Evaluation of Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics

Evaluation Report

August 2023

How the report is structured

The report in short
Acronyms and abbreviations
What is covered
What we learned
How to improve the Centre
Management response and action plan
Appendix A: Examples of data needs on intersectionality
Appendix B: Suggested improvements to the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub

The report in short

In line with the Government of Canada's priority to make more detailed data accessible on gender and diversity characteristics to support and inform the development of equitable policies and programs, Budget 2018 committed funds for Statistics Canada to create the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS). While the original focus of the CGDIS was mainly on Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), the scope and mandate broadened over time and now include other groups such as 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized groups.

Through its work, the CGDIS aims to:

Address important gaps in available data and analysis to make detailed data accessible for increased analysis on gender, diversity and inclusion (GDI) in Canada;
Support data development and capacity-building strategies to measure GDI outcomes; and
Increase knowledge and capacity on GDI.

These measures extend to conducting intersectional analyses and contributing to training initiatives that will help build an understanding of the barriers that different groups face and how best to support them with evidence-based policies.

The CGDIS strives to achieve its mandate through the following three objectives:

Reporting to Canadians about the state and progress of GDI in Canada;
Generating new information to increase knowledge and develop new concepts and measures to address intersecting identity characteristics; and
Building statistical capacity to increase knowledge of GDI and GBA Plus.

Moreover, as Statistics Canada's centre of excellence for GDI-related data, the CGDIS has also been assigned a key role in supporting the Disaggregated Data Action Plan, which aims to fill data and knowledge gaps around GDI.

This evaluation was conducted by Statistics Canada in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results and Statistics Canada's Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2021/2022 to 2025/2026). The objective of the evaluation is to assess the relevance of the CGDIS, its effectiveness in achieving intended results and its readiness to move forward. Effectiveness was examined in terms of its progress towards its objectives.

The evaluation methodology consisted of a document review and interviews. Interviews were conducted with Statistics Canada's staff (i.e., CGDIS staff, staff from other divisions that partnered or worked with the CGDIS, and regional staff), as well as with partners and users external to Statistics Canada. The findings outlined in this report are based on the triangulation of these data collection methods.

Key findings and recommendations

The CGDIS made progress on all three key objectives and has met the key deliverables outlined in its strategic proposal. The Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub was launched in September 2018, and the Centre delivered several products over the period. In addition, GBA Plus training material was developed in collaboration with Women and Gender Equality Canada and the Canada School of Public Service, and hub tours were delivered.

The CGDIS' engagement strategy promoted the awareness and use of the GDIS Hub and related products but mainly among federal government organizations (FGOs). Overall, the CGDIS met the needs of most FGOs, particularly those who were regular clients of the Centre. While the needs of non-FGOs were met to a lesser extent, most of them still supported the work of the CGDIS and underscored the importance of the GDIS Hub. Data needs varied across user groups, but they all expressed a desire to have more disaggregated data to better understand the intersectionality as opposed to binary interactions. Many opportunities for improvements were also noted for the presentation of data, overall functionality of the Hub and outreach efforts to non-FGOs.

The CGDIS has strategically transformed its organization to adapt and evolve. However, gaps in its overall program management, oversight and capacity are risks. Having robust planning and prioritization processes, relevant performance measurement, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and proper governance are key considerations as the CGDIS moves forward. A more strategic targeted approach is also required to improve outreach and engagement with non-FGOs.

In light of these findings, the following recommendations are proposed:

Recommendation 1

The Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Health and Labour Statistics Field (Field 8), should ensure that the CGDIS:

Establishes a recurring activity prioritization and decision-making process at the CGDIS level which would facilitate the ongoing review and rebalancing of activities; and
Develops and implements key performance measures that will support the monitoring of activities in view of the objectives set forth by the Centre.

Recommendation 2

The Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Health and Labour Statistics Field (Field 8), should ensure that the CGDIS:

Establishes or leverages a senior-level governance body to provide guidance; and
Formalizes roles and responsibilities with internal partners such as other program areas.

Recommendation 3

The Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Health and Labour Statistics Field (Field 8), should ensure that the CGDIS takes steps to broaden and enhance its outreach, consultation and engagement efforts to include external non-FGO stakeholders.

Acronyms and abbreviations

CGDIS: Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics
DDAP: Disaggregated Data Action Plan
FGO: Federal government organization
GBA Plus: Gender-based Analysis Plus
GDI: Gender, diversity and inclusion
GDIS: Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics
2SLGBTQI+: Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexually and gender diverse
WAGE: Women and Gender Equality Canada

What is covered

The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results and Statistics Canada's Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2021/2022 to 2025/2026). The objective of the evaluation is to assess the relevance of the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS), its effectiveness in achieving intended results and its readiness to move forward. Effectiveness was examined in terms of its progress towards its objectives.

The Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics

Mandate and objectives

In line with the Government of Canada's priority to make more detailed data accessible on gender and diversity characteristics to support and inform the development of equitable policies and programs, Budget 2018 committed funds for Statistics Canada to create the CGDIS. While the original focus of the Centre was mainly on Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)^{Footnote 1}, the scope and mandate broadened over time and now include other groups such as 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized groups.

Through its work, the CGDIS aims to:

Address important gaps in available data and analysis to make detailed data accessible for increased analysis on gender, diversity and inclusion (GDI);
Support data development and capacity-building strategies to measure GDI outcomes; and
Increase knowledge and capacity on GDI in Canada.

The CGDIS strives to achieve its mandate through the following three objectives:

Reporting to Canadians about the state and progress of GDI in Canada;
Generating new information to increase knowledge and develop new concepts and measures to address intersecting identity characteristics; and
Building statistical capacity to increase knowledge of GDI and GBA Plus.

Budget 2021 also committed funds to Statistics Canada to implement the Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP), which aims to fill data and knowledge gaps around GDI. The funding is intended to enhance statistics on diverse populations and support more representative data collection. In doing so, the DDAP is expected to support the Government's and society's efforts to address gender gaps and systemic racism. As Statistics Canada's centre of excellence for GDI-related data, the CGDIS has also been assigned a key role in supporting the DDAP.

Key activities

Table 1 below highlights the CGDIS' key activities under each of its three objectives, including examples of actions.

Table 1. Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics' key activities under each objective
Reporting to Canadians	Generating new information	Building statistical capacity
Key activities
Tracking, aggregating and disseminating relevant data through the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub Supporting evidence-based analysis and policy development Producing new analytical products and innovative visual tools Providing insights on important issues faced by different gender and diversity groups	Increasing new knowledge on gender, diversity and other intersecting identities Identifying data gaps for more inclusive data Developing new concepts and measures to address identified data gaps Using leading-edge methods and techniques to link or integrate data from various sources	Establishing partnerships to build and enhance statistical knowledge and literacy on Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), diversity and inclusion Developing, sharing, and advising on standards and best practices for measuring concepts related to gender, diversity and inclusion
Examples of work being carried out by the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS)
Developing, launching, updating and maintaining the GDIS Hub Developing the Gender Results Framework indicators and tables Posting research and analytical products and infographics on the GDIS Hub Providing corporate support on GBA Plus	Developing research and analytical products, including infographics on gender, diversity and inclusion in Canada. Providing subject-matter expertise and support (e.g., developing standards) to external and internal stakeholders	Establishing and leading Statistics Canada's GBA Plus Responsibility Network Providing training (including hub tours and workshops) to internal and external stakeholders Conducting outreach and raising awareness of the CGDIS and the Hub to internal and external stakeholders Leading the update of the visible minority concept and corresponding statistical standards

Structure

As depicted by Figure 1, the CGDIS is led by an assistant director who reports to the Director of the Diversity and Sociocultural Statistics Division. The division falls under the responsibility of the Director General of the Justice, Diversity and Population Statistics Branch, which is within the Social, Health and Labour Statistics Field.

At the time of the evaluation, the CGDIS was comprised of the following two sections^{Footnote 2}:

Leadership, Engagement and Partnership; and
Research, Analysis and Subject Matter.

Both sections directly mirrored the three key objectives of the CGDIS. The Leadership, Engagement and Partnership section largely delivered on the CGDIS' Reporting to Canadians and Building statistical capacity objectives, while the Research, Analysis and Subject Matter section largely delivered on the Generating new information objective.

The Leadership, Engagement and Partnership section was responsible for updating and maintaining the GDIS Hub, delivering GDIS Hub tours, conducting engagement and outreach activities, and holding consultations to ensure that the Hub is meeting the needs of users.

The Research, Analysis and Subject Matter section consisted of two teams, each led by a chief:

Gender Research and GBA Plus Corporate Reporting; and
Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics and the DDAP Secretariat.

The GBA Plus Corporate Reporting team was established to respond to corporate requests, including reviewing documents such as Treasury Board submissions, and to ensure that the GBA Plus lens and analysis were complete and integrated. Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics was previously a centre on its own at Statistics Canada; however, because of the broadening mandate of the CGDIS and the resulting overlap, it was subsequently integrated into the CGDIS. Finally, the DDAP Secretariat, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the DDAP across Statistics Canada, was added.

