Evaluation of the implementation of Gender-Based Analysis Plus at the Canadian Space Agency

What is GBA Plus?

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) is an intersectional analytical process that identifies the potential impacts (positive and negative) of government activities on various groups of men, women and non-binary people who make up the Canadian population, and then takes appropriate corrective or mitigation measures, where necessary.

The "Plus" signifies that the analysis goes beyond biological (sex) or socio-cultural (gender) differences, and includes other intersecting identity factors, such as age, sexual orientation, education, income, place of residence, language, religion, ethnicity, culture or whether the person is living with a physical or intellectual disability. Individual identity is determined by a multitude of factors in addition to sex and gender. Intersecting identity factors must be considered when developing, implementing and evaluating government activities, to be able to determine the impact of these activities on a segment of the population (WAGE, 2018a).

GBA Plus is a priority and a requirement of the Government of Canada, as it aims to reduce inequalities and enable more informed, targeted and effective government action. Therefore, to achieve its objectives, GBA Plus must be integrated into all phases of the life cycle of policies, programs and initiatives. It should not be an afterthought, nor should it be used by a single individual (FEGC, 2018a). In this regard, the federal government indicated in Budget 2019 that GBA Plus is best conducted in the early stages of policy or program development. In addition, GBA Plus requires working with communities and having access to disaggregated data.

GBA Plus and employment equity

Despite some similarities, GBA Plus should not be confused with employment equity (EE). The Employment Equity Act addresses disadvantages in the workplace experienced by four designated groups in Canada: women, Indigenous people, visible minorities, and people living with disabilities. Similar to EE, GBA Plus promotes the integration of equity, diversity and inclusion principles into federal government practices. Given that is an analytical tool, GBA Plus is broader in scope as it applies to all government activities (legislation, policies, programs and initiatives), and that it addresses the multiple facets of Canadians' identities (gender, age, income, etc.) and can be applied by all government employees. Nevertheless, EE facilitates the implementation of GBA Plus because a diverse public service is better equipped to identify the specific issues of various population groups.

GBA Plus steps

There are some fundamental considerations that need to be addressed at each phase of the life cycle of programs and initiatives. The steps presented in Figure 1 were developed by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to help federal employees and organizations integrate GBA Plus into their work. Documenting the analysis and findings is essential (WAGE, 2021).

FIGURE 1. STEPS TO DOING A GBA Plus

Alignment with Federal Government Priorities

The principles and values on which GBA Plus is based have been entrenched in the Canadian Constitution and specifically the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms since 1982. However, the government's commitment to GBA Plus dates back to 1995, during the UN 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, where it supported the Beijing Action Platform that ordered the member states to "seek to ensure that before policy decisions are taken, an analysis of their impact on women and men, respectively, is carried out." (WAGE, 2018a). To meet this commitment, it developed the Federal Plan for Gender Equality, in which it committed to implementing a gender-based analysis (GBA) for any new legislative or policy measure and new program. The Government of Canada has reiterated its commitment to GBA during the last few years. Appendix B of this report presents the main milestones of GBA Plus implementation at the Canadian Space Agency within the government context, from 1995 to date.

In response to the federal government's priorities, directives and requirements, the CSA appointed in 2014 a GBA Plus Champion among its senior executives to lead the development and implementation of GBA Plus practices at the CSA. In 2017, the official Policy on GBA+ was developed to ensure that, "Canadian values and government commitments on progress toward gender equality be reflected in the development and implementation of policies and programs at the CSA" (CSA, 2017a). Through this policy, the CSA commits to integrate GBA Plus into its decision-making processes, and requires for all CSA initiatives (e.g. policies, programs, projects, grants and contributions, budget proposals) that are new or which need re-approval to be subject to GBA Plus to ensure they do not have detrimental impacts on certain diverse groups of women, men and non-binary people.

As a result, GBA Plus has been integrated in program evaluations, project management practices, investment approval processes, funding mechanisms (grants and contributions and procurement), departmental reports and business plans, Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions and budget proposals. A governance structure and internal process were established with accompanying tools and resources to build the capacity within the CSA, as opposed to hiring external consultants to serve as GBA Plus experts. The CSA signed the Dimension Charter in 2020, committing itself to a set of principles to advance equity, diversity and inclusion and taking actions to counter systemic barriers.

Main needs of the CSA target groups

The CSA's mandate is to "promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians" (S.C. 1990). To do this, it focuses its activities mainly on the academic, scientific and industrial sectors, and more specifically on young people, students, researchers and companies working in the space sector, which is concentrated in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, as noted in the reviewed GBA Plus assessments, women, Indigenous People, visible minorities and persons with disabilities are under-represented in the STEM field. In addition, almost half of the respondents indicated that it was difficult to identify the needs of CSA target populations due to the lack of disaggregated data for the Canadian space sector. Nevertheless, the data collected highlighted the need to provide everyone with equal opportunities and benefits. Specifically, three main intersecting needs were identified in relation to this topic, namely

1. the need to inspire under-represented groups in STEM through GBA Plus,
2. the need to address prejudices and unconscious bias, and
3. the need to consider the social impacts of the CSA's activities.

These needs are closely linked to the ultimate objectives outlined in the CSA's Departmental Results Framework.

In order to meet these needs, four conditions for success were repeatedly raised by the respondents and will be discussed throughout the report. These conditions are

1. awareness of gender and diversity issues among CSA employees,
2. clear guidelines and support from senior management,
3. reliable and accessible disaggregated data, and
4. a monitoring and reporting mechanism.

a) The need to inspire under-represented groups in STEM through GBA Plus

The evaluation found that the CSA must particularly focus on targeting groups that face specific obstacles with respect to taking interest in STEM. There is a social imperative to ensure equal opportunities and benefits; and a scientific imperative as "diverse perspectives aggregate creativity, reduce potential biases, and promote more robust knowledge and solutions," (UNESCO, 2017); and an economic imperative for the Canadian space sector to remain high-performing and competitive. The federal government has also indicated its commitment to increasing the number of Canadians from under-represented groups in STEM.

The CSA's efforts, to inspire Canadian youth to pursue studies in STEM and raise awareness about space sector careers, must take into account the factors that create or contribute to gaps between different segments of the population in this regard. In particular, the CSA should not overlook the influence of teaching staff and parents on young people's aspirations to pursue studies or careers in STEM, as well as the learning challenges caused by socio economic status and location. For example, studies argue that girls' interest in STEM is stimulated by practical and social activities rather than theoretical and individual ones (UNESCO, 2017), or that Indigenous youth's interest increases when STEM activities are accessible and reflect their culture (NSERC, 2016).

b) The need to address prejudice and unconscious bias

Prejudice and unconscious bias are barriers to equal opportunities and benefits, and therefore need to be addressed.^{Footnote 3} Despite its unintentional nature, unconscious bias can have a significant impact on the life and future prospects of an individual or population group. For example, "Small unconscious biases in peer review of career-boosting resources, likes grants, can make a big difference in the long-term career of an investigator" (CRC, NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, 2019). Because the Canadian space sector is small, it is important to ensure that it is diverse and that each individual has an equal chance to experience the opportunities and benefits created by CSA activities.

Unconscious bias can be addressed through raising awareness and adopting open-minded behaviours (CRC, NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, 2019). In addition to being beneficial to the personal development of individuals, this work benefits all segments of the Canadian population and contributes to excellence in research and technology development.

c) The need to consider the social impacts of CSA activities

The final need identified by the evaluation is to consider the social impacts of the CSA's activities on the various groups that make up Canadian society. This need is the foundation of GBA Plus and the role that federal public servants perform "in serving Canadians, their communities and the public interest under the direction of the elected government and in accordance with the law" (TBS, 2011). Therefore, it is essential that all employees develop the reflex to think at all times about the social aspect of the activities they carry out, despite the workload and timeframes involved, to ensure that they have a positive impact on all Canadians.

