Policy on Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Purpose

This policy sets out Veterans Affairs Canada’s commitment to mainstreaming Gender Based Analysis Plus; and how the Department will continue to advance the integration of Gender Based Analysis Plus principles into every aspect of its work with Veterans, their families, and employees.

Definitions

1. For the purpose of administering this policy, the following definitions apply:

   Gender Based Analysis Plus is an evidence-based process to understand how a policy, program, or other initiative might affect diverse groups of people differently, and identify ways to address these impacts to ensure more equity where possible.

   The “plus” highlights that this type of analysis goes beyond gender, and includes the examination of a range of other intersecting identify factors (e.g. sex, age, military/service, religion/spirituality, indigeneity, ethnicity/race, sexual orientation, disability, education, language, geography, culture and income). Other factors to consider may include marital and family status, social support networks, and other social determinants of health such as access to job opportunities, transportation, and safe housing.

   Intersectionality is recognizing that people have multiple and diverse identity factors that interconnect to shape their perspectives, ideologies and experiences (See Annex A for Intersecting Identity Factors).

   For example, consider the multiple identity factors of a disabled Veteran who identifies as 2SLGBTQI+. Rather than isolating the experience of being a Veteran and a person with a disability from that of being gender or sexually diverse, adopting an intersectional approach allows for consideration of the individual as a whole being, with multiple identity factors. Using an intersectional approach allows for the formulation of more responsive and inclusive research, policies, programs, services and other initiatives that promote greater equity.

Policy statement

2. Veterans Affairs Canada is dedicated to ensuring that its activities are aligned with the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) and aligns with other equity seeking federal objectives. These objectives include those related to the federal Anti-Racism Strategy and Framework, Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action, as well as current and evolving related federal and national action plans including Disability Inclusion; 2SLGBTQI+; Women, Peace and Security; and the Action Against Gender-Based Violence and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
3. The Department is committed to fostering equitable outcomes for diverse groups of Veterans, their families, and employees.

Undertaking GBA Plus

4. GBA Plus is an analytical tool to support the development of responsive and inclusive initiatives, including policies, programs, and other activities. It is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue being addressed; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of those most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. Applying GBA Plus early in the process of developing policies, programs, services and initiatives helps ensure that these considerations are embedded in the design and decision-making process, allowing for responsive and inclusive initiatives that consider the needs of diverse groups of people. With practice, it becomes a mindset, an inclusive way of thinking, that will inform all areas of work.
5. A GBA Plus informed thought process is to be applied in the development, implementation, and evaluation of all initiatives and across all work areas. This mindset is used to better meet the needs of diverse Veteran and employee sub-populations, such as women, Indigenous peoples, black and racialized persons, and persons living with disabilities, while helping to ensure the breadth of their experiences and needs are reflected in programs, services, policies, research, legislation and communications (See Annex B for GBA Plus Process). GBA Plus is an adaptable tool that can be applied in a variety of contexts. For example, GBA Plus can be used to support an inclusive event plan or communications product as well as for a new policy or program proposal that requires Cabinet approval. The findings, from the GBA Plus Annex required for a Memorandum to Cabinet (MC), are intended to inform the narrative in the TB Submission by ensuring consideration of the inclusive impacts across all affected sub-groups and creating the conditions for equitable access and equal outcome opportunities.
6. In addition to taking identity factors into account during GBA Plus, Veterans Affairs Canada also recognizes the importance of including military/service characteristics in the analysis. These characteristics play an important role in shaping living and lived experiences. Examples of military/service characteristics taken into account include environment/branch of service (i.e. Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force), release type (e.g. medical, non-medical/voluntary), rank at release, length of service, deployments, type of service (Regular Force, Primary Reserves, Supplementary Reserves, Rangers, COATS) and time since release. For example, if we look at a case of a disabled Veteran who identifies as 2SLGBTQI+, and also include their military/service characteristics in this analysis, it provides a clearer picture of how their lived experience may impact their transition. If we consider that this Veteran was released at a young age, at a lower rank and only a few years of service, we know from research that they are at a greater risk for a difficult transition, in addition to any risks associated with being a disabled 2SLGBTQI+ Veteran. Expanding the intersectional approach to include military/service characteristics gives a clearer picture of the whole person and their unique experiences and needs.
7. Recognizing differences and looking beyond the gendered impacts of policies, programs, services and legislation allows Veterans Affairs Canada to more effectively respond to an increasingly diverse Canadian population while guiding how the Department can mitigate barriers to equitable access in its programs, services, policies, and legislation.

Guiding principles

This GBA Plus Policy will be guided by:

8. Respect, diversity and inclusion - Veterans Affairs Canada believes in treating everyone with respect, recognizing the dignity that is inherent in all people, and celebrating the strength that comes from the diversity and inclusion of people and ideas.
9. Constant evolution - Societal norms (shared standards of acceptable behavior in a society) are always evolving and require a constant re-questioning of assumptions used to develop GBA Plus. Incorrect or dated assumptions can lead to unintended and inequitable impacts on particular groups of people.
10. Iterative and continuous – GBA Plus is an iterative and continuous process that matures with enhanced understanding of population sub-groups and their specific experiences. This enhanced understanding is gained through the expanded collection and use of disaggregated data based on identity factors (Annex A) and military/service characteristics as well as through qualitative research based on individuals’ diverse lived experiences related to their service.
11. Trauma sensitive and informed - GBA Plus must be informed by disaggregated data and research that considers social, economic, and cultural conditions and norms that provide insight into the needs and experiences of diverse populations of Veterans and employees. In a Veteran specific context, understanding the operational environments of those who serve, and the working environments of departmental employees, is key to developing a comprehensive and informed GBA Plus. This includes understanding key moments in military, RCMP and Public Service history, and applying a trauma-sensitive lens to experiences (e.g. sexual misconduct, military sexual trauma (MST), LGBT Purge) impacting peoples’ lives.
12. Integrated and holistic – GBA Plus is not a stand-alone process. It must be fully integrated not only into mindsets, but also the lifecycle of an initiative from issue or problem definition, to design and development of programs, policies, services, communications and legislation, to implementation, evaluation, and ongoing monitoring and learning.

