CRA Terms of Reference – National Employment Equity and Diversity Committee

Equal Opportunities Committee
CRA Terms of Reference – National Employment Equity and Diversity Committee

Preamble

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) welcomes, respects, and values employment equity and diversity which enrich our understanding of issues, the work we do, our results, and our workplace. To remain an attractive, welcoming workplace for all Canadians, the CRA workforce of today and tomorrow must reflect the rich diversity of the population we serve and its multiculturalism. Greater workplace diversity translates into greater collaboration, creativity, fostering innovation, resulting in more complete and effective solutions that lead to higher workplace productivity and better business.

Mandate

To move the CRA beyond the requirements of the Employment Equity legislation by:

  • providing advice and recommendations on national employment equity and diversity matters; and
  • providing input into strategies and plans to promote employment equity and diversity at the CRA; and
  • acting as an advisory counsel to the Human Resources function; and
  • creating and maintaining the link between the National Employment Equity and Diversity Committee (NEEDC) to the regional and local employment equity and diversity network.

Composition of the National Employment Equity and Diversity Committee (NEEDC)

The Committee is comprised of the following members:

  • 1 National Employment Equity and Diversity Champion (Chair)
  • 6 Regional Employment Equity and Diversity Champions (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie, Pacific, and HQ Region).
  • 8 Designated Group representatives (2 representative from each EE Designated Group)
  • 1 PSAC/UTE representative
  • 1 PIPSC/AFS Group representative

Membership and Roles

National Employment Equity and Diversity Champion (Chair)

  • chair the committee meetings twice a year and additional ad hoc meetings as required.
  • support national activities that relate to employment equity and diversity, including multiculturalism (e.g., the Employment Equity and Diversity plan);
  • guide the committee to provide input and advice on Agency strategies to support the promotion of employment equity and diversity at the CRA;
  • teach and learn to strengthen employment equity and diversity across the Agency.

Regional Employment Equity and Diversity Champions (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie, Pacific, and HQ Regions)

  • act as a representative for their regional committees;
  • share regional best practices and consult on barriers and issues;
  • teach and learn to strengthen employment equity and diversity across the Agency.

Designated Group representatives

  • act as a representative of one of the 4 designated employment equity groups;
  • share employment equity group best practices and bring forward barriers and issues;
  • teach and learn to strengthen employment equity and diversity across the Agency.

UTE and AFS Group representatives

  • act as the representative on behalf of the bargaining agent share best practices and bring forward barriers and issues;
  • teach and learn to strengthen employment equity and diversity across the Agency;
  • present ideas or concerns as they relate to the mandate of the committee.

Employment Programs Directorate

Official Languages and Employment Equity and Diversity Division (OLEEDD)

  • provide functional advice, guidance and direction to the National Employment Equity and Diversity Champion on EE and diversity matters.
  • provide secretariat support: preparing agendas, coordinating meetings and drafting various communications to committee members.
  • Consult with the committee on strategies and plans to promote employment equity and diversity at the CRA

Designated Group Networks

To support the 8 Designated Group representatives on NEEDC, each Designated Group will have a network of regional committee members from across the country. Each Regional Champion will identify a Regional Point Person for each of the Designated Groups and an alternate, except where the Designated Group member on NEEDC is from that region. (refer to Appendix for Roles & Responsibilities)

NEEDC Member Selection & Term

Member Selection

  • The National Employment Equity and Diversity Champion will be appointed by the Commissioner.
  • Each Regional Employment Equity and Diversity Champion will be appointed by the respective Regional Assistant Commissioner for the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie and Pacific Regions. The HQ Regional Champion, will be appointed by the Assistant Commissioner of HRB.
  • The Designated Group representatives will be nominated by the Designated Group Networks, and will be selected by each Designated Group's NEEDC members in consultation with the national Equity and Diversity Committee to ensure balanced geographic representation.
  • The UTE and AFS Group representatives will be appointed by their respective National Executives.

Term

  • Members will be selected for a term of three years. Generally, rotations will occur in September.
  • Membership rotation will be staggered to ensure continuity on the committee. Rotation is a key element of the committee's diversity philosophy in that it allows many different perspectives to come forward over time.