Roles and responsibilities

The commitment to GBA Plus is a shared responsibility across all federal departments and agencies. As such, all federal public servants should incorporate GBA Plus into their work by asking some basic questions and challenging personal assumptions about diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. To ensure GBA Plus is incorporated throughout the Government of Canada, central agencies, WAGE, and federal departments and agencies play central GBA Plus roles. WAGE plays a leadership role in the government-wide implementation of GBA Plus. At the CSA, the CSA Policy on GBA+ lays out the roles and responsibilities for the President, Executive Committee members, and CSA executives and managers. The Guide for Implementing GBA+ at the CSA describes the roles and responsibilities of the GBA Plus Champion and the designated GBA Plus points of contact (PoCs), which together, make up the Responsibility Centre for GBA Plus. The Responsibility Centre oversees the implementation of GBA Plus practices, promotes the awareness of GBA Plus and provides advice to the managers who are responsible for drafting assessments, and applying GBA Plus in their decision-making processes. Figure 2 illustrates the distribution of GBA Plus related roles and responsibilities across the Canadian Federal Government and the specific roles and responsibilities of the CSA.

FIGURE 2. GBA Plus ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Based on the document review, the CSA is aligned with federal roles and responsibilities with regards to the implementation of GBA Plus, with distinct roles for the various actors involved in integrating GBA Plus across the CSA corporate activities. However, survey and interview data indicate that roles and responsibilities need to be clarified in some cases, and better communicated with CSA employees. A majority of survey respondents (63% (59/93) agree that the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and a little over half of respondents 51% (54/106) said that GBA Plus related roles and responsibilities are clearly communicated. The interviews reaffirmed these findings as several employees have identified some grey zones with regards to the roles and responsibilities. In particular, clarity is further required regarding the GBA Plus tools and documents reviewed as they do not specify who is responsible in the various situations illustrated here. Although some concerns and ambiguities arise with the complex nature of some programs, others can be easily addressed and included in the available GBA Plus documents and tools to better clarify respective roles. Upon clarifying the roles and responsibilities, it would be beneficial to reach out to the various sectors of the CSA to clearly communicate and inform CSA managers, directors and PoCs of their GBA Plus related roles and responsibilities.

Degree of compliance with GBA Plus requirements and extent of integration

Federal government requirements stipulate that GBA Plus must be integrated in the following activities:

CSA's implementation of GBA Plus practices based on WAGE's GBA Plus Framework

This section examines the various elements the CSA has in place to achieve a strong foundation for the systemic use of GBA Plus based on WAGE's GBA Plus Framework for building a foundation for sustainable and systematic use of GBA Plus. According to WAGE, all six elements, together, are necessary to ensure the systematic use of GBA Plus (WAGE, 2021b). The figure below illustrates the six elements of WAGE's GBA Plus Framework with the accompanying practices, documents, and initiatives of the CSA.

FIGURE 3. CSA'S IMPLEMENTATION OF GBA Plus PRACTICES BASED WAGE GBA Plus FRAMEWORK

The Head of Audit and Evaluation was appointed GBA Plus Champion in 2014 and still holds this role at the time of the evaluation. Since 2017, the Points of Contact (PoCs) have been appointed for each branch of the CSA. An updated List of Designated GBA Plus Points of Contact for each Directorate is available on the GBA Plus Intranet page. As of June 2020, there are a total of 12 PoCs representing the various branches of the CSA. As per the Guide for Implementing GBA+ at the CSA (2017), the GBA Plus Champion is responsible to oversee the implementation of GBA Plus, provide internal advice, review and sign off on all GBA Plus assessments and the PoCs are the subject-matter experts that provide support, advice and review, but do not necessarily draft the GBA Plus assessments.

Data provided by survey respondents show that the CSA's GBA Plus Responsibility Centre was the most useful resource to carry out GBA Plus related duties. The majority of survey respondents (87%) reported that the GBA Plus Champion was the most useful resource tool, followed by the Points of Contacts (73%). The evaluation evidence suggests the responsibility centre has fulfilled and continues to fulfill its role in overseeing the implementation of GBA Plus and providing internal advice. CSA employees have confirmed that the GBA Plus Champion remains available for review of GBA Plus assessments and maintains strong communication lines with the Points of Contact by conveying key messages for GBA Plus. Furthermore, the evaluation found that the GBA Plus Champion built strong relationships and maintained regular interactions with the other GBA Plus Champions through the GBA Plus Interdepartmental Committee.

Nonetheless, a document review and interview data revealed that the GBA Plus Champion was not located in the most suitable nor appropriate location, namely within the Audit and Evaluation (A&E) branch. By its very nature, A&E is at arms-length from programs and policies to ensure its objective, neutral role. By contrast, GBA Plus is a large operational function that is closely linked to strategic planning, program implementation, G&Cs and contracts, and not within the scope and responsibilities of the A&E function. Comparatively, the most common location for GBA Plus Responsibility Centre in OGDs is the Strategic Policy Branch, given their role in drafting and reviewing documents destined for approval by a central agency (e.g. TB subs, MCs, budget proposals). Some departments opted to house their GBA Plus Champion and Responsibility Centre in Corporate Services, or Corporate Strategy and Performance Division.^{Footnote 6} Furthermore, the large majority of GBA Plus Champions are senior executives, ranging from Assistant Deputy Ministers to Vice-Presidents of Research Programs, to DGs and Directors of Science. Also, depending on the size and breadth of the departments, some departments opted for a co-champion model.

With regards to the Points of Contact, a review of the List of Designated GBA Plus PoCs for each Directorate reveals that there has been little rotation of personnel, and there is a tendency to appoint women or visible minorities to the position. Women and visible minorities are often most sensitized and aware of gender and diversity issues in general, and therefore may play a stronger role in identifying GBA Plus considerations. Some survey respondents however pointed to the fact that white men may benefit more from these roles as they are generally less exposed to diversity and inclusion issues or barriers in the space sector and therefore may benefit from the training and understanding of GBA Plus issues. Some employees interviewed suggested that there should be a rotation of the GBA Plus Champion and Points of Contact, primarily to encourage GBA Plus awareness. Generally, a regular rotation of PoCs, may help to increase CSA's employees' knowledge of GBA Plus through training offered, and help raise awareness throughout their sector. A best practice at the CSA that was mentioned by some survey respondents was to have more than one PoC per sector to increase the breadth and reach of GBA Plus at team meeting and Steering Committees, as is the case of the Space Exploration branch (SE) with 3 PoCs.

The Responsibility Centre also established a GBA Plus Committee where GBA Plus matters are discussed and best practices are shared among the PoCs. The committee held a handful of meetings in 2017 and 2018 but has remained dormant since, mostly due to time constraints of the GBA Plus Champion. Survey respondents stated that the GBA Plus committee was useful for the PoCs to have direct access to the GBA Plus Champion, coordinate awareness activities, and was regarded as important aspect to better understand their role and share key information, data and obstacles faced in each sector. Some survey respondents said that a meeting every 2-3 times a year would be greatly beneficial and would help harmonize GBA Plus practices across the CSA. Based on best practices in OGDs and the positive feedback from PoCs with regards to the value and utility of the GBA Plus Committee, it would be opportune to resume holding regular GBA Plus Committee meetings.

