Departmental Plan 2017-2018

Message from the Chair and Chief Executive Officer

This year, Canadians will mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation.  We have much to celebrate!  Canada is still a young country in some respects, but we are also one of the world's oldest and most stable democracies -- and over the last century and a half, we have built a society whose prosperity and inclusivity are widely recognized and justly admired. The Canadian Transportation Agency, in its various incarnations, has been part of the fabric of Canada for 113 of its 150 years, making it the country's longest-standing independent, expert tribunal and regulator.  As Canada has evolved, the Agency's responsibilities and services have evolved with it.

Today, the Agency's three core mandates are to help keep the national transportation system running smoothly, to protect the fundamental right of persons with disabilities to accessible transportation, and to provide consumer protection for air travellers.

We are committed to delivering these mandates in ways that keep pace with changing market realities and business models, the expectations and needs of shippers and travellers, and best practices in the adjudicative and regulatory fields.  This is why we have updated our strategic priorities for the 2017-20 period, are carrying out a far-reaching Regulatory Modernization Initiative, are making efforts to better inform Canadians about our services, and are taking steps to foster a healthy, high-performing workplace.

Details on these and other activities are contained in this 2017-18 Departmental Plan, which provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve during the upcoming year.  Consistent with the approach being adopted across government, the title of the report has been changed to better reflect its purpose – communicating annual performance goals and the financial and human resources forecast to deliver them -- and its format and structure have been simplified to provide clearer information on the actual results we are working towards and transparency on how taxpayers’ dollars will be spent.

We are very fortunate to live in Canada as it reaches a milestone birthday.  The foundations of the country's success are strong, but deliberate, well-considered action will be required to meet the challenges before us.  The Agency's dedicated team of five Members and 220 public servants will do our part, by helping ensure the efficient, accessible movement of people and goods to, from, and within our vast country.  In so doing, we will contribute to Canadians' economic and social well-being for many years to come.

Scott Streiner
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Plans at a glance

To help focus its efforts, the Agency has identified four Strategic Priorities for the three-year period from 2017 to 2020:

In line with these priorities, over the course of 2017-2018, the Agency plans to:

Economic Regulation

Activities	Supports Strategic Priorities
Work with stakeholders to modernize the regulations it administers to ensure that they are clear, and they reflect current business models, user expectations and best practices	A modern framework Excellence in service delivery Stakeholder and public awareness
Pilot a new systematic, data-driven, risk-based industry monitoring and compliance framework and begin data collection	A modern framework Excellence in service delivery Stakeholder and public awareness

Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Activities	Supports Strategic Priorities
Enhance outreach and awareness activities with service providers and the public on their rights and responsibilities, and Agency recourses available to them	Excellence in service delivery Stakeholder and public awareness
Make it easier for Canadians to access and use its services by simplifying and streamlining dispute resolution and other processes	Excellence in service delivery Stakeholder and public awareness

Internal Services

Activities	Supports Strategic Priorities
Continue to implement its multi-year On the Move workplace improvement action plan, improve the efficiency of internal administrative business processes and refocus resources on service delivery to Canadians	Healthy, high-performing organization Stakeholder and public awareness

For more information on the Canadian Transportation Agency’s priorities and planned results, see the Planned results section of this report.

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d’être

The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator with the powers of a superior court. An arm's length organization, it reports to Parliament through the Minister of Transport.

Mandate and role

The Agency has three mandates:

• It helps ensure that the national transportation system runs efficiently and smoothly in the economic and social interests of all Canadians; including those who work and invest in it; the producers, shippers, travellers and businesses who rely on it; and the communities where it operates.
• It protects the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network.
• It provides consumer protection for air passengers.

To help advance these mandates, the Agency has three tools at its disposal:

• Rule-making: It develops and applies ground rules that establish the rights and responsibilities of transportation service providers and users and that level the playing field among competitors. These rules can take the form of binding regulations or less formal guidelines, codes of practice or interpretation notes.

• Dispute resolution: It resolves disputes that arise between transportation providers on the one hand, and their clients and neighbours on the other, using a range of tools from facilitation and mediation to arbitration and adjudication.

• Information provision: It provides information on the transportation system, the rights and responsibilities of transportation providers and users, as well as its services.

For more general information about the Agency, see the “Supplementary information” section of this report. Further information on the organization's role, mission and mandate is available on the Agency's website.

Operating context: conditions affecting our work

Canada's transportation system is a complex, rapidly-changing network that is vital to the country's prosperity and social cohesion. 

