Highlights
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The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages conducted an audit between November 2006 and November 2007 to evaluate the services offered in both official languages by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s designated bilingual offices. The audit also aimed to examine the management framework and mechanisms implemented by the Department to fulfill its obligations in this regard, pursuant to the Official Languages Act (the Act). Under the terms of the audit and based on identified improvements, recommendations have been made to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to help it ensure a provision of services that tends towards excellence and that respects Canada’s linguistic duality.
The audit revealed that the Department has a structure in place to administer the official languages program, and members of its senior management committee discuss official languages matters and make important decisions in relation to this subject several times per year. Furthermore, certain efforts have been made to familiarize staff with the requirements of Part IV of the Act (communications with and services to the public). Despite these actions, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada must take additional measures to ensure a more effective implementation of Part IV.
The bilingual capacity of offices responsible for providing services in both official languages falls short at times, particularly in Western Canada, and mostly in offices of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. Furthermore, major weaknesses were noted in the active offer in person at all offices visited; approximately 40% of these offices could not provide satisfactory services in person or over the telephone in the local minority official language. In Quebec, all the offices that were audited were able to provide satisfactory service over the telephone and in person in English.
Weaknesses were noted concerning the language clauses included in implementation agreements, collateral agreements and contribution agreements negotiated with other organizations. The renewal of these agreements offers the Department a chance to clarify the expectations concerning communications and services in both official languages. While the Department has a few mechanisms in place to monitor compliance with regard to official languages, it does not have any formal mechanism for measuring and monitoring compliance of its designated offices in terms of bilingual services to the public.
The Commissioner has made eight recommendations to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to improve service delivery in both official languages by its designated bilingual offices. The Department has already taken several steps to implement these recommendations.
