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Health Canada Status Report 2005/06 in support of Part VII of the Official Languages Act

Table of Contents

Principal Achievements

Atlantic Region

A. Awareness

Training, information, orientation, awareness & communication activities carried out in house in order to educate employees and/or senior managers of Health Canada about linguistic duality and the priorities of OLMCs; senior manager performance contracts and recognition programs; taking the viewpoint of OLMCs into account during research, studies and investigations.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

Employees and senior managers are aware of the importance of promoting the bilingual character of Canada.

Branches, division and/or regions are informed about linguistic duality and OLMCs and they understand their responsibilities to OLMCs. They consult on a continous basis with OLMCs with regard to new priorities, initiatives, policies and programs.

1. Overviews of the Official Languages Act (OLA) and recent changes to the Act were provided to the Regional Executive Committee (REC), the Atlantic Management Council (AMC) , the management team in the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) and Program Managers within the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Programme.

1. Managers and Directors within HC Atlantic are more cognizant of their responsibilities under the OLA and are including specific outreach activities and/or special emphasis on the needs of the OLMCs.
2. Information on Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) as well as contact information was provided to managers. 2. OLMCs are included in distribution and media lists.
3. Events of importance to the OLMCs were promoted to staff within the Atlantic Region. 3. Official Languages are part of the orientation sessions for Health Canada employees.
4. Subscriptions to local Acadian newspapers in all four Provinces have been purchased and are prominently displayed. 4. Acadian newspapers were regularly consulted by employees. Awareness of OLMCs was therefore increased.

B. Consultations

Activities (e.g. committees, discussions, meetings) through which Health Canada consults the OLMCs and dialogues with them to identify their needs and priorities or to understand potential impacts on their development; activities (e.g. round tables) to explore possibilities for cooperation within the existing mandate of Health Canada or as part of developing a new program or new policy; participation in consultations with OLMCs coordinated by other government bodies; consultation of OLMCs by regional offices to determine their concerns and needs.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

The OLMCs have the opportunity to make their needs known and to explain obstacles to accessing Health Canada's programs .

The OLMCs are part of the regular clientele of the regional offices and are taken into consideration when new departmental programs and policies are implemented.

1. Representatives from the Société Santé en français - Nouvelle-Écosse (SSF) made a presentation to the Atlantic Regional Director General on the progress they are making in Nova Scotia.

1. Managers & Directors within HC are aware of OLMCs , Société Santé en français and the need to take OLMC needs into consideration when developing new programs or policies.
2. The Official Languages Program Manager attended meetings/events of SSF on a regular basis and maintained communication with SSF representatives in all 4 Provinces.  
3.Consultation/ presentation/ distribution/ media lists include OLMCs.  
4. Within FNIHB, a consultation was carried out with their one francophone community with respect to language of choice.  
5. The Official Languages Program Manager is in regular contact with the Official Language Program Manager and francophone officers of the Public Health Agency of Canada in order to exchange information and participation.  

C. Communications

External communications activities to inform OLMCs about the activities, programs and policies of Health Canada and to promote the bilingual character of Canada; inclusion of OLMCs in all information lists and distribution lists; use of the Health Canada's Web site to communicate with OLMCs.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

OLMCs receive up-to-date information on Health Canada's programs and services by various vehicles of communication.

Health Canada becomes a regular user of OLMC media by buying antenna time and advertising space from them.

1. The Official Languages Program Manager has provided all Atlantic members of Société Santé en français with information deemed pertinent to their mandates such as articles from media services, up-coming conferences, Internet sites of interest.

1.Through membership on committees of SSF and regular communication, the Program Manager is able to provide information on Health Canada and/or government programs which can benefit SSF and the OLMCs.
2. Media lists are continually updated to ensure OLMCs are included as branch contacts. 2. Greater inclusion of OLMC Francophone and Acadian media on distribution lists.

D. Coordination And Liaison

Coordination of activities (research, studies, meetings, etc) carried out by Health Canada itself along with other federal departments or other levels of government; participation in activities organized by other federal departments or other levels of government, etc; participation of official languages champions, national and regional coordinators, etc., in various government forums.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

Coordinators are using the best practices that have been presented at various forums, retreats or at meetings of national coordinators responsible for section 41 of the OLA.

Health Canada is working with multiple partners to meet the priorities of the OLMCs.

1. The Official Languages Program Manager has represented Health Canada in the Atlantic region on all four Official Languages Sub-Committees of the Federal Council and was an active participant in planning forums and developing strategic plans; maintained contact with the Official Languages Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Department of Health through joint membership on the Réseau Santé en français Nouvelle-Écosse; attended all meetings organized by Canadian Heritage between OLMCs and federal government departments and promoted Health Canada`s role in working with OLMCs; chairs the Atlantic Regional Official Languages Committee which invites members from all HC branches and works to promote recognition of the OLMCs.

1. OLMCs recognize the contribution Health Canada is making by its continued funding and support for the networks of Société Santé en français and by Health Canada participation in meetings which bring together OLMCs and federal departments.
2. Health Canada`s Official Language Minority Community Policy was distributed to the Nova Scotia Communications Sub-Committee of the Federal Council 2. Growth in coordination of activities and sharing of information.
3. The Atlantic Regional Director General is Chair of the Nova Scotia Federal Council Sub-Committee on Official Languages and is the Health Canada representative on the National Board of Directors of Société Santé en français. 3. The Federal Council Official Languages Committee has hosted an Official Languages Forum for NS federal employees in March 2006 and has participated in the planning of an Atlantic Forum on Section 41 in May 2006. The RDGs role at the National Board of Directors for SSF allowed a regional perspective.

E. Funding And Program Delivery

Implementation of Health Canada's programs and delivery of its services; funding, alone or in cooperation with other federal departments/agencies of OLMC projects; inclusion of needs of OLMCs when delivering the department's programs and services.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

The OLMCs have access to Health Canada's programs. The department takes account of the geographical dispersion of the OLMCs in delivering its programs.

1. Health Canada provides funding for the operation of 17 Société Santé en français networks, 7 of which are in the Atlantic Region.

1. Several of the SSF networks in the Atlantic have made significant progress towards the provisions of health care services in French by actively working with Regional Health Boards, Provincial Governments, and community stakeholders to address this issue.
2. OLMC contacts have been included in distribution lists for Requests for Proposals. 2. No proposals were sent from the community this year.

F. Accountability

Activities through which Health Canada integrates its OLA section 41 implementation work with the department's planning and accountability mechanisms (e.g. report on plans and priorities, departmental performance report, departmental business plan, status report on implementation of section 41 of the OLA, etc); internal audits and evaluations of programs and services, regular review of programs and services and of policies by senior managers of Health Canada to ensure implementation of section 4 of the OLA.

Main expected results for the period covered by the action plan Main activities carried out for the year covered by the status report Progress (results) achieved for the year covered by the status report

Systematic evaluations and regular internal audits are being made and they always include criteria pertaining to the way policies, programs and services have affected OLMCs.

1. OLA requirements have been included in the HC Atlantic Strategic Plan.

1. Official language requirements with respect to Section 41 are becoming more integrated into planning documents of all branches within the region.
2. A presentation was made to the REC on OL obligations specific to the Atlantic Region with respect to the new Official Language directives. 2. Atlantic managers and directors are more aware of their specific OL obligations.
Table of Contents
Date Modified: 2006-08-24

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