Employment Equity in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

Introduction
Employment Equity Environment
Application of the Employment Equity Act
Employment Equity Plan
Employment Equity Implementation
Employment Equity Representation
Key Performance Indicators
Call to Action on Anti‑Racism, Equity, and Inclusion
Conclusion
Appendix A—Office of the Auditor General of Canada Employment Equity Action Plan: 2022–23 Commitments, Objectives, and Results
Appendix B—Statistics
List of Tables

Introduction

This annual report on employment equity in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) outlines the state of employment equity representation for the 2022–23 fiscal year.

Employment Equity Environment

Enabling legislation

The OAG has a legislative basis in the Auditor General Act, the Financial Administration Act, and a number of other statutes. The Auditor General’s powers are set forth in legislation passed by Parliament.

Application of the Employment Equity Act

The OAG is subject to the Employment Equity Act, in accordance with subsection 4(1)(c).

Work

The OAG serves Parliament by providing it with objective, fact‑based information and expert advice on government programs and activities, gathered through audits. Parliamentarians use OAG reports to oversee government activities and hold the federal government to account for its handling of public funds.

The work completed by the OAG is called legislative auditing. The Auditor General of Canada is an officer of Parliament who carries out work on behalf of Parliament and who is accountable to Parliament.

The OAG carries out 3 main types of legislative audits: financial audits, performance audits of federal departments and agencies, and special examinations of Crown corporations.

The OAG audits a vast range of activities conducted by the Government of Canada and the governments of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. These activities cover a wide variety of topics, such as health, culture, the environment, finance, agriculture, transportation, and scientific research. Since 1995, the OAG has also had a specific environmental and sustainable development mandate, established through amendments to the Auditor General Act and undertaken by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.

The Commissioner is responsible for monitoring sustainable development strategies of federal departments and agencies, overseeing the environmental petitions process, and auditing the federal government’s management of environmental and sustainable development issues.

Employees

As of 31 March 2023, the OAG employed 785 people dispersed between its head office in Ottawa and 4 regional offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montréal, and Halifax.

Our audit teams are composed of dedicated and accomplished professionals who bring a diverse mix of education, experience, and expertise to their work. The OAG’s audit professionals are qualified in their fields and include accountants, engineers, lawyers, management experts, information technology professionals, environmental specialists, and economists.

The OAG is also composed of employees in a range of professions, which are grouped by corporate service areas of expertise, such as communications, finance, human resources, information technology, parliamentary liaison, and international relations.

Work environment

The OAG aspires to bring together people, expertise, and technology for a better Canada, one audit at a time. We serve Canada through leadership and partnerships in audits that support trust in public institutions and continued public service excellence.

The OAG is committed to providing a caring work environment where all are treated with dignity and respect and are supported as they strive toward fulfilling their career aspirations. The OAG encourages open and honest communication to create a climate of trust and collaboration. The OAG values diversity and promotes inclusion, mental health, continuous learning, and work‑life balance.

OAG employees are expected to demonstrate personal integrity and ethics and to adhere to OAG values, standards, and codes of conduct. People management competencies and behaviours are evaluated when staffing positions and are discussed periodically during check‑ins between managers and employees. These discussions serve to support employees’ development, engagement, and achievement of desired results.

Commitment to diversity and inclusion starts at the top. This is why in March 2021, the OAG’s Executive Committee members and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champion signed an anti‑racism statement that commits to concrete actions on diversity and inclusion. Since then, the OAG launched its 2022–24 Strategic Plan supported by the 2023–26 People Management Strategy. The latter outlines people management areas of focus for the next 3 years, which include equity, diversity, and inclusion. Several key documents serve to support the OAG’s quest to reflect Canada’s people:

The 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan outlines commitments to improve the representation of members of the 4 designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities).
The 2022–25 Accessibility Plan, launched in December 2022, describes efforts taken to identify, assess, and prevent accessibility barriers and includes planned and implemented actions required to ensure compliance with legal and policy standards.
The 2019–22 Mental Health Strategy aimed to raise awareness about mental health and foster a healthy, safe, supportive, and inclusive workplace. As part of this strategy, the OAG identified actions to increase diversity and raise awareness about inclusion and respect in the workplace. These elements are now under the Healthy and Safe Workplace area of focus in the people management strategy.

