Consolidate Achievements
Since March 12, 2003, departments and agencies directly involved in the Action Plan for Official Languages have put in place the infrastructure required to carry out the plan. By the time the plan is fully implemented, the new horizontal management framework will have allowed for better understanding of the overall effect of the measures.
Dialogue has increased between federal institutions and their partners. The Ministerial Consultations have created a new spirit of openness. The Department of Canadian Heritage intends to reinvigorate its collaboration with community organizations, and the Public Service Human Ressources Management Agency is involving a wider circle of partners in the renewal of Treasury Board policies. Though in some areas we are still seeking the ideal arrangement, a new level of respect appears to be driving relations between the government and the communities.
In education, reaching agreement with the provincial and territorial governments took longer than expected. Perhaps we had underestimated the magnitude of the task. Negotiations will have to be accelerated in order that the funds earmarked for this essential part of the Action Plan go where they should be spent. Even though the implementation of community development measures has sometimes been described as uneven, some major advances have been made in the areas of early childhood, health and justice. In addition, the basic infrastructure now exists to facilitate Francophone immigration in the communities. The progress made in connection with the economy and knowledge-based technologies deserves optimistic follow-up; with respect to the language industry sector, the association that brings companies together has been created, and construction of the Language Technology Research Centre has begun. Several institutions are working together to build an exemplary public service; the links between the mandates and initiatives of the Agency (on behalf of the Treasury Board Secretariat), the Public Service Commission and the Canada School of Public Service are becoming increasingly visible and productive. Finally, development of the horizontal management framework—applicable to the entire Official Languages Program—is a landmark achievement of the first two years of the Action Plan, while the compilation and analysis of relevant data for policy evaluation and planning have underscored the importance of official languages research.
The Action Plan required the commitment of new partners who quickly had to take charge of key areas. As is the case when one ventures into more or less unknown territory, cost estimates and the pace of investments were not always aligned. Despite the initial shock to a system little accustomed to horizontal management, the amounts required have been approved and, in most cases, initiatives have begun on time. As we see in Annex 3, initial investments have been made; funding will increase year over year, until gradually reaching the total of $787.4 million funding as set out in the Action Plan, and including the Enabling Fund later.
The Requirements of Horizontal Management
The horizontal management framework did not exist when the Action Plan was launched. The elements of cross-jurisdictional coordination were outlined in the plan, though no one could then foresee the scope of the performance- measurement exercise for what is now called the Official Languages Program (OLP). Harmonizing departmental cycles is easier said than done: assembling the formative evaluations of departments and agencies, using them to guide the summative evaluations, sharing information and results among institutions and working with community partners throughout the process, analyzing other data gathered on the OLP and drawing general conclusions will require time and resources and progress can only be achieved gradually.
Research and analysis
The post-censal survey on the vitality of communities should fill in some of the gaps observed in data on official languages. It cannot, however, fill them all. It is therefore important to plan for the use of other sources, along with corresponding mechanisms for collecting data. Because the compilation of statistics is not enough to meet all the challenges of policy development, the official languages research strategy should also include an analysis component. Consideration might be given to creating a catch-up fund to upgrade the data and allow for interpretation.
Research partnerships are an interesting avenue to fill data gaps. Government institutions, universities, research institutes, community organizations and the private sector could join in a network designed to enrich our pool of empirical knowledge. In this vein, the Privy Council Office is participating in the organization of a symposium planned to coincide with the annual conference of l’Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences (ACFAS), in the Spring of 2006 . This will serve to encourage the pooling of resources and research expertise.
Community support
In addition, communities have indicated that the Action Plan could be enhanced on a sectoral basis to:
• facilitate the participation of community organizations in horizontal coordination in order that they can intervene with the institutions whose mandates correspond to their interests, add findings required by the horizontal management framework, dialogue with one another, represent the wider interests of the community and act on a range of files of concern to them e.g. youth;
• extend to 2008 the primary health care component; and increase access to health in the language of choice in the territories;
• increase support for Francophone immigration in minority communities in order that strategic plans for this purpose could be implemented; and
• support partnerships with the provinces and territories to realize the intergovernmental action plan, respecting cooperation, health, early childhood, cultural development, Francophone space, justice and the economic development of the communities.
An Exemplary Public Service
The Public Service Human Ressources Management Agency of Canada is exploring options to raise awareness of parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act and explain clearly to public servants the values that underpin government policy and the inherent rights and obligations. Such an initiative could provide the means to communicate clear messages, rectify misperceptions, reduce the nature and the seriousness of complaints and promote the advantages of a bilingual workplace in the context of lifelong learning. Better awareness would lead to increased use of the two languages and enhance the level of bilingualism of public servants who serve the communities. The study conducted in 2002 on public service attitudes to official languages allowed us to identify groups that would benefit from such activities.
In spite of the sustained efforts of the Canada School of Public Service and the fact that the Language Training Centre has exceeded its objectives, waiting lists continue to grow. The demand has increased more rapidly than foreseen. In order to fulfil its statutory obligations and train personnel occupying bilingual positions, the government is exploring options.
Other Possible Initiatives
Some initiatives that might be explored could contribute to the momentum given to Canada’s linguistic duality since the 2003 Action Plan.
For instance, the Translation Bureau will want to continue its collaboration with Industry Canada and the private sector to address the fragmentation of the language industry and improve the quality of translations. In order to guarantee quality language products and services for Canadians, Industry Canada will work with the bureau and the Language Industry Assiciation to develop translation standards recognized by the Standards Council of Canada.
The Committee of Deputy Ministers on Official Languages has asked that an interdepartmental strategy for French on the Internet be developed, tailored to the demands of the modern world. Such a strategy would aim at maximizing links among federal activities related to, for example, the language industry, an exemplary public service, the transformation of services, and the development of Canadian content. With implications beyond the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages, such a strategy would foster synergy among institutions.
Conclusion
The objectives of the Action Plan for Official Languages remain ambitious; they should be, in light of the importance of what is at stake. We now have a horizontal management framework that will enable federal institutions to see their achievements as they contribute to a collective effort. Over the coming year, each participating department or agency will complete its first evaluation of results; by 2007, with more accurate indicators, all will be able to contribute to the formal evaluation of the measures taken. The overall evaluation of the Action Plan will make it possible to validate findings and build a firm foundation for the renewal of the Action Plan.