2024 Accessibility Plan and Progress Update

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Message from the Procurement Ombud

It is a pleasure to submit the Office of the Procurement Ombud’s (OPO) second progress report on the implementation of its Accessibility Plan. This report represents a summary of the activities undertaken by my Office in response to the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessible Canada Regulations (regulations) which require federally regulated entities to prepare and publish accessibility plans, progress reports on the implementation of their plans, and descriptions of their feedback processes. The regulations establish the foundational requirements that such entities must meet to fulfill their planning and reporting obligations under the ACA. Much work is required at all levels to continue creating measures to identify, remove and prevent barriers. OPO is committed in its support of the ACA to achieve its overarching goal of creating a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

Organizational context

The Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO) is a neutral and independent organization of the Government of Canada that works collaboratively with federal organizations and Canadian businesses to promote fairness, openness and transparency in federal procurement. OPO delivers on this mandate by connecting stakeholders, investigating complaints, resolving problems, making recommendations and sharing best practices.

Executive summary

The ACA came into force in 2019 with the goal of benefiting all Canadians, especially persons with disabilities, through the proactive identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility in 7 priority areas:

In response to the ACA, the Office of the Procurement Ombud published its Accessibility plan in 2022-23 to support the creation of a barrier-free Canada, and foster an inclusive environment for all OPO staff and the Canadians we serve. This report provides an update on the implementation of the plan.

Employment

In 2020-21, OPO committed to having a staff made up of 50% women and 30% individuals from underrepresented groups. OPO aims to achieve this goal by 2025, and as of March 31, 2024, OPO had a 68% female and 36% diverse workforce based on the total of all OPO employees who disclosed this information.

The Built environment

In the Accessibility Plan, OPO noted two features of the built environment: on-boarding materials and diversity and inclusion.

In 2021-22, OPO revamped its onboarding procedures to include information and guidance to support employees and managers with accessibility needs and requirements. OPO remains diligent in reviewing and updating its on-boarding materials to reflect the changing reservoir of resources.

In October 2023, OPO reviewed and implemented the federal Accessibility Passport Program, which is now a part of its hiring process. Current employees have also been encouraged to participate in the program.

In the Spring of 2020, OPO created a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee to support the Government of Canada’s goal of creating a space where diversity and inclusion are acknowledged, understood, and practiced. The Committee has goals and key performance indicators that guide its activities. These are tracked and reviewed monthly. In 2023, OPO solidified its support of these initiatives by adding D&I as a fifth organizational pillar.

Information and communication technologies

In the Accessibility Plan, OPO noted two features: communication and hardware and software.

On internal and external communication, OPO remains committed to plain language that accurately captures the complexity of the work we undertake. OPO remains flexible in its approach to communications products and actively seeks to address new or known accessibility concerns.

In 2024, OPO conducted a review of its website to address any outstanding accessibility issues in the HTML content and structure of the website, and to identify opportunities where the content could be simplified for more clarity.

The goal of this endeavor was to simplify the web content and structure to make it easy for all stakeholders to navigate OPO’s website and access the information that can help them.

In addition, OPO continues to apply Web Accessibility standards of the Government of Canada to all reports and graphics posted on its website, to guarantee a smooth experience for all stakeholders, including visually-impaired users and those who use screen-readers.

Hardware and software are provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), through a Service Level Agreement. The following services are provided: Information technology (IT) Project management support, Information Management (IM), IT office solutions and support (which includes ergonomic or adaptive technology, tools or equipment related to functional limitations or restrictions), application or web site development and support, IT security, and IT connectivity.

In 2023-24, OPO continued seeking feedback from its staff pertaining to their IT accessibility requirements, and is committed to continuously doing so on an annual basis through an employee survey. OPO strives to keep abreast of the life cycle management of IT equipment and to equip employees with IT equipment that best meets their needs.

Communication, other than information and communication technologies

OPO remains committed to making its outreach activities accessible for all audiences.

Since 2018, OPO has offered both American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ) interpretation at its annual Diversifying the Federal Supply Chain Summit. These services are also provided for in virtual town hall outreach events where OPO engages with the procurement community.

In April 2024, OPO hosted its 5th annual summit with over 650 attendees. The Summit was created to help increase diversity in the federal procurement supply chain by raising awareness of the public and private sector programs that can help Indigenous and diverse-owned businesses (including businesses owned or led by women, Black and racialized Canadians, newcomers, faith-based communities, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI2+ Canadians) win federal contracts.

In March 2024, OPO also hosted two in-person mentoring sessions in Ottawa and in Montreal.

When conducting outreach events, either in person or virtually, OPO strives to ensure that the venue and platform accommodates accessibility requirements. When hosting in-person events, OPO takes into considerations accessibility when making decisions regarding location, transportation options, room placement, and IT equipment. For virtual events, OPO ensures that the platform can accommodate sign language interpretation and other accessibility requirements.

OPO continues to promote and support accessibility through engagement with the community. In 2023, the Ombud participated in a podcast for the Inclusive Workplace and Supply Council of Canada (IWSCC), which supports veteran and disabled owned businesses. Secondly, OPO participates in the Ontario Region Small and Medium Enterprise Network (ORSMEN), which focuses on sharing diverse events in Ontario, best practices, and connecting organizations.

The Procurement of goods, services and facilities

OPO is committed to ensuring accessibility requirements are considered in internal procurement practices. Specifically OPO follows its internal guide on procurement, which notes the following criteria for consideration: accessibility, social procurement, Gender-based Analysis + (GBA+), and evaluator’s conflict of interest.

The design and delivery of programs and services

In its Accessibility Plan, OPO mentioned two key activities: Diversifying the Federal Supply Chain Summit and Knowledge Deepening and Sharing (KDS).

The goal of OPO’s annual Diversifying the Federal Supply Chain Summit is to inform underrepresented suppliers, including suppliers with disabilities, about the tools and programs that are available to support an understanding of the federal procurement process and help Indigenous and diverse suppliers obtain federal government contracts.

The Knowledge Deepening and Sharing (KDS) initiative was created to share information on procurement issues. A pressing issue of concern is ethical procurement. In 2023, OPO held meetings with PSPCs Ethical Procurement group, and has offered to review its Ethical Procurement Policy. Meetings and information sharing has also occurred with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) regrading ethical procurement practices. OPO looks forward to completing more research on ethical procurement issues going forward.

Transportation

The section on transportation was addressed in OPO’s Accessibility Plan and remains unchanged in 2024, as OPO’s office remains the same. The current policy for the Government of Canada allows for hybrid and remote work arrangements under certain circumstances, which account for accessibility considerations.

Consultation

In 2023-24, OPO participated in the Persons with Disabilities Network from PSPC and interdepartmental members of the Accessibility team (specifically with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat) to discuss the Accessibility Plan.

Glossary

Underrepresented groups are defined as Indigenous Peoples, 2SLGBTQI+, racialized people, persons with disabilities, and other minority groups.

Training

OPO team members are encouraged to partake in training opportunities that enable them to expand on their knowledge and continue to develop their skills. OPO requires all employees to add a minimum of 4 hours of Diversity and Inclusion training to their Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) on a yearly basis.

Updating the Office of the Procurement Ombud’s accessibility plan

As part of its commitment to proactively identify and prevent barriers in accessibility, OPO will publish a new Accessibility Plan by December 31, 2025.

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