To help with the high volume of requests that the CGDIS receives, a SWAT Team was established to channel ad hoc and urgent requests to the appropriate areas in the Centre for action. However, since the SWAT Team does not have the authority to assign requests to other divisions within or outside the field, it is dependent on their availability to help.

Description - Figure 1. Structure of the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics at the time of the evaluation

The figure 1 depicts the structure of the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS) at the time of the evaluation.

At the time of the evaluation, the CGDIS was comprised of the Leadership, Engagement and Partnership Section, which is led by a chief, as well as the Research, Analysis and Subject Matter Section, which consisted of the following two teams, each led by a chief:

Gender Research and GBA Plus Corporate Reporting; and
Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics and the DDAP Secretariat.

The CGDIS is led by an assistant director who reports to the Director of the Diversity and Sociocultural Statistics Division. The division falls under the responsibility of the Director General of the Justice, Diversity and Population Statistics Branch.

The evaluation

The scope of the evaluation included the key activities of the CGDIS, which support its three objectives (namely, reporting to Canadians, generating new information and building statistical capacity). Nonetheless, activities undertaken by the CGDIS beyond the three objectives were also captured to provide a complete picture of the activities performed by the Centre.

The scope was established in consultation with CGDIS management.

The evaluation was conducted from January to November 2022. The three evaluation issues and questions that were identified for review are outlined in Table 2.

Table 2. Evaluation issues and questions
Evaluation issues	Evaluation questions
1. Effectiveness: Progress towards objectives	To what extent is the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS) progressing towards the achievement of its three key objectives? Reporting to Canadians about the state and progress of gender, diversity and inclusion (GDI) in Canada. Generating new information to increase new knowledge on GDI and develop new concepts and measures to address intersecting identity characteristics. Building statistical capacity to increase knowledge of GDI and Gender-based Analysis Plus.
2. Effectiveness and relevance: Awareness and usefulness	To what extent are stakeholders aware of the CGDIS' key activities and to what extent are their needs met?
3. Moving forward	To what extent is the CGDIS well positioned to fulfill its objectives and evolving role in the future (such as the Disaggregated Data Action Plan)?

Guided by a utilization-focused evaluation approach, the data collection methods outlined in Figure 2 were used.

Description - Figure 2. Data collection methods

The figure 2 depicts the three collection methods used for the evaluation: external interviews, internal interviews, and document review.

The external interviews included semi-structured interviews with other federal government organizations, academia and non-profit organizations. There were 30 external interviews conducted with 30 people.

The internal interviews included semi-structured interviews with Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics representatives, as well as partners and users within Statistics Canada. There were 22 internal interviews conducted with 29 people.

The document review included a review of Statistics Canada's documents and web trends information.

Three main limitations were identified, and mitigation strategies were employed, as outlined in Table 3.

Table 3. Limitations and mitigation strategies
Limitations	Mitigation strategies
Given the wide range of products and services offered by the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS), the perspectives gathered through external interviews may not fully apply to the entire range of CGDIS products and services.	Key deliverables were selected under each of the CGDIS' three key objectives using specific criteria to maximize the value of external input for the Centre.
Given the very broad nature of the subject areas covered by the CGDIS, the perspectives gathered through external interviews may not be fully representative of all those who have used CGDIS products or services.	External interviewees were selected using specific criteria to give as broad a range as possible, and attempts were made to pre-qualify potential interviewees. Those interviewees who never used CGDIS products or services were still able to provide information on the usefulness and relevance of the CGDIS' deliverables and awareness efforts.
Given that the proportion of the available lists of external stakeholders was largely skewed towards federal government organizations (FGOs), the perspectives gathered from external interviews may be heavily biased towards the needs and priorities of the federal government.	External interviewees were selected early and using specific criteria to maximize reach to non-FGO stakeholders. The CGDIS and evaluators were aware of the skew and its implications and, where possible, findings were presented separately for FGO and non-FGO stakeholders.

What we learned

1. Effectiveness: Progress towards objectives

Evaluation question

To what extent is the CGDIS progressing towards the achievement of its three key objectives?

Reporting to Canadians about the state and progress of GDI in Canada.
Generating new information to increase new knowledge on gender, diversity, and develop new concepts and measures to address intersecting identity characteristics.
Building statistical capacity to increase knowledge of GDI and GBA Plus.

Summary

The CGDIS made progress on all three key objectives and has met the key deliverables outlined in its strategic proposal. The GDIS Hub was launched in September 2018, and the Centre delivered several products over the period. In addition, GBA Plus training materials were developed in collaboration with Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) and the Canada School of Public Service, and hub tours were delivered.

