OPS Inclusion Strategic Plan 2013-2016: “Inclusion Now!”

Message from the Secretary of the Cabinet

It is a great privilege for me to be part of the ongoing commitment to transform the Ontario Public Service into a more inclusive organization. This commitment is vital to our success in serving the diverse population of Ontario.

Inclusion is not only the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do. That is why I am so pleased to see so many innovative and empowering developments toward inclusion.

The Ontario Public Service is an award-winning employer in the area of diversity. Looking ahead, we want to build on what we have already accomplished by continuing to promote inclusion in the workplace.

We are striving toward a workplace culture where everyone feels welcome, valued, and respected. We want to harness the unique perspectives, insights and talents of each one of our employees so we can serve the people of this province in the very best way.

Our objective is a challenge but it is also a great opportunity. I am invigorated by it and I am confident that you are too.

Thank you for your continued commitment and support.

Sincerely,

Peter Wallace

Message from the Chief Officer, Diversity and Accessibility

In 2009, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) launched its first diversity strategic plan, Driving Change from a Solid Foundation. That plan was very much a building document, with a strong focus on establishing the case for diversity and growing our commitment to its concepts and values.

Since that plan was first published, we have learned and accomplished a great deal, supported by the dedicated efforts of ministries and employees in every part of the province.

Last year, with the term of the first strategic plan coming to an end, we took stock of how far we had come and where we needed to go. We sought input from ministry partners, employee networks, senior executive tables, bargaining agents and employees.
We learned that much has been accomplished. Senior executives have shown strong commitment to diversity and accessibility. Ministries have established dedicated accessibility and diversity plans and infrastructure. Employee networks are flourishing. The abbr title="Ontario Public Service">OPS has been recognized for six years as one of Canada’s top diversity employers.

We also learned about areas that require stronger focus.

We heard that we need to ensure that messages of diversity, accessibility and inclusion reach beyond our executive ranks and are consistently heard, understood and implemented “on the ground.”

We learned that significant numbers of the OPS staff who responded to our Employee Survey believe that they may have experienced discrimination or harassment or not had their employment accommodation needs met.

And we heard that we need better ways to measure and evaluate our efforts, so that we can be confident that we are directing our resources in the best possible way.

Inclusion Now! builds on our first strategic plan, by moving forward from “why diversity” to “how we will build a more inclusive OPS” – where the unique backgrounds, cultures and experiences of every employee will be even more welcomed and valued.

An inclusive OPS goes beyond mandatory and legislative requirements:  it is a workplace enriched by personal differences, enhanced by the innovation and creativity of an engaged workforce and widely recognized not just as an employer of choice, but of first choice.

Given our current fiscal and operational realities, our new strategic plan focuses on practical strategies to achieve our goal of a truly inclusive OPS. I invite you to learn more about our directions and priorities as they are set out in this strategic plan.

As Chief Officer, Diversity and Accessibility, I have the honour of working with the dedicated staff of the OPS Diversity Office and our many partners and colleagues, all of whom are deeply committed to a diverse, accessible and inclusive OPS. Leading this strategic plan is my responsibility. Making it reality, however, depends upon every member of the OPS. I look forward to working with you as we embark on the next phase of our journey.

Sincerely,

Shamira Madhany

Executive summary

A truly inclusive Ontario Public Service (OPS) is an organization that has the capacity and the will to value, celebrate and leverage the diversity of all its employees.

This strategic plan, Inclusion Now!, charts the course that the OPS will follow over the next three years in its efforts to further build inclusion into day-to-day business.

There are a number of factors that make it imperative to continue this course.

First, Ontario is already one of the world’s most diverse jurisdictions and is rapidly becoming more so. Ontario needs a public service that reflects and responds to its diversity.

Second, current fiscal realities demand that the OPS tap into the diverse and collective skills of every one of its members.

Third, beyond our legal obligations as set out in the Human Rights Code and other laws, the OPS has an obligation as an employer, policy maker and service provider to lead by example and show the way for other organizations in Ontario.

This strategic plan will build on and continue the groundwork that was laid by the first three-year strategic plan, Driving Change from a Solid Foundation. That plan focused on building strong leadership to drive change, beginning with senior executives. It also promoted education and awareness of inclusion and accessibility, created tools and policies to integrate them into the OPS workplace culture, and developed tools and metrics to measure and report on our progress.

These activities laid a solid foundation for ongoing change within the OPS and have positioned us well to embark on our second strategic plan.

In preparing this new plan, we consulted a wide range of employees across the OPS, including senior leaders, ministry diversity and accessibility leads, bargaining agents, employee networks and many others. We also studied the findings of the 2011 OPS Employee Survey.

