Gender-based Analysis Plus

Introduction

Shared Services Canada (SSC) has been integrating Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus into programs and services since 2016. SSC is working to engage meaningfully with the key concepts of GBA Plus while keeping in mind its unique operational environment. In addition, the department is creating a GBA Plus Framework.

To date, SSC has established:

• A responsibility centre (the GBA Plus Guidance Unit established in 2021-22);
• GBA Plus specific tools; and
• A pilot initiative and experiment to test the validity of tools (ending in 2022-23).

Moreover, SSC is supporting the government-wide reporting requirements for GBA Plus through its integration of GBA plus into planning and decision-making documents. In 2018, Parliament passed the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act. The Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports are being leveraged to fulfil the President of the Treasury Board's commitments to make public analysis on the impacts of expenditure programs on gender and diversity. Additionally, SSC prepares GBA Plus content for other cabinet documents, such as Treasury Board Submissions and Memoranda to Cabinet.‌

General information

Institutional GBA Plus Capacity

In 2023-24, SSC plans to expand the Guidance Unit resources by adding full time equivalent (FTE) to the team. The GBA Plus Guidance Unit plans to have 3.75 FTEs. In 2023-24, SSC plans to increase its institutional capacity regarding GBA Plus through:

• The creation of an intranet space where GBA Plus advice, tools and resources can be succinctly shared with employees.
• The publication of the results from the GBA Plus Experiment in the form of a “lessons learned” Report, as well as updated resources. These updated tools will serve as tools for the coming years for GBA Plus analysis at SSC.
• Continued work to integrate GBA Plus into the planning and decision-making documents across the department, including in the Program Information Profiles.
• The development and publication of a suite of Socio-Economic policy instruments which clearly articulate the commitment to GBA Plus and provides all SSC employees with the mandate to implement GBA Plus in their workplace.
• The ongoing development and/or evaluation of GBA Plus training, including through the Canada School of Public Service course offerings or from a third-party vendor.

Accessibility

Following a year of extensive consultations on accessibility and disability inclusion, SSC published its Accessibility Plan 2022–25 on December 16, 2022. The Plan identifies the actions SSC will take to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers in our department and as a service provider.‌

SSC is also home to the Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT) Program and the Lending Library of adaptive computer technology.‌

SSC's AAACT program offers a wide range of adaptations, alternate approaches, tools, training, services, resources, and adaptive computer technologies for all federal public service employees with disabilities or injuries. It allows GC organizations to explore, experiment and learn about inclusive design, collaborative workplaces and adaptive solutions. AAACT also helps departments across the GC offer accessible programs and services to Canadians and employees. This work makes AAACT an essential resource for the GC's efforts to identify, prevent and remove accessibility barriers. AAACT staff responded to over 14,000 requests for information about accessibility, accommodation, and support individuals with disabilities in 2021-22.

The Lending Library pilot project is a fast-tracked accommodations process SSC put in place to quickly provide hardware, software, resources and tools to federal public service employees. The Lending Library aims to address barriers that delay access to specialized services and workplace adjustments needed by:

• Determinate employees with disabilities or injuries. This allows them to focus on their job and training, gain valuable work experiences during their terms and deliver services to Canadians. (Determinate employees are employed on a temporary basis and include students, interns, casual and term employees.)
• Determinate and indeterminate employees who remain at work when they are experiencing the short-term or occasional effects of a disability or injury.

The service provides ongoing SSC support to employees and their managers. In 2021-22, the Lending Library loaned 452 tools. The library is developing new mobile offices with adaptive technology to support hybrid workers and clients using the GCworkplace.‌

Human Resources

Human Resources in the Workplace (HRW) will continue to support the advancement of recruitment, retention, and training of a diverse workforce. HRW will continue to support the GBA Plus Training Strategy by leveraging training offered through the Canada School of Public Service and exploring the suitability of a service provider to develop targeted training for the IT community. Initiatives to increase the presence and support the advancement of a diverse workforce at the executive level will include supporting employment equity through the SSC Mentorship Plus Program and EX Succession Planning. In terms of recruitment, HRW will continue to support the recruitment of women in IT, students, persons with disabilities, Indigenous People, persons from visible minority backgrounds (including the Black community), and persons residing across the regions.

Highlights of GBA Plus Results Reporting Capacity

The GBA Plus Guidance Unit is working with programs to better understand their daily tasks, working collaboratively to develop Key Performance Indicators that link GBA Plus and their program, creating net new data collection processes and integrating these into ongoing reporting cycles.

This work will continue into 2023-24 as branches continue to understand how GBA Plus impacts their deliverables. However, since this work is ongoing, some key performance indicators may not be available on GC infobase as the Departmental Results Framework update cycle did not correspond to the ongoing GBA Plus work being undertaken by SSC. We anticipate additional indicators to be included in the next iteration of the Program review.

SSC plans to have additional GBA Plus data to report on in the coming years, notably under the Workplace Technologies and Telecommunication programs.