One of the CGDIS key deliverables is the GDIS Hub. Launched in 2018, the Hub brings together GDI data from several Statistics Canada sources and presents the information in a single interactive analytical environment.

When the CGDIS was first established, its key activities were set forth by senior management and guided by the original mandate of its strategic proposal, namely, to deliver the GDIS Hub and to provide GBA Plus information.

The GDIS Hub is a platform on the Statistics Canada website which brings together GDI-related data from several Statistics Canada sources and presents the information in a single interactive analytical environment. It provides users with consolidated access to research and detailed statistical information. It also includes links to recent releases, key indicators, a data visualization tool, infographics, information on the DDAP and engagement opportunities.

Subject-specific pages within the GDIS Hub include:

accessibility statistics, which are produced in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada;
the Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub, which includes indicators for the Gender Results Framework;
the Dimensions of Poverty Hub;
immigration and ethnocultural diversity statistics;
statistics on Indigenous peoples;
language statistics;
statistics on older adults and population aging; and
rural Canada statistics.

While the original scope was for the CGDIS to create a statistical hub that would present data and products on the topic of gender, the GDIS Hub has expanded to include the concepts of diversity and inclusion.

The planning and development of the GDIS Hub began during the summer of 2018, and the launch took place in September 2018. The CGDIS was required to launch the Hub six weeks after the Centre was first established; given the short turnaround, no formal consultations took place with stakeholders. However, a crowdsourcing consultation did take place soon after the launch to gather input from Canadians to inform continued development.

In addition to the GDIS Hub, the Centre delivered many products and services under each of its three key objectives. These included GBA Plus training materials, which were developed in collaboration with WAGE and the Canada School of Public Service, and hub tours.

In addition to the creation, launch and upgrade of the GDIS Hub, the Centre has delivered many other products and services under each of its three objectives.

Under the Reporting to Canadians objective, the CGDIS launched the newly developed Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub; included a DDAP tile within the GDIS Hub; and tracked the 29 indicators for the Gender Results Framework^{Footnote 3}.

Under Generating new information, the CGDIS delivered the portrait of Canada's Black population; developed products pertaining to definitions and addressing measurement issues with respect to racism and discrimination; undertook and released research and analytical products under letters of agreement with other federal government organizations (FGOs); and produced infographics to augment the presentation of related data.

Finally, under its Building statistical capacity objective, the CGDIS established Statistics Canada's GBA Plus Responsibility Network to further spread GBA Plus knowledge and awareness across the agency and to support timeliness with corporate requests with GBA Plus components (e.g., GBA Plus annexes in funding proposals). The CGDIS also provided GDIS Hub tours, which are training sessions that walk participants through the GDIS Hub's different features and information. It also developed GBA Plus training material in collaboration with WAGE and the Canada School of Public Service.

It was also noted that the CGDIS has met the key implementation milestones in its strategic proposal and that targets in its performance measurement framework were either being met or were under development. With the key deliverables from the proposal met, activities evolved to correspond with the Centre's expanding scope and mandate.

2. Effectiveness and relevance: Awareness and usefulness

Evaluation question

To what extent are stakeholders aware of the CGDIS' key activities and to what extent are their needs met?

Summary

The CGDIS' engagement strategy promoted the awareness and use of the GDIS Hub and related products but mainly among FGOs. Overall, the CGDIS met the needs of most FGOs, particularly those who were regular clients of the Centre. While the needs of non-FGOs were met to a lesser extent, most of them still supported the work of the CGDIS and underscored the importance of the GDIS Hub. Data needs varied across user groups, but they all expressed a desire to have more disaggregated data to better understand the intersectionality as opposed to binary interactions. Many opportunities for improvements were also noted for the presentation of data, overall functionality of the Hub and outreach efforts to non-FGOs.

The CGDIS promoted the awareness of the GDIS Hub by engaging external stakeholders in various ways; many communication channels, both formal and informal, and social media platforms were leveraged.

The CGDIS engaged external stakeholders in various ways and leveraged many communication channels. This included the ongoing engagement of existing clients (e.g., WAGE, Canadian Heritage), where regular discussions took place to collaboratively identify research priorities to fill data gaps and create new GDI products. One of the various GDI initiatives the Centre is involved in is the Justice Data Modernization initiative, which is a data and research initiative led by the Department of Justice Canada and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and use of disaggregated data in view of addressing the over-representation of Indigenous, Black and racialized people in the criminal justice system.

