Conclusions and recommendations
5.1 Conclusions
The Initiative constitutes the primary means by which Justice supports access to justice in both official languages. The current program structure, which covers an information component and a training component, in addition to the core funding, is well suited to pursue the goal of ensuring that Canadians from OLMCs have access to information on their rights and responsibilities in the official language of their choice, and that the justice system has the institutional capacity to offer services in both official languages. The Initiative has also proven to be sufficiently flexible to adapt to the needs of OLMCs and justice system stakeholders.
Findings gathered on the projects and activities that were active during the evaluation period provided an opportunity to assess the progress made since the Initiative was first established in 2003. As documented in this report, the program has achieved considerable maturity and has secured important results:
- Concerning the information component, the Initiative has supported the development of a significant body of relevant material, and is providing funding to a wide range of organizations that inform members of OLMCs about their rights and obligations, using a variety of strategies that are adapted to the targeted groups. During the evaluation period, EDI considerations have been more systematically integrated into the management of the Initiative, including a GBA+, which has proven particularly relevant for the information component of the Initiative.
- As it relates to the training component, the support provided since 2008 has led to a strong institutional framework that supports a systemic assessment of training needs, the development of the required training material, the delivery of training activities, the assessment of the language capacity of participants, and provision of follow-up activities to maintain the language skills acquired. There is a need to pursue the expansion of partnerships among all stakeholders involved in the training component to ensure that all activities achieve their full potential. The emergence of new language rights in family law will require new training strategies to be pursued to support their implementation.
- The core funding is providing the required stability among the recipient organizations, which allows them to more adequately fulfill their mandate and undertake projects.
To support the ongoing management of the Initiative, the Advisory Committee and the FPT Working Group are seen as valuable platforms to facilitate dialogue, to share information, and to address emerging priorities. Exploring further opportunities for the two groups to collaborate could further enhance their effectiveness.
The overall management of the program has proven to be effective. The funding allocation and the reporting requirements are also seen to be effective. The management of the Initiative is also integrating EDI considerations, and the evaluation has provided opportunities for further improving the GBA+.
5.2 Recommendations
Based on the findings described in this report, the following recommendations are made:
- To ensure the broadest reach possible of individuals and communities who may benefit from the activities funded by the Initiative, including those individuals and communities who are more isolated or marginalized, the Programs Branch, in collaboration with the Official Languages Directorate, should facilitate the engagement of a broader range of organizations as part of its information pillar.
- To maximize the contributions of the Advisory Committee and the FPT Working Group, the Official Languages Directorate should consider having each hold two meetings per year, including one in-person (when feasible), and to find opportunities for both entities to collaborate directly when appropriate.
- To further include EDI considerations in the ongoing management of the Initiative, the Programs Branch, in collaboration with the Official Languages Directorate, should explore new data sources that can support its ongoing GBA+ efforts.
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