Meetings

Chair

The National Employment Equity and Diversity Champion will chair the meetings.

Frequency

Committee meetings will take place twice a year, in the spring and fall. Ad hoc meetings may be organized as required.

Alternates

Normally there will be no alternates for members unable to participate in the meeting (with the exception of the UTE and AFS Group representatives), because each Region and Designated Group has two or more members on NEEDC Footnote 1. It is suggested that any member unable to attend a meeting should contact another from his/her geographic area and/or Designated Group in advance to ensure coverage.

Notification and Agenda

To the extent possible, OLEEDD will send the notices of upcoming meetings and requests for agenda items to all Committee members 3 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. Members will provide OLEEDD with agenda items. OLEEDD will then distribute the final agenda, in both official languages, prior to the meeting.

Language

Meetings will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Official Languages Act.

Effective Date

These Terms of Reference take effect on September 21, 2015.

Monitoring and Amendments

The Committee may review and/or amend these Terms of Reference.

Appendix to NEEDC Terms of Reference

Designated Group Networks

To support the 8 Designated Group representatives on NEEDC, each Designated Group will have a network of regional committee members from the 6 Regions represented on NEEDC (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, Pacific, and HQ Region).

Note: In the context of the Employment Equity and Diversity structure, each individual HQ branch committee is equivalent to a Local Committee in the regions. The HQ Regional Committee is comprised of representatives from each branch committee and is equivalent to the Regional Committees in the other regions.

Each Regional Champion will identify a Regional Point Person for each of the Designated Groups and an alternate, except where the Designated Group member on NEEDC is from that region.

Regional Point Person

The Regional Point Person (RPP) is the primary contact person from each Regional Committee and is that region's representative on the informal Designated Group Network for his/her Designated Group.

RPP Selection

  • The Designated Group members on NEEDC are automatically appointed as their region's RPP for their Designated Group.
  • Each Regional Champion will identify an RPP and one alternate for his/her region except where the Designated Group member is from his/her region.

The RPP must:

  • be a member of his/her Regional EE & Diversity Committee.
  • have self-identified as being a member from one of the four designated groups; and/or
  • have experience and involvement with issues related to diversity and/or employment equity in the workplace and/or community.

Role Overview

The RPP for each designated group is responsible for working with his/her Regional EE and Diversity Committee to establish and maintain a communication link with contacts from local/branch committees and offices in his/her region. The RPP uses this network to obtain "grassroots" input on EE&D matters.

The RPP collaborates as his/her regional representative with the Designated Group Network. Active participation in this network is essential in supporting the NEEDC Designated Group members to provide a diverse perspective at the NEEDC meetings.

The input and feedback provided by the RPP are brought to the national table through the designated NEEDC representatives. It is expected that the RPP will work closely with their Regional EE&D Champion. Working within their region, and within the national group comprised of all the regional representatives, it is expected that the RPP will represent the diverse perspectives of their designated groups.

Specific Roles of the RPPs:

  • Support the CRA's Employment Equity policies, practices, and strategies to help improve the work environment within the Agency.
  • Provide advice and maintain lines of communication on strategies for equity, diversity, and inclusion at national (through the NEEDC designated representative), regional, and local levels.
  • Advise their regional committee members, and the NEEDC designated representative, of the barriers to the recruitment, development, promotion and retention of members of designated groups, and recommend appropriate action.
  • Provide input on policies, guidelines and procedures from an equity, diversity and inclusion perspective.
  • Participate in exchange of information and input through the Designated Group Network via email exchanges, conference calls etc. Teleconferences will generally be called and chaired by the Network's NEEDC representatives at least twice a year.
  • Obtain grassroots input through Regional and Local communication links and contacts.
  • Actively participate in the Designated Group Network by sharing regional best practices and discussing emerging employment equity and diversity issues.
  • Ensure that the regional alternate is kept informed of issues so that he/she can ably represent the region on a teleconference should the primary contact not be available.

Footnote 1 Exceptions can be decided on a case-by-case basis. (Return to footnote 1 source paragraph)

Last updated:

2016-09-08