4 Program Activity 3: Internal Services

Activity Description

The Internal Services program activity involves groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of the organization’s programs and other corporate obligations. 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.

Human Resources4 (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($000)
2011-12		2012-13		2013-14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
55.5	6,506	55.5	6,506	55.5	6,506

Planning Highlights for this Program Activity

Over the next three years, and more particularly in 2011-12, OCOL will seek to achieve its strategic outcome in part 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.

Efforts have been made in recent years to apply integrated management practices. During the 2010-11 fiscal year, OCOL conducted an A-base review to maximize the use of its resources. In addition, it applied for funding from the Treasury Board to start implementing its five-year IM/IT strategic plan. It is therefore important to note that OCOL’s ability to conduct the following activities is dependent on the resources available to it.

Updating its governance mechanisms to provide an accountability framework that acknowledges the independent status of the Office of the Commissioner by:

-  Continuing to enhance its integrated planning exercise and improve access to financial and non-financial information in order to support decision-making and optimal resource allocation.

-  Starting the implementation of OCOL’s evaluation function to support and improve its programs and policies, senior management’s decision-making process and the preparation of performance reports for OCOL’s audience.

Developing and implementing an optimization strategy to follow up on the A-base review started in 2010-11, and ultimately to fully support the organization’s priorities:

-  Gradually continuing implementation of the IM/IT strategic plan insofar as funding allows.

-  Moving forward with the evaluation and documentation of business processes, identifying opportunities for improving the effectiveness of procedures through alternate solutions, streamlining workflow and clearly defining roles and responsibilities. 

-  Finalizing the implementation of service standards for receiving and managing complaints.

-  Conducting a pilot project in the Ontario region to optimize the opportunities for regional promotion and intervention and thus promote the Commissioner’s role as a linguistic ombudsman.

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