The Ontario Public Service’s Diversity Office envisions a diverse and inclusive organization that delivers excellent public service and is truly reflective of the public it serves. Noëlle Richardson, Chief Diversity Officer, Shamira Madhany, Assistant Deputy Minister of Diversity, and Kerry Pond, Assistant Deputy Minister, Accessible Public Service, came together to discuss the unique role of the Diversity Office and what it takes to be an agent of change.
“Excellence in public service means…”
Noëlle Richardson: I think it means being able to provide relevant services efficiently and effectively to a diverse and changing population. To do that, we have to know what relevance looks like and what those needs are. Reflecting and representing the public we serve will help us meet those needs.
Shamira Madhany: Excellence in public service touches the lives of Ontarians in a way that is real to them. It is about being responsive and inclusive when designing programs, developing policies and delivering services.
Kerry Pond: Excellent public service starts with a dynamic environment where people want to work. The more we can attract folks to it, the better our ability to develop and deliver excellent programs, policies and services.
“OPS embarked on the diversity and inclusion journey because…”
NR: It is no secret that the demographics in this country have changed tremendously over the past 40 years and will continue to change. But it’s not just about demographics; it really is about succession planning and maximizing the talents that are available to us. The OPS, like many other organizations, is competing for talent in a way that we have never had to before. Ontario continues to be attractive to immigrants, making it the most diverse province. So it is incumbent on us to demonstrate leadership through our diversity and inclusion strategy which welcomes all Ontarians and allows them to maximize their contributions.
KP: Beyond this being the right thing to do, it makes sense from a business perspective. If we are inclusive, respectful and reflect the population at all levels by providing barrier-free programs and services, we become better and what we deliver becomes better. We also position ourselves well to attract high performing talent who want to work in an inclusive environment. But it’s also about building public confidence. If the public we serve doesn’t see us as reflective of their diversity, and by extension, their needs, then confidence in our ability to deliver on their behalf goes down. And when public confidence goes down, our work becomes that much more difficult.
SM: There is a real opportunity for us to demonstrate to approximately 68,000 OPS employees that we are committed to becoming an inclusive organization. That’s the rationale for setting up this office and appointing a chief diversity officer. It wasn’t a question of why, but a question of why not?
“Leading the way as agents of change…”
NR: We are the first Canadian jurisdiction to have a dedicated diversity office and chief diversity officer. There’s a lot of interest from external partners and I think that speaks to the leadership role that we have. By virtue of the fact that the OPS is the second largest public service in Canada and the second largest employer in Ontario, it’s our responsibility to be a model of the change that we’re trying to create.
KP: I absolutely agree. For example, we are striving to become a model of what an accessible organization should be. If we can’t do that, it’s going to be very difficult to persuade others to make accessibility a priority. We are tremendously proud to be the first public service organization to report compliance as per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) as of January 1, 2010.
SM: It’s a real opportunity and a responsibility for us because the business of government is different from the private sector. While we recognize these challenging economic times, we know our work touches people’s lives – that difference is critical when you consider the role that the Diversity Office plays in driving change.
“Making the IDEA – inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible – relevant to all our staff and partners…”
NR: We have established a common strategy at a macro-level with flexibility for ministries to adapt that strategy to suit their realities at the ground level. It is a challenge trying to create a commonality of understanding across a province where perceptions and realities vary so greatly. However, there are certain transferable elements such as the need to maximize the contributions of staff by recognizing their abilities, by attracting the best talent available, by driving up employee engagement as a result of fair practices.
KP: It’s important that everyone understands that diversity isn’t about one group over another. Each of us brings our own unique diversity to work every day. This whole process is about transformation to recognize and leverage the opportunity in our differences. We’re building a centre of excellence here at the Diversity Office but we’re also trying to expand the ownership of diversity, inclusion and accessibility to everybody across the organization.
SM: At a senior level, our deputy ministers have concrete, tangible commitments in their performance plans that focus on creating inclusive environments within their respective ministries. Although we at the Diversity Office set a broad framework around the strategy, we then collaborate with our leaders to make the strategy relevant to each ministry and its staff. This ultimately impacts every individual in the OPS.
“The diversity and inclusion strategy matters more now than ever…”
SM: The business case is pretty clear. We know in the next five years, about one third of our senior management in the OPS will be eligible to retire. That’s a big drain on our corporate memory. Simultaneously, we have a lot of new people coming into the OPS. Understanding who we’re working with, how to work well together, and valuing everybody’s contribution matters now more than ever.
KP: Not only do we have to make the OPS attractive for people to want to come and work here, but also for them to want to stay here. We know that engaged employees are more productive. That’s very important to maximizing the contributions of our employees as well as the efficiency of services we provide.
NR: In the 1970s, Canada demonstrated foresight when we recognized the need to change our immigration policies to reflect a greater reliance on new Canadians. This is still true. We have a wonderful opportunity to position ourselves to work effectively in this constantly changing and exciting dynamic.
“Meeting challenges head on…”
KP: There is always going to be some resistance to change, and that can create a healthy tension. A large portion of the organization is on board and some people are sitting on the fence to see how things will progress. But strong leadership really makes a difference – su