To deliver its mandates, serve the public interest, and meet the expectations of Canadians, the Canadian Transportation Agency must remain aware of and keep pace with emerging trends and changing conditions.

In recent years, changes in business models and user expectations have transformed the transportation landscape. In particular:

• Innovative business practices have increased competition and consumer choice.
• The use of emerging technologies has enabled increased shipping volumes and more efficient operations, sometimes creating pressure for communities on urban development and environmental concerns.
• The expectations of travellers, shippers and communities have risen, along with their ability to make their voices heard through new technologies and media.

Looking forward, growing numbers of aging Canadians can be expected to pursue active lifestyles and demand access to transportation services. Meanwhile, cities will continue to grow along with a corresponding need to connect these hubs of innovation and wealth creation. Technology will continue to redefine the way we travel, live and work. Canada's interconnectedness with the world will require us to react nimbly to uncertainty and change beyond our borders.

This evolving environment necessarily impacts the transportation system and the Agency's ability to effectively deliver its mandate.  Much of its workload now stems from an unprecedented increase in the number of applications brought by individuals seeking to resolve disputes with air carriers.

Key risks: things that could affect our ability to achieve our plans and results

Key risks

Risks	Risk response strategy	Link to the department’s Programs	Link to departmental priorities
Over-extended resources as a result of increases in Agency mandates and workload Insufficient resources to  maintain core business functions with ongoing operational pressures while absorbing new mandates resulting from legislative amendments, increasing demand from users, and government-wide transformation initiatives	The Agency: Has implemented a reorganization that reduced the number of managers and directed more resources to service delivery Will continue to review and streamline business processes and procedures Will undertake an assessment of its financial situation to identify possible efficiencies and resource needs Will continue to carefully monitor the experience of other small departments with respect to shared corporate systems and apply lessons learned The Agency will know this risk mitigation strategy was effective if  it is successful in delivering its core services to Canadians while completing 2017-18 within its allocated budget	Economic Regulation Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution Internal Services	A Modern Framework Excellence in Service Delivery Stakeholder and Public Awareness A Healthy, High-Performing Organization
Insufficient public and stakeholder awareness Transportation service providers, travellers and shippers are sometimes insufficiently aware of their rights and responsibilities, and the services available to them through the Agency	The Agency: Will enhance outreach and awareness activities with stakeholders and the public regarding their rights and responsibilities, as well as the recourse available to them through the Agency Will develop and implement a systemic, data-driven, risk-based compliance monitoring and enforcement program The Agency will know this risk response strategy was effective if the number of applications, complaints, and inquiries to the Agency in 2017-18 is comparable to or higher than the average number for the previous three fiscal years.	Economic Regulation Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution	Excellence in Service Delivery Stakeholder and Public Awareness
Out-of-date regulatory framework The suite of regulations administered by the Agency requires updates  to keep pace with current business models, user expectations and best practices in the regulatory field	The Agency: Has initiated a comprehensive review of all the regulations it administers Will consult widely with stakeholders, experts and the public on possible regulatory reform Will draft updated regulations and advance them through the necessary approval processes The Agency will know this risk response strategy was effective if a modernized set of regulations is drafted and approved-in-principle by the Agency during 2017-18	Economic Regulation Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution	A Modern Framework Excellence in Service Delivery

Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Strategic Outcome

In 2018-2019, the Agency will begin reporting against a Departmental Results Framework. As a result, performance indicators are expected to change.

Expected results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2013–14 Actual results	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results
Transparent, fair and timely dispute resolution and economic regulation of the national transportation system	Percentage of Economic Regulation program outcome indicators met or exceededFootnote 1	83%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution program service standards met or exceededFootnote 3	80%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2

Programs

Program title

Economic Regulation

Description

The Agency supports an efficient and accessible federal transportation system for users, service providers and other stakeholders through economic regulation of federal air, rail and marine transportation.

For example, it:

• Regulates air transportation by enforcing the Canada Transportation Act and related regulations, administering a licensing and charter permit system, helping to negotiate air bilateral agreements, and ensuring that terms and conditions of carriage of air carriers are consistent with Canadian legislation;
• Develops regulations, codes of practice, and educational and outreach programs to ensure that undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities are removed from the federal transportation network;
• Regulates the federal rail system by issuing certificates of fitness allowing carriers to operate, approving rail line construction, overseeing the discontinuance of service, establishing the net salvage value of rail lines, and it determines interswitching rates and administers the Maximum Revenue Entitlement for the movement of Western grain; and
• Acts as an economic regulator in marine transportation by determining whether suitable Canadian vessels are available when applications are made to use foreign vessels.

