Evidence of meeting #49 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Bloom will be able to answer you.
Assistant Deputy Minister and Champion of Official Languages, Strategic Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I don't know exactly when the Department of Canadian Heritage decided to make a change with regard to that designation, but we are no longer a department designated by Canadian Heritage. However, all the departments are responsible for reporting every year, as the deputy minister said, to the Treasury Board with regard to the MAF.
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
However, we submit reports on Part VII of the Official Languages Act to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Liberal
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Good morning to everyone.
On page 4 of your presentation, you state: "In the last five evaluations by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages..." Were the last five evaluations done in the last five years, or were they done over a longer period of time?
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It's an annual report.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
You're talking about the last five evaluations.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Were they for the last five years?
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
You told us about a significant improvement in the commissioner's evaluation. I find it interesting that you were evaluated over the past five years. Not all departments are evaluated. Is there a particular reason why yours was evaluated? Was that the commissioner's choice? Not all the departments are evaluated so frequently, to my knowledge.
That's a good question, isn't it? When a witness is left speechless, that means the question is a good one.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Did you have an action plan over the past five years to ensure your rating improved from "poor" to "good"?
Is that action plan renewed every year, or do you have a three-year or a five-year plan?
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It's a three-year plan.
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The plan started in 2008 and ends this year in 2011.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Is the new plan already on paper?
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It's being developed. A little earlier, we thought it was ready, but it's being developed and is almost ready.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Could you send it to us once it's ready?
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
It would be interesting to see the difference between that and what you've done. Could you tell us to what you attribute your improvements so that we can conduct a kind of evaluation or comparison of the measures you put in place and that have resulted in such a significant improvement in your evaluation?
We've heard from a number of representatives of various departments to date. Obviously, every department is different and has its own specific characteristics. There are also continuous trends for everyone, to a certain degree, and certain factors could be transferrable.
Are the champions in contact with the other departments so that they can share the successes you've had in the past and that you are still having in order to improve service?
