Gender-based analysis plus

NRCan’s GBA+ Responsibility Centre ensures that GBA+ is integrated into departmental decision-making processes, by requiring every Budget proposal, Memorandum to Cabinet (MC), and Treasury Board submission (TB sub) to undertake a rigorous assessment of the potential implications of any new policy or program on diverse populations of Canadians^{Footnote 1}. Where potential differential impacts are noted, mitigation measures are recommended to inform program design and policy development. These analyses and findings are validated before Budget proposals, MCs, or TB subs are submitted to the Deputy Minister for approval.

The GBA+ Responsibility Centre tracks the flow of these findings (from Budget proposal to program implementation and policy development), and relevant indicators may be monitored in Performance Information Profiles (PIPs).

All GBA+ assessments (i.e. for Budget proposals, MCs, TB subs, PIPs) are tracked and retained by the GBA+ Responsibility Centre.

NRCan is committed to ensuring that diverse Canadians benefit from our policies and programs, and recognizes the importance of GBA+ in achieving this goal.

To this end, GBA+ training is mandatory for every new analyst hired through NRCan Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program. The GBA+ Responsibility Centre will increase the frequency of in-house trainings to ensure an increasing proportion of NRCan analysts are equipped with this fundamental knowledge.

NRCan’s GBA+ Responsibility consists of 1 FTE dedicated to GBA+, and one supporting analyst (0.2 FTEs)^{Footnote 2}. An additional analyst was hired to support this file for the duration of summer 2018-19 (0.3 FTEs).

NRCan’s network of Sector Advisors will be doubled over the next year, from 10 to 20 analysts (total 4.0 FTEs) GBA+ assessments for each implicated process are conducted by analysts within each sector (total 2 FTEs). In total, NRCan has the equivalent of 7.5 FTEs dedicated to GBA+ implementation for 2018-19.

GBA+ - Responsibility Centre Driven Initiatives

The Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) Responsibility Centre (the Responsibility Centre) houses NRCan’s functional authority for GBA+, and equips the Department to undertake GBA+ through the provision of training and coaching services, key tools and resources. To support the integration of GBA+ in decision making, policy and program development, the Responsibility Centre has taken a number of steps. For example, in 2018-2019, it secured three new GBA+ Advisors from various sectors, growing the network to 18 in total. The new Advisors have contributed to a greater capacity in GBA+ across the Department. The Responsibility Centre also hosted seven in-house GBA+ training sessions, including: targeted training on GBA+ for budget proposals; a GBA+ training challenge; four GBA+ Empathy Mapping Workshops; and, targeted training on GBA+ for Audit and Evaluation. Approximately 116 NRCan employees attended an in-house GBA+ training session.

Two case studies were developed to strengthen the Department’s knowledge base and awareness of the role of GBA+ in policy and program development. A hypothetical budget proposal on expanding Family Caregiver Supports for informal caregivers was used as an interactive learning aid and example of best practices for the training on GBA+ in budget proposals. A persona outlining the experiences of a First Nations woman in Northern Saskatchewan, built using real data, was used to guide participants during the GBA+ Empathy Mapping Workshops. Together, the case studies helped to illuminate the fundamental importance of GBA+ in ensuring that policies and programs have positive impacts for all diverse groups.

The Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Initiative Awards Program

The C3E Initiative is an international framework, organized under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the International Energy Agency. Its goal is to advance gender equality. Canada leads on C3E’s Awards and the Recognition work stream. In support of this stream, NRCan contracted Women in Renewable Energy to deliver the inaugural Awards program. A diverse panel of judges was recruited and nominations were solicited for two awards: the Woman of Distinction Award and the Organizational Leadership Award. In hosting the C3E awards ceremony during the CEM meetings in Vancouver, NRCan helped give greater profile to gender equality. Actions taken under this framework support the Education and Skills Development; Economic Participation and Prosperity; and, Leadership and Democratic Participation pillars of the Gender Results Framework (GRF).   

The Equal by 30 Campaign

NRCan leads the Equal by 30 Campaign on behalf of the Government of Canada. The Campaign is part of the broader C3E, and launched on May 24th, 2018, at the CEM meeting in Copenhagen. Equal by 30 asks public and private organizations, as well as governments, to take concrete actions on several key themes including equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030. Signatories develop commitments related to these themes, and report regularly on their progress. By sponsoring these measures, the Equal by 30 Campaign supports the Education and Skills Development; Economic Participation and Prosperity; and, Leadership and Democratic Participation pillars of the GRF.