In 2017, the GBA Plus Champion spearheaded the development of an Action Plan for Increasing GBA Capacity and Implementation at the CSA aimed to assess and the GBA Plus capacity with a rating scale (low, medium, high capacity). Based on action plan, a GBA Plus Communication Plan was produced in alignment with CSA's Change Management guidelines and developed in collaboration with the Communications team to ensure the initial awareness campaign is clear and impactful. These two tools were put in place to increase awareness and knowledge of the requirements in applying GBA Plus across the CSA's policies and programs.

In 2017, the CSA developed an official Policy on GBA+ committing the CSA to integrate GBA Plus into its decision-making processes, and requires for all CSA initiatives (e.g. policies, programs, projects, grants and contributions, budget proposals) that are new or which need re-approval to be subject to GBA Plus to ensure they do not have detrimental impacts on certain diverse groups of women and men and non-binary people. This is an all-encompassing policy that touches every initiative the CSA puts forth. Furthermore, the CSA's commitment to diversity and inclusion practices has been increasingly conveyed through internal communications, President speeches to CSA employees and to various space-related communities, and by signing the Dimensions Charter in 2020. However, almost half of survey respondents (46%; 33/72) stated that the CSA does not have a clear vision of how it plans to promote GBA Plus and/or gender diversity and inclusion in the space field. This was further elaborated during interviews, where CSA employees expressed that there are unclear expectations of and from senior management and directors, and the absence of a long-term strategy that outlines the main objectives the CSA is trying to achieve with GBA Plus and how it intends to achieve them in response to the needs of the CSA's target populations and under-represented groups.

When comparing with other federal science-based departments and agencies (SBDAs), the CSA's GBA Plus vision is very similar to the majority of science-based departments reviewed as it shares the commitment to ensure its initiatives do not have detrimental impacts on certain diverse groups of women, men and non-binary people, and that gender and other identity factor considerations are to be identified and inequalities corrected. However, expectations and long-term strategy are well-defined with clear objectives for some notable departments such as NSERC's Framework on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and CIHR's Action Plan which set out specific objectives, goals and monitoring processes to track the impacts. Having a clear strategic perspective on GBA Plus priorities would be strongly beneficial for the CSA's decision-making and for those conducting a GBA Plus as it would better align their analysis and corrective measures, if any. This strategic perspective of GBA Plus priorities and objectives must equally be communicated down clearly throughout the sector (from directors, to managers and staff). The CSA's Policy on GBA+ states that it will be revised, if needed, every 5 years. It would therefore be the appropriate time to consider reviewing it and keeping in mind that it would be beneficial to clarify the CSA's vision in the Policy and include specific objectives related to target groups.

WAGE recommends that training and tools be made available to facilitate buy-in, build capacity and inform different parts of the organization about GBA Plus. In 2017, the GBA Plus Champion led the development of various GBA Plus tools, which includes:

Guide for Implementing GBA+: This guide sets out the roles and responsibilities of the GBA Plus Champion and the Points of Contact. It also contains a list of the tools and guides that are available on the CSA Intranet for the use of all employees who implement GBA Plus at CSA. It equally states that the tools and guides will be subject to continuous improvements and kept up to date as GBA Plus implementation progresses.

GBA+ Questionnaire: A template questionnaire for conducting a GBA Plus assessment for all CSA initiatives, is comprised of two main sections; data and impacts. The data section requires the data sources, gaps in available information and reminds the authors that they may need to take action to address the information gaps. The impacts section examines the potential demographic impacts of the initiative on the various groups of people considered, with 12 identity factors^{Footnote 7} (or "diversity elements") to be analyzed, where relevant, and allowing for an intersectional analysis. The questionnaire, however, does not contain a section on the follow-up on impacts. A significant number of CSA employees pointed to the lack of follow-up as a challenge to implementing GBA Plus.

A follow-up on impacts and results is an important part of a GBA Plus assessment and should be included in the next revision of the CSA's template questionnaire. In addition, examples and links to data sources presented in the template are outdated and should also be updated. Finally, some CSA employees suggested to incorporate elements of Finance Canada's GBA+ template as it includes clearer instructions regarding direct and indirect impacts.

GBA Plus Data: A section in the CSA's Information Management System (Livelink) was created with the intention to establish and maintain an evolving database of reliable and valid aggregated and disaggregated data, case studies and links to national and international studies about gender and other intersecting identity factors pertinent to CSA initiatives. As per the Guide to Implementing GBA+, the responsibility to maintain it rests with the sectors, and the GBA Plus Responsibility Centre is responsible for monitoring the database's content. Although the Guide to Implementing GBA+ appropriately identifies data as a central feature to GBA Plus and for conducting GBA Plus assessments, an examination of the CSA's database for GBA Plus-related data and interviews with respondents have shown that the data stored in the Livelink repertoire does not meet the needs of those drafting the assessments. This finding is further confirmed by respondents with comments that it is outdated considering that little of no new data was added since 2018. The evidence strongly suggests that there is a lack of useful and valid disaggregated data relevant to the space field in the GBA Plus data inventory. Some CSA employees have also stated that they would greatly benefit from knowing where to look for data, and without accessible data in one spot, much time is spent looking for data.

The evidence suggests that current practice of compiling GBA Plus data, storing them and maintaining the GBA Plus data inventory is not efficient or effective. The CSA would benefit from reviewing the roles and responsibilities of employees, and the Responsibility Centre to better coordinate the availability and maintenance of its GBA Plus data inventory.

There are currently well-developed data collection mechanisms in place at CSA. Although not originally designed to collect specific GBA Plus data, they have served as the primary data sources in numerous GBA Plus assessments. These two data sources are the Principal Investigator (PI) Survey results and the State of the Canadian Space Sector Report, which most recently have begun to collect gender-related data. Due to a growing demand for data generally, and in support of GBA Plus, coupled with the need to fulfill requirements related to performance measurement, there have been some noteworthy efforts and progress made by the CSA Policy Directorate in collaboration with Integrated Planning and various program sector officials to refine elements of the CSA's main data collection tools and explore additional avenues for acquiring GBA Plus related data, such as discussions with Statistics Canada for various custom analyses options.

Dedicated internal GBA Plus webpage: accessible through the main CSA intranet page, this webpage contains links to the two aforementioned tools, links to GBA Plus data sources, direct link to WAGE's Introduction Course, and quick links to GBA Plus GCpedia and other external sources of interest to GBA Plus.

The CSA's GBA Plus Internal webpage that was set up as a full service feature for CSA employee to access GBA Plus tools and resources and access external sites related to GBA Plus has been reported to be a useful and necessary tool, however certain elements and links were found to be outdated and can benefit from regular updating with relevant links, recent internal and external data sources, and new material to support PoCs and employees in their GBA Plus assessments. A close examination of the Intranet page indicates that it is easy to find, with its own heading, but it is still not a very used link, with only 38% of CSA survey respondents having consulted it.

GBA Plus Training: Since 2017, the Introduction to GBA Plus training course offered by WAGE is mandatory for all CSA analysts, managers, directors and executives, and recommended for all CSA employees. When comparing to OGDs, the trend is that departments are moving towards making GBA Plus training mandatory for one or more functional areas. Of note, some departments require all employees, regardless of their position, to take the Introduction to GBA Plus training course.