In March 2023, the OAG drafted a diversity and inclusion action plan to be launched in fall 2023 and held consultation sessions in both official languages with employees across the organization to ensure that the OAG captured a diversity of perspectives.

Structure

The Principal, Human Resources, serves as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champion and the Designated Senior Official for Employment Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. This ensures that the Human Resources group leads in the development of strategies to

strive to surpass the representation of workforce availability for each of the designated groups
hire and develop a workforce that reflects the diversity of Canada’s population
foster inclusivity

There is a 3‑tier governance structure at the OAG. The People Management Committee reports to the Executive Committee and submits recommendations on matters concerning people management, including on ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The People Management Committee is supported by committees and working groups, including the Pay Equity Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

The volunteer Diversity and Inclusion Committee aims to increase awareness of inclusion and undertakes activities to promote a workplace culture of trust, respect, and belonging. The committee’s chairperson reports to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champion on employment equity issues that are discussed during committee and individual meetings. In addition, the chairperson offers advice to help shape the equity, diversity, and inclusion agenda and is invited to participate at executive-level meetings and to share comments and perspectives on plans.

In relation to employment equity, the OAG has an Executive Sponsor and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champion. The OAG also has the Ombuds, whose mission is to provide a safe environment where employees can discuss and resolve work‑related issues without fear of reprisal. The Ombuds monitors the pulse of the organization, shares resource information, and provides upward aggregated feedback to encourage a healthy work environment.

To further support employment equity groups, the OAG has created an information technology accessibility team. This team works on dedicated inclusive design, disability management, and wellness functions. Its purpose is to support employees’ mental and physical health, safety, and well‑being along with the occupational health and safety team.

Given the OAG’s prioritization of equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Human Resources group has added a team to meet the capacity demands that this work requires.

Employment Equity Plan

In accordance with the requirements in section 10 of the Employment Equity Act, the OAG maintains an employment equity plan. The 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan was finalized and presented to the Executive Committee in fall 2021. It identifies the OAG’s commitments to enhancing representation across occupational groups and levels; highlights the OAG’s efforts to build and sustain an inclusive, diverse, and respectful workplace; and reports on activities carried out to comply with legislation. Appendix A presents the OAG’s commitments, objectives, and 2022–23 fiscal year results.

Employment Equity Implementation

Implementation of legislation

The OAG implements the requirements of the employment equity legislation by administering a self‑identification questionnaire. This questionnaire was revised in 2022 in light of legal requirements, new legislation, and feedback from the research community. As a result, all employees regardless of status are required to complete the questionnaire once.

The information collected through this questionnaire is confidential, with its primary use being in the annual workforce analysis conducted to determine the degree of representation that designated groups have in each occupational group at the OAG. The results as of 31 March 2023 are presented in Appendix B.

Recruitment

The OAG has developed a 2023–26 diversity and inclusion action plan, which establishes priorities that will enable the OAG to attract, acquire, and retain a qualified and experienced workforce to achieve its vision, mission, and strategic outcomes. The strategy reinforces the OAG’s continued focus on building and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects Canada’s population, with particular emphasis on recruiting Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities across the organization and increasing the representation of members of visible minorities at senior levels.

The OAG partnered with different organizations, including Indigenous Link and the Employment Accessibility Resource Network, to increase representation of Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities at all levels.

Activities, training, and communications

The following activities helped to promote a corporate environment that supports employment equity, diversity, and inclusion awareness.

Activities

Activities
Name of initiative	Description
OAG at Capital Pride Parade	The OAG participated in the Capital Pride Parade on 28 August 2022. More than 30 OAG employees participated in the event to march for inclusion and support for all 2‑spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender‑diverse (2SLGBTQI+) employees.
Guest Speaker for Managers	The OAG invited a speaker to share insights about the challenges faced by employees with disabilities in the workplace. The presentation was delivered via Management Link, an internal network for managers and executives, to lay the foundation for more inclusive thinking.
Diversity and Inclusion Conference on Microaggressions	The OAG offered employees the opportunity to learn about microaggressions and their effects in the workplace. Four 2‑hour workshops were hosted by Saltwater Consulting, 2 in English and 2 in French. Employees left having developed a mutual understanding of microaggressions; having explored the types of microaggressions, which were illustrated using specific examples present in the workplace; and having learned tools for interrupting microaggressions.

