Listen, learn, act: AAFC's 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy

AAFC's 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy identifies objectives and initiatives aimed at improving underrepresentation in the workforce and removing barriers to employment to ensure our workforce is representative of the Canadians we serve and to ensure our workplaces are inclusive in our everyday work.

On this page

• Value proposition statement
• Why a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy?
• Drivers for the 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy
• Understanding our organization
• We all have a role to play
• Pillars of action: strategic objectives
• 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy – action plan
• Short-term hiring goals by occupational group

Why a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy?

• AAFC's 2022-25 DEI Strategy goes beyond fulfilling the legislative obligations to increase diversity and inclusion. The Strategy includes a value proposition, strategic pillars, a 3-year action plan, as well as a monitoring and measurement framework that focuses on the outcome of a series of activities that result in a positive culture change as reflected by the views of our employees.
• An employment equity plan addresses under-representation of the four employment equity groups - Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and women and employment barriers they may face. When under-representation exists, in accordance with the Employment Equity Act (EEA), AAFC is required to develop, implement and monitor an employment equity plan that addresses the causes of under-representation of the four employment equity groups and barriers and discrimination in employment practices.
• By increasing diversity in the workplace we collectively become more creative and innovative in the policies, programs and research we develop for our sector and stakeholders. Having a diverse workforce means accessing a range of skills, experiences and perspectives that can contribute to our organization's success.
• By implementing inclusive policies and practices we will create a safe and accessible space, where employees are treated equitably and with respect, where they have the accommodation they are entitled to, and work in an environment that allows them to succeed, feel valued and empowered to bring their best selves to work every day.

Canada's diversity landscape is evolving

Description of the above image

• Immigration accounts for 80% of Canada's population increase.
• More than 6 million Canadians (22% of the population) identify as having a disability.
• By the age of 40, 1 in 2 Canadians have or have had a mental illness.
• Indigenous peoples are the fastest growing and youngest population in Canada.
• The visible minority population represents almost a quarter of the Canadian workforce.
• Canada is now home to about 1 million people who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

Canada's population continues to evolve and become more diverse and our workforce needs to be supportive and reflective of Canadians.

Drivers for the 2022-25 DEI Strategy

The DEI Strategy has been developed to:

• Take into account the legislative framework governing employment equity. This includes the Employment Equity Act (EEA) as well as guidance from The Clerk's Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion, the Accessible Canada Act, the Many Voices One Mind Report and Scorecard, and the Nothing Without Us: Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service.
• Reflect changes in demographics, such as increased population due to immigration, Indigenous Peoples are the youngest and fastest growing group in Canada, and growing population of persons with disabilities, visible minorities and people who identify with the 2SLGBTQI+ community are expected to significantly impact not only our workforce availability estimates for equity and equity-seeking groups and workforce representation but will also influence modifications to the Employment Equity Act.
• Build on the accomplishments of our 2018-2021 Diversity and Inclusion Plan such as:
  • Creating diverse staffing inventories of prequalified candidates through targeted recruitment of Indigenous, Black and other racialized candidates, and Persons with disabilities, for underrepresented positions at all levels;
  • The Indigenous Support and Awareness Office (ISAO)'s promotion of the Indigenous Student Recruitment Initiative with 147 communities and 130 University and Colleges resulting in hiring over 321 students since 2016;
  • ISAO's development of a comprehensive learning curriculum to raise awareness of Indigenous history and culture and promote learning opportunities
  • The implementation of the Workplace Well-Being Ombudsperson; and
  • Nominating Executive Champions to further support each DEI Networks and promote diversity and inclusion activities, events and best practices
• Respond to the 2021 Employment Systems Review and address what employees have told us in the latest Public Service Employee Survey, and in various consultations with DEI Networks, branch representatives, human resources, senior management, unions and employees. From these consultations we heard a need for improved and accessible communications, targeted and inclusive hiring, more inclusive training and developmental opportunities and improvements to monitoring and reporting on the progress.
• Link to other Departmental work, plans and strategies related to DEI (for example: the Departmental Accessibility Strategy, Indigenous Network Circle Three-Year Strategy, and the Visible Minorities Network Brave Spaces research).
• Address the impact that COVID-19 has had on the way we work which gives us an opportunity to review the ways we hire, work and can improve employee retention.

Understanding AAFC's representation gaps

Specific measures in the 2018-21 Diversity and Inclusion Plan including targeted processes for research scientist and science professionals targeting women and Indigenous peoples as well as student recruitment through the Indigenous Student Recruitment Initiative have helped to improve workforce representation but there continues to be gaps in certain areas.

