Professional development and training for public servants
Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57.
Based on data provided August 2021.
57. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
What's happening?
The Canada School of Public Service launched the Indigenous Learning Series in 2016 and the Indigenous Learning Business Line was created in 2019 with a mandate to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 57. Since 2016, the school has:
- conducted internal and external engagement sessions to seek input and work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and academics in addition to public service partners
- launched 5 facilitated courses, 5 foundational self-paced courses and an additional self-paced course: Taking Steps Towards Reconciliation
- organized regional and national learning events on a multitude of topics
- launched Reconciliation: A Starting Point, a mobile application that is available in app stores for both Apple and Android devices and on the School's learning platform
- launched learning resources, including videos, podcasts and various job aids such as, Working with Indigenous Communities: A Guide on Cultural Protocols; The Timeline of Influential Indigenous Women; Territorial Acknowledgement;and, Understanding What is Behind an Expression
- established a governance structure which includes 3 committees (Circle of Elders and Knowledge Keepers as well as an external network and an internal committee) to ensure content is truth-based and reflective of Indigenous perspectives
Recent progress
The Canada School of Public Service continues to develop resources for public servants to advance Call to Action 57. For example, the School developed these new products:
- The School marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in September of 2021 with a major event that attracted the participation of 16,364 public servants; the School held a similar event in 2022 which was attended by 6,827 public servants
- The School continues to hold monthly virtual events which are very well attended
- The School recently launched a new course for executives in the Leadership Reflection Series on Being a Humble Leader that includes an Elder in the course delivery
- The School is working on three new courses for Executives: Making a Difference in Supporting the Careers of Indigenous Employees; Canada's Colonial History; and Leadership and Indigenous Relations
- The School is collaborating with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to develop a new course on treaties and is working on an online course on duty to consult and accommodate
- The School is collaborating with the Department of Justice to make available learning products on the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- The School is collaborating with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on reviewing existing Inuit-related content, co-creating new courses and hosting an annual virtual event
- New job aids and videos were also published, including:
- Understanding Consultation and Engagement in a Time of Reconciliation
- The Reconciliation Path
- Government Policies and the Impacts on Indigenous Peoples in Canada
- First Nations Storytelling
- The Impact of Colonialism on Indigenous Peoples in Canada: A Historical Timeline
- Video Testimonials: Indigenous Employees
- Call to Action 57: A Duty of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples for all Public Servants
Next steps
The Canada School of Public Service will continue to develop tools and resources for public servants as it believes that the implementation of Call to Action 57 is an ongoing process rooted in reconciliation. To achieve this goal, the school will continue to work with Indigenous partners and organizations and other departments and organizations that support the development of adult educational products related to Indigenous realities.