Training

The OAG promotes respect, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace through its employee onboarding program and through its learning curriculum, which includes courses from the Canada School of Public Service. Some of the related courses offered to all managers and employees are on the following topics:

diversity
Indigenous history
prevention of violence, harassment, and discrimination
respect and inclusion
unconscious bias
values and ethics
gender-based analysis plus

Communications

The OAG posts information to raise awareness about various ethno‑cultural days and celebrations via internal and external communication channels (Microsoft Teams, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and so on) throughout the year. These posts highlighted several events, such as Passover, Easter, Ramadan, Dharma Day, Eid al‑Adha, Emancipation Day, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, International Women’s Day, Christmas, Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and National Indigenous History Month.

In addition, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee has a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel, which from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 had 35 separate posts on topics such as racial microaggressions, Capital Pride, and Asian Heritage Month. The Accessibility Working Group, which serves as a collaborative and consultative body similar to the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, also has a Microsoft Teams channel.

Numerical goals

The OAG strives to surpass the representation of workforce availability for each of the designated groups: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. The OAG identified key performance indicators in its 2022–24 Strategic Plan that relate to the representation of Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, as reflected in Appendix A.

Employment Equity Representation

The OAG has a specialized workforce:

The OAG’s 785 employees fall into 7 of the 14 employment equity occupational groups (Exhibit 1).
Most employees (84%) are concentrated in just 2 groups: professionals as well as middle and other managers (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 1—Employment equity occupational groups under which OAG employees are classified

1–Senior managers

2–Middle and other managers

3–Professionals

4–Semi-professionals and technicians

5–Supervisors

7–Administrative and senior clerical personnel

10–Clerical personnel

Exhibit 2—Distribution of OAG employees by employment equity occupational group

Donut chart showing the distribution of employees in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada by employment equity occupational group

Exhibit 2—text version

Exhibit 2 is a donut chart showing the distribution of employees in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, according to employment equity occupational groups.

The chart indicates that 11% of the Office’s employees are administrative and senior clerical personnel and 2% of employees are senior managers. Middle and other managers make up 24%, and 60% are professionals. Another 3% of employees fall into the “all others” category.

The majority of the employees—84%—are concentrated into two groups, middle and other managers and professionals.

Representation in designated groups—Highlights

The OAG compared its representation in each designated group with the most recent workforce availability figures^{Footnote 1} provided by Employment and Social Development Canada in the department’s 2016 Employment Equity Data Report. The OAG used national figures for this comparison in most areas, except for the administrative and senior clerical personnel and the clerical personnel categories, for which the OAG used data from the National Capital Region.

Exhibit 3 shows the 4 designated groups’ representation in the OAG as a percentage of workforce availability by aggregated occupational group (managerial, professional, and administrative) as of 31 March 2023. The results are as follows:

The OAG surpasses the workforce availability for women in the managerial group. The OAG representation of women in this group is 59.5%, which is 135.1% of this group’s workforce availability (44.1%). An increase of 6.5% is required to meet the workforce availability for the professional group. The OAG representation of women in this group is 49.6%, which represents 93.5% of this group’s workforce availability (53.0%). An increase of 5.2% is required to meet the workforce availability for the administrative group. The OAG representation of women in this group is 58.0%, which represents 94.8% of this group’s workforce availability (61.1%).
Increased representation of Indigenous peoples for the 3 aggregated occupational groups is required to meet workforce availability. The OAG representation of Indigenous peoples in the managerial group is 2.9%, which represents 56.9% of this group’s workforce availability (5.1%). The OAG representation in the professional and administrative groups is 0%.
The OAG surpasses the workforce availability for persons with disabilities in the managerial and professional groups. The OAG representation for persons with disabilities in the managerial group is 9.8%, which represents 183.1% of this group’s workforce availability (5.3%). The OAG representation for the professional group is 11.0%, which represents 124.1% of this group’s workforce availability (8.8%). However, an increase is required to meet the workforce availability for the administrative group. The OAG representation in this group is 0%.
The OAG surpasses the workforce availability for members of visible minorities in the professional and administrative groups. The OAG representation for members of visible minorities in the professional group is 35.4%, which represents 157.9% of this group’s workforce availability (22.4%). The OAG representation in the administrative group is 18.2%, which represents 103.1% of this group’s workforce availability (17.6%). However, an increase of 12.6% is required to meet the workforce availability for the managerial group. The OAG representation for this group is 8.8%, which represents 87.4% of this group’s workforce availability (10.0%).

