Appendix A – Target change objectives

Overall Change Objective

• The identification and elimination of any discrimination that may exist in all employment and service activities of the Correctional Services Division of MCSCS.

Specific Change Objectives

A. Aboriginal Issues

• Ensure that special focus on the needs and concerns of Aboriginal people, including Aboriginal employees and inmates, is retained in all Human Rights Project activity.
• Enhance ongoing efforts to promote the recruitment, selection, promotion, and retention of Aboriginal employees in MCSCS.
• Ensure that all MCSCS services to Aboriginal people comply with human rights requirements pursuant to the Code and the Charter.

Specific measures will include:

• Ensuring that the selection process for leadership positions requires candidates to articulate their knowledge and experience in reducing discrimination and harassment against Aboriginal employees and Ministry clients.
• Development of a training plan including mandatory training for all existing employees on prevention of discrimination, harassment, and victimization against Aboriginal employees and Ministry clients.
• Development of a training plan including mandatory orientation of new employees on prevention of discrimination, harassment, and victimization against Aboriginal employees and Ministry clients.
• Incorporating regular efforts to support Aboriginal employees, such as networking and learning sessions, into longer-term organizational change plans, accompanied by evaluation and appropriate resources.
• Designing and implementing a strategy to increase representation of Aboriginal employees in organizational change committees.
• Establish an audit and reporting process regarding incidents of and resolution methods implemented in discrimination and/or harassment complaints against Aboriginal employees or Ministry clients.
• Establish a strategic plan for the Division and organizational change framework for Aboriginal issues specifically and ensure that other relevant areas within the Division/Ministry establish strategies and objectives to support the Aboriginal strategic plan and organizational change framework.

B. Recruitment, Selection, Promotion and Retention

• Support ongoing efforts to recruit, select, promote, and retain qualified individuals reflective of the diversity in the Province of Ontario with a respect for human rights and due regard for the skills and competencies necessary to provide community safety and correctional services equitably.
• Promote qualified individuals within MCSCS with the goal of developing a MCSCS workforce that is reflective and representative, at all levels, of the diversity in the Province of Ontario and a commitment to the elimination of discrimination. Include recognition of WDHP compliance and where applicable, participation in or management of WDHP investigations in performance evaluation and promotional decisions.
• Ensure that all employment practices reinforce the Code obligations of the MCSCS, especially with regard to the employment prospects for all qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds while recognizing their race, ancestry, colour, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status and/or disability.

Specific measures will include:

• Reviewing existing employment policies, procedures, practices, and programs to identify gaps and concerns, and to identify and implement effective initiatives to realize the objectives.
• Regular monitoring to assess whether change initiatives are having the desired change/outcome. This monitoring will generally take the form of regular reports by the Deputy Minister of MCSCS to the Secretary of Cabinet. The OHRC will assess the effectiveness of this monitoring regime and make appropriate recommendations. It may also make reports.

C. Training

• The provision of human rights, equity, and diversity training and on-going professional development of all employees, to provide employees with the skills and knowledge to create a working environment which is fully compliant with norms established by the Code and which is anti-racist, non-discriminatory, professional, respectful, diverse and inclusive.

Specific measures will include:

• Review and evaluation of all current training programs, materials and curriculum provided to both new and current employees, to determine whether issues of human rights, equity, and diversity are being addressed sufficiently.
• Determination and implementation of initiatives to address any identified gaps, shortcomings or needs.
• Establishment and implementation of protocols to regularly monitor training programs to determine their effectiveness in meeting stated objectives. This monitoring will generally take the form of regular reports by the Deputy Minister of MCSCS. The OHRC will assess the effectiveness of this monitoring regime and make appropriate recommendations.

D. Accountability

• The establishment of an organizational culture that ensures that all MCSCS staff are held accountable for upholding their human rights obligations under the Code and Charter any other relevant legislation or policy.
• The establishment of specific accountability measures to ensure support for the change initiatives by all levels of management at MCSCS.

Specific measures will include:

• Confirmation of compliance with change initiatives established under the Project Charter which may include orders previously made by the Board of Inquiry in HRTO file no.BI-0033-95.
• Review the existing change initiatives that are at various stages of implementation in the Division.
• Identification and review of all accountability related policies, procedures and practices to ascertain any elements that may be contributing to an organizational culture inconsistent with human rights aims and the development of initiatives to address these elements.
• Development and implementation of specific, measurable and achievable performance indicators for all levels of management to measure support for, and compliance with, change initiatives.

E. The Design of the WDHP handling and tracking system

• Establishment of effective procedures and programs to ensure full compliance with Management Board of Cabinet’s Directives with respect to the WDHP Policy, as revised, subject to change initiatives established under this Project Charter, and implementing timelines and policies to ensure efficient completion of WDHP investigations.
• Including WDHP policy training and resources in mandatory orientation for all new MCSCS employees, along with refresher sessions as required by the WDHP Policy.
• Creation of a comprehensive database to track WDHP complaints, discrimination and harassment complaints to the Grievance Settlement Board and the Public Service Grievance Board, and applications to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Integrated into comprehensive database or maintain separate database for Discipline Review Committee (DRC) meeting outcomes and formal complaints handled on a local institutional level.
• Annual review of the database(s) to identify systemic issues or trends.
• Working with all involved unions to determine that a substantiated complaint should be a significant factor in deciding to disqualify a candidate for a promotional opportunity.
• Integrating harassment and discrimination prevention responsibilities into employees’ and managers’ performance commitments, and linking this to annual performance appraisals
• Solicit confidential feedback from those who have used the services of WDHP Advisors, WDHP Information Providers and review it with them to keep them accountable and better understand their training needs .
• Review of the existing system for assessing the quality of the work provided by VOR investigators.
• Finalizing the terms of reference for the DRC, and providing guidelines for disciplinary decisions at the DRC level.