Sponsorship

Eligibility

Protégés of the Sponsorship program must be federal public servants who are members of EE and equity‑seeking groups, including subgroups of EE designated groups.

Protégés are selected based on their readiness and the department’s respective selection process. Sponsors are chosen by senior leadership within a department.

Process

Protégés are matched with sponsors, in accordance with the approach identified by each department. Contact your departmental lead for further details.

Each relationship established through the program will be unique. Expectations should be established by the parties at the outset, and success will be reviewed at various times throughout the first six months to a year.

If either the protégé or sponsor is unsatisfied, they can make changes to the arrangement. These changes would have to be communicated with the departmental lead within each department.

Each department or agency will communicate the steps to joining its mentorship program. If you are unsure who to contact, contact your human resources advisor.

Sponsor responsibilities

A sponsor is a senior‑level staff member who is personally vested in the upward movement of their protégé’s career.

• Sponsors should, as a best practice, be at least two levels more senior than their protégés. Generally, sponsors should be EX‑03 or above
• Sponsors should have some degree of influence, visibility and self‑assessed intercultural competency
• Sponsors use their influence and networks to connect protégés to high‑profile assignments, people, pay increases and promotions
• Sponsors champion the visibility of their protégés, often using their own platforms and reputation as a medium for exposure

Protégé

As a member of an EE or equity‑seeking group, including subgroups of EE designated groups, a protégé is a public servant who:

• is looking to advance their public service career with the proper guidance and opportunities identified by a sponsor
• would likely be considered a talented public servant at an advanced level of readiness
• would be ready and willing to take on a variety of training and micro‑missions or assignments, which are identified and recommended by their sponsor

Manager support

Before taking part in the program, the manager of a protégé should support participation in the program, as this is about learning, development and in some cases, advancement. In order for the protégé to be successful, managers

• will need to allow time for employees to participate in the program
• should work with their employee to ensure that they can find the appropriate time to maintain a relationship with the sponsors. This is typically included in the employee’s Performance Management Agreement (PMA)

A commitment to equity

The public service is committed to reflecting the diversity of people in Canada and creating an inclusive environment for its employees. The EE legislation supports this commitment with its objective of removing employment‑related inequities for EE designated groups. While we have made progress over time, data on representation levels, promotion rates, acting opportunities and perceptions of inclusion for EE designated and other diverse groups show us that there are persistent gaps that need to be addressed.

Systemic and attitudinal barriers contribute to these inequities. The attitudinal barriers are often at the unconscious level – discriminatory behaviours often happen inadvertently, without the awareness of the impact on the part of those engaging in those behaviours.

The cumulative effect of barriers is a system that has a disproportionately negative impact on the career progression of the equity‑seeking groups.

To remedy this situation, the legislation (Employment Equity Act) allows for positive measures to be put in place to improve employment situations for the EE designated groups. The potential employment barriers also exist for equity‑seeking groups. The Sponsorship program, which focuses on supporting employment equity and equity‑seeking groups, is an example of a positive measure.

If you have questions, contact your departmental lead for the Sponsorship and Mentorship Plus Program.