Exhibit 3—Designated groups’ representation in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada as a percentage of workforce availability by aggregated occupational group on 31 March 2023

Bar chart showing the representation of workforce availability in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada by aggregated occupational group

Exhibit 3—text version

Designated groups’ representation in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada as a percentage of workforce availability by aggregated occupational group on 3 March 2023
Designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada	Percentage of workforce availability by aggregated occupational group
	Managerial	Professional	Administrative
Women	135.1	93.5	94.8
Indigenous persons	56.9	0	0
Persons with disabilities	183.1	124.1	0
Members of visible minorities	87.4	157.9	103.1

Women

As of 31 March 2023, women represented 53.1% (417 employees) of the OAG’s workforce, which surpasses the workforce availability of 51.6% (406 employees) (Table 4a). This percentage has declined by 8.1% since the previous report. Women are well represented in most employment equity occupational groups and salary bands (Tables 3 and 11).

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples represented 1.7% (13 employees) of the OAG’s workforce, which is lower than the workforce availability of 3.7% (30 employees) (Table 5a). This percentage has declined by 0.8% since the previous report, and we have yet to achieve full representation of this group despite our efforts. Indigenous peoples are represented in most salary bands (Table 11).

Persons with disabilities

Persons with disabilities represented 10.3% (81 employees) of the OAG’s workforce, which is higher than the workforce availability of 8.0% (63 employees) (Table 6a). This percentage has improved by 5.4% since the previous report. Persons with disabilities are slightly underrepresented in the highest salary bands (Table 11).

Members of visible minorities

Members of visible minorities represented 26.8% (210 employees) of the OAG’s workforce, which surpasses the workforce availability of 18.6% (147 employees) (Table 7a). This percentage has declined by 1.3% since the previous report. Members of visible minorities are significantly underrepresented in the highest salary band (Table 11).

Representation in hires, promotions, and separations

This annual report includes an analysis of the number of employees from each designated group who were hired at, promoted at, or left the OAG.

Hires

During the 2022–23 fiscal year, 66 people joined the OAG (Table 8a).^{Footnote 2} Of these new hires,

36 identified themselves as women (54.5%)
9 identified themselves as persons with disabilities (13.6%)
24 identified themselves as members of visible minorities (36.4%)

The number of hires for Indigenous peoples remains too low to be reported while maintaining confidentiality.

Hires of women, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities have remained steady since the previous report.

Promotions

During the 2022–23 fiscal year, 150 employees were promoted (Table 9a).^{Footnote 2} Of these promotions,

79 were women (52.7%)
12 were persons with disabilities (8.0%)
36 were members of visible minorities (24.0%)

The number of promotions for Indigenous peoples remains too low to be reported while maintaining confidentiality.

Promotions of women and members of visible minorities have declined by 28.4% and 7.1%, respectively, since the previous report, while promotions for persons with disabilities has increased.

Separations

During the 2022–23 fiscal year, 75 employees left the OAG (Table 10a).^{Footnote 2} Of these separations,

36 were women (48.0%)
10 were persons with disabilities (13.3%)
19 were members of visible minorities (25.3%)

The number of separations for Indigenous peoples remains too low to be reported while maintaining confidentiality.

Separations of women have declined by 22.6% since the previous report, while separations for members of visible minorities have slightly declined by 1.2%.

Key Performance Indicators

As part of the 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan, 2 specific performance indicators were identified. An additional performance indicator was added to the senior management performance objectives to achieve the representation objective of increasing the diversity of employees at the executive level. These performance indicators reflect the OAG’s commitment to achieve

an increase of 15% representation of Indigenous peoples in 2022–23
an increase of 33% representation of persons with disabilities in 2022–23
an increase of 25% representation of persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities at the executive level

Exhibit 4 shows the OAG’s progress as at 31 March 2023 on the 3 specific key performance indicators. Performance indicators 1 and 2 use 2020–21 as the base year, while performance indicator 3 uses 2021–22 as the base year. The results pertaining to these performance indicators, with reference to the base year, are as follows:

We did not meet our objective of a 15% increase in representation of Indigenous peoples and recorded a 1.2% decrease in this population.
We exceeded our objective of a 33% increase in representation of persons with disabilities and recorded a 3.4% increase in this population.
We exceeded our objective of a 25% increase in representation of members of visible minorities or persons with disabilities at the executive level and recorded a 2.1% increase in this population.

