IRCC Anti-Racism Accountability and Transparency Framework

The Anti-Racism Accountability and Transparency Framework, along with the Anti-Racism Strategy Action Plan, is a core component of Strategy 2.0. The objective of the Framework is to strengthen how the Department establishes Anti-Racism priorities, tracks results and reports on progress. The Framework, through its Logic Model and Key Performance Indicators, articulates priority commitments, describes the activities and outputs needed to achieve the commitments and offers ways of tracking and measuring their success over time.

The Framework seeks to:

• Apply an Anti-Racism and diversity, equity and inclusion (ARDEI) lens effectively to address inequities, effect positive transformation, and normalize a racial equity culture;
• Ensure leadership is accountable for driving and coordinating Anti-Racism within the Department;
• Offer clarity and direction to Anti-Racism actions, resulting in maximum impact and sustained momentum;
• Establish measures and data sources to track and monitor progress;
• Provide regular reporting to and communication with employees and other key stakeholders regarding results and challenges;
• Enhance trust in the goals of departmental Anti-Racism actions, bring together stakeholders to assess the risks to success, and galvanize support for better outcomes.

The guiding logic of the Framework is to apply an ARDEI lens to remove barriers and achieve the elimination of racism as an ultimate outcome. To this effect, the Framework depicts an agile process linking anti-racist outcomes that flow through five pillars or work streams, identified as the key areas of focus to address racism and discrimination at this point in time. The Framework identifies the problems adversely impacting ARDEI objectives within each pillar; develops commitments to address the problems; identifies eight key performance indicators to track performance for immediate outcomes; and creates the basis for transparent reporting on progress. At the same time, the Anti-Racism Strategy Action Plan lays out the actions that will help the Department sustain its efforts to achieve the interim outcomes. This entire process puts in place the foundations of necessary accountability structures that will set the stage for long-term sustainability and success.

Notes:

1. Departmental governance framework is related to the time-limited Anti-Racism Task Force and the need to structurally integrate Anti-Racism into the governance structures of the Department over the long term.
2. Anti-Racism is abbreviated as AR throughout the document.

Logic Model and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Pillar 1: Leadership Accountability

Definition of activities

This pillar relates to ensuring formal accountability mechanisms for advancing AR in the Department.

The work focuses on two areas:

1. Fully integrating AR work into the departmental planning, reporting and results framework.
2. Aligning the PMA process to encourage senior executives to prioritize AR objectives.

Outputs

• Annual assessments of EXs’ performance on reducing racism
• Departmental AR results tracking framework
• Updated Departmental Risk Profile
• Departmental results reporting
• Program evaluations and audits
• Coordinated, strategic governance approach for IRCC’s Anti-Racism actions among sectors and with other government departments

Immediate outcomes

• EX performance pay and promotional opportunities directly linked to achievement of PMA equity objectives, including AR
• Clear and effective structures and processes in place for integration of AR functions within IRCC

Intermediate outcomes

• Corporate governance is clear and accountable for AR-focused issues

Performance indicators

Indicator 1

Objective: The objective of the first indicator is to increase incentives for senior executives to update how people management processes under their control are implemented.

How it will work: Successful performance by sectors on the Equity Index will be required for executives to access performance pay and promotional opportunities. Equity Indices for each sector will be shared with staff in order to empower employees in choosing sectors with stronger equity performance. Targets to be set.

Indicator 2

Objective: The objective of the second indicator is to measure the Department’s progress in embedding Anti-Racism into its priority-setting, planning and reporting.

How it will work: Simple yes or no to existence of plan.

Pillar 2: Equitable Workplace

Definition of activities

This pillar relates to key aspects of people management and the administration of corporate functions that will help to create an effective workplace where all feel welcome and respected.

The work focuses on four areas:

1. Identifying and addressing systemic bias in employment systems.
2. Advancing understanding of racism.
3. Dealing with individual incidents of racism effectively.
4. Ensuring corporate functions (i.e., security, procurement, accommodations) are exempt of systemic racism.

Outputs

• Employment systems reviews
• Plans for reducing employment system barriers
• HR strategy for improving representation at all levels and groups
• Multi-year plans for improving people management and workplace culture
• Career development programs
• Surveys for tracking employee perspectives
• Effective resolution of conflicts/complaints related to racism
• Anti-Racism reviews of corporate functions
• Mentorship, shadowing, sponsorship and other supportive activities for Black, Indigenous and racialized employees to troubleshoot on negative incidents and promote positive employee growth

Immediate outcomes

• Equitable and inclusive workforce at all levels
• IRCC employees have the tools and mechanisms available to prevent, and respond to, and address incidences of racism and discrimination

Intermediate outcomes

• Racism free people management policies, programs and staffing practices

Performance indicators

Indicator 3

Objective: The objective of the third indicator is to measure progress in aligning the representation of racialized people in jobs with the representation in the available workforce.

