Mid-term report for Official Languages

ANNEX 2.

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MIDTERM REPORT ON THE ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

PERSPECTIVES OF FRANCOPHONES AND ACADIAN COMMUNITIES SUMMARY

Ottawa, June 2005

Submitted to

Official Languages Branch,
Intergovernmental Affairs,
Privy Council Office
 

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MIDTERM REPORT

ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

PERSPECTIVES OF FRANCOPHONE AND ACADIAN COMMUNITIES The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) of Canadawas tasked by the Privy Council Office with preparing an interim report on the Action Plan for Official Languages that reflected the viewpoint of the communities. As the Action Plan emphasizes that it places its bets on pluralism and communication [1], it was appropriate that community representatives give their views on the impact of the first two years of the Action Plan on their communities. The intention was not to undertake an exhaustive evaluation, but rather to prepare a report that would take stock of the Action Plan's impact on communities using the information available to date. To this end, an interview questionnaire was prepared consisting of 11 open questions. The questions were geared to the following results: identification of initiatives strengthened or implemented following the adoption of the Action Plan; documentation of the impact of initiatives on community vitality; identification of the level and sufficiency of financial resources provided to community organizations (provincial and national) for implementing different aspects of the Action Plan; and taking stock of new consultation and coordination mechanisms. As a result, the report focuses more on the first two axes of the Action Plan: education and community development. The third axis, which is more concerned with the public service, will be addressed in a more indirect and less systematic manner, such as through the examination of consultation mechanisms. In all, 29 directors general, two presidents and one coordinator of organizations responsible for regions or sectors participated in a 30- to 60-minute interview. Interviewees were expected to speak on behalf of the sector or region they represented. The information gleaned from the interviews was supplemented by documents such as annual reports, financial reports and action plans. A bibliography of these documents, a copy of the interview questionnaire and the list of respondents are attached to the report. As expected, the interviews helped identify the main impacts of the Action Plan in Francophone and Acadian communities. In addition to the information compiled from the interviews, the report presents general findings for each expected result and puts the impacts of the Action Plan into perspective.  As a result, the information collected has helped to identify avenues for action with respect to next steps, in order to ensure that the Action Plan better reflects community goals and individual realities. The avenues for action result from suggestions directly obtained during interviews or from the general findings.

 

Initiatives implemented or strengthened following the adoption of the Action Plan
Examples of initiatives	Number of initiatives identified	Observations
Structural or capacity building (strengthening the capacity of organizations, new structures, etc.) Creation of partnerships and development of  provincial/territorial early childhood action plans; Hiring staff for provincial literacy organizations; 17 health networks; Implementation of the National Secretariat and coordinating structures in each member institution of the Consortium national de formation en santé; Core funding for jurists' associations; French-language reception services in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Calgary; 6 provincial immigration committees.	Total: 82   By sector Justice: 19 Health networking: 18 Family literacy: 12 Early childhood: 12 Health training: 11 Immigration: 10	#1 A number of structural and capacity-building initiatives were undertaken in the sectors of justice, health, literacy and early childhood.   #2 This first phase of the Action Plan was characterized more by planning, structuring and waiting (for funding or agreements) than by implementation.   #3 For representatives of provinces, territories and sectors not targeted by the Action Plan, the Plan's low visibility and sector-specific approach resulted in a number of cases in a lack of awareness of new initiatives.   Respondents knew little or nothing about initiatives in the sectors of education, arts and culture, communications and economic development. As a result these initiatives are not included below. Moreover, more than one third of respondents knew little or nothing about new or strengthened initiatives related to the Action Plan.
Communication and/or planning (awareness activities, forums, workshops, action plans, etc.) National congress on early childhood; Communication plan on literacy for the next four years; National research forum on the health of minority Francophone communities; Regional and national immigration action plans; National strategic framework for economic and community development; Forum for access to justice in both official languages in Saskatchewan.	Total: 169   By sector Health training: 71 Health services networking and organization: 40 Family literacy: 31 Justice: 15 Early childhood: 6 Immigration: 6
Specific projects (studies, services, tools, etc.) Pan-Canadian analysis report on early childhood situation; Developing and testing literacy models and approaches; Inventory of health professionals in NewfoundlandandLabrador ; Introduction of bilingual nursing B.Sc. at Campus St-Jean in Alberta; Needs analysis and studies on reception capacity of communities in eight cities and five provinces; Itinerant bilingual tribunal pilot project in Manitoba; « Une presse écrite accessible » [accessible print media] (National Literacy Secretariat and Association de la presse Francophone).	Total: 239   By sector Health training: 138 Family literacy: 41 Justice: 27 Immigration: 21 Health services organization: 8 Early childhood: 4