Exhibit 4—Objectives and results for 3 key performance indicators for the 2022–23 fiscal year

Bar chart showing the targets and results for 2 key performance indicators for the 2021–22 fiscal year

Exhibit 4—text version

Objectives and results for 3 key performance indicators for the 2022–23 fiscal year
Employment equity designated groups	Objectives and results in percentages for key performance indicators
Employment equity designated groups	2022–23 result	Objective
Indigenous peoples	-1.2	15
Persons with disabilities	36.4	33
Members of visible minorities or persons with disabilities at the executive level	27.1	25

Call to Action on Anti‑Racism, Equity, and Inclusion

The OAG has made progress toward advancing anti‑racism, equity, and inclusion since the Clerk of the Privy Council released the call to action in November 2021. In February 2022, it responded with an update on the progress made.

In March 2023, the development of a diversity and inclusion action plan began. This plan identifies specific actions that will enable managers and employees to create and maintain a diverse workplace where all employees can feel a sense of belonging.

In addition, the OAG’s equity, diversity, and inclusion portfolio undertakes performance audits across government. The first audit from this portfolio, planned to be tabled in fall 2023, examines inclusion in the workplace for racialized employees.

Finally, the OAG is furthering its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion by integrating a gender-based analysis plus lens into performance audits and special examinations. These audits provide valuable insights to contribute to improving federal policies, programs, and services while supporting the government’s anti‑racism and equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.

Conclusion

The OAG’s vision is “to bring together people, expertise, and technology for a better Canada, one audit at a time.” It is no accident that people are first in our vision statement. People are the key to our success, and we believe that diversity brings a richness and resonance that improves our work and our value to Canadians.

Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is a priority for the OAG. As such, our strategic framework, which originates from the OAG’s strategic plan and is reinforced in our people management strategy, includes objectives focused on diversity and inclusion. These objectives aim to prioritize diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of the OAG and to promote a culture that values people.

Moreover, these objectives are reinforced by specific business outcomes—namely, that the OAG workforce is inclusive and reflects the diversity of Canada’s population and that employees feel welcome and valued at the OAG.

The OAG will achieve these outcomes by providing managers and employees with the information, tools, and awareness training they need so that everyone is empowered to contribute to and can feel part of an inclusive work environment and culture.

Attracting, hiring, and retaining a greater diversity of candidates continue to be challenges for the OAG and are definitely a focus of ours. While women and members of visible minorities were well represented in our workforce as of 31 March 2023 and the OAG has seen an increase in its population of persons with disabilities, the representation of Indigenous peoples did not meet the workforce availability.

The OAG is convinced of the importance of continuing the work to increase the representation of designated groups, reducing barriers, identifying opportunities for improvement, and implementing solutions. To address the gaps identified in this report, specific numerical goals have been identified as performance indicators in the OAG’s 2022–24 Strategic Plan and 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan. The OAG will strive to increase the representation and the inclusion of these groups within its workforce through activities identified in its resourcing roadmap, accessibility projects, and ongoing awareness and learning events and training. Management will invest in innovative and non‑traditional approaches to recruitment and increase its emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion in employment-related programs and processes. In addition, the OAG will conduct an employment systems review to identify and remove the barriers that have been identified.

Appendix A—Office of the Auditor General of Canada Employment Equity Action Plan: 2022–23 Commitments, Objectives, and Results

The following activities allow the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) to meet its legislative requirements.

1. Collection of workforce information

Objective: Maintain accurate data on designated groups to build on successes and identify opportunities for improvement.