The CGDIS also participates in various committees, networks and working groups, such as the Sexual Orientation Standards Working Group, which conducts consultations with various stakeholders, including 2SLGBTQI+ experts, academic groups and the general public. The CGDIS also engaged external stakeholders through Statistics Canada's regional representatives, who serve as a point of contact between the public and the agency. For example, the CGDIS delivered a series of webinars for the Library of Parliament through this channel. The Centre also maintains a social media presence reaching out to the public on several digital platforms.

The CGDIS' engagement strategy promoted the awareness of the GDIS Hub and research and analytical products, particularly among interviewees from FGOs who had worked with the Centre.

Most external interviewees, especially users from FGOs who had worked directly with the CGDIS either as a client of the Centre, were aware of the GDIS Hub and the CGDIS' research and analytical products either through a letter of agreement/memorandum of understanding, or as a partner helping to develop analytical products or provide input. Most were made aware of the CGDIS through colleagues, or through the various official messages (e.g.: Budget 2018 or the email announcing the CGDIS' launch) or from the notifications from Statistics Canada's official release bulletin, The Daily. Some also discovered the GDIS Hub and the research and analytical products by navigating through Statistics Canada's website or via an Internet search engine, such as Google.

Nearly all of those who were aware of the GDIS Hub or the CGDIS' research and analytical products have used them. However, the frequency of use reported by users of the GDIS Hub varied greatly. Some used it daily, while others reported that they use it only occasionally. The few who did not use the Hub had access to other sources of data to conduct their work. A few interviewees mentioned that they were uncertain whether the research and analytical products they accessed were from the CGDIS.

Description - Figure 3. Awareness and use of the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics' products and services by federal government organization and non-federal government organization interviewees

The figure 3 depicts the awareness and use of the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics' (CGDIS') products and services by federal government organization and non-federal government organization interviewees.

Among the external interviewees, 70% (n=30) were from federal government organizations (FGOs), who were the main target audience for the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub.

Out of these FGO interviewees:

33% have used the training, workshops and hub tours provided by the CGDIS, while 67% were unaware of them.
81% have used CGDIS' research and analytical products, while 5% were aware of them but did not use them, and 14% were unaware of them.
90% have used the GDIS Hub, while 10% were aware of it but did not use it.

Out of the external interviewees who were not from federal government organizations (i.e., non-FGO interviewees):

11% were aware of the training, workshops and hub tours provided by the CGDIS but did not use them, while 89% were unaware of them.
44% have used CGDIS' research and analytical products, while 56% were unaware of them.
56% have used the GDIS Hub, while 11% were aware of it but did not use it, and 33% were unaware of it.

Most external interviewees were unaware of training and learning opportunities.

The CGDIS partnered with FGOs to build and enhance the statistical knowledge and literacy of policy analysts and researchers on GDI by contributing to various learning activities. These included collaborating with WAGE and the Canada School of Public Service to develop training material for GBA Plus courses, conducting GDIS Hub tours, delivering workshops (e.g., data interpretation workshops), and presenting to specific user groups (e.g., webinars to researchers of the Library of Parliament).

However, there was a gap in the awareness of the training and learning opportunities. Nearly all the interviewees from non-FGOs and 67% of the interviewees from FGOs were unaware of the GDIS Hub tours and learning activities provided by the CGDIS. All the interviewees who had participated in the hub tours were from FGOs who were either clients of the CGDIS or had partnered with it.

Furthermore, while the hub tours were offered to promote the GDIS Hub when it was launched, they were no longer promoted afterwards but were available upon request only. Many external interviewees, from both FGOs and non-FGOs, indicated that they and their teams would have benefitted from the hub tours, workshops and presentations.

Overall, the CGDIS met the needs of most interviewees from FGOs, particularly those who were ongoing, regular clients of the Centre; many noted that without the Hub and the research and analytical products, their ability to carry out their work effectively and efficiently would be greatly hindered.

Interviewees from FGOs used the GDIS Hub and the CGDIS' research and analytical products to support their work in advancing their organizational agenda on GDI. This work included meeting organizational requirements on GBA Plus, analyzing the implications of policies and programs through a GBA Plus or GDI lens, and informing various governmental initiatives on GDI-related matters.

Many of the interviewees from FGOs reported that without the GDIS Hub and the research and analytical products, their ability to carry out their work efficiently would have been greatly hindered. Those who participated in the hub tours or training provided by the CGDIS also reported that these sessions helped to reduce the learning curve on aspects of their work, such as finding specific GDI data.

While the needs of interviewees from non-FGOs were met to a lesser extent than those from FGOs, most of them still supported the work of the CGDIS and underscored the importance of the GDIS Hub.