Impact of initiatives on the vitality of Francophone and Acadian communities
Impact	Respondents	Observations
On community members Enhanced immigrant reception capacity in some regions; Increased awareness of the importance of receiving immigrants in communities; Enhanced access to justice in French in at least five provinces; Significant increase in enrolment in health training programs; over 1,000 students; Greater circulation of information: for example, a number of readers of French-language newspapers noticed a stream of advertising from new sectors of activity.	Over 75% of respondents saw no impact of the Action Plan on members.   Other findings: it is too early to undertake such an analysis, and there is not enough specific information to answer this question.	#4 Action Plan mainly helped with structuring and planning. Seeds have been planted and are already beginning to grow in some areas. Accordingly, one cannot talk of greater vitality of communities at this time. Nevertheless, this implies deep-seated structural and cultural changes, and can thus be seen only in the long term.   #5 Accurate measuring tools do not yet exist in most sectors to evaluate the Action Plan's impact on community members. Evaluation frameworks have, however, been developed by the Consortium national de formation en santé and the network of family literacy specialists.   #6 The capacity of organizations is not sufficient to support increased activities under the Action Plan.
On actors – community organizations   Positive impact Vitality of organizations due to new opportunities, initiatives and consultations; Greater interest in Francophone communities; More openness on the part of federal and provincial institutions; More sectoral and intersectoral cooperation. Negative impact Occasionally, concentration of projects in major centres and at the national level, national management of funds, inflexible funding terms and conditions; Funding allocation delays (health and immigration), causing instability in human resources and thereby reducing opportunities for results; Insecurity about the future when project-by-project funding is used too extensively or when no multiyear agreement is signed (in education, for example); Lack of funding with considerable negative impact in the youth, radio and cooperative sectors in particular; Dissatisfaction with and lack of understanding of initiatives in the arts and culture and communication sectors, due to lack of consultation between Canadian Heritage and community organizations on measures undertaken in the context of the Action Plan. Unexpected impact Resources, time and knowledge required for horizontal practices.	Around 39% of respondents noted significant dissatisfaction with the Action Plan's impact on organizations; (mainly affects organizations in the territories, clienteles and sectors not affected by the Action Plan.

 

Level and sufficiency of financial resources provided to community organizations (provincial and national) to implement certain dimensions of the Action Plan
Funding	Respondents	Observation
Level for 2003-04 and 2004-05 Early childhood: $1.35 M; Literacy: $3 M; Health: $41.8 M; Justice: $5.2 M; Immigration: $1.28 M; Education, economic development, arts and culture, communication, clients: unknown.	Figures for the first 4 sectors were identified by sectoral representatives; with respect to immigration, figures were provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.	#7 Satisfaction with funding increases when there is formal dialogue established between the funder and the community, transparency in resource allocation, substantial planning in place, and sufficient funding provided.
Additional funding needs Capacity-building for representative organizations to meet consultation and coordination objectives; Realistic and stable investments for implementing national, provincial and territorial action plans in all sectors; New resources at all levels in the territories.	71% of respondents stated the funding provided was not sufficient.
Resource allocation difficulties Lack of flexibility in funding programs- some regions or groups have difficulty meeting the criteria, because of their isolation, size or characteristics of their members; Lack of planning and delays in resource allocation; Some sectors or clienteles not recognized in resource allocation:women, youth, seniors, arts and culture, communications and community development; Centralization of financial resources in the federal government and in national organizations – with respect to immigration, a substantial portion of funding has remained within government structures; the sector has raised questions about the usefulness and impact of these investments on communities.	Nearly 3/4 of respondents criticized resource allocation methods.   Substantial satisfaction was reported in the health, literacy and justice sectors.   100% of provinces and territories stated they did not benefit sufficiently from the resources in the Action Plan.

 

