Accountability
Expected results
Definitions and Notes for the Reader
April 1, 2004
The language requirements of positions or functions are determined objectively. They reflect the duties of employees or their work units as well as obligations with respect to service to the public and language of work. Owing to their supervisory and leadership role in institutions, positions or functions at the assistant deputy minister level and other assistant deputy head titles across Canada and those of members of the Executive Group in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes are identified as bilingual at the "CBC" level.
This directive applies to all institutions subject to Schedules I and IV of the Financial Administration Act.
Institutions subject to the Official Languages Act (OLA), except for the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, the Office of the Senate Ethics Officer and the Office of the Ethics Commissioner,must refer to the Policy on Official Languages for Human Resources Management.
Deputy heads are accountable for implementing this directive in their institutions.
Institutions determine the official languages obligations applicable to their operations and establish the linguistic identification of positions or functions accordingly.
Institutions ensure that, where required under Part IV of the OLA and the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations, they have the capacity to communicate with and provide services to members of the public, both orally and in writing, in the official language of their choice.
In regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes, institutions ensure that:
Institutions also ensure that everywhere in Canada and regardless of the language requirements of their position, employees may file grievances in their preferred official language.
In exceptional cases, positions may be identified as bilingual for liaison functions that require the use of both official languages between two unilingual regions of different official languages.
Once the official languages obligations are determined, institutions objectively establish the language requirements of positions or functions to meet these obligations :
In any activity that affects human resources, including staffing actions, reorganizations or reclassifications, managers review the language requirements of the positions or functions in question. If, as a result of this process, the language requirements or the linguistic profile of the position are modified, the incumbent must be informed in writing within ten working days following the modification. Obligations relating to incumbents are set out in the Directive on the Staffing of Bilingual Positions.
When the language requirements of a position or function are identified as bilingual, the manager determines the linguistic profile required. The linguistic profile reflects the tasks to be carried out and respects the principle of equal status of the two official languages when carrying out the functions. Only in exceptional circumstances do the tasks in one language differ from those in the other; linguistic profiles of bilingual positions are therefore normally the same in both languages.
For information on how to determine the linguistic profile of a bilingual position in both official languages, refer to the Qualification Standards in Relation to Official Languages.
To ensure services of quality in both official languages, the language proficiency levels of positions or functions involving service to the public or to employees, as well as supervision of employees, are identified at the "BBB" level or higher.
To ensure that the work environment is conducive to the effective use of both official languages:
The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC) is responsible for determining the method for assessing performance and monitoring implementation of this directive in institutions.
Each institution is responsible for keeping its records and information systems up to date and assessing results in order to report on them to PSHRMAC on request. At a minimum, the institution uses the following indicators to assess its situation:
When assessment of the results reveals that the directive has not been respected, the institution reports the situation to PSHRMAC and takes appropriate corrective action.
For further information, please contact the person responsible for official languages in your institution.
Other assistant deputy
head titles:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TBM_114/oacegp-dprcpg1_e.asp#deputy
Regions designated as bilingual for
language-of-work purposes:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/offlang/chap5_1_e.asp
C in reading
B in writing,
C in oral interaction
Financial Administration Act:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/f-11/
Official Languages Act: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/O-3.01/index.html
Policy on official languages for
human resources management:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/OffLang/polhrm-plogrh_e.asp
This term is equivalent to "deputy minister", "chief executive officer" or some other title denoting this level of responsibility.
Part IV: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/O-3.01/88156.html#rid-88211
Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/offlang/dolr_e.asp
Regions designated as bilingual for
language-of-work purposes:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/offlang/chap5_1_e.asp
Personal and central services:
Here are some examples:
Directive on the staffing of
bilingual positions:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/OffLang/dsbp-ddpb_e.asp
In exceptional circumstances do the tasks in one language differ from those in the other:
For the A, B and C language proficiency levels, there should be no distinction between the two official languages in terms of language profile as these levels are not linked to specialized language skills.
With regard to the use of Code P, a task analysis of the position must support any exception to the rule by which the language skills required in the second official language do not differ from one official language to the other. For example:
The details are in the Qualification Standards in Relation to Official Languages.
Qualification Standards in
Relation to Official Languages:
http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/hrmm-mgrh/QualStandard/section03_e.asp
Other assistant deputy head titles:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TBM_114/oacegp-dprcpg1_e.asp#deputy
Consequences: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/OffLang/olpf-cplo1_e.asp#consequence
Person responsible: http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/ollo/common/listinstitution_e.asp