The Introduction to GBA Plus course allows for a general understanding of GBA Plus but employees have expressed that it is lengthy and does not offer the type of applicable understanding that is sought after among a majority of CSA employees. There are additional training courses available for GoC employees offered by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS). In fact, a file review indicates that the GBA Plus Champion regularly provided the PoCs with updates on new training courses available, such as GBA Plus Bootcamp and other types of advanced training to ensure they maintain and increase their knowledge and expertise. As mentioned earlier in the report, it is within the roles and responsibilities of Executive committee members to support and encourage GBA Plus training opportunities for their employees, and within the roles and responsibilities of managers to provide training opportunities in GBA Plus for their employees (see Appendix C for links to additional training resources available, both micro learning videos from WAGE and OGDs and online courses offered by CSPS).

When asked if they took the Introduction to GBA Plus training, 70% of respondents (95/135) confirmed to have completed the training. Of the 85 employees with a supervisor role who answered the training question, 19 (22%) did not take the Introduction to GBA Plus training, despite it being mandatory.

Evaluation evidence shows that the GBA Plus Responsibility Centre undertook various activities in 2017/18 to promote the implementation of GBA Plus at the CSA, build capacity and increase the organizations' awareness of GBA Plus. These awareness activities consisted of informative capsules on the CSA corporate screens, lunchtime quizzes at the cafeteria and several presentations made by the GBA Plus Champion to various sectors of the CSA. However, between 2018 and 2020, there has been little awareness activities that have taken place mostly due to limited resources and increased time constraints on behalf of the GBA Plus Champion.

The CSA's pilot GBA Plus initiative is the CubeSat project where the main objectives were to promote diversity and inclusion of post-secondary students interested in space. More specifically, CubeSat aimed to include every province and territory to provide students with hands-on experience with skills development opportunities in STEM and access to Canadian space industry experts to optimize the success of each mission.

A document review revealed that the Canadian space sector welcomed such an initiative and regarded it as a refreshing departure from the traditional approach to satellite building. As one space media outlet put it, "while CubeSat development in Canada is not new, developing the skillsets across the country is relatively new" (SpaceQ, 2018). CubeSat was referred to as an "national endeavour [where] the importance of this project cannot be minimized" as 15 selected university teams are represented by every Canadian province and territory who worked closely with Canadian space industry and CSA experts (SpaceQ, 2018). The CSA also made particular efforts to reach out to post-secondary institutions from various remote regions across Canada to provide support and to ensure their participation. See Section 6 on Success Stories for details on CubeSat.

The CSA's Guide for Implementing GBA+ indicates that GBA Plus commitments are to be monitored and reported, through the initiative's progress reports, and on a regular basis thereafter. Then, the information collected through these monitoring tools will be used to highlight successes and weaknesses, share best practices, facilitate continuous improvement and demonstrate accountability (CSA, 2017b).

The evaluation however did not find any evidence of ongoing monitoring and there was no reporting being done in a systematic, consistent manner. There is no systematic monitoring or follow up of impacts that was put in place. Reporting is currently being done via program evaluations and reports to Parliament. Upon integrating GBA Plus in the CSA's Program Information profiles (PIPs), the CSA would enhance its capacity to monitor and report on its program impacts by gender and diversity. Based on WAGE's 2018-19 Implementation Survey results, 1 in 6 organizations had no monitoring or tracking of GBA Plus impacts in place. As mentioned earlier in this section, a follow-up on impacts and results in the GBA Plus template questionnaire would contribute to stronger monitoring capacity. The absence of an ongoing monitoring mechanism and the recommended course of action is treaded in more details in Section 5, "Effectiveness: Barriers to implementing GBA Plus".

Efficiency of the CSA's Internal GBA Plus Process

The CSA put in place a process for drafting and reviewing GBA Plus assessments to ensure GBA Plus is integrated in program design, delivery and to support decision-making. A more comprehensive internal GBA Plus process would result in more targeted impacts on the space field in Canada.

FIGURE 4. INTERNAL GBA Plus PROCESS TO SUPPORT DECISION-MAKING

Figure 4 - Text version

Figure 4. Internal GBA Plus Process to support decision-making

This figure depicts a process with three main boxes with two arching arrows connecting the first to second box and then the second box to the third box. A legend at the top right of the figure contains three elements, in yellow letters "Sometimes", in red letters "Not done", and in blue letters "Is being done".

Starting from the left, a white box outlined in red is written in black letters:

GBA Plus Strategy:

• Red circle in front of "Gaps Analysis: Who are the main under-represented groups in the space field"
• Red circle in front of "Objectives, expectations, indicators"

The box in the middle is a white box outlined in black is written in black letters:

Conducting GBA Plus:

• Yellow circle in front of "GBA Plus at project kick off"
• Blue circle in front of "Contact PoC for advice"
• Yellow circle in front of "Advise Champion of upcoming GBA Plus"
• Blue circle in front of "GBA Plus drafting and approuval"
• Red circle in front of "Save in database"

The third box, at the right side of the figure, is a white box outlined in red is written in black letters:

Accountability:

• Red circle in front of "Follow-up on impacts of project on target group"
• Yellow circle in front of "Annual reporting on impacts of GBA Plus on CSA activities"

Perspectives from CSA employees

In order to better gauge how GBA Plus is perceived by CSA employees, a series of questions pertaining to the CSA's vision, satisfaction, priority, importance and support was asked in the survey. An overview of the perspectives from CSA employees is presented in the figure below.

FIGURE 5. OVERVIEW OF PERSPECTIVES FROM CSA EMPLOYEES

Figure 5 - Text version

Figure 5. Overview of perspectives from CSA employees

This figure presents a dark blue text box with eight smaller text boxes contained within it.

At the top left of the dark blue text box, in white letters:

• Vision: 54% (39/72) said the CSA has a clear vision of how it plans to promote GBA Plus and/or gender diversity and inclusion in the space field, whereas 46% (33/72) did not agree with this statement.

For the smaller boxes, from left to right:

• Priority: 76% said GBA Plus is a priority for senior management
• Satisfaction: 79% satisfied how GBA Plus is handled within their branch; 68% satisfaction rate within the CSA.
• Importance: 79% said GBA Plus is important in the space field, and 8% said they do not know or prefer not to say.
• AS: 64%; ENG-EN: 77%; EC: 87%; CO: 100%; EX: 100%
• Decision-making: 39% said GBA Plus influenced decision-making and/or design and delivery of program, 37% said it did not.
• Support: 75% said they have their supervisors' support to develop strategies or initiatives promoting GBA Plus. 76% said they have their supervisors' support to draft or review GBA Plus assessments and/or assess their quality.
• Just 13% said they developed GBA Plus strategies or initiatives
• Only 36% said they have the time they need to draft or review GBA Plus assessments.

A large majority of respondents feel that GBA Plus is a priority for senior management, and attach a significant importance to GBA Plus in the space field. There are noticeable differences between the professional groups regarding the importance given to GBA Plus. Mostly notably, all executives and commerce officers said GBA Plus is important, whereas almost a quarter of respondents in the Engineering group did not feel GBA Plus is important in the space field. In terms of satisfaction, employees generally feel more satisfied with how GBA Plus is being handled within their branch. Their satisfaction falls slightly when asked about how GBA Plus is handled within the CSA as a whole. This reduced satisfaction rate can be because only half of respondents believe the CSA has a clear vision of how it plans to promote GBA Plus. The survey results also indicate that although employees feel they have their supervisor's support to develop initiatives promoting GBA Plus, only a small minority said they actually developed GBA Plus initiatives. It is therefore not surprising to see that GBA Plus was perceived to have little influence on decision-making.