Responsibilities and accountabilities

The following responsibilities and accountabilities apply for the purpose of this policy:

13. Deputy Minister
    Responsible for providing overall leadership to support GBA Plus in the department and ensuring due diligence related to GBA Plus across all business lines.
14. Assistant Deputy Ministers
    Responsible for providing leadership in the promotion, implementation and monitoring of GBA Plus in their Branches, and ensuring their employees take mandatory GBA Plus training and integrate GBA Plus into their work.
15. Director Generals and Deputy Minister direct reports
    Responsible for supporting the promotion, use, implementation and monitoring of GBA Plus in their areas.
16. Policy and Research Division
    The Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans in the Policy and Research Division is the focal point and the departmental GBA Plus Network lead for facilitating, raising awareness and supporting the application and implementation of GBA Plus. The Division supports the program areas with application of GBA Plus to Cabinet documents; develops and provides GBA Plus functional guidance for the Department; promotes integration of GBA Plus tools and knowledge into work, including the development of a departmental GBA Plus Step Guide and facilitated Case Study; shares best practices; supports the Champion for Inclusion to advance GBA Plus; and serves as the main point of contact for Women and Gender Equality Canada, and the broader Government of Canada GBA Plus network (e.g. GBA Plus Interdepartmental Committee).
17. Management/supervisors
    Managers and supervisors are drivers of cultural change within their groups, and are responsible for applying GBA Plus to their organizational mandates; ensuring GBA Plus is embedded in their work and processes including identification of data collection needs with new/revised programs and services, supporting staff training on GBA Plus, mandatory corporate reporting (e.g. Departmental Plan, Departmental Results Report), Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board Submissions; facilitating opportunities to strengthen GBA Plus implementation and address barriers and/or gaps; while, supporting the sustainable practice of GBA Plus.
18. Functional areas
    Areas responsible for research, audits, evaluations, performance, reporting, and data and information management have distinct responsibilities to support GBA Plus. Depending on the functional area these include fostering improved data and information collection and analysis related to gender and other intersecting identity factors, reporting based on GBA Plus, and ensuring programs are evaluated with a GBA Plus lens.
19. Veterans Affairs Canada employees
    Responsible for taking mandatory GBA Plus training and integrating GBA Plus principles in their work; and accessing available GBA Plus tools and training for policy and program development, evaluation and service delivery.

Monitoring and evaluation

20. Monitoring and Evaluation of GBA Plus implementation at VAC will take place through several mechanisms, including:
    1. The annual Gender-Based Analysis Plus Implementation Survey administered by Women and Gender Equality Canada. This Survey provides a key monitoring and measurement tool to assess whether a department is advancing on the goal of full integration of GBA Plus into departmental processes.
    2. Annual Departmental Results Report, Supplementary Information Tables for GBA Plus, including program GBA Plus data collection plans and program linkages to the Gender Results Framework.
    3. Quality of GBA Plus analyses conducted for initiating documents such as Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions, and regulatory packages.
    4. Program evaluation results, which aim to identify and address opportunities to improve and/or leverage best practices, inclusive of diverse needs of women, men and gender-diverse people and their intersecting identity and military/service factors.

Expected results

21. Strengthen how the experiences of Veterans, their families, and employees are identified and considered in terms of intersecting parts of identities, context, and lived realities.
22. Foster:
    1. More equitable outcomes for Veterans, their families, and employees;
    2. Improved client and employee satisfaction considerate of diverse needs;
    3. Identification and prevention or mitigation of risks (e.g. legal, policy); and
    4. More informed and inclusive decision-making and better public policy.

References

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (charter-poster.pdf (justice.gc.ca))

Canadian Human Rights Act (justice.gc.ca), R.S.C. 1985, c. H-6

Employment Equity Act (justice.gc.ca)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/e-5.401/page-1.html, S.C. 1995, c. 44

Canadian Gender Budgeting Act (justice.gc.ca)https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-17.2/FullText.html, S.C. 2018, c. 27, s. 314

Accessible Canada Act, S.C. 2019, c. 10

Gender-based Analysis Plus resources- Women and Gender Equality Canada

Annex A - Intersecting Identity Factors

Annex B - GBA Plus 5 Step Process

Outlined below are the five steps of a systematic GBA Plus process. It is helpful to think of each of these step as “moments” in the life of an initiative (e.g. policy, program, research study, legislation, regulations), as well as corporate functions (e.g. performance measurement, communications, human resources and financial management).

It is important to keep in mind that although the five steps of GBA Plus are depicted and addressed above in a linear manner, they do not occur successively nor are they always mutually distinct. They can occur simultaneously, in a different order, or at more than one time, creating “feedback loops” for continuous improvement and GBA Plus capacity building.