Publication

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Section 1: institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity

Governance

CICS continued to integrate GBA Plus considerations into planning, reporting and service delivery activities during 2025–26. Accessibility considerations remained a key component of organizational planning and conference service delivery. Accessibility-related activities were coordinated through existing organizational functions, including the Accessibility Officer role, which supported accessibility planning, consultations, awareness activities and implementation efforts across the organization.

Capacity

CICS continued to strengthen organizational capacity to support accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility training focused on conference and event accessibility was completed by approximately 96% of Conference Services employees. Accessibility guidance and support were provided to employees responsible for conference planning and delivery. Accessibility consultations with employees and stakeholders also informed planning activities and the development of the 2026–2028 Accessibility Plan.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus

0.25 FTE

Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program

Core responsibility: Intergovernmental Conference Services

Program name: Conference Services

Program goals: The program provides impartial logistical and planning services for intergovernmental conferences, enabling federal, provincial, and territorial governments to focus on policy discussions. While the program does not directly deliver services to the public, it integrates accessibility and inclusivity measures into conference planning and support.

Target population: Indirectly, all Canadians benefit from effective intergovernmental dialogue. Directly, the program serves federal, provincial, and territorial governments and their first ministers, ministers, and deputy ministers who participate in conferences supported by CICS, including individuals who may require accessibility accommodations or accessible participation options.

Specific demographic group(s) to be monitored

CICS does not collect demographic information through conference registration processes. However, accessibility consultations, feedback mechanisms and client satisfaction surveys provide information on the experiences of:

• persons with disabilities;
• conference organizers and participants requiring accessibility accommodations;
• conference organizers and participants requiring accessible participation options, including virtual participation; and
• official language minority communities.

Key program impacts* on gender and diversity

Key program impact statistics

^*2025–26 or most recent

Other key program impacts

Conference organizers and participants experienced accessible and inclusive conference services during 2025–26. Survey results indicated that conference organizers did not report accessibility barriers when working with CICS and reported high levels of satisfaction with the accessibility and usability of conference planning tools and platforms.

Participants also reported high level of satisfaction with services in official languages and simultaneous interpretation. These results contributed to equitable participation in federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial conferences by supporting accessibility and participation in the official language of participants’ choice.

Supplementary information sources

The results presented in this section are based on:

• Conference Organizer Satisfaction Survey (2025–26);
• Conference Participant Satisfaction Surveys (2025–26); and
• Accessibility consultations and feedback activities conducted under CICS’ accessibility planning process.

GBA Plus data collection plan

CICS does not currently collect demographic information through conference registration processes. During 2025–26, the organization continued to gather information through accessibility consultations, accessibility feedback mechanisms and client satisfaction surveys to identify barriers and opportunities for improvement.

In 2025–26, CICS enhanced its Conference Organizer Survey by introducing a dedicated Accessibility and Inclusion section. The updated survey collects information related to accessibility barriers, accommodation requests, accessibility of tools and platforms, and the experiences of organizers who identify as persons with disabilities. These changes improved the organization’s ability to assess accessibility-related outcomes and identify opportunities to reduce barriers in conference planning and delivery.

CICS also reviewed its participant surveys and identified opportunities to strengthen the collection of accessibility-related information from conference participants. Updated participant surveys are expected to include additional questions related to accessibility and accommodations to support future analysis of accessibility outcomes and service improvements.

CICS will continue to use accessibility consultations, client feedback and survey results to inform service improvements, accessibility planning and GBA Plus reporting, while respecting privacy, security and information management requirements.