Supplementary Information Tables: 2022–23 Departmental Results Report
Reporting on Green Procurement
Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
This supplementary information table supports reporting on green procurement activities in accordance with the Policy on Green Procurement.
Context
The Canadian Grain Commission is bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and chose to voluntarily develop a 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS). The Canadian Grain Commission has developed its corresponding 2022-23 DSDS Report, including applicable reporting on green procurement activities. This report can be found on Canadian Grain Commission’s website.
Commitments
Greening Government: The Government of Canada will transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, and green operations
| FSDS target(s) | FSDS contributing action(s) | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) | Results achieved | Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actions supporting the Greening Government goal and the Policy on Green Procurement | Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions | Canadian Grain Commission is implementing activity-based office space reflecting a hybrid (virtual-onsite) workforce. This initiative will significantly reduce the overall footprint of the Canadian Grain Commission’s office spaces through modernization and consolidation. | Starting point (baseline): As of March 31, 2019, 42 office staff had hybrid work agreements (33 episodicFootnote1, 9 regularFootnote2). Performance indicator: Percentage of staff who work in a hybrid modelFootnote3. Target: 50% of the Canadian Grain Commission staff will have hybrid work agreements by April 1, 2023. | Result: In 2022-23, 52% of the Canadian Grain Commission staff had hybrid work agreementsFootnote4 |
UN SDG 12 Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse CIF Target 13.1: By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45%, relative to 2005 emission levels. By 2050, achieve economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Departments will adopt clean technology and undertake clean technology demonstration projects | Canadian Grain Commission will reduce electricity consumption at its primary data centre by moving workloads to the cloud. | Starting point (baseline): As of March 31, 2019, the Canadian Grain Commission had three services/corporate workloads in the cloud. Performance indicator: Number of services/corporate workloads in the cloud. Target: Move one service/corporate workload to the cloud per year on average for the five-year period of 2020-2024. | Result: In 2022-23, two corporate workloads moved to the cloud (Email Exchange and Incident Tracking System). |
UN SDG 9 Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities. UN SDG 12 Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse CIF Target 12.1: Zero-emission vehicles represent 10% of new light duty vehicle sales by 2025, 30% by 2030 and 100% by 2040 CIF Target 13.1: By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45%, relative to 2005 emission levels. By 2050, achieve economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. | |
| Canadian Grain Commission will shift work processes from paper-based to digital and encourage digital signatures to reduce printing and paper waste. | Starting point (baseline): As of March 31, 2019, the Canadian Grain Commission had six of 14 services available online. Performance indicator: Number of services available online. Target: Move one paper-based system online per year on average for the five-year period of 2020-2024. | Result: As of March 31, 2023, the Canadian Grain Commission had eight of 14 services available onlineFootnote5. | |||
| Replace/Prioritize zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) or hybrids in fleet vehicle purchases. | Starting point (baseline): As of March 31, 2019, the Canadian Grain Commission had zero ZEV or hybrid vehicles in its fleet. Performance indicator: Percentage of new vehicle purchases that are ZEV or hybrid. Target: 50% of all fleet vehicle purchases will be ZEV or hybrid (per year on average for the five-year period of 2022-2026). | Result: As of March 31, 2023, four out of five vehicle purchases were either hybrid or ZEV; however, the vehicles are on backorder for 18 monthsFootnote6 | |||
| Support for green procurement will be strengthened, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees | All Procurement, Contracting and Materiel Management staff, as well as all Acquisition card holders have taken the C215 Green Procurement course. The Procurement, Contracting and Materiel Management Services Division is now in the process of identifying additional green procurement courses and strategies for 2022-23 reporting period. | Starting point (baseline): 25% procurement and material specialist trained in the C215 Green Procurement course as of March 31st, 2022. Performance indicator: Percentage of procurement and materiel specialist training in the C215 Green Procurement course. Target:80% procurement and material specialist trained in the C215 Green Procurement course as of March 31st, 2023 | Result: 90% procurement and material specialist trained in the C215 Green Procurement course as of March 31st, 2023. No additional course identified in 2022-23. |
UN SDG 12 GIF Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle GIF Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities |
Report on integrating sustainable development
During the 2022-23 reporting cycle, the Canadian Grain Commission had no proposals that required a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and no public statements were produced. The Canadian Grain Commission will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets and will complete SEA as required.
Gender-based analysis plus
Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus Capacity
Governance:
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 the grain producers, establish and maintain standards of quality for Canadian grain and regulate grain handling in Canada. In 2022-23, the Canadian Grain Commission initiated steps to investigate the department’s ability to support GBA Plus objectives. This included engaging with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and offering GBA Plus training to all interested Canadian Grain Commission employees.