While significant progress has been made in promoting understanding and acceptance of diversity, and in building commitment at the senior levels of the organization, it is now time for a strategic shift in our approach, moving from the “why” of diversity to the “how” of inclusion.

For example, we need to further strengthen our focus on addressing systemic barriers to create an even healthier, more respectful and representative workplace at all levels of the organization. Emphasis needs to shift from policy to practical, tangible and focused solutions, grounded in current fiscal realities, which ministries can tailor to their own needs. Work is needed to ensure that the principles of inclusion are understood and applied “on the ground”, not just at the most senior levels of the OPS. Our strategies and actions must also be informed by data, and their effectiveness measured and evaluated.

Inclusion Now! maps out four strategic priorities to accomplish this strategic shift, building on the vision and goals that have guided OPS diversity from the beginning.

Inclusion may be difficult to quantify and measure. However, it is critical to our success that we are able to identify and measure results that are taking us toward our goals. Our strategic plan maps out key indicators of success, such as:

• fewer employees reporting experiences of discrimination and harassment
• increased perception across employee demographic groups that the OPS has a positive and inclusive workplace culture
• more diverse senior management ranks
• citizens and businesses increasingly viewing the OPS as responsive to the needs of Ontario’s diverse population

Inclusion is a shared responsibility. The OPS Diversity Office, enterprise partners, senior executives, managers and ministries all have a role to play. Equally important is the commitment and contribution of all employees to making the OPS a better, more inclusive place to work – truly an employer of first choice.

Embedding inclusion into everything we do at all levels of the organization will not be easy. To make it happen, each and every one of us must be willing to take that extra time and put in that extra effort to ensure that our workplaces and our policies, programs and services are inclusive. Managers will play a critical role in making this happen because of the direct impact they have on the daily work of the OPS. With their leadership, and employee participation, we can make inclusion not just something we do – but instead, an important part of who we are.

Having diversity is interesting. Doing something with that diversity is powerful.” Zabeen Hirji, Chief Human Resources Officer, Royal Bank of Canada

1. Invest in the capacity of our middle managers to become inclusive leaders by providing and sharing practical tools to help and motivate managers to make inclusion even more real in the workplace, and by continuing to hold managers accountable through performance commitments
2. Promote an even more inclusive workplace culture for all by developing an OPS Culture Change Strategy to ensure that all OPS employees recognize how to make inclusion part of their mind-set right from the very start. This will include an anti-racism strategy with training and clear accountabilities and expectations for respectful behaviour in the workplace
3. Make inclusion a fundamental part of all OPS business and demonstrate leadership in accessibility by promoting widespread use of the abbr title="Ontario Public Service">OPS Inclusion Lens in all our roles as a policy maker, regulator, service provider and employer, and by continuing the work laid out in the abbr title="Ontario Public Service">OPS Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
4. Use evidence to inform action, measure impact and report on progress by analyzing demographic data to better understand the results we are seeing, taking a focused approach to addressing identified issues, and monitoring and reporting on key performance indicators

The inclusion imperative

Diversity refers to the multi-faceted ways in which we all differ. Inclusion is the creation of an environment that welcomes, celebrates and leverages these differences. There are three factors that make it imperative for the OPS to be inclusive.

1. Ontario’s growing diversity

The OPS serves more than 13 million people in one of the most diverse jurisdictions in the world and will become even more diverse over the next 10 to 20 years. A few key statistics illustrate this point.

• about 15.5% or 1.85 million Ontarians have a disability – that’s one in seven people. That number will grow significantly in the next 20 years as the population ages ^{footnote 1[1]}
• the number of seniors is expected to more than double from 1.9 million in 2011 to 4.2 million by 2036 when seniors will make up 23.6% of Ontario’s population^{footnote 2[2]}
• Ontario is home to people from more than 200 countries who speak more than 130 languages^{footnote 3[3]}
• visible minorities will make up almost 29% of Ontario’s population, and over half of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) population, by 2017^{footnote 4[4]}
• the Ontario Aboriginal population is young and growing. According to the 2006 Census, the Aboriginal population in Ontario grew by 29% between 2001 and 2006. By comparison, the non-Aboriginal population grew by about 7%^{footnote 5[5]}

To continue to provide excellent public services to all Ontarians, the OPS needs to be responsive to this diversity. The bottom line is that inclusive public services are good public services.

2. An engaged and productive workforce

Research shows that inclusive organizations have higher levels of employee engagement, productivity and creativity, greater ability to attract a wide pool of talent, and better retention of employees.^{footnote 6[6]}

By making the OPS even more inclusive, we will not only strengthen our own organization, but also deliver better results for the people of Ontario. As we go through a challenging time of fiscal constraint, downsizing and transformation in the OPS, we need more than ever to keep our employees engaged.