Effectiveness: Facilitating Factors in the Implementation of GBA Plus

In order to gain a richer understanding about the overall effectiveness of GBA Plus, CSA employees were asked in the online survey and the interviews about the factors that have facilitated the implementation of GBA Plus at the CSA. Respondents identified three main factors that facilitated the implementation of GBA Plus: the support and advice received from the Responsibility Centre, the diversity-related committees at the CSA and, the values and commitment of certain CSA employees.

Responsibility Centre's Support and advice

The most frequently cited factor that facilitated the implementation of GBA Plus was the support and advice provided by the GBA Plus Champion and the PoCs. Survey respondents explained that the accessibility and support of the PoCs in both informing on the internal approval process and providing advice in their review of the GBA Plus assessments was particularly helpful. In addition, some respondents added that having a GBA Plus Champion who sits at senior management decision-making committee, such as the Executive Committee, help ensure that GBA Plus considerations are discussed at senior level committee and, as one interview respondent explains, "where the GBA Plus Champion can pass messages to the Executive Committee without needing to be invited."

Diversity-related committees at the CSA

There are various diversity-related committees at the CSA, namely the Women in Science, Technology and Management (WSTM), the Visible Minorities Network (VMN), and the Employment Equity and Diversity Consultative Committee (EEDCC) that indirectly work as GBA Plus facilitators as they bring awareness to the issues and challenges related to diversity and inclusion and undertake outreach activities and events. For example, the WSTM committee held a joint event with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec to promote Women in STEM. The VMN and the WSTM, together, provided CSA employees with a training in Unconscious Bias in 2020, and the WSTM routinely offers professional development opportunities for members. The EEDCC provided a learning series on people with disabilities and the challenges they face and the value they bring to a workforce. These three committees are all championed by the Head of Audit and Evaluation and work closely in collaboration to build on each other's momentum and align their activities accordingly. Interestingly, one aspect mentioned during the interviews was that it would further benefit the implementation of GBA Plus practices to have a GBA Plus representative to sit at each of these diversity committees to further build on synergies, share information and work together to continue efforts in minimizing the gaps within the CSA and in the space field in Canada.

Values and commitment of certain employees

Part of the success of integrating GBA Plus into CSA activities is the result of the values and commitment of certain CSA employees who are aware of the gender diversity issue in the space field. Several interview respondents explained that there are CSA employees that take it upon themselves to undertake the GBA Plus assessments because they see the value in it and understand the concrete impact their efforts can make on particular under-represented groups. Furthermore, there are even some committed employees who seek to advance initiatives and practices related to gender diversity and inclusion, and in some cases, they succeed, with varying degrees of success, depending on the interests, priorities and support of their supervisors.

In the same vein, several interview respondents pointed to the current CSA President, as factor that has already played and believe will continue to play a pivotal role in promoting diversity and inclusion practices at the CSA. In September 2020, the CSA President mentioned in her welcoming speech that she is here to "help remove barriers" and will subsequently meet with the members of the Visible Minorities Network to gain a better understanding of the existing diversity issues at the CSA. As one senior manager put it, the commitment and leadership from the CSA President is recognized as an important factor in implementing GBA Plus with her "undeniable support on the issues of inclusion and diversity".

When comparing to other government departments and agencies, a document review and interviews with OGDs found that the CSA and OGDs generally share similar facilitating factors. The following factors facilitating the implementation of GBA Plus were identified by OGDs:

• Competent and knowledgeable in-house Points of Contact, rather than external consultants
• Capacity and support
• Tailored training and resources (GBA Plus Premium course)
• Leadership and direction
• Support and interest from senior management
• The fact that GBA Plus is a requirement for TB Subs and MCs
• Robust processes and transparency

Effectiveness: Barriers to implementing GBA Plus

Similarly to investigating the factors that facilitate the implementation of GBA Plus, the online survey and interviews asked CSA employees to indicate the barriers to implementing GBA Plus at CSA. Results showed that the five main challenges that make the GBA Plus process difficult and cumbersome for CSA employees are as follows:

• Lack of knowledge and understanding of how to apply GBA Plus in the space sector
• Unclear vision and expectations from directors and senior management
• GBA Plus being done as an afterthought
• Shortage of disaggregated data (microdata)
• Lack of accountability and follow-up and monitoring of impacts and progress

Lack of GBA Plus knowledge and understanding of how to apply GBA Plus in the space sector

Although a large majority of CSA employees including senior management see the importance of GBA Plus and understand the theoretical definition and applicability of GBA Plus and believe the CSA has a important role with regards to GBA Plus considerations, there remains a significant number of CSA employees who are still struggling with fully grasping the purpose, definition and how it should be properly applied in their day-to-day work. Of those who responded to this question (61/91) in the online questionnaire, 67% of CSA employees indicated the lack of knowledge of employees and management in GBA Plus as barrier to implementing GBA Plus at the CSA. Many still do not know what it concretely means to integrate a GBA Plus analysis in their initiative and have expressed a need for more expert guidance, some concrete examples, with a clear and concise definition. Some understand GBA Plus applicability for social programs where a service or initiative is directly received by a Canadian, but its use in the space field still appears elusive to many.

Another impact of a lack of GBA Plus knowledge mentioned by some interview respondents is that without a clear understanding of what GBA Plus is and how it can be concretely applied, there is a disinterest to conduct a GBA Plus. A large majority of interview respondents expressed the need for space-related concrete examples of how to conduct a thorough GBA Plus assessment and better understand how GBA Plus considerations have an impact on, or benefit, a particular group. Many managers who are involved in conducting GBA Plus assessments said they would greatly benefit from having access to previously completed GBA Plus assessments to better understand how the benefits and impacts to various groups were analyzed and presented.

A call for increased awareness and training was also mentioned by a majority of respondents in response to lack of knowledge and understanding. Increased awareness was brought up throughout the online questionnaire and interviews as a necessity to achieve better integration of GBA Plus practices at the CSA. A little over half of CSA employees (52%) who answered this question in the online questionnaire (49/95) identified the lack of GBA Plus awareness on behalf of CSA employees and management as a main obstacle to implementing GBA Plus practices at the CSA. Furthermore, those who are closely involved with drafting GBA Plus assessments expressed the need for more time for, and access to, hands-on training to increase their capacity to conduct a thorough GBA Plus. For this, there are some more in-depth trainings offered by the Canada School of Public Service.

In the first year of implementing GBA Plus practices at the CSA, the Responsibility Centre organized various initiatives and events to increase awareness at the CSA, such as informative messages on the CSA corporate screens, lunch break quizzes at a booth in the cafeteria, and dissemination of news from WAGE to PoCs which included information on new courses and training available. The GBA Plus Champion also gave general GBA Plus presentations in some sectors at their request to better understand how to apply GBA Plus in their projects. However, since 2018-19, these activities have diminished extensively, mostly due to lack of resources (i.e. time) despite the growing need for more awareness. Interview respondents' suggestions to increase awareness are presented in Appendix C.

Interviews (including those with senior management) often suggested that the key to integrating GBA Plus in sector-level decision-making is to reach out and actively involve the Directors Network and the Project management Network as they are the key agents who bring forth and manage the bulk of CSA projects, whether it is through contracts or G&Cs. Efforts to demonstrate the importance and applicability of GBA Plus should be focused in these two networks as their reach and influence on project managers and supervisors is extensive. Many senior managers suggested that by better communicating the relevance, value and concrete applicability of GBA Plus considerations and increasing their understanding through concrete examples and corrective measures used elsewhere or in the past at the CSA, it could be expected that there will have an improvement to the integration and harmonization of GBA Plus practices across the CSA.

