Conclusion
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During our audit, we assessed the commitment of senior management at EC and the MSC to provide satisfactory weather services in both official languages on the automated telephone network, in compliance with Part IV of the Official Languages Act, which regulates communications with and service to the public in both official languages. We also checked whether the institution effectively monitors the availability and quality of bilingual weather services.
Our audit allows us to conclude that the Department is on the right track. EC has implemented an accountability framework and a structure for managing the official languages program. EC also appointed a champion, supported by a co-champion, who is responsible for the application of Parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act, as well as a champion responsible for Part VII of the Act. In addition, an internal network of official languages champions was set up and could play a major role in the effective management of this program. For its part, the MSC also appointed two co-champions responsible for the implementation of a project charter for official languages.
The Department also adopted guidelines on service to the public in both official languages, which include a short reference to bilingual services provided on answering machines. Furthermore, the MSC set up an electronic data management system to monitor overall operations following the implementation of the ISO 9000 program.
Nevertheless, the results of our audit highlight major weaknesses in the bilingual weather services provided on the MSC automated telephone network. For example, our spot-checks of 35 answering machines showed that active offer was only made one quarter of all cases, while service in the minority official language was available in just over half of all cases. The situation is especially problematic in the Quebec, Prairie and Pacific regions. In light of our findings, we believe that the Department should quickly put concrete, appropriate measures in place to ensure that Canadians can obtain weather and environmental information in the official language of their choice at all designated bilingual points of service on the automated telephone network.
Moreover, to improve performance, the Department should update its accountability framework, action plan, policies and directives for official languages so that these documents provide the MSC and other operational sectors with the necessary framework, guidance and responsibilities. EC should then take the appropriate measures to effectively communicate this information to its entire staff.
Finally, we must underscore the significant lack of structured mechanisms that would enable the Department and the MSC to conduct timely periodic monitoring of how well its automated telephone network complies with the Official Languages Act. The institution should not delay further in implementing the necessary mechanisms to correct this situation and thus ensure the availability and quality of weather services in both official languages at all designated bilingual points of service.
Given the importance of the MSC’s mandate to the Canadian public, EC should quickly take steps to comply with Part IV of the Official Languages Act. We believe that the full implementation of all the recommendations in this report will enable the Department to fully meet the linguistic obligations involved in providing weather and environmental services on the MSC automated telephone network.