This program is referred to in the Agency's current Program Alignment Architecture as "Economic Regulation". However, the Agency's role encompasses both accessibility rights for persons with disabilities and economic regulation within the federal transportation sector. 

Planning highlights

As the transportation environment evolves, the Agency must work to keep pace with changing conditions, adopting up-to-date approaches that draw on the experience of tribunals and regulators from across Canada and around the world. To ensure that parties across the transportation system are aware of their rights and responsibilities, the Agency has to reach out to stakeholders, as well as Canadians in general, through the full range of channels people now use to communicate.

Regulatory Modernization Initiative

Navigating today's intensely competitive, rapidly changing transportation sectors can be challenging – both for users and transportation service providers themselves. Ensuring that the rules of the game are clear, consistent and predictable helps ensure a level playing field and is critical to the success of the national transportation system.

With this in mind, the Agency has launched a major initiative to modernize the full suite of regulations that it administers.

Many of these regulations date back 20 or 25 years and have not kept up with changes in business models, user expectations and best practices in the regulatory field.

The Agency will seek input on its proposed changes through an extensive, four-phase consultation featuring approaches ranging from traditional written submissions to online crowdsourcing.

Phases 1 and 2 of the consultation began in 2016-2017, with the Agency seeking input on:

• Options for updating accessibility standards and the possibility of moving elements currently covered by voluntary codes of practice into binding regulations.
• Potential changes to a range of air carrier licensing and charter elements, including the Agency's approach to determining Canadian control-in-fact, as well as compliance, monitoring and enforcement.

Consultations on modernizing rail transportation sector regulations and on consumer protection for air travellers are expected to begin in the first half of 2017. The start date of these consultations will be influenced in part by if, and when, any related legislative amendments are brought forward.

Over the course of 2017-2018, the Agency plans to complete its consultations, draft modernized regulations and begin moving these regulations through approvals, with implementation anticipated in 2018-2019.

Risk-based compliance and monitoring framework

The Agency has a monitoring and compliance role to ensure service providers are aware of, and comply with, requirements stemming from legislation, regulations, and Agency decisions and determinations. The Agency is currently developing a more systematic, data-driven, risk-based framework for its monitoring and compliance activities.

In 2017-2018, the Agency will pilot the methodology in a targeted approach across rail, air and marine modes of transportation.

The results of this pilot will inform the development of a comprehensive Compliance Assurance Program in 2018-2019. The program will also involve updates to policies, procedures and guidelines, along with additional education initiatives with industry to explain the new approach to compliance and monitoring.

This approach will allow the Agency to make risk-informed and evidence-based compliance oversight decisions that facilitate the efficient and effective use of resources.

Planned results

In 2018-2019, the Agency will begin reporting against a Departmental Results Framework. As a result, performance indicators are expected to change.

Expected results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2013–14 Actual results	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results
Service providers (air, rail and marine) comply with legislative requirements	Percentage of non-compliant air carriers and facility operators that are remedied within 70 days	90%	Ongoing	N/AFootnote 4	N/AFootnote 4	94%
	Percentage of air carriers and facility operators complying with regulatory requirements	80%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Level of compliance with targeted accessibility provisions in regulationsFootnote 5	85%	Ongoing	N/AFootnote 6	100%	100%
	Level of compliance with targeted accessibility provisions in voluntary codes of practiceFootnote 7	75%	Ongoing	N/AFootnote 6	75%	100%
	Percentage of air carriers that amended their International Terms and Conditions of Carriage for passenger services as a result of Agency actions	80%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of air and rail carriers complying with the minimum insurance coverage levels within Agency timelines	95%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
CN and CP are provided with the information required to ensure they do not exceed the maximum grain revenue entitlements for the shipment of Western Grain	Number of times that either CN or CP has not exceeded their respective maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) by more than 1% over the last three years	Five times out of six	Ongoing	Maximum Revenue Entitlements not exceeded by more than 1% in past three years	Maximum Revenue Entitlements not exceeded by more than 1% in past three years	Maximum Revenue Entitlements not exceeded by more than 1% in past three years

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017–18 Main Estimates	2017–18 Planned spending	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending
11,532,859	11,532,859	11,429,543	11,429,543

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2017–18 Planned full-time equivalents	2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents
98	98	98

Program title

Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Description

The Agency provides formal and informal dispute resolution services to users, service providers and others affected by the federal transportation system. As a quasi-judicial tribunal, the Agency has the authority to issue decisions and orders on matters within its jurisdiction, federal rail, air and marine modes of transportation and, in respect of the Agency’s accessibility mandate, including extra-provincial bus operations.