Unclear vision and expectations from directors and senior management

In addition to concrete space-related examples of GBA Plus, access to previous GBA Plus assessments as a reference point, and access to more trainings, many respondents stated that a clearer vision and expectations from senior management is necessary to routinely apply GBA Plus. 54% of those who answered this question in the online survey (43/79 respondents) said that the lack of clear guidelines, expectations from directors, and vision from senior management was a barrier to implementing GBA Plus. This finding was reiterate in the interviews. When asked to further explain, interview respondents explained that the strategic thinking and vision, and objectives the CSA is trying to attain should be clarified, as well as the expectations from senior management towards their employees in integrating GBA Plus in their initiatives.

GBA Plus being done as an afterthought

The interviews provided some insight on the impacts of the lack of knowledge, understanding and expectations of GBA Plus. A large majority of interview respondents stated that the most significant impact of lack of GBA Plus knowledge and expectations is that the GBA Plus discussions, assessments and corrective measures are thought about after the project or initiative has been designed and approved. Due to a lack of comprehensive understanding, the GBA Plus assessment is often dealt with at the 11th hour and perceived as another bureaucratic hurdle subject to internal approval process. This results in a GBA Plus that is done later in the project's lifecycle as opposed to its original purpose to be done at the onset of a project or initiative being put in place.

Being done after the fact defeats the purpose of the analysis and results in employees searching for relevant data that could support their GBA Plus statements to fulfill this requirement. There are mechanisms in place to support managers to think of GBA Plus considerations at the onset of the project, such as requiring a completed GBA Plus assessment to present at Gate 2 of the IIRB. With more oversight expected from the IIRB Secretariat, the GBA Plus assessment will have to be fully completed and approved prior to presenting a proposed project.

Shortage of disaggregated data (microdata)

The most cited challenge to implementing GBA Plus is the difficulty to find GBA Plus related data to support GBA Plus assessments, where 71% of survey respondents (47/66) and the majority of interview respondents pointed to the shortage of space-related disaggregated data for the main CSA target groups. These respondents have detailed the length of the time it takes them to search through outdated data sources on the CSA's GBA Plus webpage, and often have to resort to two main credible data sources at the CSA: the Annual Space Sector and PI surveys, which have some but very limited gender-related data. The efforts from the Policy team to make modifications to the PI Survey and the Annual Space Sector Survey over the last few years is beneficial and demonstrates the need for more GBA Plus related data. Many managers also expressed that they face a lack of time to conduct a thorough GBA Plus assessment, which becomes all the more problematic in a context where there is lack of knowledge and accessibility to GBA Plus related data. A significant number of managers have also expressed that it should not be their role to dig and spend a lot of time looking for data and that it is time-consuming and can often lead to very little significant data.

Socio-economic studies and consultations with under-represented groups are other data collection methods that can present a richer understanding and illustrate a more accurate picture of the demographic makeup of the Canadian space sector and identify needs and gaps of the under-represented groups.

When asked to elaborate on the effects of the data shortage, CSA employees most often pointed to the need for defining the main identity factors to focus on given that not all identity factors are necessarily relevant to collect in some situations. Based on a review of the completed and approved GBA Plus assessments, "sex and gender" is the most frequently considered identity factor (100%), followed by Aboriginal identity (92%). The third most cited identity factor is geographic location (88%) followed by disability and visible minority status, which are both found in 80% of the GBA Plus assessments analyzed.

Another impact of insufficient GBA Plus related data identified in the interviews is the difficultly to predict or demonstrate the impact of an investment, project or program when we do not have data on our target populations or particular groups of Canadians in general. Some managers explained that it is imperative to first have available, valid data to understand if there is really a differential impact on various groups.

With sufficient GBA Plus data, the CSA can better identify the needs of target populations, assess the impact and benefits of project on target groups, and implement the necessary corrective measures to address the gaps. Therefore, it would be useful to have a centralized database, accessible to all employees. In fact, a CSA manager even specified that this could be the main work task of a student internship, where the data would be updated once a year. It would be a plausible solution, because at the same time, the CSA would offer a great work experience to a student.

Lack of accountability, follow-up and monitoring of impacts and progress

One inherent obstacle of GBA Plus is that it is everyone's responsibility, there is no direct accountability that is drawn. According to the Guide for Implementing GBA+, it is not the Responsibility Centre's role to monitor the impacts of the GBA Plus assessments. Rather, project managers are responsible to track and monitor the impacts of the GBA Plus assessments and the corrective measures, if any.

Although mentioned in the Guide for Implementing GBA+ that an ongoing monitoring will take place, employees have expressed that GBA Plus is perceived as a futile exercise because there is no follow-up of impacts and no results that can be reported on. A majority of interview respondents reported that there is a need for a systematic follow-up when impacts are identified in a GBA Plus.

Some managers who put in considerable efforts in GBA Plus assessments expressed their concern, and at times frustration, with the lack of accountability and follow-up. After spending time to develop a comprehensive GBA Plus and searching for data to support their GBA Plus, it gets approved and then there is no oversight, follow-up, monitoring or reporting on the impacts of the issues identified. Unless it is done on an individual level within the good project management practices, the GBA Plus remains a documented effort, and not an output or outcome that is managed.

The monitoring and reporting of the impacts of GBA Plus is a requirement. Currently, there is no systematic way to monitor and report the impacts of GBA Plus, with the exception of some recent evaluation reports, which managed to elaborate on the various initiatives that contained significant and concrete GBA Plus considerations or corrective measures. In addition, there are no guidelines or approved method in place at the CSA that managers and directors can apply to follow-up with the impacts. Some interview respondents pointed to the need to establish clear accountability of GBA Plus within the organization and guidelines that set out how impacts are followed up on and monitored. They explained that without a clear indication from senior management on the importance of conducting and monitoring GBA Plus, its purpose will remain undermined and superficial. A transparent and robust reporting mechanism is among WAGE's six key elements required for sustainable use of GBA Plus within an organization.

Other challenges

The evaluation determined that the majority of CSA respondents are aware of the current gaps in the STEM fields and that they support corrective action to increase diversity and inclusion. However, the internal survey data and interviews carried out with CSA employees indicate that, sometimes, biases are a challenge to the implementation of GBA Plus at the CSA. It is important that the CSA continues its awareness efforts with regard to the relevance and importance of GBA Plus.

Other government departments and agencies have equally faced similar barriers to implement GBA Plus practices. The following challenges to implementing GBA Plus were identified by OGDs:

• Lack of time or capacity to conduct a thorough GBA Plus
• Lack of access to/availability of data/evidence
• Lack of knowledge, training and availability of tools/resources
• Lack of internal mechanisms to ensure GBA Plus is applied to the development and implementation of initiatives (e.g. monitoring and accountability mechanisms)
• Lack of organizational directives to implement GBA Plus/departmental action plan

Success Stories demonstrating the application of GBA Plus to initiatives

The CSA has applied GBA Plus to some projects by refining some elements of the design or delivery, which resulted in more inclusive projects and ensured that there were no detrimental impacts on diverse groups of women, men and non-binary. The following examples demonstrate how the CSA established concrete objectives and/or actions to reach out and include under-represented groups in the project's results and positively impact diverse groups of men, women, and non-binary people.