Interviewees from non-FGOs, such as those from academia and not-for-profit organizations, also used the GDIS Hub and the research and analytical products to support their various GDI data needs. These needs included conducting research, monitoring GDI trends and related impacts on different groups, providing information for decision-making to their stakeholders, teaching and raising awareness, communicating with the media, and complementing other data sources.

Although the CGDIS did meet some of the needs of non-FGOs, it was to a lesser extent than for those from FGOs. Nonetheless, nearly all still supported the work of the CGDIS and underscored the importance of the GDIS Hub. Some noted that the GDIS Hub was particularly crucial for smaller not-for-profit organizations which lack the capacity to perform their own extensive analyses due to limited resources. For these organizations, the GDIS Hub provided quick access to some GDI data that supported their work.

Overall, despite some of its limitations, many interviewees noted that the GDIS Hub made GDI data more accessible to Canadians. For some interviewees, not having the GDIS Hub would be detrimental to their work in advancing GDI. One interviewee mentioned that without the Hub, Statistics Canada's reputation as a supporter of the Government of Canada's GDI priority could be undermined.

Although specific data needs varied across user groups, the general consensus was a desire for more disaggregated data to better understand the intersectionality as opposed to binary interactions.

External interviewees identified data needs for at least the following six different population groups: gender groups, racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and newcomers, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ groups.

For these population groups, external interviewees were mostly interested in having data on the following six dimensions: population and demography, including sexual orientation as a demographic variable; health and health care; labour and employment; income and wealth; housing and community; and violence and abuse.

Almost all external interviewees expressed a desire to better understand the intersectionality between these various dimensions and their impact on sub-population groups (for example, being able to make a statement such as the following: "The general population experience is […], which is amplified for populations who are also members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, and further amplified for members who are Black and living with disabilities"). At the same time, some interviewees recognized that it would not always be possible to obtain their desired level of disaggregated data given the need for confidentiality to be protected by Statistics Canada. While Statistics Canada strives to produce more detailed information, it must also ensure confidentiality and privacy are maintained.

Table 4 in Appendix A provides examples of data needs on intersectionality identified by external interviewees.

Several opportunities were identified to enhance the GDIS Hub and its content.

While the GDIS Hub was initially launched in 2018 without client testing or consultation, it was later updated in 2021 to reflect the feedback gathered from a crowdsourcing consultation conducted in 2018, as well as the CGDIS' expanded scope. While some interviewees noted improvements to the GDIS Hub, they largely pertained to the quantity of information.

Many interviewees, particularly those from non-FGOs, identified opportunities for improvement regarding how data were presented in the GDIS Hub. One area for improvement was terminology. For example, many noted the need to have more clarity and consistency on terms such as "community," "ethnocultural group," "visible minority" and "racialized." Furthermore, it was mentioned that there are instances where the GDIS Hub's definitions are inconsistent with other parts of the Statistics Canada website. For example, "non-binary gender identities" is used in one area and "male or female" is used in another. Finally, some interviewees also pointed out the importance of not conflating certain GDI concepts, such as lumping "persons with disabilities" under "accessibility" or "sexual orientation" under "gender identities."

For many, timeliness is one of the GDIS Hub's main challenges, as nearly real-time data are what is desired. For example, labour market information that is one or two years old was viewed as being not useful for planning purposes. Interviewees also noted that some features or data in the Hub are not kept up to date, rendering the information unreliable or irrelevant.

Some interviewees noted that the data presented could be more useful if they were supplemented with contextual information, such as an introductory paragraph, background information or footnotes. Supporting information is deemed necessary to help users better understand the social and cultural dimensions of inequity issues for certain population groups. Data alone without this information could be misinterpreted or misused.

Many of the interviewees, particularly those from non-FGOs, did not find the GDIS Hub to be user-friendly. Most noted that it was difficult to find the information that they needed. As such, several opportunities were identified to enhance the user experience by improving the GDIS Hub's overall functionality. One of the areas for enhancement pertained to its design and layout, such as how the GDIS Hub is organized visually and its ease of navigation. Another area was improving the Hub's search function so that users could find the information they are looking for more easily. The final key enhancement was the use of more data visualization tools, such as infographics and charts.

Table 5 in Appendix B provides further examples of improvements to the GDIS Hub suggested by external interviewees.

It is important to note that many aspects of the Hub fall outside the control of the CGDIS; technically and functionally, the Hub (and more broadly the Statistics Canada website) is based on corporate solutions supported by corporate resources, and content from other parts of Statistics Canada falls under the responsibility of those groups. For example, the presentation of the data and the overall functionality of the Hub are dependent on the structure of the website and availability of information technology resources, which are factors beyond the control of the CGDIS. In addition, the current Statistics Canada website follows a subject structure that does not include the representative groups and the intersectional identity factors.