Establishment of consultation and coordination mechanisms
Perspectives for consultation and coordination mechanisms	Number of mechanisms	Observation
Between government bodies and communities 1: Literacy round table: for the time being, information-sharing and awareness; 26: Immigration committees, health networks, the national economic development and employability committee and the network of literacy specialists have defined or will shortly define action plans or major strategic directions, responding to Action Plan objectives; 1: The Advisory Committee on Francophone minority communities is an information-sharing forum for meeting the health sector objectives of the Action Plan; 1: An accountability mechanism was established with national consultations involving the Privy Council Office; a number of improvements have been suggested, such as "move away from statistics and look to the future" by adding time to pre- consultations, and "divide groups into sectoral discussions."	29	#8 It appears the consultation mechanisms incorporating appropriate horizontal representation and genuine dialogue are better appreciated and more effective when they respect the following chain: information-sharing -awareness-accountability of actors-planning sufficient investments- implementation- accountability mechanism.   #9 Practising horizontality efficiently requires resources, time and knowledge. FCFA, representative organizations in the provinces and territories, and client organizations have been especially affected by increased horizontal practices and their impact.
Among community stakeholders only 1: Youth table and national early childhood table remain at the information-sharing and awareness level; for the early childhood table, however, the attention received from the Department of Social Development is helping to define priorities in the sector; 1: National arts and culture table has maintained its coordination activities; 2: Communication and education tables are proceeding with planning but have not been consulted by funders, thus reducing the scope of planning.	4
Between funders and community organizations 3: Social Development Canada's research committee and justice sub-committees; both are enthusiastic for real dialogue and tangible investments; 2: Canadian Heritage coordination committee and Industry Canada meetings; the effectiveness of these mechanisms has been questioned due to a number of factors such as the large number of stakeholders and the consideration that has been given to their needs.	5
Federal Councils The sub-committees help raise awareness among federal actors, but their accountability has been questioned in one case. Consultation efforts help raise awareness, according to respondents, but to a lesser extent.	2 sub-committees on official languages. 2 consultation efforts.

Avenues for action

Quickly develop benchmarks for renewing the Action Plan for Official Languages, so as to ensure the continuation of initiatives undertaken and the development of new initiatives

 

It is not a new phenomenon that uncertainty about the future can have a negative impact on activities underway. For example, the Société Santé en français has noted that the commitment of partners will soon be difficult to maintain if the continuity of current activities is not ensured. Indeed, March 2008 is fast approaching, and a number of organizations could lose key players and even the motivation of their employees if the Government does not guarantee the sustainability of the Action Plan. Therefore, the Government must make a clear commitment, specific directions need to be announced, and sufficient funding must enable communities to work on their development while remaining confident in the future.  

Planning, organization and structuring took up the energy of most stakeholders during the first years of the Action Plan for Official Languages. Regional representatives are concerned the Action Plan has had little impact on their members and organizations. In general, organizations are concerned about receiving sufficient funding to implement their action plans and thus tangibly improve living in French. With respect to immigration and early childhood, for example, action plans have been developed in a number of regions and at the national level, but will they be able to materialize quickly? With respect to economic development, only two axes of their action plan have received financial support in the central and eastern region; what will happen with the other two axes?

Moreover, in general, community development or support for community life has been neglected by the Action Plan. Nevertheless, it includes actors who greatly contribute to the vitality of Francophone and Acadian communities. This contribution, however, does not always go smoothly. For example, newspapers, radio stations and youth groups, to name only a few, receive a large part of their funding on a project-by-project basis, which limits their opportunity to develop a long-term vision and increases uncertainty. Arts and culture representatives have tried unsuccessfully to develop strategic planning with Canadian Heritage under the Action Plan. Overall development plans prepared by the provinces and territories have not been given any specific consideration. Therefore, it is clear that serious community development planning that respects the needs of communities is necessary.

One of the major achievements of the Action Plan is undoubtedly the new horizontality practices introduced within communities and a number of departments. One of the unanticipated effects of that practice, however, is the requirement for time and new knowledge.

• Specific clienteles, such as youth, women and seniors, have had to get involved in various files or sectors, such as justice and health, to develop strategies affecting their clients. To date, however, horizontality has been practised to a very limited extent due to lack of time and human resources for the many meetings or presentations required. Moreover, the targeted sectors will benefit from being more aware of the needs of youth, women and seniors, and from the new perspectives contributed by these clients. According to the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes françaises, integration of gender analysis into various departments and programs with a link to the Action Plan for Official Languages, for example, would constitute a sign of progress and practical consideration of women as a specific client group.
• The increased complexity of roles has also been felt by provincial, territorial and even national umbrella organizations. They now have to meet government representatives from various departments, sit on various committees, work to diversify funding sources, develop new services, and often act as trailblazers for developing new sectors. So it must be borne in mind that considerable time, energy and human resources, and, consequently, financial resources, are required on an ongoing basis to handle this multiplication of stakeholders and partners.
• In addition, the link between national sectoral strategic plans and overall community development plans cannot be realized without ongoing communication among different stakeholders. However, no additional funding has been provided to meet objectives linked to the effective practice of horizontality and the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages.

Finally, it has been noted that horizontal practices linked to the Action Plan are closely linked to all official languages files and programs. Accordingly, everyone would benefit if all official languages files and programs were integrated into the Action Plan. The accountability framework, which fosters horizontal practices, for example, would be effective at the same level for all official languages programs. Files would be further clarified, as well as the performance of horizontal practices.    

