Supplementary Information Tables for 2023 to 2024
Institutional GBA Plus Capacity
The Canadian Grain Commission is a small science-based and regulatory department with a focused mandate as set out in the Canada Grain Act to, in the interests of grain producers, establish and maintain standards of quality for Canadian grain and regulate grain handling in Canada. Recently the Canadian Grain Commission initiated a review of the department’s support for GBA Plus objectives to determine if additional steps were possible, particularly in terms of program outcomes. This included engaging with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and offering GBA Plus training to all interested Canadian Grain Commission employees. Review results are expected to be available for the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report.
Despite being a small department the Canadian Grain Commission has incrementally increased resources and collaborative cross-organizational efforts towards GBA Plus objectives. These efforts will continue to enhance a diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative of all Canadians.
Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan: The Canadian Grain Commission actively pursues GBA Plus objectives in its 2021 to 2024 Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan, which includes a formal governance structure that reports to senior management. This multi-year plan includes commitments to ensure:
- Effective leadership for employment equity and diversity, including planning, governance and accountability, monitoring, measurement, and reporting;
- Representation of designated group members is equal to or better than workforce availability as a result of Canadian Grain Commission efforts to eliminate barriers and address disadvantages in employment experienced by members of the four designated groups (Women, Visible Minorities, Indigenous Persons, and Persons with Disabilities); and
- Managers and employees understand and take action to ensure employment equity and to value and leverage diversity.
Additionally, this multi-year plan helps guide the Canadian Grain Commission’s actions to raise awareness, address representation gaps, and work towards implementing Accessibility Act requirements. The Canadian Grain Commission seeks to increase representation in the following designated groups:
- Persons with Disabilities (current representation gap organizationally is -21)*
- Women in the technical group (while the representation of Women in the Canadian Grain Commission overall is +15, the current representation gap in technical areas is -9)*
- Indigenous Persons (goal is to strengthen representation rate organizationally, which is at +1)*
The Canadian Grain Commission’s Open Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion further outlines the department’s commitment and actions to ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.
The Canadian Grain Commission continues to seek ways to apply this commitment throughout the department. For example, the Canadian Grain Commission’s Reintegration and Future of Work team applied a GBA Plus lens on the results of a Future of Work survey conducted in October 2020. These survey results have helped to inform the Canadian Grain Commission’s Future of Work plans.
Training and professional development: The Canadian Grain Commission recommended the completion of Women and Gender Equality Canada’s GBA Plus course to all subject matter experts involved in the development of regulatory and budget proposals, Memoranda to Cabinet, and Treasury Board submissions.
Additionally, first launched in December 2021, the Canadian Grain Commission continues to host a diversity and inclusion speaker series as part of the department’s commitment to raise awareness and support open dialogue on equity, accessibility, and anti-racism.
The Canadian Grain Commission also sponsors women participants and students to attend the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference. Through this sponsorship activity, the Canadian Grain Commission supports the employment equity, diversity and inclusion plan to increase women working in technical positions at the Canadian Grain Commission.
Implementation of the Accessibility Act: In 2022-23, the Canadian Grain Commission implemented a 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan and accompanying processes to identify, remove, and prevent any barriers for persons with disabilities. Areas of focus include culture; employment; built environment; information and communication technologies; communications; procurement; programs and services; and transportation. The plan and processes were developed in consultation with persons with disabilities.
Canadian Grain Commission regulatory and budget proposals, Memoranda to Cabinet, and Treasury Board submissions: Completion of the GBA Plus Assessment Form by program and policy leads is a mandatory element of the development of regulatory and budget proposals, Memoranda to Cabinet, and Treasury Board submissions. The assessments provide a framework and guidance to help analysts consider possible diversity impacts related to the proposed initiatives.
*based on data as of March 31, 2022.
Highlights of GBA Plus Results Reporting Capacity by Program
| Grain Quality |
The Grain Quality program does not collect sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity (GBA Plus). However, the Canadian Grain Commission implemented the Guidelines for Nomination of Standards Committee Members in 2017 and updated them in 2022 with a view to increasing the representativeness of Standards Committees. The guidelines aim to ensure an open, transparent, and merit-based nomination process that supports inclusiveness and diversity. Starting in 2022, the Canadian Grain Commission included a voluntary self-identification as part of the process. The Canadian Grain Commission will assess the broader impacts of the Grain Quality Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives. The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess program impacts on gender and diversity for the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report. |
|---|---|
| Grain Research |
The Grain Research program does not collect sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity (GBA Plus). The Canadian Grain Commission will assess the impacts of the Grain Research Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives.The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess program impacts on gender and diversity for the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report. |
| Safeguards for Grain Farmers |
The Safeguards for Grain Farmers program does not collect sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity (GBA Plus). The Canadian Grain Commission will assess the impacts of the Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives.The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess program impacts on gender and diversity for the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report. |