Terms of Reference

1.1 Background

The ADM(Mat) Level 1 Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Working Group (WG) was created in 2021 to support Materiel Group efforts in increasing diversity, inclusion, and belonging among its members. The movement towards greater diversity, inclusion, and belonging in ADM(Mat) aligns with similar movements within DND, the Public Service, and Canada. The Clerk of the Privy Council issued a Call to action on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in the Federal Public Service, The President of the Treasury Board also published the diversity and inclusion areas of focus for the public service, which align with the Government’s Speech from the Throne and recent mandate letters. This, along with other government, ministerial, and group guidance and directives, forms the foundation of the direction and activities of the Working Group.

1.2 Mandate

The focus of Materiel Group’s efforts is on its people and the co-creation of a vibrant environment of psychological safety and belonging. The organization’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, respect, and belonging is supported by making resources available for this work through the staffing of a full time L1 Diversity and Inclusion Advisor and supporting micro-mission assignments and working group activities. The organization is also committed to culture change and strongly supports the empowerment of its people to develop skills, awareness, and competencies to allow all to lift those around them towards an inclusive work environment.

1.3 Key Priorities - Vision Statements

The Diversity and Inclusion Office`s foremost priority is to create and maintain a ‘psychologically safe workplace’ for all its Defence Team members, to advocate for transparency in work processes and raise the importance of micro-behaviours awareness.

1.4 Objectives

1. Create a safe space for diversity and inclusion conversations, discussion, raising of issues and challenges.
2. Provide educational opportunities to increase learning in D&I.
3. Raise awareness of D&I activities and initiatives within the Materiel Group, Defence Team, and other public servants.
4. Share D&I best practices.
5. Support the implementation and continual refresh of the Materiel Group D&I Action Plan.
6. Co-create D&I education and information sessions and content.
7. Share successes and challenges in improving D&I.
8. Empower members with the tools, resources, and knowledge to lead D&I culture change advances in their own organizations.

1.5 Action Plan

Our Action Plan is a living document in our organization.  All members of the Materiel Group will have the opportunity to provide advice and direction on the plan.  

1. Eliminate Employment Equity Gaps and Meet Legislative Requirements:  

• Prioritize the hiring of Employment Equity groups that have gaps with respect to workforce availability.
• Audit staffing practices to identify and remove systemic barriers to hiring a diverse workforce.  Action recommendation from HR-Civ to review existing pool data, usage, how pool data is being accessed and managed for unconscious bias.
• Provide guidance and advice on staffing to hiring managers by sharing resources such as the D&I lens tool and provide D&I advice on new hires.  Also, serve a review function of language and content of marketing materials, posters, Statements of Merit Criteria (SOMCs), assessment tools, etc.  Share and apply Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) checklists, tools, questions to support reviews. Finally, promote registration to Diverse Interviewer Inventory.
• Remove barriers to entry-level positions through the review of SOMCs to ensure that education and experience requirements are bona fide only and look for alternatives to formal education.

2. Expand Leadership Representation:

• Through the use of vacancies to promote EE groups to the EX cadre via Executive Development Program (EDP), D&I EX Pool (HR-Civ) and Mat Group EX pools.  Use a Visible Minorities (VM) Pool when there is one.
• Target diverse group members for the EDP.  Senior managers to focus on EE group representation when nominating Members.
• Use acting opportunities to give diverse group members experience working at the executive level via EDP and DG’s identifying EE members for EX acting positions.
• Offer mentorship opportunities for future leadership from diverse backgrounds such as the Lifting As You Lead Mentoring Circle (LLMC) Program Lead.

3. Enhance Promotion Rate and Share for all Diversity Groups:  

• Offer mentoring at all levels for diverse group members through LLMC’s, and the HR-Civ, Procurement Groups (PG) and Engineer (ENG) mentoring programs.  Also, use of Executive Coaching Services as part of EDP.
• Create L1 and L2 D&I working groups.
• Identify qualified personnel through the creation of a process to identify and support members from Mat Grp that have qualified in higher level pools outside Mat Grp.

