Health Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Institutional links
Health Canada Status Report 2005/06 in support of Part VII of the Official Languages Act
Principal Achievements
Healthy Environments And Consumer Safety Branch
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. Inclusion of information on OLA Part VII on the HECS Navigator; and |
1. A majority of documents on Part VII of the OLA were added to the HECS Navigator. |
| 2. Inclusion of information on OLA Part VII - OLMCs in orientation packages for new employees of the Policy and Planning Directorate. | 2. A majority of new employees (approx. 80%) have received an information package including information on OLMCs such as a list of OLMC and Guide for implementation of Section 41 of OLA. | |
| 3. Information on the new Health Canada policy to support Official Language Minority Communities shared with Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme (DSCSP) staff in HQ and with the regional DSCS staff to ensure everyone is aware and understands the Department's position on this issue. | 3. DSCS presentations/ information packages on the OL policy are posted on DSCSP web site across Regions. |
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. Consultations with the public and with stakeholders around DSCS publications and other communications activities ensured that OLMCs were represented. |
1. OLMCs participated in stakeholder consultations with DSCS to take into considerations the OLMC's needs and challenges in their publication. |
| 2. Discussions with provincial/territorial authorities with regards to the delivery of the Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Program (ADTR) and the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund (DSCIF) included reference to the ongoing need to consider the requirements of OLMCs. | 2. Terms and conditions of the ADTR and DSCIF were modified to increase the access to these programs by OLMCs. |
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. Information on DSCS's funding programs and activities available on the web in both official languages. |
1. DSCS provided OLMCs with the information relevant to programs and services on a regular basis. |
2.1 DSCS publications, such as best practices documents, were produced in both official languages. 2.2 DSCS has released two publications in the beginning of the year; "Straight Talk on Marijuana" and a CD-ROM on "CDS Public and Professional Resources". |
2. DSCS presentations/ information packages on the OL policy were posted on DSCSP web site across Regions. |
|
| 3. Announcements regarding DSCIF Calls for Proposals were placed in departmentally approved list of newspapers | 3. DSCS publication have appeared several times in the departmentally approved newspapers and are available on HC web site on-going basis |
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. Conference Calls, meetings, activities with other branches and/or regions have taken place regarding OLMC issues. |
1. Conference calls and meetings have taken place on a quarterly basis which helped raise awareness of OLMC related activities. |
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. DSCS Grant & Contribution programs were delivered in a manner that is consistent with departmental policy regarding OLMCs. |
1. OLMCs have had access to DSCS programs/ projects from HECS web site on an on-going basis. |
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. HECS has given input for the Part VII OLA Action Plan and Status Report. |
1. Documents were published and distributed to every NGO representing the OLMCs and to government officials responsible for this file, ensuring transparency of Health Canada's activities on Part VII of the OLA |
