A turning point for the Commission

Our 2005 Annual Report marks an important turning point for the Commission. The complaint backlog is now a thing of the past, and we have worked hard and developed management tools to arrive at this point.

The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2002, the Commission’s productivity has increased significantly. At the end of February 2006, the number of cases in our inventory had been reduced by 44% and the backlog had been virtually eliminated. The average age of cases is now 9.5 months compared to 25 months in 2002, and the Commission is making steady progress towards a service standard by which 85% of cases will be resolved within one year’s time.

The Commission has found ways to carry out its important dispute resolution role more efficiently and quickly, thereby freeing up resources that have been redirected to prevention and research initiatives. Our new Discrimination Prevention Program has already shown promising results, with evidence that the Commission is receiving fewer complaints from organizations who are proactively engaged in our prevention strategy. At the same time, an increased focus on research helps us to identify and address human rights issues and promote systemic change.

Every Commission employee has contributed to our success. And the results we can now point to would not have been possible without the leadership of our Chief Commissioner, Mary Gusella, who has ably guided us through this challenging, but also stimulating, period of change. Mrs. Gusella will be retiring at the end of May and we are grateful to her for her important role in this process.

The tangible results we have achieved certainly encourage us to continue on our current path, questioning how we do our work and remaining open to innovative approaches that allow us to provide the best service possible.