The inequality of practices and progress among sectors can be identified when examining their consultation mechanisms. Here again, consultation is not a given in all sectors.

Official mechanisms need to be developed for all stages of the activity chain of an effective consultation mechanism (genuine dialogue and horizontal representation throughout the process: information-sharing awareness   accountability of actors planning sufficient investments implementation accountability mechanism) in the following sectors:education, arts and culture, communication. Existing mechanisms will need to be improved in the following sectors: immigration (sufficient investments), economic development (roles and responsibilities of Industry Canadaneed to be clarified).

It is important to note that effective consultations need to be linked to the relative transparency of the affected departments.  As it is important for all departments receiving funding under the Action Plan to consult with communities, it is equally important for them to be accountable on a regular basis for initiatives funded under the Plan. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

The exemplary consultation mechanisms in place in the justice, health and literacy sectors should be emphasized. Dialogue is officialized through a permanent committee, and openness is evident. Moreover, the community viewpoint is considered, discussed and integrated to varying degrees when initiatives are developed.  

The Government of Canada has adopted a vision for horizontal coordination of official languages files. Accordingly, the Action Plan for Official Languages calls on all federal institutions to consider community development and vitality when developing policies and programs. Responsibilities for coordinating government actions and for communications now come under the purview of the Minister responsible for Official Languages and the Privy Council Office. This centre for coordination, which has resulted from the Action Plan and the accountability framework, is completely new, and has been identified to give new momentum to official languages files.  

Some respondents have also noted some confusion between the responsibilities of the Privy Council Office and the Minister responsible for Official Languages, who has the mandate of coordinating implementation of the Action Plan, on the one hand, and the responsibilities of the Minister and Department of Canadian Heritage, on the other hand, who has the responsibility to "encourage and promote a coordinated approach" to the federal government's commitment to " enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society." (OLA, Part VII, sections 41 and 42). All parties recognize the importance of clarifying roles and responsibilities to ensure better coordination and to facilitate accountability under the Action Plan.

interview Questionnaire

Action Plan for Official Languages

Context: FCFA will gather data for the Interim Report on implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages. FCFA is pursuing two lines of inquiry:a literature review and interviews with community leaders.

This questionnaire will be used to conduct interviews between May 6 and May 20. It will be validated by a director general of a provincial umbrealla organization and a sectoral respondent.

Indicators:

1. Number of initiatives implemented or strengthened (by departments and/or community groups), following adoption of the Action Plan.

2. The impact of initiatives on community vitality. (Positive, negative, unexpected).

3. Level and sufficiency of financial resources provided to community organizations (provincial and national) to implement certain aspects of the Action Plan.

4. The establishment of consultation and coordination mechanisms at three levels:between governments, among community groups, and between communities and governments.
   

Interview Questions:

Note: the following questions will be used to stimulate reflection by respondents. They are open questions: during the interviews, respondents will be invited to expand on their reflections.

1. What new initiatives have been implemented in your (province or sector, where applicable) following the launch of the Action Plan for Official Languages in March 2003?

2. What existing initiatives were consolidated or strengthened in your (province or sector, where applicable) following the launch of the Action Plan for Official Languages in March 2003?

3. Although it has not been long since the Plan was launched, have you seen any impact so far on members of your community or in your sector? (Example: Access to new services: which ones, where?)

4. What impact has implementation of the Action Plan had on your organization? (Successes, challenges, positive impacts, negative impacts, unexpected impacts, other…)

5. What funding has been provided to your organization or sector that is directly linked to implementation of the Action Plan?  Is it new funding?

6. What new initiatives linked to the Action Plan have been implemented by your organization or sector as a result of funding under the Action Plan? (Direct initiatives in communities, governmental relations, consultation, coordination, research, …)

7. Is the level of funding provided to organizations sufficient? Why?

8. What new or different initiatives could be implemented by your organization or sector if additional financial resources were obtained, where applicable?

9. Does your organization or sector participate in one or more consultation/coordination mechanisms set up as a result of the implementation of the Action Plan? Please describe them. (Community mechanisms, departmental mechanisms, governmental and intergovernmental mechanisms …).

10. What are your views on these mechanisms? (Participants, effectiveness to date, future potential, …)

11. Do you have any recommendations for next steps in implementing the Action Plan? (Improvements to current directions, possible changes in direction, additions, new priorities, other mechanisms, )

Note: Invite respondents to submit any relevant documentation electronically and make a note of the documents transmitted.  

List OF respondent organizations

[Annex 1][Table of Contents][Annex 3]