Inclusive practices will drive engagement up. Engaged employees will be able to bring even greater value to the organization and to the people of Ontario by being able to use their talents and skills more fully to deliver high quality policies and services. In contrast, disengagement may cost the organization in many ways – including absenteeism, workplace discrimination and harassment complaints and long-term disability costs – that may take the organization’s focus off its core business.

“Respect, honour and allow all to engage in 'First Voice' – that being the ability to speak and share from personal experience.” Lori Kruger, Program Analyst, Thunder Bay, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

3. Legislation

Ontario has several pieces of legislation that govern our inclusion journey, including the Human Rights Code, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

These are mandatory legal obligations that we must follow. However, as an employer, policy maker and service provider, we have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership and lead by example. What we do as an organization has a far-reaching impact on the lives of people with the potential to effect change in our society for years to come. The Ontario government is taking a key leadership role with its accessibility initiatives for people with disabilities in Ontario and has committed to achieving the goal of a barrier-free Ontario by 2025.

“Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario commends the leadership of the abbr title="Ontario Public Service">OPS Diversity Office in guiding the Ontario Public Service to become accessible. Their initiative and willingness to consult with persons with disabilities through an organization such as Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario demonstrates a proactive approach to accessibility, making them an outstanding model for others to follow.” Pat Seed, Chairperson, Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario

Our journey so far - building a strong foundation

The first OPS Three-Year Diversity Strategy (2009-2012) was built on four key pillars, which were designed to lay a foundation for continued transformation of the OPS into an inclusive organization that is as diverse as it is accessible. The actions that our organization took under each of these pillars have positioned us well to move to the next phase of our journey to inclusion.

Highlights of successes

Informed, committed and competent leadership

We built awareness, engagement and accountability among senior executives by:

• holding all Deputy Ministers accountable for inclusion through specific diversity and accessibility commitments in their performance agreements
• establishing senior leadership committees to drive change through the organization
• incorporating knowledge and understanding of diversity, inclusion and accessibility into the OPS`s core competency requirements for leaders and managers
• giving leaders a greater understanding of other people’s perspectives and experiences, through a reciprocal mentorship program in every ministry that matches employees from different demographic groups with senior executives

Behavioural and cultural change

We increased awareness about the value of diversity in the workplace by:

• creating an “Inclusion Learning Path” with online and classroom courses to build the competencies of OPS staff and managers
• developing practical tip sheets, guides and videos such as the “Mission Possible" accessibility videos, the Accessibility at Source campaign, and Days of Significance guides
• strengthening the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy
• supporting eight Employee Networks for different demographic groups in the OPS
• establishing new Quiet Rooms across the province, to give employees a comfortable space for reflection, meditation and prayer

Mainstream and integrate inclusion

We set up processes to integrate inclusion and accessibility into OPS business by:

• creating the award-winning OPS Inclusion Lens, an online tool to help staff identify existing and potential barriers when developing or delivering policy, programs, legislation and services
• developing a new OPS Executive Recruitment Inclusion Lens to help hiring managers identify and address potential barriers in the executive recruitment process
• becoming the first organization in Ontario to fully comply with the customer service and other accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Measurement, evaluation and reporting

We developed metrics and tools to measure and report on progress by:

• collecting and releasing demographic data through the OPS Employee Survey
• creating a new Inclusion Index to measure employees’ perceptions of inclusion in the workplace
• developing an Inclusion Scorecard to measure progress in meeting our inclusion goals

"By welcoming internationally trained interns to the district, we have improved our ability to challenge our approaches and assumptions. That helps us better anticipate and respond to the needs of the regulated community." Trevor Dagilis, Kingston District Manager, Ministry of the Environment

Engaging to improve

In preparing our OPS Inclusion Strategic Plan 2013-2016, we consulted with a wide range of employees across the province, at all levels of the organization. This included senior leadership tables in the OPS, HROntario, diversity and accessibility leads in ministries, employee networks, bargaining agents, our communities of practice, and many others. We asked them to share their thoughts and feedback about what has worked and what has not, so we can continue to refine our strategy to meet the needs of the organization.

We also relied on the 2011 OPS Employee Survey, to which more than 40,000 employees (or 64% of the OPS) responded. The OPS Employee Survey collects voluntary demographic information, which helps us understand how diverse our workforce is at different levels of the organization, and how our employees feel about their jobs and workplace culture. As staff participation in the OPS Employee Survey is voluntary, survey data reflects the opinions and perceptions of those employees who self-identified and responded to the survey questions.