How it will work: Annual assessments of gaps and publication of results. Targets to be set.

Indicator 4

Objective: The objective of the fourth indicator is to measure progress on improving responses to individual complaints of racism.

How it will work: Employees will be asked (every two years) to express their views on the performance of the recourse mechanism. Target to be set.

Pillar 3: Policy and Program Design

Definition of activities

This pillar relates to addressing systemic racism and bias in IRCC’s policies and program designs.

The work focuses on two areas:

1. Updating existing policies and programs.
2. Improving the AR review during the development of new policies and programs.

Outputs

• Creation of an equity focal point
• Improvements to AR tools, including an intersectionality focus, integrating analysis across equity seeking groups
• New AR-by-design policies and programs (Joint with Service Delivery)
• AR-by-design improvements to existing policies and programs (Joint with Service Delivery)
• Risk mitigation strategies (Joint with Service Delivery)

Immediate outcomes

• A baseline understanding of bias within program, policy development, decision making and risk management and program guidance of service delivery at IRCC

Intermediate outcomes

• Policy and program design is clear and reflects an AR focus

Performance indicators

Indicator 5

Objective: The objective of the fifth indicator is to track progress in establishing a baseline understanding of bias and systemic racism in existing IRCC policies and program design.

How it will work: Identify and enumerate policies to be reviewed and then track progress on reviewing of each. Targets to be set.

Pillar 4: Service Delivery

Definition of activities

This pillar relates to addressing systemic racism and bias in IRCC’s implementation of policies and programs with applicants and external partners.

The work focuses on two areas:

1. Reducing systemic racism in guidance and supporting information produced for decision-makers.
2. Reducing unconscious bias in operational decision-making.

Outputs

• Baselines for race-related data
• Identification of service delivery equity gaps and areas for improvement
• AR frameworks for high-level operational decision-making
• AR-based operational guidance and supporting tools
• Methodologies and mechanisms to monitor service delivery for AR quality assurance
• Risk mitigation strategies (Joint with Policy and Program Design)
• Stakeholder engagement on joint frameworks and approaches to AR and intersectionality

Immediate outcomes

• A baseline understanding of systemic racism and bias within program delivery operations and operational decision-making of officers at IRCC

Intermediate outcomes

• Program managers, policy designers and operations have knowledge, skill and ability to integrate AR into all program and policy design, guidance and service delivery.
• Racism-free operations governance, guidance and service delivery
• AR and intersectional approaches are better aligned with stakeholders’ and service delivery partners’ approaches

Performance indicators

Indicator 6

Objective: The objective of the sixth indicator is to identify institutional bias and racism in decision-making and risk management, and to review service delivery to mitigate these.

How it will work: Completed peer review of IBRIM framework for expanded analyses of program design and service delivery approaches to be applied to other case studies to identify disparities in service delivery in other caseloads and lines of business.

Pillar 5: Data and Research

Definition of activities

This pillar relates to building a strong evidence base for decision-making to support AR work.

The work focuses on two areas:

1. Improving access to disaggregated data for all equity and AR purposes.
2. Developing a stronger evidence base regarding how racism affects IRCC’s program outputs and programs, and funding.

Outputs

• Identification of key data sources for data foundation projects
• Data standards that are consistent with those from StatCan/GC
• Disaggregated HR data (baseline representation, salary, recruitment, promotion, retention, performance and talent management)
• Disaggregated policy and program data
• Racism and intersectional research regarding program outputs and outcomes
• Methodologically sound results from employee and client equity surveys

Immediate outcomes

• Program, policy and operational disaggregated data is available and accessible for AR analysis

Intermediate outcomes

• Decision-making related to policy, program design, service delivery, and people management is informed by AR-focused evidence

Performance indicators

Indicator 7

Objective: The objective of the seventh indicator is to ensure the quality and consistency of disaggregated data.

How it will work: IRCC’s Chief Data Office (CDO) will coordinate engagement between Statistics Canada and IRCC to develop standards for the collection of disaggregated data.

Indicator 8

Objective: The objective of the eighth indicator is to track the use of intersectional analysis in IRCC’s research output.

How it will work: Annual review and tracking of the content of research reports.