As a result of our workforce analysis as of March 31, 2022, AAFC has overall representation gaps for the Indigenous Peoples and Persons with Disabilities.

In addition, AAFC also has longstanding and numerically large representation gaps at the occupational group level for the following groups:

• Indigenous Peoples (SE-RES, EG, GL)
• Persons with Disabilities (BI, CO, EC, EG, FI, GL, IS, IT, SE-RES)
• Visible Minorities (EC, EN, GL, IS, PC)
• Women (SE-RES, BI)

The actions we take will not make our representation gaps disappear overnight.  But continued efforts must be made to address under-representation.  To this end, we have identified specific short-term hiring goals based on representation and historical mobility data to address areas of under-representation.

See the short-term hiring goals below.

Description of the above image

A snapshot of AAFC'S overall representation (based on total base population of 5011 as of March 31, 2022)

	Indigenous peoples	Persons with disabilities	Visible minorities	Women
Workforce availability estimate (WAE) - goal	192	430	708	2550
Actual representation	165	257	931	2620

We all have a role to play

The DEI Strategy is a departmental strategy for which we all share the responsibility to implement to continue to build more inclusive workplaces at AAFC.

• The Deputy Minister is responsible for ensuring the development and successful implementation of the DEI Strategy, including allocating resources to achieve the DEI Strategy's objectives. The Deputy Minister is committed to equitable opportunities for all individuals in recruitment, promotion, training and development or in any other employment opportunity.
• The DEI ADM and Executive Champions act as role models, responsible for promoting and celebrating diverse and inclusive actions in the department and creating safe environments where everyone's opinion is heard, considered and valued.
• Managers and supervisors can actively consult and consider branch employment equity plans and short-term hiring goals when staffing to improve representation. Managers can also provide employees time to take training and participate in departmental activities and networks.
• All employees are responsible for contributing to a safe, accessible and inclusive work environment by treating their colleagues with dignity, fairness, integrity and respect and participating in activities that support creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.  Employees can take training to increase their understanding, join a diversity and inclusion network or become an ally by challenging their biases and speaking out against acts of discrimination.
• Human Resources Directorate plays a key role in developing, implementing and monitoring the DEI initiatives and provide the data analysis and subject matter expertise.
• Union Representatives are responsible for actively participating in consultation and collaboration with the Human Resources Directorate, managers and employees on DEI initiatives including the development, implementation, monitoring and revision of the DEI Strategy.
• The Diversity and Inclusion Networks work to address issues and barriers for their respective equity and equity-seeking group. They also support departmental initiatives through consultations at the development and implementation stages to ensure we are addressing issues or potential barriers, and advocating for an inclusive workplace.

Pillars of action: strategic objectives

Through careful consideration of the external and internal drivers, relevant plans and strategies, and consultations and collaborations with the various stakeholders the 2022-25 DEI Strategy outlines three strategic objectives that will guide our activities.

Strategic objectives

1. Increase representation and belonging
   To address current representation gaps and increase belonging for all, we will build a diverse workforce that exceeds workforce availability through targeted recruitment, unbiased staffing and enhanced retention practices.
2. Create inclusive and accessible workplaces
   To support our employees, we will foster innovation and creativity by creating safe, inclusive and accessible workplaces where employees are valued, engaged and able to contribute in an environment of mutual respect.
3. Enhance accountability and monitoring
   To achieve our goals, we will be partners in collaboration and collectively committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion throughout all levels of the organization.

2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy – Action plan

The following tables are designed to guide the implementation of the 2022-25 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy. Within each pillar of action, performance objectives and indicators have been outlined, including expected outcomes. Also included times lines are lead teams responsible for leading the activities. While Human Resources teams lead several activities, it is important to note the managers' overall responsibility and accountability at all levels in diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as the continued support of DEI stakeholders through consultation and collaboration. 

The progress against the Strategy and Action Plan will be monitored regularly and modified as necessary to drive improvements to our efforts. Ongoing feedback and continued collaboration with employees and stakeholders will be sought to be successful in implementing these changes.

Pillar 1: Increase representation and belonging

To address current representation gaps and increase belonging for all, we will build a diverse workforce that exceeds workforce availability through targeted recruitment, un-biased hiring and enhanced retention practices.