Outreach efforts to non-FGOs could be improved.

Most interviewees encouraged the CGDIS to enhance its outreach efforts to further promote awareness of the Hub and related products and services. Opportunities for improvement in this area included having more frequent communication on GDIS Hub updates. Having a sign-up option in the Hub for users to receive updates would help support this enhancement. Having a dedicated point of contact on the Hub for users to ask questions through a live chat function or general mailbox was also suggested.

Another opportunity is for the CGDIS to enhance its outreach efforts to non-FGOs. These non-FGOs include:

organizations with a social purpose and grassroots organizations;
academics;
networks of immigrant employment service and settlement agencies across Canada, many of which have their own provincial or municipal networks;
immigrant employment councils; and
chambers of commerce.

These organizations often work directly with local and diverse communities and have their own channels and networks that could be leveraged to help raise awareness of the CGDIS. For example, universities and social science associations such as the Canadian Sociological Association and the Canadian Population Society would be groups that could disseminate information about the CGDIS. Beyond outreach, the CGDIS could develop closer relationships with these organizations to leverage their expertise, experience, networks and ideas.

3. Moving forward

Evaluation question

To what extent is the CGDIS well positioned to fulfill its objectives and evolving role in the future (such as the DDAP)?

Summary

Given the broad mandate of the CGDIS and its prominence in the current social and political environment, the demands on the Centre are significant and growing. The Centre receives both external requests from stakeholders and internal requests from senior management and other program areas. It undertakes a vast array of activities, including:

Providing expertise on frameworks, papers, and definitions and terminology;
Disseminating data for FGOs through the GDIS Hub;
Fulfilling contractual work under letters of agreement and memoranda of understanding; and
Performing a coordination function for interactions between FGOs such as WAGE and other Statistics Canada divisions.

Program areas work with the CGDIS on developing standards and concepts, conducting analyses, disseminating products and infographics, and actioning requests for information and support (both on an ad hoc basis and on an ongoing basis, such as through letters of agreement and memoranda of understanding).

Regarding ad hoc requests that the CGDIS receives, it should be noted that some fall outside of the Centre's three objectives. Examples include some corporate reporting responsibilities and speech and presentation materials for the field. Furthermore, the Centre also receives requests that are not related to its mandate, such as employment equity requests that pertain to human resources. These requests add to the overall burden the Centre faces.

The CGDIS has taken progressive steps to meet its objectives and mature as a Centre; this includes aligning its organizational structure, establishing a SWAT Team and a GBA Plus Corporate Reporting Team, incorporating the DDAP Secretariat, and updating its planning processes.

In exploring the Centre's readiness to meet upcoming challenges, several dimensions of its program management were examined: governance, planning and prioritization, roles and responsibilities, capacity, and connection to stakeholders.

There is no formal governance body to provide guidance to the CGDIS on areas such as priorities, accountabilities, and roles and responsibilities.

The CGDIS follows Statistics Canada's regular governance structure (i.e., Tier 1 committees); the Centre falls under the responsibility of the Diversity and Sociocultural Statistics Division within the Justice, Diversity and Population Statistics Branch. There is no additional oversight, advisory or other formal governance body in place to provide guidance on areas such as priorities, accountabilities, and roles and responsibilities. While the Centre participated in working groups such as the Sexual Orientation Standards Working Group and the DDAP Engagement and Communications Working Group, managed the Advisory Committee on Ethnocultural and Immigration Statistics, and operated the GBA Plus Responsibility Network, none of these provide the Centre with organizational strategic-level guidance.

Several considerations are taken into account by the CGDIS when identifying and prioritizing activities, including alignment with government-wide and agency priorities, input from stakeholders, and obligations under letters of agreement and memoranda of understanding.

The process to identify and prioritize key activities takes place at the division, Centre and section levels. It includes a bottom-up approach whereby input is provided by the sections to management. All levels take similar information into consideration: Government of Canada, Statistics Canada and divisional priorities and objectives; emerging trends; input from clients and internal and external stakeholders; and obligations under letters of agreement and memoranda of understanding. For example, the Research, Analysis, and Subject Matter section has an annual unit research plan that is developed in consultation with its partners (e.g., Canadian Heritage, WAGE and others) and in alignment with Government of Canada and Statistics Canada priorities. At the section level, each section independently identifies and prioritizes its key activities according to its respective objectives and informs management. The sections are ultimately responsible for operationalizing activities.