What we heard by consulting our employees and partners

Our employees and partners told us that the overall strategic framework in our first strategic plan – including our vision, goals and strategic approaches – is sound and we should build from that. Where we need to focus now is practical implementation, so we can turn concepts and policies into real tangible outcomes. In particular, we heard that we need to:

• take account of today’s fiscal and operational realities. We cannot try to do everything. We need to focus our efforts on where we can have the most impact and we need to be accountable
• create an even more healthy and respectful workplace by addressing systemic issues, including racism, discrimination and harassment, and acting early to remove or mitigate barriers
• shift attention from policy to practice by promoting practical solutions that make inclusion real and concrete
• support ministries to customize actions that will further address the needs of their particular environments
• look at what our employee survey responses are telling us about potential workplace barriers and issues and use that data to take action

What we learned through the OPS Employee Survey

Inclusion in our workplace has two components: how diverse we are at different levels of the organization and how employees feel about our workplace culture. Responses to the 2011 Employee Survey show that issues in both of these areas require attention.

Healthy workplace culture

Responses to the 2011 Employee Survey showed that a number of respondents reported experiencing discrimination or harassment in the workplace (17% and 14% respectively). Employees who identified as Aboriginal, Black, Persons with Disabilities and LGBTQ^{footnote 7[7]} were the four demographic groups reporting the highest levels of perceived discrimination and harassment^{footnote 8[8]}. In addition, the survey revealed potential concerns around employment accommodation for employees with disabilities.

• 17% of employees who responded to the survey indicated that they had experienced discrimination in the workplace in the previous two years, and 14% reported they had experienced harassment. These employees also had significantly lower levels of engagement and inclusion
• 22% to 32% of employees who self-identified as Black, Aboriginal, Persons with Disabilities or LGBTQ reported that they had experienced discrimination in the workplace.
• 16% to 27% of employees who self-identified from these same four groups reported that they had experienced harassment in the workplace
• of the 1400 employees with a disability who said they required accommodation to do their job, 21% said they had not received it

A representative workforce

While the survey shows that the OPS workforce as a whole mirrors the diversity of the Ontario population, it also shows disproportionate representation for certain demographic groups at various levels in the organization – including under-representation of visible minorities in senior management.^{footnote 9[9]}

In addition, a detailed analysis of the demographic data for the job clusters outside of management showed higher than average concentrations in areas such as office administration, customer and client services, accounting and finance and information technology for some demographic groups. For example, Black employees have a high representation in administrative support and customer and client service jobs.

The survey responses also revealed that employees who identified as Black or as Persons with Disabilities were significantly more likely to report dissatisfaction with the way their careers were progressing, and to perceive OPS hiring practices as unfair.
Employees who identified as Black were also much more likely to view their ministry as not valuing diversity.

“The OPP's commitment to diversity and inclusion means that diversity permeates all that we do – from hiring, selection/promotion, training and development and operational policies to our succession management and leadership development strategies. Diversity is at the core of everything the Corporate Services Command strives to accomplish in relation to employee engagement.” Mary Silverthorn, Provincial Commander, Corporate Services Command, OPP

Our journey forward – Inclusion Now!

Our Inclusion Strategy will focus on four specific priorities over the next three years to drive inclusion deeper into all levels of the organization, and address the issues that were identified through our employee survey data and employee consultations.

Our strategic shift

From the “why” of diversity to the “how” of inclusion

Our new three-year strategic plan, Inclusion Now!,will build on the foundation that has been laid over the past three years and move the OPS from “why diversity is important” to “how we can build a more inclusive OPS”.

We will focus on making inclusion more real by developing practical solutions that are responsive to the needs of our staff and that meet the expectations of Ontarians. We will also focus on driving change deeper into the organization so that ministries, managers and staff “own” our strategy and understand how to embed inclusive behaviours and practices into their daily work.

Embedding inclusion into everything we do at all levels of the organization will not be easy. To make it happen, each and every one of us must be willing to take that extra time and put in that extra effort to ensure that our workplaces and our policies, programs and services are more inclusive. Managers will play a critical role in making this happen because of the direct impact they have on the daily work of the OPS. With their leadership, and employee participation, we can make inclusion not just something we do – but instead, an important part of who we are.

The Diversity Office is here to help. It will act as a partner and enabler to assist ministries in customizing actions in a way that is most beneficial to their local environments, by providing practical tools and advice, including a new Inclusion Guide.

Address systemic issues

To create an organization where all employees feel included, we will strengthen our focus on addressing potential systemic employment barriers and issues like racism and bias. By its very nature, inclusion is not a one-size-fits-all approach and we know that different people experience different barriers.

