Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) is an analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs, and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
The federal government has been committed to using GBA+ in the development of policies, programs, and legislation since 1995. It provides federal officials with the means to continually improve their work and attain better results for Canadians by being more responsive to specific needs and circumstances.
In response to recommendations from the 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada, the government renewed its commitment to GBA+ and mandated the Minister for the Status of Women Endnote 1 to work with the President of the Treasury Board to ensure that GBA+ is incorporated into Departmental Results Frameworks, Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, and performance reporting.
In 2018, Parliament passed the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act. The Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports are being used to fulfill the President of the Treasury Board's obligations to make public analysis on the impacts of expenditure programs on gender and diversity.
Applicability
All departments must complete the GBA+ supplementary information table. Even if GBA+ is deemed not relevant to a department's programs, the department must complete the table and explain how GBA+ is not relevant.
General information
Institutional GBA+ Capacity
Governance
The Action, Innovation and Modernization (AIM) unit is responsible for leading the implementation of Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) within the RCMP. AIM resources provide centralized advice and support on the application of GBA+ and serve as the primary point of contact point for the Department of Women and Gender Equality, central agencies, and broader Government of Canada GBA+ Networks. The team also provides dedicated support to priority programs and initiatives by working directly with subject matter experts across the organization.
Each RCMP business line and division is responsible for ensuring that GBA+ is integrated across their work. To support the horizontal integration of GBA+, an RCMP GBA+ Network was established in 2020-21 as a forum for sharing tools and resources, as well as for knowledge exchange and discussion. Network members meet quarterly and are responsible for supporting the integration of GBA+ within their respective divisions and business lines.
In addition, the RCMP has a GBA+ Champion. The Champion is a member of the RCMP's Senior Executive Committee and helps to ensure buy-in across the organization, and provides leadership to ensure that GBA+ considerations are integrated within decision-making processes at all levels of level of the organization. The Champion also communicates with the organization on progress in GBA+ implementation, initiatives and priorities.
The RCMP remains a member of the Federal GBA+ Interdepartmental Committee and the Public Safety Canada-led Bias Sensitivity, Diversity and Inclusion in National Security Working Group. These enable the RCMP to contribute to horizontal work at the federal level, and benefit from efficiencies by sharing tools and resources with federal partners.
Training
Completion of the Department of Women and Gender Equality's Introduction to GBA+ online course is mandatory for all Commissioned Officers (executive equivalent) as well as members of the RCMP's Senior Executive Committee. To date, over 3,447 Endnote 2 RCMP employees have completed the course.
Education is playing a large role in the RCMP's efforts to move forward in a positive, inclusive, and diverse manner. A single course cannot serve as a simple remedy. To make a meaningful impact, the education must be focused on the positive difference that can be made by acknowledging the perspectives of others, actively supporting people and communities, and promoting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and support. Learning products need to be relevant and current, with the goal of strengthening employee relationships with each other and the communities they serve. With this in mind, the RCMP's Cultural Learning Strategy provides a framework for the development of learning products to advance diversity and inclusion throughout the organization with a view to supporting:
A modern and inclusive suite of learning products informed by a strong evidence base and experts with lived experience
Reducing workplace barriers to diverse groups of employees and members of the public
Encouraging openness and sensitivity to community concerns to support increased public trust in law enforcement
Evolving policies, processes, and training to support organizational diversity and inclusion conversations, philosophies, and behaviours
The new Cultural Awareness and Humility (CAH) course is designed to increase knowledge, enhance self-awareness, and strengthen the skills of RCMP employees who work both directly and indirectly with different cultures. Consultation for this course was broad and included Indigenous leaders, subject matter experts, and advocates. Since its release in November 2020, 6,829 RCMP employees have completed the CAH course.
Current efforts are focused on the development of training in the areas of systemic-racism, anti-racism and discrimination. To accomplish this, internal and external experts are being consulted to support the co-development of the strategy and design. This training will address employee's competency gaps in their dealings with their colleagues and the communities they serve, by emphasizing practical understanding of key issues and community effects.
