Stakeholder Engagement Report

1. Fall 2023: Board Initiates Strategic Planning Process
2. November 2023: Stakeholder Focus Groups and Consultation, Client Survey
3. February, March, April 2024: Staff Interviews, Focus Group, Survey, Half-Day Workshop
4. March 22, 2024: Board All-Day Strategic Planning Day
5. May 30, 2024: Staff Review of Plan & Feedback
6. May 31, 2024: Board Approval
7. Summer/Early Fall 2024: Management Retreat & Implementation/Change Management Planning
8. November/December 2024: Implementation Plan Drafts

• 2 Spirited People of the First Nations
• Barbra Schlifer Clinic
• BC Human Rights Clinic
• Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
• Canadian Human Rights Association
• Chiefs of Ontario
• Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
• Community Justice Collective
• Community Legal Education Ontario
• Don Valley Community Legal Services
• HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario
• IAVGO Community Legal Clinic
• John Howard Society
• Justice for Migrant Workers
• Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic
• Legal Aid Ontario
• Metis Nation of Ontario
• Ministry of the Attorney General
• Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Osgood Hall Law School
• Parkdale Community Legal Clinic
• Pro Bono Students Canada
• The 519
• University of Toronto Faculty of Law
• University of Windsor Law School
• Workers Action Centre

PUBLIC PROFILE AND ACCESSIBILITY

Stakeholders described the HRLSC as having low visibility – in particular, it does not intentionally reach out to people who are most vulnerable to discrimination, including those living in poverty, subsidized housing, shelters, or correctional facilities. It was noted that in the context of limited resources, the HRLSC should prioritize its resources and use partnerships to maximize its reach.

Potential Opportunities:

• Identify priority populations and focus outreach efforts to these groups
• Enhance marketing, communications and community engagement
• Collaborate with partners (i.e. Ontario’s community legal clinics) to establish itinerant or satellite service locations throughout Ontario

EXPANDED SERVICE MODEL

Strong feedback from many stakeholders suggested that, given the challenges at the HRTO, the HRLSC should compliment existing litigation services by enhancing the provision of upstream services that will support people to pursue or achieve their resolution goals, especially for those who are not seeking compensation.

Potential Opportunities

• Realign and/or introduce services (i.e., information, education, letter writing, restorative justice) to be more solution-focused and/or focused on early intervention/resolution
• Prevent/reduce the number of cases going before the HRTO through effective early resolution or alternate strategies
• Strengthen people’s capacity to address discrimination and navigate the human rights system

REFERRALS AND INTAKE

External stakeholders repeatedly spoke about their lack of clarity regarding the HRLSC’s intake process. Having better information would help them make appropriate referrals. They also identified an interest in establishing clear pathways for their clients, and working together to establish agreements/processes for streamlining access to human rights services and supports clients need.

Potential Opportunities

• Develop and disseminate clear information about priority populations and intake processes
• Proactively collect data to better understand priority needs
• Develop strategies for ensuring that people who do not qualify for services are referred to another organization and/or have access to legal information about their options

COLLABORATION

External stakeholders spoke highly of the HRLSC and it’s value. They expressed interest in strengthening collaboration to help the HRLSC to expand its visibility, improve access for populations who experience barriers, maximize its limited resources, strengthen its capacity to secure funding through collaborative funding proposals, and enable it to participate in advocacy regarding critical human rights issues.

Potential Opportunities

• Engage private bar lawyers, law schools and legal clinics to help develop, test and advance diverse initiatives that increase/advance access to justice for clients across the province
• Build on the HRLSC’s experience with SHARE and ADIP to collaborate with partners on projects that can advance common human rights goals

PLANNING FOR SYSTEM IMPACT

Stakeholders noted that the human rights environment in Ontario has shifted significantly, for example, due to increased discrimination and the backlog at the HRTO. The HRLSC is well positioned to identify and advance cases that can have systemic impact. However, in taking on resource-intense cases that advance the laws’ evolution or have a broad impact, the HRLSC’s overall caseload capacity may be reduced.

Potential Opportunities

• Identify and take on cases in collaboration with community groups/partners that can result in law reform
• Amplify the efforts of partners engaged in human rights advocacy and law reform

ONTARIO’S HUMAN RIGHTS PILLARS

Stakeholders strongly agreed that the three pillars of Ontario’s human rights system should be working more closely together to maximize their resources and better identify and advance human rights priorities. Collaboration between the HRLSC and the OHRC in particular could improve Ontarians’ understanding of human rights and access to human rights education. The two pillars are well positioned to identify and pursue systemic human rights cases.

Potential Opportunities

• HRLSC should look for opportunities to collaborate with its pillar partners to strategically and efficiently advance its mandate, and increase public awareness and visibility of its services and supports for people facing discrimination or harassment potentially seeking legal redress at the HRTO

DATA COLLECTION AND EVIDENCE-INFORMED STRATEGIES

The HRLSC does not collect socio-demographic data about clients. As such, its services, supports, benchmarks, and performance indicators are not data driven. It also does not report how different populations may experience discrimination in Ontario.

Many stakeholders noted that the HRLSC is uniquely positioned to use its data to identify cases that can have systemic impact or advance the law. Beyond the annual client survey, clients and community are not involved in informing the work of the organization.

Potential Opportunities

• Identify data fields and develop disaggregated data collection strategies and methods
• Use data and information that is collected to establish priorities for outreach, service delivery and systemic impact projects
• Establish methods for meaningfully engaging clients and community in the work of the organization

GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

Stakeholder feedback indicates that there is room for organizational development and maturation including further formalization of governance policies, structures, roles, processes, and enhancement of technological infrastructure.

Potential Opportunities

• Review and update the organization structure; clarify management roles and span of control
• Invest in technology
• Add new positions to execute core functions and strategic priorities
• Review and confirm the role of the Board; strengthen Board policy, and provide regular Board governance training
• Develop a Board succession plan

Stakeholder feedback indicates that there is a need to improve staff retention and strengthen organizational cohesion.

Potential Opportunities

• Develop and advance the HRLSC’s mission, values and strategic priorities and advance the business case for investment in the organization
• Realign service volume targets and clarify any implications of doing so with funders
• Strengthen the HR framework, including the performance management system, succession plans, professional development and career pathways
• Enable opportunities for diverse staff to work together

The HRLSC is valued as a critical pillar of Ontario’s human rights system, and many stakeholders value its independence and autonomy as an arms length organization. In order to address ongoing sustainability challenges, stakeholders encouraged the HRLSC to explore external partnerships and funding opportunities and to strengthen its engagement with and demonstrate its value to government and nongovernmental funders and decision makers, and the communities it serves.

Potential Opportunities

• Update the HRLSC’s business case to ensure it is informed by evidence and aligned with strategic priorities
• Implement a resource development strategy that includes collaborative funding proposals
• Demonstrates the HRLSC’s human rights expertise, leadership and value proposition to diverse government and non-governmental decision makers
• Leverage community support to underline the value of HRLSC services for members of the Ontario public, including in particular marginalized and vulnerable populations