Impact Canada Initiative (Women in Cleantech Challenge)

The Women in Cleantech Challenge (under the Impact Canada Initiative), is directly addressing the gender disparity in the cleantech sector by supporting the creation of six new, highly impactful and globally significant clean technology companies founded and run by women, while shining a spotlight on the issue to mobilize a greater ecosystem. The Challenge provides each of the six finalists with up to $800,000 in support over 2.5 years, including an annual stipend of $115,000 for living and travel expenses, up to $300,000 in business incubation support from MaRS Discovery District, and up to $250,000 in science and technology support from federal laboratories. At the conclusion of the Challenge, a $1 million grand prize will be awarded to the venture that has advanced the most during the Challenge and is judged most likely to succeed commercially. Through its work, this initiative is positively impacting women in clean technology and in STEM, supporting the pillar on Economic Participation and Prosperity under the Gender Results Framework.

Enabling Arctic Science in Canada

Through the Enabling Arctic Science in Canada initiative, the Polar Continental Shelf Program is able to meet a growing demand for Arctic science and innovation research. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the resilience of Indigenous communities, build a sustainable northern economy, gain an understanding of the implications of climate change on Arctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and support the exercise of Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. Under the program, logistics support for Arctic science is available to researchers or research teams working for universities and provincial and territorial government regardless of sex, gender, and culture/ethnicity.

The program currently collects gender data from its on-line Arctic logistics service request form and logistics database only. Lower uptake of the program’s services by women and Indigenous peoples has been identified as an issue. Through the GBA+, it was also identified that there is a need to collect disaggregated data beyond gender. However, data gaps and technical limitations are currently preventing the collection of this information. This may be addressed through planned modifications to service request forms and internal processes within the program. Demographic information (e.g., Indigenous status and ethnicity data of applicants and project participants) will be included as part of these planned modifications. The availability of this information will permit future disaggregated analysis, which is required to monitor potential impacts of the program. Further opportunities to collect disaggregated data on gender, Indigenous status and ethnicity will be examined as part of upcoming program evaluation.

Mining Sector Performance Report

The report highlights key trends in the mining industry through selected economic, social, and environmental performance indicators. It is presented every three years at the Energy and Mines Ministers Conference. One of the social indicators in the report is “gender diversity.” The GBA+ conducted on the report identified a number of data deficiencies. For example, only gender was being measured through the “gender diversity” social performance indicator, leading to a lack of data on other diverse groups. As a result, better and more disaggregated data was requested from Statistics Canada. The new data points more accurately reflect gender and diversity in the mining industry. Within the report, a commitment was also made to consider redefining the gender diversity indicator to reflect broader definitions of workforce diversity. This would allow for disaggregated data beyond gender to be implemented in the 2022 update.

Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP)

NRCan, in partnership with provinces, territories, Indigenous Groups and industry, developed the CMMP. The Plan is pan-Canadian and outlines the vision, principles and strategic directions that governments, industry and stakeholders can pursue to solidify Canada’s position as a global mining leader. CMMP’s vision is for Canada to be the leading mining nation and home to a competitive, sustainable and responsible minerals industry that benefits all Canadians. The Plan highlights the need to take action on gender equality and identifies strategies to increase the number of women and visible minorities in the mining sector; advance Indigenous participation, particularly of Indigenous women; and, support workers who need to update their skills for modern operations.

Through its vision for a more diverse workforce and related calls to action, the CMMP supports the pillar for Economic Participation and Prosperity under the GRF. An aspirational target was established under the Plan to increase the representation of women in the industry’s workforce to 30% by 2030 (compared to 16% in 2016). To achieve this target, NRCan is supporting a number of other initiatives such as:

• Working with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council to explore mining sector opportunities and alignment with the Equal by 30 campaign.
• Coordinating with stakeholders to promote diversity in the sector, and recognition for companies with more female leaders and board members.
• Supporting and encouraging industry and academia collaboration to ensure that educational programs respond to the job market, and groups such as Women in Mining Canada can continue with their efforts (e.g., National Action Plan to guide employers).

A large majority of NRCan’s programs are designed to provide services or benefits to all Canadians and/or groups of Canadians rather than individuals. Consequently, while there may be other NRCan programs that support GBA+ through their data collection and methodologies, only those programs that provide services or benefits to individual Canadians have been included for the purposes of identifying NRCan’s reporting capacity and data.