Despite being a small department, in 2022-23, the Canadian Grain Commission incrementally increased resources and collaborative cross-divisional efforts towards GBA Plus objectives. These efforts continued to enhance a diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative of all Canadians.
Capacity:
Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan: The Canadian Grain Commission actively pursued GBA Plus objectives through 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:
- 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 continued to guide the Canadian Grain Commission’s actions to raise awareness, address representation gaps, and work towards implementation of the requirements of the Accessibility Act. The Canadian Grain Commission seeks to increase representation in the following designated groups:
- Persons with Disabilities (current representation gap organizationally is -16)*
- Women in the technical group (current representation gap is -17)*
- Indigenous Persons (goal is to strengthen representation rate organizationally, which is at +2)*
The Canadian Grain Commission’s Open Letter on Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion further outlined the department’s commitment and actions to ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.
The Canadian Grain Commission continued to seek ways to apply this commitment throughout the department. For example, the Canadian Grain Commission’s Reintegration and Future of Work teams 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 implementation of its hybrid work environment following the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's directive to a common hybrid work model for the Federal Public Service.
Training and professional development: Completion of Women and Gender Equality Canada’s GBA Plus course is recommended to all subject matter experts that are involved in the development of, for example, regulatory and budget proposals, Memoranda to Cabinet, and Treasury Board submissions. Additionally, first launched in December 2021, the Canadian Grain Commission continued 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 continued to sponsor women participants and external students to attend the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference. Through this sponsorship activity, the Canadian Grain Commission continues to support 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 to 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, 2023
Section 2: Gender and Diversity Impacts, by Program
Core Responsibility: Grain Regulation
Program Name: Grain Quality
Program Goals: The Grain Quality Program establishes and maintains Canada’s grain quality standards and regulates grain handling in Canada to ensure a dependable commodity for domestic and export markets. The Canadian Grain Commission continues assess the broader impacts of the Grain Quality Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives.
Target Population: Canadian agriculture industry and farmers.
Distribution of Benefits
Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess distribution of benefits.
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess specific demographic group outcomes.
Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity:
Key Program Impacts Statistics:
Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess key program impacts statistics.
Other Key Program impacts: Not available
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:
In 2021-22, the Canadian Grain Commission initiated a review of the department’s support for GBA plus objectives and is assessing the impacts of the Grain Quality Program on gender and diversity.
The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess impacts on gender and diversity for the 2024-25 Departmental Plan.
Core Responsibility: Grain Regulation
Program Name: Grain Research
Program Goals: Research forms the basis of the Canadian grain grade specifications and Canada’s grain quality assurance system. Through the Grain Research Program, the Canadian Grain Commission undertakes and sponsors a wide range of research on grain and grain products. The Canadian Grain Commission continues to assess the broader impacts of the Grain Research Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives.
Target Population: The Canadian Grain Commission’s Grain Quality Program and the agriculture industry.
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess specific demographic group outcomes.
Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity:
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess key program impacts statistics.
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:
In 2021-22, the Canadian Grain Commission initiated a review of the department’s support for GBA plus objectives and is assessing the impacts of the Grain Research Program on gender and diversity.
The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess impacts on gender and diversity for the 2024-25 Departmental Plan.
Core Responsibility: Grain Regulation
Program Name: Safeguards for Grain Farmers
Program Goals: Through the Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program, the Canadian Grain Commission regulates grain handling to ensure that Canadian producers receive fair compensation when they deliver grain to licensed grain companies. The Canadian Grain Commission continues to assess the broader impacts of the Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program on gender and diversity through a review of the departments support for GBA Plus objectives.
Target Population: Canadian agriculture industry and farmers.
Specific Demographic Group Outcomes: Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess specific demographic group outcomes.
Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity:
Key Program Impacts Statistics: Information not available. As a small department, the Canadian Grain Commission has yet to assess key program impacts statistics.
Other Key Program impacts: Not Available.
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:
In 2021-22, the Canadian Grain Commission initiated a review of the department’s support for GBA plus objectives and is assessing the impacts of the Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program on gender and diversity.
The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to developing a plan to assess impacts on gender and diversity for the 2024-25 Departmental Plan.
Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
Response to parliamentary committees
There were no parliamentary committee reports in 2022-23 requiring a response.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
There were no audits in 2022-23 requiring a response.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
There were no audits in 2022-23 requiring a response.