Highlights of GBA+ Results Reporting Capacity by Program
Please see the responses to the following questions from each program in the department's Program Inventory:
Does this program have impacts that support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework? If so, which ones?
Does this program collect sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity (GBA+)?
If no, please describe what actions are being taken to enable future monitoring or reporting of the program's impacts by gender and diversity.
If yes, please describe (as relevant) any notable initiatives to expand the program's capacity to report on impacts by gender and diversity in the future.
Highlights of GBA+ Results Reporting Capacity by Program
Canadian Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
Forensic Science and Identification Services
Yes: Leadership and Demographic Participation; and Education and Skills Development.
Yes. With the use of human resource reports, the various programs within Forensic Science and Identification Services (FS&IS) monitor demographic data for supervisory, management, and leadership positions, including gender. These reports contribute to the overall decision-making process and/or direction of National Forensic Laboratory Services (NFLS) in applying GBA+ considerations.
Not applicable
Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) continues its efforts working alongside internal partners to ensure that systems collect demographic information in a way that is culturally sensitive and supports broader RCMP initiatives for the collection of ethno-cultural and gender data. CCRTIS remains an active participant in working groups focused on the exploration/review of Treasury Board's Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada's Sex and Gender Information Practices.
Canadian Police College
Yes: Education and Skills Development, Leadership and Democratic Participation, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Access to Justice.
Yes. The Canadian Police College (CPC) collects sufficient data in support of prioritized program initiatives. Our Learning Management System (LMS) and College Application Tool (CAT) systems are essential tools that track gender data that has been self-identified by enrolled participants and subject matter experts.
Not applicable
The CPC supports the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillar, as it provides training and professional development related to several crime types that disproportionately impact women and girls, including human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation. This training aims to enhance knowledge and skills of law enforcement, in turn allowing them to better address these GBV crimes and better serve and protect women and girls. The Leadership Program at the CPC also supports the Leadership and Democratic Participation pillar through its various offerings including the Strategic Policing through Action and Character (SPAC) leadership development course and Executive Development in Policing (EDP) program. Furthermore, the Professional Development Centre for Indigenous Policing is hoping to expand its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) course offerings. Future level 3 evaluations of this program should provide more information on impacts and further support the gender results framework.
Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
RCMP Specialized Technical Investigative Services
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
RCMP Departmental Security
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
RCMP Operational IM/IT Services
Yes: Economic Participation & Prosperity and Leadership and Democratic Participation.
Yes
Not applicable
Data is collected within the IM/IT Program's Human Resources Plan to provide management with employee demographic information, including the percentages of those who fall within various employment equity (EE) groups (i.e., women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples and Persons with disabilities). It is important to note that this information is largely based on employee self-reporting and may be higher in real terms. The count for women however, is the most accurate. Due to the nature of the work, a majority of the roles within the IM/IT Program are in the Computer Science and Engineering occupational groups that are traditionally dominated by men. Although the statistics show that we are exceeding the Labour Market Availability (LMA) set for women and Aboriginal Peoples, the IM/IT Program will continue to capture and monitor representation within all of the EE groups aiming for continuous improvement
Firearms Licensing and Registration
No
No
To be determined
Not applicable
Provincial/Territorial Policing
Yes. This program supports the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillar and its goals, as programs to address gender-based violence are delivered throughout each contract division. As part of the contract policing program, the RCMP also provides professional and dedicated service to First Nations and Inuit communities under the terms of the First Nations Policing Program.
No
The program indicators rely on the results of survey data to assess the impact of contract policing services. The source survey does not currently collect any data to support GBA+ analyses. This program is not responsible for the source survey; hence, no future actions are currently being taken.
Not applicable
Municipal Policing
Yes. This program supports the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillar and its goals, as programs to address gender-based violence are delivered throughout each contract division. As part of the contract policing program, the RCMP also provides professional and dedicated service to First Nations and Inuit communities under the terms of the First Nations Policing Program.
