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Overview

Preventing Discrimination

Human Rights Maturity Model

1. Overview

Maturity Model: Good for Business!

In the workplace, integrating human rights into all aspects of an organization is good for people and good for business. It can contribute to a positive work environment, strong motivation and increased productivity. It can enhance competitiveness, and recruitment and retention of the best employees. Conversely, undercurrents or actions of prejudice and discrimination can impact team cohesion, cost time and money, and cause damage to an organization’s business and reputation.

The Commission has found that most organizations recognize the importance of fostering a diverse and respectful workplace culture, yet they lack the knowledge or tools required to meet their objectives.  In response, the Commission has moved beyond explaining why they should protect human rights and has turned its focus to showing them how with its new “Human Rights Maturity Model.”

How Does it Work?

The first of its kind in the world, the Maturity Model will serve as a roadmap and performance measurement framework for employers, service providers, bargaining agents and employees as they transition their organizations to a self-sustaining human rights culture by fully integrating human rights in all policies, practices and processes-internally and for front-line service delivery. Aligning internal cultures with front-line service expectations can also contribute to the achievement of organizational business objectives and commitments to corporate social responsibility. 

The Maturity Model provides a common language and a shared vision. It outlines steps that an organization must take if it seeks to grow, from a reactive to a proactive environment. 

The tool is a step-by-step process that leads to improved levels of human rights maturity. It builds on five key elements:

  • leadership and accountability;
  • capacity building and resources;
  • alignment of policies and processes;
  • communication and consultation; and-
  • evaluation for continuous improvement.

As more and more organizations choose to adopt the Maturity Model, it will contribute to defining a network of “employers of choice” for the Canadian workforce. As well, early adopters will comprise a peer network for knowledge sharing that will assist in the continuous improvement of practices.

Chart – Five Maturity Model Levels

human rights maturity model chart this chart illustrates outcomes and indicators for each of the 5 levels of the human rights maturity model. level 1 outcomes include the following: senior leadership is committed to meeting the requirements of both the canadian human rights act and employment equity act, and to embarking on the maturity model journey; implementation begins on consultation and communication; legal responsibilities under the canadian human rights act are recognized; reporting on employment equity act requirements is initiated; organization has adequate capacity and resources to address level 1 indicators for each element and basic data collection begins. level 1 indicators include the following: senior leadership has made visible commitment to human rights culture change; the organization has released messaging that supports anti-discrimination and employment equity; the survey is completed and reporting requirements are met; senior leadership has received basic training on the canadian human rights act and employment equity act; basic quantitative human rights data collected. level 2 outcomes include the following: management engages in culture change; anti-discrimination and employment equity principles are built into mainstream communications; organizational and anti-discrimination/employment equity policies are implemented to achieve compliance with the objectives of the canadian human rights act and employment equity act; the organization has adequate capacity and resources to address level 2 indicators for each element and a human rights performance measurement system is in place. level 2 indicators include the following: human rights champions are identified within management; the organization has designated responsible officers for anti-discrimination and employment equity, and informed staff; existence of organizational anti-discrimination and employment equity policies; human rights training is tailored to specific staff roles and responsibilities; the organization has a data system for tracking discrimination complaints and employment equity requirements. level 3 outcomes include the following: management acts in accordance with its roles and responsibilities regarding human rights; the organization proactively communicates and consults regarding all aspects of human rights, including their impacts on workforce and workplace; a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach to human rights involving various sectors of organization is established; the organization has adequate capacity and resources to address level 3 indicators for each element; the organization is collecting qualitative data. level 3 indicators include the following: managers and supervisors are meeting performance objectives on human rights responsibilities; a communication strategy on human rights is designed and implemented to reach the whole organization; various organizational sectors, business groups and operational units are involved in fulfilling the employment equity implementation plan; all staff members are offered specialized training on human rights, regardless of their specific roles and responsibilities; the organization has a system to sustain data requirements of its employment equity plan. level 4 outcomes include the following: the organization understands and acts on its human rights roles and responsibilities; senior leadership ensures the organization has built relationships with external partners; all communications are seen through a human rights lens; regular and ongoing consultation with external partners to promote human rights principles; internal and external policies and practices reflect human rights; two-way continuous learning improves human rights practices; the organization has adequate capacity and resources to address level 4 indicators for each element; the organization is in a position to share its performance measurement practices with outside partners. level 4 indicators include the following: human rights concepts and principles incorporated in day-to-day activities of all staff members; appreciation for human rights and diversity built into and practiced by organizational communications; the organization ensures external policy and practices take human rights into account where applicable; the organization has established or is part of a network of external human rights communities and other resources and educational systems; the organization shares proven practices in evaluation with outside partners. level 5 outcomes include the following: senior leadership has initiated actions to demonstrate corporate social responsibility; all levels of the organization have responsibility for continuously improving human rights and employment equity practices within the organization; the organization promotes human rights broadly; the organization has policies and processes that foster human rights in areas beyond its mandate or economic interests; the organization has adequate capacity and resources to address level 5 indicators for each element; the organization has incorporated corporate social responsibility parameters into its own measurement system demonstrating that it promotes human rights broadly. level 5 indicators include the following: the organization promotes human rights principles externally; the organization has implemented initiatives to promote human rights broadly; the organization ensures it has policies, processes or initiatives to foster human rights beyond its immediate economic interests; the organization budgets for internal training on ethics and values, and for external promotion of human rights; the organization includes broader human rights parameters in its performance measurement framework.

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Last Updated: 2010-05-05
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