For example, it resolves disputes between:

• air travellers and air carriers regarding terms and conditions of air carriage;
• persons with disabilities and service providers regarding undue obstacles to the mobility of such persons within the federal transportation network;
• rail shippers and railway companies regarding level of service and other matters;
• municipalities, road authorities, landowners and railways regarding rail infrastructure;
• railways and individuals or communities affected by rail noise and vibration;
• Canadian ship owners and other interested persons regarding coasting trade; and
• pilotage and port authorities regarding charges for pilotage services or port fees.

Planning highlights

Part of the Agency's role in the Canadian transportation system is to offer fair and effective recourse mechanisms – helping parties to disputes to work towards mutually-acceptable settlements and, where that isn't possible, to make legally-binding decisions.

As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, the Agency has identified concrete steps to make its dispute resolution services better-known, timelier and more accessible.

Awareness and accessibility of Agency services

In 2017-2018, the Agency will continue to work to raise awareness of its dispute-resolution roles and to make it easier to access its services.

The Agency's ability to efficiently discharge its dispute resolution mandate relies significantly on the proportion of disputes that are resolved informally, since alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are more rapid, less adversarial and requires far fewer resources than formal adjudication.

Furthermore, as part of its dispute resolution toolkit, the Agency will be making more frequent use of oral hearings, which can, in some circumstances, lead to more timely decision-making – while also enhancing the transparency and public awareness of our recourse processes.

To make our services as accessible as possible, in 2017-2018, we will provide additional information to applicants to help them with matters such as the filing of documents and procedural issues. In parallel, the Agency will continue to systematically review its communications with Canadians to make them as user-friendly and consistent as possible, with instructions and guidance in simple, plain language to help all parties understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as recourse processes.

Streamlining and expediting dispute resolution processes

The Agency handles a wide variety of disputes. Certain matters, by their nature, can be dealt with more quickly; others require more extensive consideration.

In 2017-2018, the Agency will develop new, tailored approaches to its adjudicative process to deal with different types of complaints of varying complexity, including an expedited process for adjudicating relatively straightforward disputes, such as many of those between air travellers and airlines. These measures, combined with ongoing work to rationalize and simplify business processes, will result in simpler dispute resolution services for certain cases and more efficient use of Agency resources.

In addition, in 2017-2018, the Agency will introduce firm timelines for all dispute resolution processes, including facilitation and mediation. Each time a facilitator or mediator takes on a case, there will be a deadline – normally 30 calendar days once the file is complete – by which the dispute must either be resolved or moved along to more formal processes, unless discussions are making progress and the parties jointly request an extension.

Planned results

In 2018-2019, the Agency will begin reporting against a Departmental Results Framework. As a result, performance indicators are expected to change.

Expected results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2013–14 Actual results	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results
Specialized transportation dispute resolution that is transparent, fair and timely	Percentage of rail, air, marine, and accessible disputes facilitated that meet service standards	80%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of rail disputes arbitrated within statutory deadlines (45-65 days or longer, as agreed to by parties)	100%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of rail, air, marine, and accessible disputes mediated within statutory deadline (30 days or longer, as agreed to by parties)	100%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of rail, air, marine, and accessible disputes adjudicated that meet service standards	80%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2
	Percentage of undisputed coasting trade applications processed prior to the requested date of service commencement	95%	April 2017	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2	N/AFootnote 2

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017–18 Main Estimates	2017–18 Planned spending	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending
8,703,153	8,703,153	8,635,058	8,635,058

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2017–18 Planned full-time equivalents	2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents
66	66	66

Information on the Canadian Transportation Agency’s lower-level programs is available on the Canadian Transportation Agency’s website and in the TBS InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Planning highlights

In 2017-2018, in addition to ongoing internal service operations, the Agency will work to enable communications and knowledge transfer within its teams, encourage collaboration, foster a supportive workplace, and ensure its business processes are as lean and smart as possible.

Sustaining a healthy, high-performing organization

The Agency will continue to implement its On the Move Action Plan, which aims to foster a healthy, engaged, innovative workplace and workforce.