No
The program indicators rely on the results of survey data to assess the impact of contract policing services. The source survey does not currently collect any data to support GBA+ analyses. This program is not responsible for the source survey; hence, no future actions are currently being taken.
Not applicable
Indigenous Policing
Yes. This program supports the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillar and its goals. The RCMP-Indigenous Relations Services unit within the RCMP's Contract and Indigenous Policing business line engages in various activities and partnerships which aim to promote safety and security of Indigenous communities, including activities aimed at supporting Indigenous women and girls.
No
The National Office of Investigative Standards and Practices (NOISP) has requested an internal tracking mechanism through the RCMP's Records Management System that is currently being created. This will allow the NOISP to track cases – including those where victims are Indigenous females – and provide support with a focus on ensuring successful prosecutions. Endnote 4 For Restorative Justice, a baseline measure of case referrals is nearing completion for 2020 with the October to December reporting period forthcoming; room for acquiring data of the gender of offenders, as well as others could be included.
Not applicable
Contract and Indigenous Operations Support
Yes. This program supports the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillar and its goals. The RCMP Sexual Assault Review Team is currently responsible for creating education materials for RCMP to improve the response of members who interact with victims of sexual assault (e.g., Trauma-Informed Training, victim-centred guidance). These efforts serve to improve the responsiveness of the RCMP to the needs of victims in these such cases.
No
The RCMP's Records Management Systems (RMS) does not systematically collect diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity) data and does not collect data with respect to gender types. The decision regarding the incorporation of the gender variable in the RMS lies outside of this program.
Not applicable
Force Generation
Yes. The National Recruiting Multi-Year Plan focuses on the delivery of current and new recruiting practices, as well as the status of important and emerging issues, and monitors progress and reports on results. As part of this Multi-Year Plan, the following initiatives support these Gender Results Framework pillars and goals:
Economic Participation and Prosperity
Expand Recruitment of Permanent Residents: the RCMP has adjusted its recruitment application process so that Permanent Residents who have lived in Canada for three of the last five years, which is consistent with those to become a Canadian citizen. This will allow a growing segment of the Canadian population the ability to apply to become RCMP police officers, with the goal of increasing the diversity of the organization.
Yes
Not applicable
The National Recruiting Multi-Year Plan focuses on the delivery of current and new recruiting practices, as well as the status of important and emerging issues, and monitors progress and reports on results. This includes reporting on demographic data of applicants and cadets who enroll to the RCMP Training Academy. The data looks includes trends based on gender and employment equity groups to ensure that targets are being met.
Internal Services
Yes. In support of Vision 150, the RCMP has developed a People Strategy, which weaves together several transformative initiatives to realize a proactive, client-centred approach to HR and People Management. As part of the People Strategy, the following initiatives support these Gender Results Framework pillars and goals:
Leadership and Democratic Participation
Improve Staffing Processes: develop an action plan to achieve gender and diversity targets in the Executive/Officer cadre. Increase Diversity of Perspective in Decision Making Processes: the RCMP has increased representation of Black, Indigenous and/or People of Colour on selection boards, advisory boards, project boards, and senior level committees.
Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice
Establish a Healthy and Respectful Workplace: develop a workplace violence and harassment prevention policy and training materials.
Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being
Develop and implement the RCMP Employee Well-Being Strategy (2020-2025): This strategy focuses on support services, early intervention, and the prevention and treatment of employee mental health illnesses.
Gender Equality Around the World
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy: This strategy focuses on identifying and reducing barriers for diverse groups of people in the workplace, and emphasizes action in the areas of leadership, training, accountability, and culture change.
No
HR has limited availability of data and proper technology to support its service delivery management. Policy centres manage their own data, but this is done manually and does not take into account gender or employment equity. The HR Business Intelligence and Analytics Unit can produce some demographic data from its HR System (HRMIS), but this is very limited. The RCMP's People Strategy has identified Modernization of HR Technology as an initiative that will result in reliable, up-to-date people-related information to support planning and decision-making.