4. Enhance and Enable Inclusive Practices:

• Build skills and awareness to move the executive cadre along the diversity continuum from minimization to acceptance.
• Creation of L1 Micro-Mission Assignments in Diversity & Inclusion.  
• Creation of an approved Communications Plan that considers Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) 2020 ADM (Mat) results, ongoing active consultations with employees and L1 Working Group activities and ideas. Focus on tools for action, leadership; and HOT (Honest, Open, Transparent) communications. Also, the use of JAM sessions at Group, Division and Directorate levels, use of the virtual Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series of Guest Speakers and Internal Web Portal and Resource Base.
• Celebrate diversity, inclusion and belonging through the recognition and celebration of commemorative days, holidays and events from a diversity of religions, cultures and international observances.  Ensure the delivery of a monthly Materiel Group Multicultural Calendar.

5. Embed Individual Accountability:

• Organize and share culture change learning events to build understanding and awareness of all aspects of diversity, inclusion and belonging through monthly AMA events that amplify the voices of marginalized communities with public servants and diversity experts within the Public Service.
• Employees and leaders co-create a culture of inclusion through learning. Each member adds training activities to their learning plan such as Unconscious Bias training, D&I courses, Employment Equity training, GBA+ training, and cascades such as:  Respectful Workplace, Ethics, and Diversity and Inclusion.
• Employees and leaders co-create a culture of inclusion through action. Each member includes diversity and inclusion activities on their PMA. This is mandatory, but everyone selects their actions. 

1.6 Membership

Chair	ADM(Mat) Level 1 Diversity and Inclusion Advisor.
Members	Level 1 to Level 3 ADM(Mat) members self-nominated or nominated by their chain of command; ADM(Mat) Level 1 Diversity and Inclusion Micro-Mission analysts.
Allies	Any interested members of Materiel Group, Defence Team and Federal Public Service members who want to contribute and knowledge transfer diversity and inclusion initiatives.

1.7 Responsibilities:

Chair	Create a safe space to facilitate open and effective communication within the WG. Organize and host WG meetings. Share knowledge and information with openness and transparency with the WG. Report on WG activities to L0, L1, L2 leadership. Support WG members to develop L2 and L3 plans and activities. Sponsor L2 and L3 D&I initiatives. Raise awareness of WG activities and best practices to other Defence Team groups and Federal Public Service organizations. Share D&I activities and best practices of other Defence Team groups and Federal Public Service organizations. Solicit advice, feedback, and input from WG.
Members	Participate in WG meetings. Participate in L1 D&I and WG activities and initiatives. Share L2 organizational D&I activities and initiatives Distribute information and knowledge from WG to their L2 and L3 organizations. Create safe spaces for discussion and learning within their L2 and L3 organizations. Promote WG activities and initiatives within their L2 organization. Maintain open D&I relationship with senior leadership of their L2 organization. Build L2 and L3 D&I action plans. Build L2 and L3 D&I working groups. Solicit advice, feedback, and input from L2 and L3 organizations.
Allies	Participate in WG meetings. Share and contribute to diversity and inclusion activities and initiatives.

1.8 Meetings

• Meetings are scheduled and organized by the WG Chair or their delegate biweekly.-

  Frequency are adjusted as needed

• Agendas and relevant attachments are shared prior to the meeting.
• Meeting minutes are provided before the meeting along with any additional attachments.
• Meetings take place virtually using the MS Teams platform.
• Time is set aside at each meeting for round table discussion to include, but not limited to:

  Successes or lessons learned on D&I initiatives and engagement efforts; Communications challenges and requests for help / ideas; Opportunities to collaborate, co-create,  cross-promote; Activities that might be scalable or transferrable across organizations.

• WG members or observers are welcome to contribute to meeting Agenda and to invite other participants to attend.
• Meetings provide opportunity for invited guests from outside the WG to share activities, initiatives, successes and challenges.