While most OPS employees are genuinely committed to creating a respectful and inclusive environment, we also know that sometimes the “way things have always been done” can create barriers. While it may not be deliberate, these practices can have the effect of excluding and disadvantaging members of certain groups. Creating an inclusive workplace requires us to address these barriers in a conscious and deliberate way.

We will also strengthen accountability throughout the organization by having ministries develop customized Inclusion Plans and report annually to staff on progress against measurable commitments. Accountability will be reinforced through performance expectations for executives and managers that are linked to the priorities in this strategic plan.

Our new Inclusion Strategy maps out four action priorities for the next three years to accomplish this strategic shift.

“Inclusion is a fundamental ingredient to a healthy growing organization.” Marco Sadeghi, Business Analyst, ServiceOntario

Inclusion strategy map

The Inclusion Strategy Map provides a snapshot of the OPS Inclusion Strategy. It shows our vision and goals for inclusion and the four priorities we will focus on over the next three years. The “Foundation” section at the bottom of the map shows that we will continue doing the things that have worked well over the past three years, since those elements are critical to our ongoing progress.

Priorities 2013-2016:

1. informed committed and competent leadership: Invest in the capacity of our middle managers to become inclusive leaders
2. behavioural and cultural transformation: promote an inclusive workplace culture for all
3. mainstream and integrate inclusion: make inclusion a fundamental part of all business and demonstrate leadership in accessibility
4. measurement, evaluation and reporting: Use evidence to inform action, measure impact and report on progress

Driving change from a solid foundation:

• executive champions
• diversity mentoring
• governance
• employee networks
• training and awareness
• WDHP Education
• OPS Inclusion Lens
• AODA Compliance
• ministry planning
• annual reporting
• inclusion scorecard
• consultations

Strategic priorities for 2013-2016

Informed, committed and competent leadership

Invest in the capacity of our middle managers to become inclusive leaders

In order to continue building informed, committed and competent leadership, we will help our middle managers^{footnote 10[10]} become even more inclusive leaders who better understand and practice inclusion day to day and create even more healthy and respectful workplaces.

Middle managers have the most direct impact in creating an inclusive workplace. They do this by modelling inclusive behaviour, valuing and respecting their employees, incorporating inclusive practices into daily work, communicating clear expectations for appropriate behaviour in the workplace and holding employees accountable.

“What makes us different makes us special. What makes us special makes the difference. Those special people who embrace our differences rather than reject them ultimately create unity and trust within the workplace, which in turn creates harmony, and increases morale and productivity.” Susy Martino, Registration Services Officer, ServiceOntario, Aurora

• enhance learning and development on inclusive leadership
  • orientation sessions and learning opportunities will be provided across the province using different formats, to help managers develop their inclusive leadership skills, including training on cultural competency, anti-bias and anti-racism
• provide and share high impact tools and supports
  • we will provide and share practical resources, tools and tips to show managers how to bring inclusion into their daily work
• expand diversity mentoring into sponsorship
  • ministries will be asked to extend their Diversity Mentorship Partnership Programs to include middle managers, and to also consider having senior executives act as sponsors to actively support individuals to advance their careers
• hold managers accountable
  • managers will be held accountable for their performance as inclusive leaders through formal commitments in their performance agreements that align with the priorities in this strategic plan

Behavioural and cultural transformation

Promote an even more inclusive workplace culture for all

Creating a truly inclusive OPS requires not only good policies, but also a workplace culture in which every one of us embraces inclusion and takes a personal stake in bringing it to life in the way we work and how we treat each other.

Over the next three years, we will continue to focus on behavioural and cultural transformation to embed inclusion as a core value of our organization. We will make sure employees are aware – right from the time they are hired – that inclusion is about all of us and that creating a respectful workplace is the responsibility of all of us. We will focus particular attention on the areas that our employee survey highlighted as being most in need of attention.

• develop an OPS culture change strategy
  • we will work in partnership with our ministries, employee networks and bargaining agents to develop a culture change strategy with education and awareness initiatives, to help OPS employees recognize how to make inclusion part of their mind-set right from the very start. Topics will include human rights, accessibility, understanding personal bias and racism, workplace discrimination and harassment prevention, and leveraging diversity for creativity and productivity
• develop an anti-racism strategy
  • a significant component of the culture change strategy will be to develop an anti-racism strategy for the OPS that will include anti-racism training, culture change initiatives, and clear accountabilities and expectations for respectful behaviour in the workplace
• continue to embed inclusion into OPS learning and development
  • the OPS will continue to embed concepts of inclusion and accessibility into OPS courses to help employees expand their knowledge and competencies in incorporating inclusion into their day-to-day work.

