Objectives and Methodology
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The purpose of the audit was to determine whether AAFC offers services to the public in both official languages, specifically to Canadian producers and citizens in rural areas, and to establish whether the existing management framework allows the Department to fulfill its serviceto- the-public obligations pursuant to the Act. The audit objectives and criteria are described in Appendix B.
One of the goals of the audit was to ensure that the Department consults representatives of Canadian producers and representatives of the official language minority communities in rural regions, and that it takes the results of these consultations into account in developing its bilingual services. While this objective is usually included in audits on Part VII of the Act (supporting and assisting the development of official language minority communities and fostering the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society), Part IV, interpreted according to the principle of substantive equality, requires in some circumstances that the specific characteristics and needs of official language minority communities be taken into account when developing services for both official language communities. In this case, given the nature of the services offered by AAFC, the Department must consult these communities to properly identify their needs and provide services of equal quality in both official languages.
The audit was conducted at AAFC’s national headquarters and in the regional offices of six provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick) between November 2006 and April 2007. In addition to other elements, the Department’s policies, documentation, information to staff, partnership agreements, monitoring systems and key reports were examined. Meetings were also held with several managers and staff members at national headquarters and many regional offices.
A spot check audit was conducted of 42 offices responsible for providing bilingual services. Twenty-three offices in all provinces were assessed in the summer of 2006 as part of data collection for the Office of the Commissioner’s report cards. In the winter of 2007, 19 additional offices in the six provinces mentioned previously were audited. The results of both exercises have been taken into account for this audit.
The spot checks focused on three components: written materials (signage and publications), active offer and service over the telephone and in person. The goal was to determine if these services were offered in both official languages. Service over the telephone and in person were checked only in the minority official language.
Telephone interviews were also conducted with representatives of Canadian producers and official language minority communities in rural regions.