Performance objective	Drivers	Performance indicator	Target year	Lead team(s)
Focus targeted recruitment and staffing efforts to increase employment equity representation at various groups and levels across AAFC branches while addressing longstanding significant numerical gaps	Employment Equity Act Employment Systems Review Clerk's Call to Action Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada AAFC's Accessibility Plan Many Voices One Mind Report AAFC's stretch goal to hire 224 Persons with disabilities by 2025, as per the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada goal to hire 5000 Persons with disabilities	Diverse recruitment Conduct a minimum of 4 staffing processes annually aimed at Indigenous and Persons with disabilities and other designated groups with longstanding employment equity gaps. Report on number of hires from targeted staffing process. Conduct an annual EX collective staffing process aimed at designated groups with longstanding employment equity gaps in the executive cadre. Report on number of hires from targeted staffing process.. Consult Branch Employment Equity Plans and Departmental Short-Term Hiring Goals when completing all staffing actions.  Where representation gaps exist, aim to fill 30% of those vacant positions with qualified candidates from the employment equity groups. Prioritize appointments for Persons with disabilities found qualified in a process to address AAFC's hiring 224 Persons with disabilities by 2025 First consideration given to qualified Persons with disabilities in all staffing processes when available Increase in representation for Persons with disabilities towards 8.5% of employees by 2025	Annually	Branches Staffing Operations Recruitment and Collaborative Staffing EX Services
		Diverse board member initiative Report on impact and success of initiative pilot, and full launch of initiative incorporating lessons learned including: Percentage of processes that utilized diverse board members during the assessment phase and resulted in the hiring of a member of an employment equity group. General tips and lessons learned identified and shared	2022-24	Recruitment and Collaborative Staffing
Increase participation of equity and equity-seeking groups in learning and developmental opportunities to support career advancement and retention	Employment Systems Review Clerk's Call to Action AAFC's Accessibility Plan Many Voices One Mind Report INC Strategy	Nominations for equity and equity-seeking employees Plan for 50% of branch spaces in each of the following learning and developmental opportunities for employees from equity and/or equity-seeking groups using AAFC's Affirmation and Consent form: Official Languages program Management and Leadership Development Program All other professional and developmental programs Improvement in trends in PSES results related to career progression, support for career progression and development (response to PSES statement: I feel supported in my career development)	2022-23	Branches Learning and Development Official Languages
Develop and implement a distinctions-based approach to increase promotion of Indigenous, racialized and equity-seeking employees to and within the Executive Group through career development and talent management	Clerk's Call to Action Many Voices One Mind Report INC Strategy	Talent management for EX feeder group Development of a talent management framework for the EX feeder group with a focus on reducing barriers for those that have self-identified. Activities will be identified to support and promote Indigenous, racialized, Persons with disabilities, and equity-seeking employees through career development to prepare them for EX-level positions.	2023-2024	EX Services
		Sponsorship program Implement a pilot program and measure impact and success through annual reporting. Percentage of acting and/or appointments for participants in EX and EX feeder groups Percentage of qualified EE candidates in EX and EX feeder staffing processes Results from participation satisfaction survey upon completion of the program Improvement in trends in PSES results related to career progression, support for career progression and development (response to PSES statement: I feel supported in my career development)	2022-23	Learning and Development EX Services
Provide equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility training and tools and require equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility training for staffing advisors, managers and individuals involved in the hiring process	Employment Systems Review PSC Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument AAFC's Accessibility Plan INC Strategy	Resources on diversity, equity and inclusion Promote tools, training, and resources in support of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion bi-annually to various stakeholders involved in the hiring process (including Staffing Advisors, Branch HR Liaisons, Managers' Community, Executive Community).	Annually	Corporate Diversity Corporate Staffing Staffing Operations Recruitment and Collaborative Staffing
		Training for inclusive hiring Ensure all individuals involved in the hiring process (managers, staffing advisors, board members) first completeInclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce (H205) online training. Year 1: percentage of sub-delegated managers and staffing advisors to complete the training Year 2: percentage of board members to complete the training	2022-24	Corporate Staffing Branches Staffing Operations
Develop and implement a self-identification and inclusion awareness campaign to encourage employees to self-identify/declare	Employment Equity Act Employment Systems Review AAFC's Accessibility Plan	Self-identification and awareness campaign Develop and promote an annual self-identification and awareness campaign to encourage employees to self-identify, promote benefits and reduce stigma around self-identification Percentage of employees who self-identify	Annually	Corporate Diversity
		Diversity affirmation and consent form Develop and implement a mechanism to obtain and report on voluntary consent of equity and equity seeking groups for learning and developmental opportunities. Percentage of employees who have completed the Diversity Affirmation and Consent form Percentage of equity and equity-seeking employees who are identified for learning and development opportunities	2022-23	Corporate Diversity HR Analytics

Pillar 2: Create a more inclusive and accessible workplace

To support our employees, we will foster innovation and creativity by creating a safe, inclusive and accessible workplace where employees are valued, engaged and able to contribute in an environment of mutual respect.