CubeSat Project – Space Science & Technology Branch

Often considered as the CSA's GBA Plus pilot initiative, the CubeSat project was conceived to give post-secondary students from each provinces and territory the opportunity to design, build, launch and operate their own miniature satellites (hence CubeSat). By its very nature, its objectives were to promote diversity and inclusion for post-secondary students interested in space. More specifically, CubeSat aimed to include every province and territory to provide students with hands-on experience with skills development opportunities in STEM and access to Canadian space industry experts to optimize the success of each mission. The CSA undertook female student recruitment efforts to encourage more diverse teams within post-secondary institutions. In addition, targeted outreach to the territories and direct assistance to potential candidates was also done to ensure they were properly informed and supported to submit proposals and participate in the process. Consequently, Yukon and Northwestern Territories received grants of $150,000 for their projects. In sum, the CubeSat project resulted in 15 projects, all Canadians provinces and territories (except Nunavut despite efforts), where more than 500 students were involved, including 22 colleges and universities.

Grants Award Students NASA 12 Summer 2020 – Space Science & Technology Branch

In 2020, the SS&T sector presented to the IIRB the list of 12 candidates selected for a grant under the "Grants Award Students NASA 12 Summer 2020" initiative. The presentation indicates that regional representativeness and designated groups were taken into account in the selection of candidates (based on the self-declaration of candidates), in addition to criteria related to academic excellence.

Polar Communications and Weather Mission (PCW) – Satellite Communications sector of the SU branch

The Polar Communications and Weather mission's primary goal was to provide reliable 24/7 high data rate communication services in the High Arctic, to better monitor weather in that region, and to enhance the monitoring of space weather while ensuring that the communications needs of isolated communities in Canada's North could be addressed. By promoting and supporting access to proper communications in these regions, which in some cases are still under-serviced (by the absence of services or by the prohibitive costs associated with such services), the CSA played an important role in ensuring that Canadians in remote regions can access and benefit from technologies (CSA, 2018).

Astronaut recruitment campaign – Space Exploration Branch

GBA Plus considerations were applied to the last Astronaut Recruitment Campaign in 2017, which resulted in the addition of Jennifer Sidey Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk to the Canadian Astronaut corps. Primarily, all members of the recruitment committee received training on GBA Plus before carrying out their work. The CSA also ensured that all regions of the country, women and visible minorities were directly targeted by the recruitment campaign. There were consultations on this topic with the department of Women and Gender Equality Canada. In addition, efforts were also made to engage northern communities and Indigenous communities in light of the consultations undertaken with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. The CSA's recruitment campaign also included promotional activities in professional fields that are not traditionally associated with the space exploration program, such as the field of nutrition, medicine, dentistry and nursing to have a larger more inclusive pool of qualified candidates.

AO for Investigating Spaceflight Health Risks on the ISS – Space Exploration Branch

The purpose of this AO was to select up to 11 scientific investigations that would benefit from the presence of the Life Science Research Systems (LSRS) on the International Space Station (ISS), consisting of a significant proportion of the Canadian ISS utilization. Selected investigations involved academic scientific teams including students and postdocs and generated scientific publications on health risks of space missions. The GBA Plus assessment identified the need to increase opportunities for young students to be part of the proposed teams. Consequently, an encouragement to recruit young students was included in the announcement under the form of a training plan. To broaden the age distribution of personnel involved in these investigations, the evaluation of a student training plan was added to the evaluation criteria. This would therefore increase the score of applications demonstrating an intention to recruit and train young students.

AO for Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) – Space Science & Technology

The Announcement of Opportunity for the Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) has a two-step evaluation process, where step 1 consisted of evaluating applications by a jury composed of CSA and external experts. The evaluation was based on a point rated evaluation criteria with a minimum of 70% to pass. Step 2 of the process consisted on a review of the candidate files selected in step 1 by the STEDIA DG Steering Committee. At this final stage, strategic priorities for the CSA were considered and based on the ranked list of successful proposals, the selection was made considering the following factors:

• Alignment with identified priorities
• Balance between research disciplines
• Regional distribution
• Diversity of universities
• Diversity of Principal Investigators
• Opportunities for young professionals

Communications Initiatives

The most visible application of GBA Plus is being carried out by the CSA's Communications team, where there are specific initiatives targeted to diverse groups of young girl and boys. Gender, diversity and inclusion is embedded in the strategic planning and execution of initiatives that directly reach the Canadian public. To better understand the needs of their program's target populations and to plan their initiatives accordingly, the Communications directorate commissioned a study in 2017. The White Paper entitled Leveraging Space for STEM (CSA, 2017c) identifies the opportunities in Canada where CSA can advance awareness in STEM initiatives for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. The study provides an analysis of the equity gaps in enrolment and achievement in post-secondary students in STEM programs with a particular focus on diverse groups' needs, broken down by socio-economic status, gender and ethnic groups (CSA, 2017c). The CSA's Youth STEM initiatives were designed to target groups that are under-represented in STEM, such as girls and Indigenous youth.

The CSA's Communications team led the development and approval of an internal planning document entitled the CSA's STEM Strategy (CSA, 2020) that outlines CSA-wide efforts to advance Government of Canada priorities such as a diverse and highly skilled workforce, and that aims to guide the development and implementation of tools, experiences and training for the next generation of Canadians to learn and succeed. Of note, the STEM Strategy's guiding principles in the design and delivery of STEM activities include working with partners and leverage existing programs to reach as many learners as possible and to diversify the opportunities available, and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusiveness to reach youth and students from diverse backgrounds.

Junior Astronauts

The Junior Astronauts is an initiative for Canadian youth and educators that features free online activities related to science and space for educators in schools, organizations, youth and their families. The CSA undertook particular efforts to reach Indigenous youth with the Junior Astronauts campaign where they put in place a contract to review the related activities and provide recommendations to tailor the delivery of the material to girls and Indigenous youth in grades 6 to 9, extend the reach to northern Canadian regions (Territories) and to provide additional support to youth in remote communities for the registration process. Moreover, the activities were divided into different streams (STEM, fitness & nutrition, teamwork & communications) to reach youth with varying interests. The CSA also collaborated with organizations such as Aurora College (and Aurora Research Institute) in the development of the activities to ensure the material was appropriate for Northern communities.

Moon on Earth

The Moon on Earth is a planned initiative that will involve hands-on activities for youth linked to the health and nutrition of astronauts on future long-duration missions. They will be designed with a special focus on under-represented groups and youth from Indigenous communities and in the North.

Speaker's Bureau events, Digital content and Other Activities to encourage under-represented groups

The CSA's Speakers Bureau carries out numerous events for the promotion towards women and girls. For example, between April 2018 and January 2020, it offered 54 videoconferences hosted by female CSA experts, 3 videoconferences and 5 in-person events hosted by CSA astronaut Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons, 8 conferences (virtual and in person) about Women in STEM or specifically aimed at girls, and continues to support CSA female engineers to volunteer as judges and mentors every year in various robotics competitions across Canada (e.g. Zone 01, FIRST Robotics).

In terms of digital content, the CSA produced an infographic featuring young women with various space careers for International Day for Women and Girls in Science. Also, the Humans of CSA campaign started in 2015 to highlight CSA women in STEM for International Women's Day. While male scientists and engineers are now featured, 70% of the profiles are of women and other under-represented groups.

There are also CSA grant opportunities to support the development of activities for youth, where beneficiaries are encouraged to reach out to, and engage with youth from under-represented communities.

What others think of our GBA Plus

In the course of the evaluation, the opinions and feedback regarding the CSA's efforts in promoting diversity in the space sector and its GBA Plus assessments were solicited from other government departments. The way the CSA is perceived by central agencies with regards to the quality of GBA Plus assessment in Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board Submissions is important for the CSA's reputation and for the successful implementation of funded projects and programs.