Science and Technology Internship Program (Green Jobs Program) (STIP)

Since 1997, NRCan has contributed to the ESDC-led Youth Employment Strategy through the STIP. This program supports the integration of post-secondary graduates (between the ages of 15-30) into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields in the natural resource sectors, through a 6-12 month internship. It also promotes diversity in the natural resources labour market by targeting 50% participation by individuals in the designated employment equity groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities). The program collects data on the following indicators: the percentage of youth (ages 15-30) who participated in the program; the percentage of youth who returned to advanced studies; the percentage of youth who report an increase in employability/transferable skills as a result of an internship; and, the percentage of youth who secured subsequent employment in the natural resource sectors during or immediately after the STIP internship.
For each of these indicators, data is disaggregated by gender (including an option that permits interns to ‘not identify’ their gender). This enables the program to undertake an analysis based on age (specifically on youth 15-30), employment in the natural resource sectors, and gender. Data collected for the above indicators is not currently being disaggregated by other demographic variables beyond gender. However, the STIP also collects data on the percentage of participants who self-identify as belonging to one or more designated employment equity group (women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities). This further enables the program to undertake an analysis of participation in the STIP on the basis of Indigenous status, visibility minority status and disability status.

Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP)

The PCSP is designed to provide critical logistics support to researchers or research teams working for universities, provincial governments, and territorial governments, to ensure that Arctic fieldwork is conducted safely and efficiently. The program currently only collects gender data from its on-line Arctic logistics service request form and logistics database. This data supports analysis for program uptake; percent of principle investigators from university or federal government departments; and, percent of projects that receive PCSP support on the basis of gender (not including non-binary genders). PCSP does not currently track demographic data based on Indigenous status or ethnicity at the participant level. However, as part of planned modifications to the service request forms and processes, demographic information including gender, Indigenous status and ethnicity data of applicants and project participants will be included. This will permit future disaggregated analysis necessary to monitor potential impacts of the program.

Lower Carbon Transportation Program

The Lower Carbon Transportation Program enables consumers and commercial fleets to adopt lower carbon modes of transportation. The program accomplishes this by: supporting the deployment of Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuel refuelling infrastructure; developing enabling codes and standards; providing accurate, relevant and factual information to inform purchasing decisions; providing fuel use benchmarking; and, assessing fleet fuel usage and recommending more efficient options. The program’s objective is to positively enhance the availability, accessibility and awareness of low carbon transportation options for consumers and key actors in the transportation of passengers and freight on Canadian roads.

In 2018, the program’s data collection methodology was updated to collect additional information on the uptake and impact of the program. Beginning in 2019-2020, data will be disaggregated by province and territory for at least ten different indicators, and by gender, age group, income level, and province and territory, for another three indicators. This will help to determine how the uptake and impact of lower carbon transportation options and awareness efforts varies by location and various demographic groups. In addition, the program will measure the number of job-years of employment generated by funded projects, and will disaggregate the data by province and territory, gender and age group. The program’s data collection methodology enables it to undertake analyses on both the uptake and impact of the program based on province and territory, employment in the low carbon transportation sector (specific to employment generated by projects funded by the program), age group, gender and income-level.

Electricity Resources Program

The Electricity Resources Program is made up of four renewable energy projects, including: ecoENERGY for Renewable Power, Smart Grid, Emerging Renewables, and the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities. These projects help to reduce Canada’s green house gas emissions and encourage sustainable growth in the electricity sector by providing communities with job opportunities, skills and training. The program collects, disaggregates and tracks data for renewable energy projects in remote areas, by rural and remote community (region), Indigenous ownership and participation. This includes measuring the percentage of projects and the number of capacity building initiatives led by or partnered with Indigenous groups or communities. The number of capacity building initiatives is also disaggregated by the participationof women and youth. Similarly, the program also collects and disaggregates data on the number of capacity building initiatives that target women and youth. With this information, the program is able to undertake analyses on the basis of region (rural and remote communities), Indigenous status (participation, leadership or ownership), gender and age (participation of women and youth in capacity building initiatives).

Indigenous Partnerships Office – West (IPO-West)

IPO-West houses the Secretariat for the Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committees. These Committees are leading federal efforts to meaningfully involve Indigenous groups in the monitoring and oversight of pipeline projects. Beginning in 2019-2020, the Secretariat will identify and track priorities, issues, actions and advice addressed by the Committees that may have differential impacts based on gender or diversity factors (e.g., age, geography, culture and other identities). IPO-West will use this information to prepare the Committee’s performance information profile. Additionally, the Secretariat will track the diversity of participation in Committee activities where possible, including the gender diversity of Committee and subcommittee members, and the diversity of participating Indigenous communities (e.g. First Nations and Métis).