Performance objective	Drivers	Performance indicator	Target year	Lead team(s)
Promote and actively undertake internal and external department-wide  diversity and inclusion communications to improve employee awareness and encourage employee participation in events and activities	Employment Systems Review Clerk's Call to Action AAFC's Accessibility Plan INC Strategy	Diversity and inclusion communications plan Develop a comprehensive communication plan to strategically promote diversity and inclusion activities, learning opportunities and events and the benefits for diversity and inclusion for all internal employees. Develop a comprehensive communication plan to strategically promote diversity and inclusion programs, activities and events to external stakeholders (such as potential employees and client programs).	2022-23	Public Affairs Branch Corporate Diversity
Provide learning and ally-ship opportunities for employees related to diversity, inclusion and accessibility including on accessible and inclusive communications, anti-racism, Positive Space, harassment and discrimination, and include clear evaluation measures to understand if the results are meeting the desired goals	Employment Systems Review INC Strategy TRC Call to Action 47	Safe spaces, positive space training, GBA plus and other inclusion-related learning Organize and promote sessions, panels and/or presentations per year based on demand and that reflect an increase over the baseline Report on the number of attendees, participant feedback and quality of discussions/questions to reach as many employees as possible.	Annually	Network Secretariat Branches Sector Diversity Policy
		Continue to support reconciliation through the promotion of the Indigenous Learning Series Number of employees who have participated in an ISAO-led Indigenous learning event to enhance their awareness and understanding of Reconciliation. All employees to participate in one ISAO-led Indigenous learning event each year	Annually	Indigenous Support and Awareness Office Branches
		Mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training Identify and promote diversity, equity and inclusion training (such as a seminar, event or course) that can be made mandatory for all employees	2022-23	Corporate Diversity Learning and Development
		Internal communications accessibility Review internal communications tools to ensure they are inclusive and accessible for employees with accessibility requirements	2023-24	Public Affairs Branch Persons with Disabilities Network Corporate Diversity
Review human resources policies and practices to ensure they are free from bias, discrimination and other barriers to inclusion (such as accessibility, gender inclusive wording) with consideration to intersectionality	Employment Systems Review PSMAC Employment Equity Audit AAFC's Accessibility Plan Many Voices One Mind Report	Update letters of offer Generic letter of offer templates are reviewed and updated to ensure they are in accessible format and are gender inclusive. Percentage of templates reviewed and updated with accessible format and gender inclusive language	2022-24	Corporate Staffing
		Staffing framework and other HR policies HR tools, processes and policies are reviewed and updated to be accessible, inclusive and gender inclusive. Conduct a review/audit and update staffing processes for inclusiveness by design and remove unnecessary barriers (consider gender inclusive wording, simplify process, review essential criteria to ensure they are not creating barriers to potential candidates)	2023-24	Corporate Staffing Corporate Diversity HR Analytics
Increase support provided to Diversity and Inclusion Networks through enhanced strategic planning and reporting of departmental activities and events	Employment Systems Review Clerk's Call to Action	Integrated network plan Conduct a compressive planning exercise with each Diversity and Inclusion Network to review fiscal year objectives, identify key activities, and provide project management support to reduce administrative workload for the co-chairs.	Annually	Network Secretariat
		Quarterly meeting with diversity and inclusion EX champions Roles and responsibilities for EX Champions are solidified and a quarterly meetings held between the EX Champions and the Secretariat is organized to discuss horizontal Network issues and provide support.	Annually	Network Secretariat
		Feedback mechanism for network events Develop and implement a feedback mechanism to collect information from participants, measure the success of the event(s), and tailor the approach if necessary.	2022-23	Network Secretariat Public Affairs Branch

Pillar 3: Enhance accountability and monitoring

To achieve our goals, we will be partners in collaboration and collectively committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion throughout all levels of the organization.