Increased Importance of GBA Plus

As mentioned in the relevance section, and reiterated through various legislative acts, GBA Plus is a priority of the government and it's being treated with great importance and significance. The TBS analysts' role is to thoroughly review and seek clarification on the GBA Plus through a series of questions and comments is indicative of the importance placed on GBA Plus.

Some CSA employees have reported that the thorough review and questions from TBS on the quality and tracking of GBA Plus considerations is a reflection of the importance and momentum being attributed to GBA Plus. Some CSA employees who interact regularly with central agencies have pointed to the discrepancy between the level of importance placed on GBA Plus.

CSA's progress to promote diversity in the space sector

As described in the Success stories section of the report, there are some significant efforts that were made by the CSA to promote diversity in the space sector. Several initiatives are solely focused on a particular group and other initiatives include some elements that directly promoted diversity and resulting in a more inclusive process. TBS recognized good practices in two main areas, Youth STEM programming and diversity clauses in procurement and giving points in competitions related to contractor workforce.

Identify where the CSA is best positioned to promote diversity

Given the increased importance of GBA Plus and the federal departments roles and responsibilities to put into place measures and initiatives to equalize the paying field, and the unique role the CSA plays in the space sector, it is strongly encouraged to explore what more can be done to make the space sector a larger, more inclusive and diverse sector.

Some CSA employees have pointed to the Class G&C program as a place where the CSA could put in place more targeted initiatives, as is the case in OGDs. The Centre of Expertise discuss with managers how diversity can be incorporated and as a result AOs include a diversity clause and statement, but it is not applied systematically. Given the success and positive feedback from the CubeSat project, there is a leadership role to play in putting in place projects with the objectives of promoting diversity in the space sector.

Areas to improve GBA Plus

TBS provided some insight as to how the CSA can build on the quality of its GBA Plus assessments and pointed to three areas specifically where the CSA can improve its GBA Plus assessment within TB submissions. Primarily, the CSA could improve the way it explains who benefits from its initiatives. While direct benefits to the space sector are very important, TBS mentions that it is also important to have a strong understanding of the indirect benefits. Some examples of questions to explore more in depth include:

• Who benefits from the scientific research conducted on the ISS, and soon the Lunar Gateway?
• Who benefits from the collection of satellite data?
• How are these benefits distributed?
• Will the benefits be evenly distributed?

The second area identified for improvement by TBS relates to the shortage of disaggregated data. As seen previously in the report, the lack of disaggregated data is a significant challenge for the CSA to produce quality GBA Plus assessments. TBS is well-aware of the shortage of data on the demographics of the space sector and recognizes the steps taken to improve the situation, but there is a need to increase efforts for generating analysis based on disaggregated data. Some suggestions provided by TBS are to include more questions on its annual survey about identity (ethnicity, age), not just about gender, and be asked less often than annually as long as it is asked on a regular basis or ask respondents to be able to link their answers to Statistics Canada data.

Finally, with a better sense of the gaps in diversity that exist in the space sector, TBS suggest that the CSA should devise a logical list of identity factors to consider on CSA submissions, which can be adjusted as needed depending on the issues the submission addresses.

Best Practices

There are some notable best practices in implementing GBA Plus that were identified at the CSA and in other government departments through literature review, interview and survey data. This section also examines efforts being made by other space agencies to promote diversity and inclusion in their respective space sector. Considering that GBA Plus is an analytical tool developed by the Canadian federal government, it is impossible to specifically assess the practices relating to GBA Plus within Canada's other partner space agencies in the ISS (NASA, ESA, JAXA and Roscosmos). Nonetheless, the diversity and inclusion practices, organizational structures and management techniques promoting diversity were reviewed.

Appendix A: Example of GBA Plus in the space sector

This example was published in the GBA Plus appendix of the 2019 Federal Budget. It is an example of how GBA Plus is applied to STEM, and more specifically to the space sector (GC, 2019).

Appendix B: Detailed history

This appendix provides a summary of the Government of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency's GBA Plus commitments.

• 1970: Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women.
• 1971: Creation of a Minister responsible for the Status of Women in Canada.
• 1995: Government of Canada Commitment to GBA: Federal Plan for Gender Equality.
• 2000: Adoption of the Agenda for Gender Equality (AGE).
• 2007: Mandatory GBA consideration in Treasury Board Submissions.
• 2008: Mandatory GBA consideration in Memorandum to Cabinet.
• 2009: First Auditor General report on GBA implementation, Departmental Action Plan on GBA and launch of annual GBA reporting to Parliament.
• 2011: SWC-led rebranding of GBA to GBA "Plus."
• 2014: Identification of a GBA Plus Champion and three designated points of contact at the CSA.
• 2015: Second Auditor General report on GBA implementation. Due-Diligence and Evidence-Based Analysis Tool for Memoranda to Cabinet.
• 2016: Status of Women Canada, Privy Council Office and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Action Plan on Gender-based Analysis (2016–2020).
• Release of the Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Implementing GBA+ in the Government of Canada. Government's response to 2016 Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
• Mandatory integration of GBA Plus into performance measurement at the CSA, including PIPs.
• Mandatory GBA Plus training for all CSA supervisors, managers, executives and analysts.
• 2017: Adoption of the CSA's Policy on GBA+ and Guide for Implementing GBA+. Each branch must designate one or more GBA Plus Points of Contact.
• Equal opportunity: Budget 2017 Gender Statement.
• Progress report on implementing GBA+ in the Government of Canada submitted to Standing Committees on Public Accounts and the Status of Women. The Policy on GBA+ and the Guide for Implementing GBA+ at the CSA.
• 2018: Creation of the GBA Plus page on the Canadian Space Agency's intranet site.
• Second round of gender budgeting and introduction of the Gender Results Framework.
• Status of Women Canada becomes a federal department named Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE).
• Adoption of the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act.
• Adoption of the Gender Equality Week Act and celebration of the first Gender Equality Week.
• 2019: Publication of the first Gender Report in the 2019 federal budget.
• 2020: Signing of the Dimensions Charter: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Canada by the CSA.
• Evaluation of the implementation of GBA Plus practices at the Canadian Space Agency.

Appendix C: Additional Resources

WAGE:

• Microlearning videos: 1) GBA Plus: Step by Step 2) Top Ten Don't of GBA+
• GBA Plus Research Guide
• GBA Plus Research Checklist
• Additional GBA Plus resources from WAGE

Partnership between the Canada Research Chairs, NSERC, the CIHR, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada:

• Unconscious Bias Training Module : Bias in Peer Review
• Establishing Equity and Diversity Targets in Research institutions

TBS: Modernizing the Government of Canada's Sex and Gender Information Practices: summary report

Finance Canada: GBA Plus Assessment Template

Statistics Canada: Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics

Appendix D: Drafting and approval process for GBA Plus assessments

The process below represents the expected process, and the improvements to the process are in bold.

Appendix E: Examples of initiatives and programs created or funded by NASA to increase women's involvement in STEM

Internal documentation

CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA, 2017a). Policy on Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+).

CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA, 2017b). Guide for Implementing Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA, 2017c). Leveraging space for STEM: A report on the Canadian Space Agency's opportunity to advance STEM education in Canada.

CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA, 2019). Guide for Writing an Announcement of Opportunity (AO): Research Component – One Step, Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology.

CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY (CSA, 2020). The Canadian Space Agency's STEM Strategy: Helping to inspire and empower future generations through science, technology, engineering and mathematics, to grow a dynamic, innovative space economy.

Public documentation

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