Collection of workforce information
Activities	Objectives	Results
1a. Achieve a 100% completion rate for self‑identification forms by closely monitoring the receipt of forms from new and newly promoted employees.	100% completion rate for all new and newly promoted employees, yearly	Completed. The new self‑identification form has been 100% completed by active and newly hired employees since its launch in January 2023. Outstanding forms are for employees on leave without pay since January 2023. We will have new self‑identification forms completed when these employees return from leave.
1b. Remind employees that they can self‑identify at any time and that the information they provide will be used in compiling statistics on employment equity.	1 communication per year	Ongoing. This practice will continue.
1c. Update the OAG’s self‑identification questionnaire on the basis of a new Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat approach.	3 months after secretariat approval	Completed. The OAG’s new self‑identification form was launched in January 2023 ahead of the secretariat’s deadline. The new form is automated to ensure confidentiality of this sensitive information.

2. Workforce analysis and establishment of numerical goals

Objective: Support recruitment initiatives that address the underrepresentation of members of designated groups.

Workforce analysis and establishment of numerical goals
Activities	Objectives	Results
2a. Establish a staffing dashboard and distribute it 3 times per year to monitor progress toward achieving employment equity objectives and to influence hiring decisions.	3 times per year	In progress. A dashboard that supports timely monitoring of progress toward achieving representation using disaggregated data was created in fall 2021. An additional full‑time‑equivalent employee in Human Resources has been approved to assist in the development of the strategy, coordinate its implementation, and manage diversity and inclusion programs and activities.
2b. Share with and train hiring managers and members of selection panels on their responsibilities related to employment equity during staffing processes.	100% completion rate of training for all members of selection panels	In progress. The diversity and inclusion action plan, to be launched in fall 2023, will include specific awareness and training for hiring managers on inclusive hiring practices with the Canada School of Public Service.
2c. Review and share demographic information on designated group members when planning all hiring processes. Leverage staffing options to achieve numerical goals, such as restricting the area of selection to designated groups and using non‑advertised appointment processes.	Representation objectives to meet workforce availability: Indigenous employees: 10% increase in 2021–22 15% increase in 2022–23 20% increase in 2023–24 Persons with disabilities: 10% increase in 2021–22 33% increase in 2022–23 66% increase in 2023–24	In progress. We have reviewed and shared the information on the representation of designated groups. We also leveraged staffing options to help achieve representation objectives.

3. Employment systems review

Objective: Review policies, practices, and processes to identify systemic barriers and recommendations to eliminate them.

Employment systems review
Activities	Objectives	Results
3a. Review the OAG’s current policies, practices, and processes to identify systemic barriers.	Begin contract work: fall 2021 Begin employment systems review work: summer 2022	In progress. The Human Resources group has drafted the statement of work and evaluation criteria for the request for proposal to submit to contracting. The Human Resources group and the Procurement and Contracting team are currently focusing on acquiring the required resources, skills, and expertise to complete this project.

4. Employment equity plan—Positive practices

Objective: Build a workplace that promotes diversity and inclusion.