“At Ernst & Young, we believe that leveraging a diverse team is crucial to helping our clients navigate their changing challenges and opportunities. Our team hails from all around the world, with skills and experiences that are so diverse. By “stirring up the pot” in positive ways, diversity encourages intellectual debate and conflict which helps lead to innovation. That’s how we make a difference for our clients.” Fiona Macfarlane, Managing Partner and Chief Inclusiveness Officer, Ernst & Young

Mainstream and integrate inclusion

Make inclusion a fundamental part of all OPS business and demonstrate leadership in accessibility

In order for the OPS to become a truly inclusive organization, ministries and employees need to recognize even more deeply how inclusion is critical to excellent public service and have the tools to help them apply it in their day-to-day work. Accessibility is a core pillar of the OPS inclusion strategy. So when we speak of inclusion, we are also speaking about improving access for persons with disabilities by permanently removing or mitigating barriers.

Over the next three years, we will continue to focus on providing ministries and individuals with the practical tools they need to help them understand how to be more inclusive in their day-to-day work. A key way we will do that is by promoting widespread use of the OPS Inclusion Lens across the OPS. This highly practical tool helps staff at all levels of the organization identify and address potential barriers in designing policies or delivering services. We will also continue to focus on demonstrating leadership in accessibility and building barrier-free employment practices.

• adopt use of the OPS Inclusion Lens in all OPS business
  • application of the Inclusion Lens will continue to be required in key decision-making processes such as Cabinet submissions and Results-based Planning. Ministries will also be expected to apply the Inclusion Lens when developing new policies, bills, regulations, programs and/or service delivery initiatives.

“Using the Inclusion Lens helped us identify, in our Cabinet submission, potential barriers and solutions. The tools and worksheets were extremely helpful and we would recommend using the Inclusion Lens before embarking on any major policy change.” Janet Hope, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

• continue to model leadership in accessibility
  • our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan provides a roadmap for how the OPS will become an accessible public service by meeting and exceeding the standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.^{footnote 11[11]} Our immediate focus areas include implementing best practices on employment accommodation and return to work, and promoting the concept of “Accessibility at Source” so that accessibility is considered in all OPS business right from the outset.

“Removing barriers benefits everyone. The Accessibility at Source campaign and other initiatives help people understand that accommodation doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can be an enriching experience for the OPS community as they can get a better understanding and knowledge of people with disabilities who work in, and are served by the OPS.” Susan Picarello, Director, Assistive Devices Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

• continue to develop and implement barrier-free employmentpractices
  • the OPS will be launching new initiatives to prevent and mitigate potential systemic employment barriers. These include:
    • policy: the OPS will launch a new Policy on Preventing Barriers in Employment, which will focus on addressing systemic employment barriers
    • practices: the OPS will launch a Fair Hiring Strategy to support managers’ ability to run fair recruitment and selection practices. We will continue using the new OPS Executive Recruitment Inclusion Lens for all executive recruitment
    • focused initiatives:the OPS will develop a focused learning and development initiative for administrative staff, who would like to advance their careers. It will also develop approaches to increase diversity in senior management, such as executive sponsorship and targeted learning
• implement inclusion and accessibility plans for all ministries
  • every ministry will develop an Inclusion Plan with measurable commitments, to apply the Inclusion Strategy in a way that takes account of their specific environments and workplace needs. The OPS Diversity Office will provide an Inclusion Guide with practical tips to help ministries develop these plans. Ministries will continue to develop accessibility plans, as they have currently been doing under the Acessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Measurement, evaluation and reporting

Use evidence to inform action, measure impact and report on progress

The OPS will continue to rely on data and evidence to measure, evaluate and report on our progress. We will use data and our Inclusion Scorecard to assess and report on the impact of our actions under the first three priorities in this Inclusion Plan.

• use evidence to identify and address challenges
  • demographic data from our employee survey points to potential systemic employment issues in the areas of workplace culture and diversity in different levels of our workforce. We will continue to analyse the data to better understand why we are seeing the results that we are seeing, and take a focused approach to addressing identified issues. Ministries will also be encouraged to use ministry-specific data to help identify and address potential issues at the local level
• explore additional options for data collection
  • we will explore options to provide a more comprehensive, robust and timely source of employee diversity data for purposes of informing our strategies
• track changes in opinions and behaviours
  • we will use our Inclusion Scorecard to compare new data from future employee surveys and other sources to our established benchmarks and to monitor trends and track changes over time.
• be accountable and transparent
  • we will continue to report publicly every year on the results of the OPS Inclusion Plan. In addition, ministries will be expected to release annual progress reports to staff on their ministry-based Inclusion Plans. Ministries will continue to report annually to staff on their accessibility plans, as they have currently been doing under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act

“Inclusion in the workplace has many advantages, it allows for the ability to harness the strength of all of the individuals in the workplace, and therefore a more holistic approach to the work we do. An inclusive workplace attracts top talent as the organization gains a reputation as a great place to work.” Debrupa Pathak, Biodiversity Conservation Biologist, Ministry of Natural Resources

Key initiatives and real results

Inclusion is difficult to quantify and measure. However, it is critical to our success that we are able to identify and measure results that are taking us toward our goals.