Working relationships between partner divisions and the CGDIS are mostly informal in nature.

As noted previously, the work of the CGDIS is often intertwined with other areas of Statistics Canada. Leadership, input and support from the CGDIS are viewed as invaluable by internal partners. CGDIS analysts are viewed as subject-matter experts and are often tasked with new requests and activities for cross-cutting work, which frequently overlaps with other program areas. Interviewees noted that this raises some challenges in terms of clarity around accountability, such as who should be the lead. In addition, it was also noted that operational discussions between the CGDIS and other program areas are generally informal in nature and occur at the working level. This may result in varying roles and relationships that are people-dependent; this is a risk given challenges around capacity and an increasing volume of requests.

Finally, while the CGDIS' mandate and objectives are aligned with the DDAP, many interviewees noted that the relationship between the two, including roles and responsibilities, lacked clarity.

A lack of resources was a significant concern; growing demands have placed significant pressure on the Centre.

A lack of capacity and resources to respond to significant and growing demands was a concern identified by many internal interviewees. There was a strong belief that as the scope and volume of work have increased for the CGDIS, capacity and resources have not increased correspondingly. The CGDIS has recognized this and is trying to build up its human resource capacity^{Footnote 4}. However, many reported that it is challenging to find the right complement of individuals with the required skills, lived experiences and agile mindsets.

Some partners and stakeholders noted there were delays for some deliverables from the CGDIS. They also questioned whether the Centre could meet its many demands given its capacity challenges. Additionally, turnover and fatigue among staff were noted by many interviewees. In addition to establishing the SWAT Team, there are also efforts to leverage corporate resources, such as those from the Strategic Engagement Field and the Data Analytics as a Service Division, to help inform the CGDIS' external consultations and to assess the behavioural user experience of the GDIS Hub, respectively.

While the CGDIS maintains good working relationships with its key FGO stakeholders, engagement with those from non-FGOs was lacking.

Overall, the CGDIS is meeting the needs of the FGOs it works with on a regular basis. Regular communication takes place with these stakeholders, and their needs are well understood and are considered in planning. For non-FGOs such as academia and not-for-profit organizations, their needs are being met to a lesser degree. However, the mandate and objectives of the CGDIS still resonated with them.

More recently, the CGDIS has moved to expand and formalize its consultations and engagements. For example, the CGDIS has had consultations on the standard on sexual orientation, and a communication plan on the standard for visible minorities is in development. Some other activities include giving presentations on the GDIS Hub organized through Statistics Canada regional representatives and formally gathering feedback from its training session.

The CGDIS recognizes its engagements and consultations need to be expanded and is currently developing a plan in consultation with the Stakeholder Relations and Engagement Division to identify gaps in addressing external stakeholders' needs, broaden the current pool of users, and inform the next iterations of the GDIS Hub and related CGDIS products and services.

Having robust planning and prioritization processes, relevant performance measurement, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and proper governance are key considerations as the CGDIS moves forward. A more strategic targeted approach is also required to improve outreach and engagement with non-FGOs.

As Statistics Canada's centre for expertise on GDI statistics, the CGDIS plays a vital role in leading, coordinating and supporting activities in a highly visible evolving domain. Current demands are significant and will increase further under the DDAP. Within this context, proper governance, robust formal planning and prioritization processes, and relevant performance indicators are imperative to efficiently and effectively deliver products and services that align with the needs and priorities of users and stakeholders.

As the CGDIS enhances its planning processes, it should consider establishing a recurring activity prioritization and decision-making process at the CGDIS level. This would allow priorities to be regularly reviewed and rebalanced. The process would include bottom-up input and top-down guidance and facilitate the examination of priorities across and between sections. Supporting the planning and prioritization processes would be a robust performance measurement framework (with indicators and operational metrics) to monitor progress and performance and to highlight areas of challenge, such as capacity.

Given the strong links to other program areas in Statistics Canada, a senior-level governance body to provide guidance on areas of priorities, roles and responsibilities, and accountabilities should be considered. The body should have broad representation so that a more holistic perspective is provided. For example, the new body could help establish accountabilities when requests or projects overlap between the CGDIS and other program areas (i.e., who leads and under what circumstances). In addition, the CGDIS should move to formalize its relationship with other areas to ensure roles and responsibilities are clear and appropriate.

While the CGDIS maintains strong relationships with its key FGOs, the outreach to and engagement of non-FGOs are recognized gaps. While recent activities have tended to be more encompassing, a more strategic targeted approach is required given that non-FGOs are a very diverse group.