Employment equity plan—Positive practices
Activities	Objectives	Results
4a. Implement an employment equity policy, and ensure that it is reviewed every 5 years so that it is aligned with best practices. Positive practices are instituted for integrating employment equity into other OAG policies and guidelines.	Documents reviewed and updated every 5 years	In progress. We are currently reassessing the need for an employment equity policy. Because diversity and inclusion are important at the OAG, elements relating to employment equity are already embedded in the OAG’s strategic plan and as an area of focus in the people management strategy.
4b. Identify and build a diverse pool of employees for selection boards and pools of pre‑qualified candidates from the 3 designated groups: Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, or members of visible minorities.	To create a pool of potential selection board members and a pool of qualified candidates from the 3 designated groups	In progress. The creation of internal diverse selection boards is ongoing. We are able to identify members of the 3 designated groups in established pools of qualified candidates.
4c. Ensure that more than 50% of selection boards include at least 1 member of 1 of the following 3 designated groups: Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, or members of visible minorities.	More than 50% of selection boards have a member of 1 of the 3 designated groups on an ongoing basis	In progress. The creation of internal diverse selection boards was discussed with hiring managers throughout 2022–23. Work has begun to leverage the new self‑identification questionnaire. We are assessing our representation to determine whether there are sufficient members of the 3 designated groups with the adequate training, throughout the organization, to be board members.
4d. Analyze and evaluate the requirement for hiring managers and members of selection panels to follow unconscious‑bias training before participating in a selection panel.	Pilot: 2021–22 Assess results: 2022–23	Ongoing. The OAG curriculum for 2022–23 includes a number of courses recommended for employees at all levels on the topic of employment equity. Developing a monitoring mechanism to track completion is the next step.
4e. Implement an exit survey for all employee groups with an offer of one‑on‑one interviews to gather data on the reasons employees leave the organization. Produce a report, analyze the data to determine whether barriers exist for members of designated groups, consult with key stakeholders, and communicate the action plan to appropriate audiences.	Exit survey sent to 100% of departing employees and an annual report completed	Ongoing. Departing employees are offered an exit interview with the Ombuds. Data from these interviews is analyzed, and findings are captured in an annual summary. This summary will be shared with the People Management Committee in September 2023. The analysis of this report from an employment equity perspective will be included in our employment systems review, which will begin in 2023 (once the contract is in place).
4f. Proactively identify current topics on employment equity, and promote related courses available at the OAG or through the Canada School of Public Service by sending quarterly communications (at a minimum).	Quarterly	Ongoing. The OAG curriculum for 2022–23 included a number of courses recommended for employees at all levels on the topic of employment equity.
4g. Organize and support a minimum of 3 employment equity awareness activities and events per year.	3 activities or events related to employment equity per fiscal year	Ongoing. The OAG organized a workshop series on racial and other types of microaggressions, participated in the Capital Pride Parade, and hosted a speaker for managers to share insights and best practices to support and create a sense of belonging for employees with various abilities.
4h. Implement accessible software solutions and inclusive design (for Internet, INTRAnet, and desktop publishing).	Ongoing starting in 2021–22	In progress. The information and communication technologies portion of the OAG’s accessibility plan was created and released in January 2023. The Inclusive Design team has defined accessibility requirements for the life cycle of projects or products. The next step in implementing an accessibility testing plan for software is in progress.
4i. Review, improve, and proactively add assistive technology and equipment to the OAG standard equipment kit.	Ongoing starting in 2021–22	In progress. The OAG presently has 22 software programs that were identified as related to accessibility. Eleven software programs were approved, 3 software programs are in progress, and 8 software programs were not approved because of security or integration issues. In 2023–24, Microsoft 365 will be fully integrated. This will enhance many accessibility tools already included in the program.

5. Monitoring of progress and review and revision of the plan

Objective: Proactively identify gaps and resolve them on an ongoing basis.

Monitoring of progress and review and revision of the plan
Activities	Objectives	Results
5a. Provide updates to the Principal, Human Resources, on the status of the activities, and identify changes required to achieve objectives.	Reviews conducted twice a year and included as part of the annual employment equity report	Completed. The Principal, Human Resources, provided an update of the 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan to the Audit Committee during the 2022–23 fiscal year. A dashboard displaying an overall status of the activities was prepared as reading material. An update was also provided to the Principal, Human Resources, on the year‑end results as part of the annual employment equity report.
5b. Review opportunities for improving this plan as part of the annual reporting process to ensure ongoing progress. Analyze data and consult with key stakeholders, and adjust the plan to address new areas for improvement or risks identified. Obtain approval from the Principal, Human Resources, and communicate any changes to the plan to employees.	Annually	Completed. As part of the annual reporting process, it was determined that no change was required to the 2021–24 Triennial Employment Equity Plan. The next triennial employment equity plan will be integrated in the diversity and inclusion action plan, to be launched in fall 2023.

6. Communication with employees

Objective: Consistently promote employment equity to employees.

Communication with employees
Activities	Objectives	Results
6a. Develop an integrated communication plan that allows the OAG to highlight employment equity through the Our Diverse and Inclusive Workplace INTRAnet page and other communication media, including Microsoft Teams.	100% of activities and events communicated to employees	In progress. The Communications team promoted a variety of events related to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion. This year marked the start of a transition from organizing this messaging at the beginning of each month to developing an integrated communication plan that reflects messaging for the year. This will be finalized and implemented in the next fiscal year.
6b. Identify special topics for discussion related to employment equity, and determine the best communication medium for these messages.	Include special topics in the communication plan (6a)	Completed. A fireside chat focused on the topic of diversity and inclusion in 2022–23.