The following chart shows the four priorities and key strategic actions we will focus on over the next three years and how we expect them to contribute to our overall inclusion goals. We have also listed indicators from our Inclusion Scorecard that we will use to measure our progress over time. Data for these indicators will continue to be collected through the OPS Employee Survey and other sources.

We may add to or refine these indicators in the future. We are working on a comprehensive performance measurement and accountability framework to identify additional ways to help us measure success in this complex area of organizational change.
Since change takes time, we are aware that it will take more than three years for our efforts to show up as a measurable shift in some of our indicators, particularly those relating to senior management diversity.

We will continue to break down data from the OPS Employee Survey for analysis by demographic group to provide information on trends, patterns and potential issues of concern that may be disproportionately affecting members of certain demographic groups. As well, ministries will continue to analyze their survey data.

Working together

Inclusion is a shared responsibility. The success of our Inclusion Plan depends on a collective effort across all parts of our organization, including every single ministry and every single employee.

OPS Diversity Office

The OPS Diversity Office, working in close collaboration with other partners throughout the organization, will continue to lead the way by providing practical tools, resources, and specialized advice to support ministries and program areas as they embed inclusion into their business. It will continue to lead OPS compliance efforts under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and report publicly on our progress.

Enterprise partners

HROntario, ServiceOntario, Chief Information Officers and Cabinet Office will continue to work in close collaboration with the OPS Diversity Office to ensure that inclusion is further integrated into OPS-wide policies and practices. The OPS Human Resources Plan 2012-2015 and the Inclusion Strategy are integrally linked.

Employee groups and representatives

OPS Employee Networks, the Disability Advisory Council, cross-ministry leadership forums and working groups on diversity and accessibility and employee bargaining agents will continue to support the ongoing evolution and implementation of our strategy. They will provide input on the development of new tools, resources and measures, and provide their views and insights on how we are achieving our goals.

Senior executives

Our senior leaders will continue to inspire our vision and support practical implementation. Our executives will be our inclusion champions, and their performance commitments will reflect their responsibilities in that regard. Our senior executives will also ensure that the ministries they lead monitor their progress on a continual basis in order to identify and address issues and build a culture of continuous improvement.

Middle managers

Managers and supervisors will play a critical role in encouraging, fostering and modelling an inclusive environment in their specific workplace setting by communicating clear expectations and acknowledging and leveraging the contributions of all employees.

Ministries

Ministries will develop strategies and actions that are responsive to their local environment, their employees and the citizens they serve. They will develop customized Inclusion Plans with clear deliverables and measures to create an inclusive environment for staff, inclusive public services and policies, and meet legislative compliance obligations.

Individual employees

The diversity of our employees is the strength of the OPS. There are many ways employees can contribute directly to creating an inclusive work environment and public services. These include actively learning more about inclusion, welcoming new staff and helping them feel included on the work team, treating others with dignity and respect, breaking the silence and speaking up, and volunteering to be part of their ministry’s accessibility or inclusion team. Each one of us can be a leader for inclusion, regardless of our position in the organization.

“For me, inclusion is about building something together. We are defining Tomorrow’s Ontario Public Service, and we can only shape this identity if everyone is part of the journey.” Marc Lijour, Project Manager, Enterprise Services I and IT Cluster, Ministry of Government Services, Executive Member of TOPS – Tomorrow’s OPS

Conclusion

Inclusion is our goal. Diversity is our strength. We are harnessing that strength with every step we take on our inclusion journey.
We can all be proud of our progress to date. We can look forward to the future, knowing that there is a solid commitment to creating an increasingly respectful and supportive environment where individuals are embraced for their diversity and valued for their strengths, experiences and skills.

Our commitment to inclusion will help the OPS remain a public service that is second to none as a service provider and an employer of first choice.

We will know we have succeeded when all of our employees feel motivated and engaged because their unique skills and knowledge are used and valued.

We will know we have succeeded when respect for each other and the public we serve is second nature for every one of us and is part of our everyday culture.

