2022-23 Departmental Plan

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Internal Services: Planned Results

Description

Internal Services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are ten categories of internal services:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Planning Highlights

Initiatives under the Department of Justice Canada’s Internal Services program will enable business and legal excellence with a focus on the Department’s workforce and modernization efforts.

Supporting Employees

Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Efforts to ensure equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are central to strengthening the Department’s workforce. To move this work forward, stakeholders across the Department collaborated to develop the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Results Framework. This Framework is a comprehensive, multi-year action plan developed specifically to enable fundamental changes to the behaviours, processes, policies, and culture that perpetuate systemic racism and inhibit the full participation of Indigenous people and Black and other racialized groups. The Framework also addresses systemic discrimination against persons with disabilities and on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and religious beliefs within the Department.

Together, this Results Framework and the Department’s new 2021-2024 Employment Equity Plan will lead to concrete initiatives and actions that will enable better representation and career development outcomes for equity-seeking groups as well as training, research and data that will increase awareness and capacity among employees to employ an anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion lens in their work. These efforts are necessary to achieving the Department’s overarching goal of ensuring a fair, accessible, and relevant justice system for all Canadians.

Additionally, Justice Canada will finalize its Accessibility Plan, as set out by the Accessible Canada Act, which came into force in June 2019. The Plan, which is intended to eliminate accessibility barriers for employees and Canadians served by the Department, will be published by December 2022.

Mental Health

In support of the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy and the departmental Mental Health Strategy, the Department will continue to foster a psychologically healthy and safe, respectful and inclusive workplace by continuing to implement a psychological health and safety management system as well as the new Harassment and Violence Prevention Program (Bill C-65). The departmental Mental Health Action Plan for 2020-23 also includes commitments to finding better ways to manage workload pressures.

Human Resources Management

Through its three-year Human Resources Management Strategy 2021-2024, in addition to supporting a healthy and safe workplace, Justice Canada will continue to focus on the recruitment, development and retention of a diverse and inclusive workforce with the skills and competencies needed to meet its current and future business needs. Strategic recruitment and targeted staffing processes, talent and succession management strategies, and a new three-year Corporate Learning Plan (2022-2025) will be key initiatives.

Emergency Preparedness

To promote ongoing stability, the Department will continue to enhance its focus on emergency preparedness, business continuity management, and supporting the delivery of critical services.

Justice Canada will continue its activities to support departmental readiness to respond to changing circumstances related to the pandemic, including case monitoring, building occupancy management, employee support activities, and COVID-19 task force and committee meetings to align with guidance from Treasury Board Secretariat and public health authorities.

Compensation and Phoenix

The Department will continue to implement strategies to minimize employee compensation-related issues resulting from the Phoenix Pay System. This will be achieved by providing additional dedicated resources to improve internal processes, including direct one-on-one support and guidance for employees and education and awareness sessions for managers and employees on roles and responsibilities and ways to prevent pay issues. It will also require continued collaboration with the Government of Canada Pay Centre to address employee pay issues.

Promoting Innovation and Collaboration

Future of Work

To respond to the changing reality associated with the pandemic, Justice Canada will continue to ensure that it is well prepared for both the workplace and the workforce to make the transition to the “new normal” post-pandemic. Meanwhile, the Department is on a path to broader modernization. It will explore the hybrid workplace approach where both on- and off-site work models co-exist. In order to make this a successful transition, change-management support, timely and regular communications, social connections, mental and physical health and wellness will be key considerations in establishing and maintaining the next phase of work. The implementation of the National Workplace Accommodations Strategy, the workplace modernization strategy, and people management policy and guidance will support the modernization of the Department. Pilot projects will inform the way forward with real lived experience.

Digital Transformation and Data Strategy

Justice Canada continues to promote digital information sharing and technology to improve collaboration within the organization, across government, and with external partners, while ensuring rigorous cybersecurity practices. With improved network infrastructure and access to new software and reliable digital platforms, the Department will continue to ensure employees have the necessary tools to support their work.

The Department will also progress further on implementing a departmental data strategy to embed data-driven insight and intelligence into decision making and provide opportunities for better services to clients and Canadians. This will include actions to achieve stronger data governance, develop analytics expertise, and experiment with artificial intelligence to leverage data in delivering the Department’s mandate.

Digital-by-Design Communications with Canadians and with Employees

The Department will continue its ongoing work to offer plain-language, visually compelling online content that not only reflects the priorities of the Minister and the Government, but also meets the information needs of Canadians, based on user experience, Web and social media metrics, and other analyses.

The Department is also modernizing its digital platforms to improve communications and information sharing with and among employees. By consolidating existing platforms, improving user experience, and ensuring accessibility for employees, including those in departmental legal services units, the Department will continue to support employees’ information and engagement needs.

Sustainable Development

In support of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy 2019-22 and the Justice Sustainable Development Strategy (JSDS) 2020-23, the Department will continue to shift to low-carbon, climate-resilient and green government. To improve awareness of greening initiatives at Justice Canada, the Department will host regular outreach activities and training. Additionally, the Department will continue exploring new initiatives, technologies and partnerships to strengthen existing commitments and identify new ones to support greening of Justice Canada’s services and operations.

Tracking and monitoring of progress made on commitments outlined in the JSDS 2020-23 is performed annually through the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report.

Experimentation^{Footnote 41}

Workplace Management

To respond to the COVID-19 crisis, Justice Canada continues to explore ways to ensure an organized, safe, and gradual return of employees to the workplace. In future workplace and pilot projects, the Department will experiment with different technologies that allow employees to reserve an on-site workspace, while integrating the required health and safety policies and protocols.

Key Risks

There is a risk that an increased use of and reliance on technology will expose the Department to new cyber threats, losses, or disruption due to attacks on or breaches of our technological infrastructure. This risk, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to be mitigated by departmental cybersecurity activities in collaboration with Shared Services Canada, Public Safety Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and other partners.

Planned Budgetary Spending for Internal Services

The following table shows budgetary spending for Internal Services for 2022-23, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned Human Resources for Internal Services

The following table shows, in full-time equivalents, the human resources the Department will need to carry out its internal services for 2022-23 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

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