7. Consultation and collaboration with employee representatives

Objective: Understand the needs and issues that affect designated group members by engaging in meaningful consultation.

Consultation and collaboration with employee representatives
Activities	Objectives	Results
7a. Consult with OAG employees and the union on the development of the employment equity plan and any subsequent changes.	OAG employees and union consulted on the development of the employment equity plan every 3 years, with subsequent revisions made when appropriate	Completed. Consultation with the union and employees occurred at the time of the development of the employment equity plan.

8. Maintenance of records

Objective: Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive employee data with the goal of building and maintaining trust.

Maintenance of records
Activities	Objectives	Results
8a. Ensure that records are confidentially maintained by restricting access to employment equity data in the information systems.	100% of requests to provide access to employment equity data in the system approved by the Director, Human Resources	Completed. Employment equity data access is very limited. All data that is shared is maintained at a high level, and if necessary, key data is suppressed to ensure that individuals cannot be identified. Access to sensitive reports are very limited and monitored by the Human Resources reporting team to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
8b. Automate the collection of self‑identification forms to further increase the confidentiality of the data.	2022–23	Completed. The automation of the new self‑identification form was completed in January 2023. The automation ensured that there will be very limited access to data and that employees can change responses at any time using the secure link to the form.

Monitoring

The Human Resources group will coordinate, analyze, and summarize the progress of employment equity activities using a dashboard. The dashboard will be submitted to the governance committees 3 times per year.

Leads are responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing activities according to the timelines identified, identifying and measuring key indicators related to their activities, and reporting progress and achievements to ensure employment equity objectives are achieved.

Appendix B—Statistics

Report coverage

This report contains information as of 31 March 2023 on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s (OAG’s) indeterminate employees and determinate employees with terms of 6 months or more. Employees who were on secondment to other organizations are also included in the OAG’s numbers.

No information is reported in the tables on students or casual workers.

Data on people in the designated groups

All data was obtained through voluntary self‑identification.

The completeness and accuracy of employment equity data depend on employees’ willingness and comfort to self‑identify and their access to the opportunity to do so.

The OAG’s voluntary self‑identification process began in April 1997. This questionnaire was revised in 2022 in light of legal requirements, new legislation, and feedback from the research community. As a result, all employees regardless of status are required to complete the questionnaire once. In addition, at any time during their employment, all employees can resubmit a self‑identification questionnaire, available on the OAG’s Human Resources INTRAnet page.

Tables 4 to 7 show the OAG’s representation as a percentage of workforce availability, with comparative figures for the previous year. The OAG believes that this is the best way to measure the current state of representation for each designated group.

The OAG provides information by Employment Equity Occupational Group. Tables 4 to 7 include information for the 3 National Occupational Classification unit groups that account for the majority of employees—audit managers (unit group 0414), financial auditors (unit group 1111), and performance auditors (unit group 4169).

Workforce availability

Workforce availability is the distribution of people in the designated groups as a percentage of the total Canadian workforce. For federal public service purposes, workforce availability is based on Canadian citizens in occupations in the Canadian workforce that correspond to the occupations in the public service and is derived from 2016 Census data.

List of Tables

Table 1—Representation of designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

Table 2—Distribution of employees by designated group and region of work

Table 3—Representation of designated groups by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 4a—Representation of women by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 4b—Representation of women by the 3 largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 5a—Representation of Indigenous peoples by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 5b—Representation of Indigenous peoples by the 3 largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 6a—Representation of persons with disabilities by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 6b—Representation of persons with disabilities by the 3 largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 7a—Representation of members of visible minorities by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 7b—Representation of members of visible minorities by the 3 largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 8a—Hiring by designated group

Table 8b—Hiring by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 9a—Promotions by designated group

Table 9b—Promotions by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 10a—Separations by designated group

Table 10b—Separations by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 11—Distribution of employees by designated group and salary band

Table 1—Representation of designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

As at 31 March 2023

Representation of designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Group	Number	Percentage of population	Workforce availability
All employees	785	Not applicable	Not applicable
Women	417	53.1%	51.6%
Indigenous peoples	13	1.7%	3.7%
Persons with disabilities	81	10.3%	8.0%
Members of visible minorities	210	26.8%	18.6%