Finally, we will know we have succeeded when the concept of inclusion is so deeply ingrained in our organizational DNA that we practice inclusive behaviour as easily and as naturally as we breathe.

“The first three years of the Diversity Strategic Plan laid a solid foundation for change within the OPS. The next three years will be an opportunity to take what we’ve learned and put it into practice.”   Kevin Costante, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Government Services, Associate Secretary of the Cabinet and Secretary of Management Board of Cabinet

Appendix: OPS Diversity Plan results 2009-2012

Progress report and scorecard

This progress report summarizes the actions we took and the results we achieved on the commitments we made in our first strategic plan, Driving Change from a Solid Foundation.

OPS Diversity Vision: a diverse and inclusive organization that delivers excellent public service and supports all employees to achieve their full potential.

The plan was the road map that guided us through the first phase of our journey toward our inclusion vision and our four key goals:

• embed diversity in all OPS policies, programs and services
• build a healthy workplace free from harassment and discrimination
• respond to the needs of a diverse population
• reflect the public we serve at all levels of the organization

The plan also outlined the key commitments that we made in that period. We delivered on those commitments, and went beyond.

Inclusion scorecard

In 2011 we developed the first ever Inclusion Scorecard for the OPS to help measure progress toward our goals and identify and track trends over time.

Scorecard information is drawn from a variety of sources including the OPS Employee Survey^{footnote 12[12]}, ministry reports to the Diversity Office, and the Taking Care of Business and Citizens First surveys conducted by the Institute for Citizen-Centred Service^{footnote 13[13]}. Initial results were published in our 2011 Annual Report. The scorecard tables on the next pages of this report include updated data where available.

Goal: Embed diversity in all OPS policies and programs

Commitment:  Review policies and programs through a diversity lens.

Actions:  The OPS Diversity Office developed and launched the award-winning OPS Inclusion Lens in 2011. This innovative online tool helps OPS staff identify potential or existing barriers within the policies, programs and services of the OPS. The lens addresses 17 dimensions of diversity, including race, age, gender, and disability. Use of the Inclusion Lens has been embedded into major processes such as Cabinet submissions and Results-based Planning.

The OPS has also demonstrated leadership to embed accessibility into its work. On January 1, 2012, the OPS posted its Multi-Year Accessibility Plan that maps how the OPS will become accessible by 2025. As of January 1, 2012, the OPS was the first organization in Ontario to achieve compliance with the new requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), including new achievements in procurement, internet and intranet web content, policies, and workplace emergency response information.

Scorecard: Inclusion activities and organizational growth

Sources: Ministry reports to OPS Diversity Office 2010-11 and 2011-12; OPS Employee Survey 2009, 2011

Scorecard: Leadership

Sources: Ministry reports to OPS Diversity Office 2010-11 and 2011-12; OPS Employee Survey 2009, 2011

Goal: Build a healthy workplace free from harassment and discrimination

Commitment:  Establish a diversity and inclusion education curriculum to promote change from awareness to behaviour.

Actions: The OPS has developed an “Inclusion Learning Path” with online and classroom courses to build the competencies of staff and managers on diversity and accessibility. We also promoted a wide range of materials from train-the-trainer programs, to tip sheets, videos, and guides.

For example, these include the Mission Possible accessibility video series, Accessibility at Source tip sheets and Days of Significance guides. We also revised and strengthened the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy (WDHP) to address items such as personal harassment and the timeliness for resolving complaints, and we developed mandatory training for staff and managers.

Scorecard: Inclusive workplace culture

Source: OPS Employee Survey 2011

Goal: Respond to the needs of a diverse population

Commitment:  Track the level of customer satisfaction with public services across a broad spectrum of Ontario communities.

Actions:  Ministries have been working toward delivering more inclusive and accessible public services for all Ontarians. Many examples of such initiatives are featured in our 2011 Diversity Annual Report, Toward Inclusion. To understand how Ontarians are responding to our services, we collect information from our employees, Ontario businesses, and the citizens we serve.

Scorecard: Customer service

Sources: The first question is from the OPS Employee Survey 2011. The next two questions are from the Taking Care of Business Survey 2010. The last two questions are from the Citizens First Survey 2012

Goal: Reflect the public we serve at all levels of the organization

Commitment:  Increase employee representation to better reflect workforce availability across a broad demographic.

Actions: The OPS continues to work to remove potential employment barriers in employment policies and practices and now collects demographic data that we can use to compare representation at all levels of theorganization. The OPS recently launched a new OPS Executive Recruitment Inclusion Lens to promote barrier-free and inclusive recruitment for executive positions.

Scorecard: OPS workforce representation by demographic group

Source: OPS Employee Survey 2009, 2011