Over the coming year, the Agency will:

• Provide Agency-wide learning and talent management roadmaps, ensuring employees and managers can access the learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring they need to succeed

• Improve new employee orientation by implementing an onboarding program

• Continue to encourage genuine dialogue by holding all-staff Town Hall meetings three times per year, featuring presentations and Q&As with the Agency's Chair and Chief Executive Officer, as well as stakeholder sessions and interactive staff discussions

• Establish a new collaboration and innovation section on the Agency's intranet site, featuring a "sparks forum" in which staff can bring forward ideas and interact through a wiki-like functionality

• Strike tiger teams as needed to experiment with and develop creative solutions to specific issues and challenges

While the Agency has made innovation a key component of its plans for the next three years, it will not be in a financial position to dedicate a fixed percentage of funds to experimentation with new approaches. Initiatives to build up the Agency's innovation and experimentation capability and practice will be funded as they emerge.

Improving the efficiency of internal administrative business processes and services 

Lean back-office operations will help us respond to growing demands and provide effective service to Canadians. That's why in 2017-2018, following the completion of a project to systematically review, map and identify streamlining opportunities for all internal business processes, the Agency will now move to implement changes.

Implementing Workplace 2.0 standards

In 2017-2018, the Agency will begin steps that will eventually help reduce its office footprint and modernize its work environment by engaging with Public Service and Procurement Canada on options for implementing Workplace 2.0, the Government of Canada's mandatory workplace renewal strategy. Implementation is expected to be completed by 2019-2020.

In addition to fostering collaboration and facilitating information sharing, the Agency's new workspace is expected to support service to our clients by including a public hearing room, secure video conferencing services for mediation and facilitation, and multi-functional meeting spaces to engage with our outside stakeholders in industry, other levels of government and the public.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017–18 Main Estimates	2017–18 Planned spending	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending
10,678,154	10,678,154	7,092,619	7,092,619

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2017–18 Planned full-time equivalents	2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents
62	61	61

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

• Details: Departmental Spending Trend Graph

  Departmental Spending Trend Graph ($ thousands)

  	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020
  Statutory	3,230	3,231	3,502	3,199	3,199	3,199
  Voted	25,548	25,023	24,858	27,715	23,958	23,958
  Total	28,778	28,254	28,360	30,914	27,157	27,157

For fiscal years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, the amounts shown represent the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts.

For fiscal year 2016-2017, the forecast spending represents the planned budgetary and statutory expenditures as presented in the Estimates documents (Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates). These expenditures will remain similar to previous years.

For fiscal year 2017-2018, the planned spending reflects increased funding of $3.5 million approved through Main Estimates to pay for the costs related to The Government of Canada Workplace 2.0 Fit-up Standards. This amount is reflected under Internal Services Program and will be reimbursed over a period of 15 years.

For the period 2018-2019 to 2019-2020, the planned spending reflects approved funding by Treasury Board to support the Agency's Strategic Outcome and Programs. These expenditures are slightly lower than in previous years since they do not include the reimbursement of eligible paylist expenditures and budget carry forwards as these cannot be estimated with certainty.

Budgetary planning summary for Programs and Internal Services (dollars)
Transparent, fair and timely dispute resolution and economic regulation of the national transportation system.

Programs and Internal Services	2014–15 Expenditures	2015–16 Expenditures	2016–17 Forecast spending	2017–18 Main EstimatesFootnote 8	2017–18 Planned spendingFootnote 8	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending
Economic Regulation	11,306,027	11,099,602	11,515,977	11,532,859	11,532,859	11,429,543	11,429,543
Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution	10,984,842	10,334,836	9,447,188	8,703,153	8,703,153	8,635,058	8,635,058
Subtotal	22,290,869	21,434,438	20,963,165	20,236,012	20,236,012	20,064,601	20,064,601
Internal Services	6,486,980	6,819,794	7,396,691	7,156,017	7,156,017	7,092,619	7,092,619
Reverse re-profiling against reference levels for future yearsFootnote 8	-	-	-	3,522,137	3,522,137	-	-
Total	28,777,849	28,254,232	28,359,856	30,914,166Footnote 8	30,914,166Footnote 8	27,157,220	27,157,220

Planned human resources

Human resources planning summary for Programs and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)

Programs and Internal Services	2014–15 Full-time equivalents	2015–16 Full-time equivalents	2016–17 Forecast full-time equivalents	2017–18 Planned full-time equivalents	2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents
Economic Regulation	93	91	98	98	98	98
Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution	71	74	75	66	66	66
Subtotal	164	165	173	164	164	164
Internal Services	57	64	57	62	61	61
Total	221	229	230	226	225	225

Following the implementation of a new organizational structure in 2016-2017, which removed unnecessary layering of oversight and approvals in order to focus resources on delivery, the Agency streamlined the proportion of its human resources spending allocated to Internal Services. However, work on rationalizing its business processes has required a temporary investment in Internal Services functions. This short-term increase is expected to result in savings due to greater efficiency and a reduced back-office allocation, which will be realized over several years.

