Gender-Based Analysis Plus Corporate Policy
Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Policy Statement

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is committed to ensuring our work aligns with the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). GBA Plus is an analytical process that provides a rigorous intersectional method for the assessment of systemic inequalities, as well as a means to understand how diverse groups of people may experience policies, programs and initiatives differently. The “plus” in GBA Plus highlights that analysis must go beyond differences between biological (sexes) and socio-cultural (genders) to consider the multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to identity such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, geography and language. An intersectional approach helps to ensure that IAAC policies, programs, and practices are responsive, inclusive, and reflective of diverse experiences and realities in order to anticipate and mitigate inequities and barriers.

IAAC staff at all levels are to integrate GBA Plus in the development and implementation of its policies, programs and practices.

This corporate policy supports an embedded, evidence-based, intersectional, and culturally relevant approach in the use of GBA Plus across all IAAC initiatives.

Rationale

This policy aligns with the federal government commitment to use GBA Plus in the development of policies and programs as well as with federal objectives related to the Anti-Racism Strategy and Framework; Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action; United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act; Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People and current and evolving related initiatives such as IAAC’s Evergreen Action Plan on Diversity and Inclusion and IAAC’s Reconciliation Framework.

Further, this policy aligns with the Impact Assessment Act, IAAC’s enabling legislation, which requires GBA Plus in project-specific impact assessments.

Guiding Principles

The following guiding principles are intended to support the integration of GBA Plus in IAAC’s work:

• Anti-Racism - IAAC acknowledges that we live in a society where there is systemic racism. Inequities in access to resources result from systems of power and discrimination, including colonialism, systemic racism and economic inequalities and systems that do not recognize and address the potential for inequitable access. IAAC recognizes the need to apply an anti-racist approach at all levels through GBA Plus to address systemic and institutional racism, Canada’s colonial legacy, inherent bias, and discrimination in our work and workplaces.
• Continuous Improvement - IAAC is committed to building on its experience, and incorporating lessons learned and best practices, in order to fully integrate the use of GBA Plus to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Culturally Relevant - IAAC takes an approach that acknowledges the unique historical, cultural, political and socio-economic realities of Indigenous Peoples and the need for distinctions-based approaches that account for the distinct lived experiences not only between but also within First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and individuals.
• Evidence-based - IAAC will be guided by sound science and reliable quantitative and qualitative evidence, and through the integration of scientific research, lived experiences and Indigenous knowledge, to understand and monitor how diverse identity, social and structural factors, interact to influence behaviours and outcomes.
• Inclusiveness - IAAC will seek to engage diverse stakeholders and partners to understand lived experiences and better address potential differential effects and population-specific impacts and needs.

Responsibilities and Accountability

All IAAC staff, regardless of tenure or level, are responsible for applying GBA Plus in their work.

The President is responsible for providing leadership to ensure collaboration and accountability for the implementation and continual progress of this policy across IAAC. This includes:

• ensuring meaningful GBA Plus implementation;
• dedicating sufficient and appropriate human and financial resources, including training, to ensure GBA Plus is integrated throughout organizational products and processes; and,
• requiring monitoring and reporting of the implementation of this policy.

Each Vice-President is responsible for providing leadership in the promotion and implementation of the GBA Plus Corporate Policy in areas of their responsibility. All Vice Presidents are responsible for ensuring that employees take GBA Plus training, for providing overall leadership to support GBA Plus in their sectors and ensuring due diligence related to GBA plus across their areas of responsibility.

As management and supervisors are leaders for cultural change, they are responsible for:

• applying GBA Plus to their respective objective(s);
• identifying opportunities to strengthen GBA Plus implementation; and,
• supporting the sustainable practice of GBA Plus.

All staff are responsible for taking GBA Plus training and integrating GBA Plus in their work by:

• staying informed on GBA Plus issues and developments;
• using available GBA Plus tools and materials to examine potential impacts related to gender and other identity factors and recommend mitigation where necessary.

The GBA Plus Champion(s), is a designated senior leader responsible for taking a leadership role in raising awareness about GBA Plus, promoting its application and supporting innovative ways to strengthen intersectional analysis throughout IAAC. The GBA Plus Champion(s) is supported by the GBA Plus Focal Point.

The GBA Plus Focal Point is the lead subject-matter expert on GBA Plus in the Operational Policy Division, National Programs Directorate, Strategic Policy and Program Sector. The GBA Plus Focal Point is the first point of contact for GBA Plus at IAAC. Responsibilities include:

• raising awareness and offering tools, information and resources to help staff better understand the relevance of GBA Plus to day-to-day activities and how to integrate it into their work;
• providing advice and guidance, as well as directly participating in incorporating GBA Plus into specific policies, programs and practices; and
• working closely with the GBA Plus Champion(s) to support GBA Plus initiatives.

Ongoing Monitoring of Progress

IAAC reports on the implementation of GBA Plus through the GBA Plus Implementation Survey conducted by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). IAAC’s Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report are also used to publicly report on GBA Plus Implementation.

The overall objective of this policy is to strengthen the integration and application of GBA Plus in all IAAC activities to advance equity, diversity and inclusion. This will lead to enhanced understanding, the achievement of results and support for public service values of respect for people and for democracy, integrity, stewardship, and excellence in its actions and decisions. The specific, expected results of effective implementation of this policy are:

• Availability of GBA Plus information to inform policies, programs, and practices;
• Increased capacity (i.e., knowledge, skills and abilities) of IAAC staff to apply GBA Plus; and
• Improved quality of IAAC work through the implementation of GBA Plus.