Performance objective	Drivers	Performance indicator	Target year	Lead team(s)
Monitor survey results and employment equity data and report regularly on progress and challenges, and take action on what the results are telling us	Employment Equity Act Employment Systems Review Clerk's Call to Action AAFC's Accessibility Plan	Diversity and Inclusion Index Implement Diversity and Inclusion Index measure to provide a baseline. Monitor and analyze survey results and representation data on an annual basis to measure progress and determine areas for action. Percentage improvements year over year for all branches Measure impacts of increased representation on overall employee satisfaction	2022-23 Annually	HR Analytics
		Branch employment equity plans Review and communicate Branch Employment Equity Plans and numerical goals to all levels of management. Percentage improvements year over year for all branches and closing all EE gaps by 2024-25 HR to provide data reports bi-annually; branches to update as required. Ensure Branch Executive are aware of Branch DEI Index results.	Annually	HR Analytics Branches
Develop mechanisms through which senior management may be given open, honest and constructive feedback that supports their ability to lead by example and gives them the resources needed to live and enforce the desired behaviours	Employment Systems Review	Upward feedback survey Develop and Implement a mechanism for employees to provide feedback to managers on various aspects of management, including diversity and inclusion. Report on results to Senior Management Develop an action plan on issues raised	2022-23	Learning and Development Branches
Develop measurable performance objectives related to equity, diversity and inclusion for all employees	Employment Systems Review	Corporate commitments for executives Communicate and include corporate commitments on diversity, equity and inclusion in executive performance agreements. Branch commitment to hire PwD in effort to meet goal of hiring 224 PwD by 2025 Branch commitment to attend an ISAO-led Indigenous Learning event	Annually	EX Services Branches
		Performance objectives for employees Develop, include and communicate commitments on diversity, equity and inclusion for all employees.	2023-24	Corporate Diversity Performance Management Branches
Implement a Learning Management System or other tool/process to track completion of related courses, as well as collect more robust analytics such as attendance data and enrollment metrics	Employment Systems Review	Learning management system Identify options, and develop and implement a learning management system to monitor and report on training. Participation rate and enrollment metrics of equity and equity-seeking employees vs. non-EE employees Participation rate for inclusion learning activities	2024-25	Learning and Development
Address the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) Audit's undertakings to take specified measures to remedy areas of non-compliance	Employment Equity Act	CHRC employment equity audit results Review AAFC's results of the CHRC audit on Racialized people in management and executive positions and implement actions to remedy areas of non-compliance within the prescribed time-frame.	2023-24	Corporate Diversity
Recognize employees for their contributions to diversity and inclusion in the workplace through formal and informal mechanisms	Employment Systems Review INC Strategy DM Network Engagement Sessions	Gold harvest award Review and update nomination criteria to recognize and celebrate significant employee contributions to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Communicate and promote awards and other forms of recognition for enhancing inclusion in the workplace annually.	2023-24 annually	Awards and Recognition
Provide bi-annual updates on progress of the Plan and challenges encountered and modify as required	Employment Equity Act	Bi-Annual updates on diversity, equity and inclusion Provide bi-annual updates to stakeholders and senior management on the progress of the 2022-25 Action Plan. Review and modify as required. Provide updates to stakeholders and senior management on any revisions made to the 2022-25 Action Plan as a result of the mid-term review.	Annually	Corporate Diversity

Short-term hiring goals by occupational group

AAFC has representation gaps at the occupational category level for the following groups:

• Indigenous Peoples – Executive, Scientific and Professional, Technical and Operational
• Persons with Disabilities – Executive, Scientific and Professional, Administrative and Foreign Service, Technical and Operational
• Visible Minorities – Executive and Operational
• Women –Scientific and Professional and Operational

This table identifies short-term hiring goals at the occupational group level that will enable us to close our representation gaps by the end of the 2022-25 DEI Strategy, as required under the Employment Equity Act.

The short-term hiring goals are calculated by using three full years of historical mobility data (separation data), as suggested by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

 

• Where AAFC has significant gaps (where representation is less than 80% of the workforce availability estimate (WAE) in that occupational group or where the representation gap is greater than 30 employees), short-term hiring goals are set to close our representation gaps by 2025.
• Where AAFC has a small gap (representation is between 80% and 99% of the WAE), the short-term hiring goals have been set to maintain representation at WAE.

Although AAFC may have no gap for an occupational category as a whole, there still may be gaps for occupational groups within the category that require attention. For example, while there is no overall gap for Visible Minorities in the Scientific and Professional category there are significant gaps for Visible Minorities in the EN and PC occupational groups.

Occupational group	Indigenous peoples	Person with disabilities	Visible minorities	Women
Executive
EX	3	3	3	n/a
Scientific and professional
BI	2	9	n/a	40
EC	n/a	17	24	n/a
EN	n/a	3	7	n/a
PC	n/a	4	14
SERES	6	29	n/a	124
Administrative and foreign service
AS	n/a	21	n/a	n/a
CO	n/a	25	n/a	n/a
FI	n/a	15	n/a	4
IS	n/a	7	18	n/a
IT	n/a	14	n/a	n/a
PM	5	5	11	n/a
Technical
EG	31	27	n/a	n/a
Operational
GL	10	35	11	21

n/a = not applicable