Human resources planning figures are drawn from the Agency's Main Estimates for 2017-2018. Given the timing of the Main Estimates submission process, the above planned human resources were not able to take into account a sustained and growing surge in disputes submitted to the Agency, which is forecasted to require that a proportionally greater percentage of total Agency human resources be allocated to Adjudication and Alternative Dispute Resolution over the next few years.

Estimates by vote

For information on the Canadian Transportation Agency’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2017–18 Main Estimates.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Canadian Transportation Agency’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on the Canadian Transportation Agency’s website.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the year ended March 31, 2018 (dollars)

Financial information	2016–17 Forecast results	2017–18 Planned results	Difference (2017–18 Planned results minus 2016–17 Forecast results)
Total expenses	32,610,823	31,649,727	(961,096)
Total revenues	-	-	-
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	32,610,823	31,649,727	(961,096)

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate Minister: The Honourable Marc Garneau, P.C, M.P., Minister of Transport 

Institutional Head: Scott Streiner, Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial Portfolio: Transport

Enabling Instrument(s): Canada Transportation Act, S.C. 1996, c. 10

Year of Incorporation / Commencement: 1904

Other:

The Agency shares responsibility for the following Acts:

• Access to Information Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. A-1
• Canada Marine Act, S.C., 1998, c. 10
• Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, S.C., 1996, c. 20
• Coasting Trade Act, S.C., 1992, c. 31
• Energy Supplies Emergency Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. E-9
• Financial Administration Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. F-11
• Official Languages Act, R.S.C, 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)
• Pilotage Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. P-14
• Privacy Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. P-21
• Public Service Modernization Act, S.C., 2003, c. 22
• Railway Relocation and Crossing Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. R-4
• Railway Safety Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. 32 (4th Supp.)
• Shipping Conferences Exemption Act, 1987, R.S.C., 1985, c. 17 (3rd Supp.)

The Agency has sole responsibility for the following regulations:

• Air Transportation Regulations, SOR/88-58
• Canadian Transportation Agency Designated Provisions Regulations, SOR/99-244
• Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with Disabilities Regulations, SOR/94-42
• Railway Costing Regulations, SOR /80-310
• Railway Interswitching Regulations, SOR/88-41
• Railway Third Party Liability Insurance Coverage Regulations, SOR/96-337
• Railway Traffic and Passenger Tariffs Regulations, SOR/96-338
• Railway Traffic Liability Regulations, SOR/91-448
• Regulations on Operational Terms for Rail Level of Service Arbitration, SOR/2014-192

The Agency shares responsibility for the following regulations:

• Railway Company Pay Out of Excess Revenue for the Movement of Grain Regulations, SOR/2001-207
• The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. Regulations, SOR/98-568
• The Seaway International Bridge Corporation, Ltd. Regulations, SOR/98-569
• Transportation Information Regulations, SOR/96-338

These Acts and Regulations are available on the Department of Justice website, and are accessible through the Acts and Regulations section of the Agency website. 

Reporting framework

The Canadian Transportation Agency's Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) of record for 2017–18 are shown below:

1. Strategic Outcome:

Transparent, fair and timely dispute resolution and economic regulation of the national transportation system

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

For more information, please visit the Agency’s website or contact the Agency at:

Canadian Transportation Agency
60 Laval Street, Unit 01
Gatineau, QC, J8X 3G9

Tel:1-888-222-2592
Fax: 819-997-6727
TTY: 1-800-669-5575

Email: info@otc-cta.gc.ca

Appendix: Definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (Plan ministériel)

Provides information on the plans and expected performance of appropriated departments over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

A Departmental Result represents the change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

Consists of the department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (Rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

Provides information on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government;  A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiatives (initiative horizontale)

A horizontal initiative is one in which two or more federal organizations, through an approved funding agreement, work toward achieving clearly defined shared outcomes, and which has been designated (e.g. by Cabinet, a central agency, etc.) as a horizontal initiative for managing and reporting purposes.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (Structure de la gestion, des ressources et des résultats)

A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

Performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

Performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

plans (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

Priorities (priorité)

Plans or projects that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s).

program (programme)

A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

results (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.