INTRODUCTION
Continuing
Evolution
Continuing Evolution
THE ACTION
PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
Released on
March 12, 2003, the Action Plan for Official Languages consists of an
accountability and coordination framework, and three main axes: education,
community development and an exemplary public service. Assistance for the
development of the language industries supports these three priority areas. The
Government of Canada undertook to present interim and final reports on the
implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages.1 This midterm report
fulfils the first part of that commitment. The general information it contains
on fiscal years 2003–04 and 2004–05 may lead to some adjustments. This is
not yet, however, a formal evaluation of results. Monitoring and data-gathering
will continue with a view to presenting a final report, scheduled for the Fall
of 2008.
Since March
2003, two Speeches from the Throne have reiterated the priority given by the
Government of Canada to Canada’s linguistic duality and also its firm
intention to implement the Action Plan for Official Languages. In December 2003,
a member of Cabinet was sworn in as Minister responsible for Official Languages
and this practice was continued following the elections of June 2004. The
Government remains resolute in its determination to maintain the momentum of its
policy and Canada’s linguistic duality.
“Linguistic
duality is at the heart of our identity. ...The Government will nurture
this asset, which benefits all Canadians. It will ensure that minority
language communities have the tools that enable their members to fully
contribute to the development of Canadian society.”
—Speech
from the Throne, February 2, 2004. |
“What makes
our communities work is our deep commitment to human rights and mutual
respect. The Government is committed to these values. ...It is
implementing the Official Languages Action Plan and will continue to
promote the vitality of official language minority communities.”
—Speech
from the Throne, October 5, 2004. |
This
determination, combined with a desire for transparency, is consistent with the
way in which the Action Plan was prepared and the cross-government commitment
made to report to Canadians on the results of policies and programs. In addition
to describing the action taken by federal institutions, this midterm report
presents the communities’ viewpoint concerning the initial assessment of the
Action Plan. We know that much remains to be done. Taking into account findings
of both the federal public service and other partners enables us to identify
weaknesses and to prepare for the future with greater insight.
THE
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES PROGRAM
Implementation
of the Action Plan could not have occurred without consideration of where it
came from. A look at the entire official languages policy quickly proved to be
necessary. Over the months, the Official Languages Program has come to describe
the whole set of activities whereby the Government of Canada fulfils its
obligations and commitments contained in the Official Languages Act as described
in the accountability and coordination framework. (see Annex
1).
The need to
link the mandates and activities of all federal institutions does not mean that
the particular roles assigned by the Act to certain lead ministers and
organizations have altered. Those responsibilities remain unchanged. The role of
the Minister responsible for Official Languages is one of general coordination,
over and above Part VII of the Act, which is entrusted to the Minister of
Canadian Heritage, and Parts IV, V and VI, for which the President of the
Treasury Board is responsible. The Minister responsible for Official Languages
provides the government with an overview and Canadians with a spokesperson
capable of relating all parts of the Act. By presenting the measures taken in
many areas and emphasizing interdepartmental collaboration, this midterm report
attempts to illustrate this interdependence.
STRUCTURE
OF THE MIDTERM REPORT
Chapter 1
sets out the way in which the Government of Canada consulted its partners:
Ministerial consultations coordinated by the Privy Council Office, consultations
held within the framework of the particular legislative responsibilities of
Canadian Heritage and Treasury Board, and dialogue among the communities and
numerous federal institutions in their areas of action. It describes how these
exchanges fuelled the work of public servants and Ministers, and it identifies
as accurately as possible the community viewpoint with the assistance of the Fédération
des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) and the Quebec Community
Groups Network (QCGN).
Chapter 2 is
chiefly concerned with the initiatives of the Action Plan for Official Languages
and the investments of the institutions concerned since March 12, 2003. In all,
$123.4 million has been spent out of the $751.3 million budgeted in the plan,
with $36 million in the Enabling Fund added to the total in 2004–05. Overall,
we conclude that the necessary structures have been established; implementation
is well under way and should pick up speed from now on.
Chapter 3
describes horizontal coordination characterized in the horizontal management
framework of the Official Languages Program. Arising from the requirement of
shared accountability associated with the Action Plan, the framework focuses
official languages management on obtaining results. It provides a governance
structure for all areas of activity and performance measurement, relating the
various dimensions to each other and pooling the indicators and their underlying
data. In no case does it replace any of the performance measurement systems of
any of the institutions; each department or agency remains responsible for
detailed assessments of its initiatives. The framework relies on departments and
agencies to report on the effect of all activities. Its application has just
begun.
Chapter 4
discusses research. It cites the activities of the interdepartmental
coordination committee chaired by the Privy Council Office, talks about the
upcoming post-censal survey of official language minority communities, and
stresses the major contribution of research to the compilation of the data
needed for the evaluation of the Official Languages Program.
Chapter 5
proposes possible improvements for the continuation of the Action Plan and for
the future of the Official Languages Program. It is difficult, at this midpoint,
to draw conclusions about the results of the Action Plan, but the report reveals
some lessons learned with the experience acquired since March 2003.
Possibilities are also explored, aimed at maintaining a balance among the
priorities identified and working toward renewal of the Action Plan for Official
Languages in the broader context of the Official Languages Program.
The annexes
contain additional information about the Official Languages Program (Annex
1);
the communities’ viewpoints compiled by the FCFA and the QCGN (Annex
2); and
the statement of expenditures at midterm (Annex
3). The horizontal management
framework is the subject of a separate publication entitled Canada’s
Linguistic Duality: A Framework to Manage the Official Languages Program.
1. The Next
Act: New Momentum for Canada’s Linguistic Duality: The Action Plan for
Official Languages. (Ottawa, Privy
Council Office, 2003), p.16.
Note: For the purpose of this report and unless otherwise
stated, community refers to an official language minority community (OLMC).
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