Departmental Plan 2019-2020

Message from the Chair and Chief Executive Officer

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) – Canada’s longest-standing independent regulator and tribunal – has made remarkable progress on multiple fronts in recent years, and expects to bring a number of key projects to fruition during 2019–20.

One of those projects is the Regulatory Modernization Initiative (RMI).  Launched in May 2016, the RMI involves a comprehensive examination of all regulations administered by the CTA, to ensure they reflect current and emerging business models, the needs of travellers and shippers, and best practices in the regulatory field. 

The RMI was divided into four tranches: accessible transportation, rules for airlines around matters like code sharing, air passenger protection, and rail-related regulations.  It was helped along not only by the extensive engagement of the public and stakeholders, but also by the adoption of the Transportation Modernization Act, which gave the CTA new rail-related responsibilities and a mandate to set minimum airline obligations towards passengers. 

By March 2019, proposed regulations in the first three areas covered by the RMI had been pre-published in Canada Gazette I and work on updates to the rail-related regulations was well-advanced.  During 2019-20, the CTA will consider feedback on all the drafts, endeavour to finalize the regulations, and turn its attention fully to implementation.  Two key priorities will be developing plain language guidance material and putting in place a risk-based compliance monitoring and enforcement program.

In addition, the CTA expects that in 2019-20, the trend of rising complaint volumes – spurred in part by growing public awareness around air passenger and accessibility rights – will persist.  We’ve handled the more than ten-fold increase in the number of complaints (from about 700 averaged annually between 2012-16 to 7,500 in 2018-19) through a mix of internal streamlining, supplemental funding, and the use of informal facilitation and mediation to resolve the vast majority of cases.  In 2019-20, we’ll continue to do everything possible to make our dispute resolution services as straightforward, fair, and efficient as possible. 

Finally, 2019-20 will see the release of a report on the storage and transportation of mobility devices on aircraft, based on multi-stakeholder discussions initiated and supported by the CTA, and efforts by the CTA and partners in other federal agencies to ensure that accessible air travel figures on the agenda of the International Civil Aviation Organization, notably during its triennial General Assembly this September in Montreal.

Canada is a particularly transportation-reliant country, and both here and abroad, this is a dynamic period in the world of transportation services.  The CTA’s exceptional team of professional, dedicated Members and public servants works hard every day to help foster an efficient, competitive, and accessible national transportation system – in the interests of all Canadians.

Scott Streiner
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Plans at a glance and operating context

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator that has, with respect to all matters necessary for the exercise of its jurisdiction, all the powers of a superior court. The CTA has three mandates:

• It helps ensure that the national transportation system runs efficiently and smoothly in the interests of all Canadians: 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 CTA 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 service 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 service providers and users, as well as its legislation and services.

The CTA is guided by its strategic priorities for the 2017-2020 period:

Strategic Priorities 2017-2020

Operating Context

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 CTA must remain aware of and keep pace with emerging trends and changing conditions. 

National Transportation System

The CTA's longest standing mandate is to keep the national transportation system running efficiently and smoothly. Demand for the CTA's services in this area over 2019-20 will be shaped, in part, by amendments to the Canada Transportation Act made in May 2018.

Of particular note, the CTA is now authorized to initiate investigations into possible freight rail service issues, on its own motion, with the authorization of the Minister of Transport. In January 2019, the CTA launched an investigation into possible freight rail service issues in the Vancouver area. The matters covered by the investigation include whether there is evidence of discriminatory treatment of certain commodities, how freight rail permits and/or embargoes are being used, and whether railway companies operating in the Vancouver area are fulfilling their service obligations. The CTA concluded that an investigation would be appropriate based on information received from shipper associations and other parties.

As part of its Regulatory Modernization Initiative, the CTA is also working to update rail-related regulations and guidance material based on feedback from rail stakeholders during consultations held in 2018. The goal is to have updated regulations in place by summer 2019, with new guidance material to be released throughout 2019-20. 

The CTA's role in keeping the national transportation running efficiently and smoothly is not limited to rail; it includes, for example, administering Canada's air licensing and charter permit regime. The CTA is working to update its regulations pertaining to air licensing and charter permits. Proposed amendments to the Air Transportation Regulations contain conditions and limitations on how air services will be provided which reflect a highly regulated regime from the past and which are no longer required in today’s competitive and open aviation markets. Changes to the regulations will clarify and streamline CTA’s internal processes with a consequent reduction in the administrative burden on the industry. The goal is to have these regulations in place by the summer of 2019.

Accessibility

The CTA is developing new Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, as part of its Regulatory Modernization Initiative.  The proposed regulations will establish legally binding accessibility requirements for transportation service providers. Consultations on the regulations started in mid 2016, with the aim of having regulations in place by the summer of 2019. The regulations are expected to come into effect in 2020. Over 2019-2020, the CTA will engage in education and outreach with stakeholders to ensure they fully understand their rights and responsibilities.

Demand for the CTA's services in the area of accessibility is also expected to continue increasing should Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, receive Royal Assent. Bill C-81 will provide the CTA with additional powers to carry out its mandate of protecting the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation system, including: own motion powers to initiate investigations into accessibility-related, transportation issues with the approval of the Minister of Transport; new monitoring and enforcement tools; new authorities to order compensation (lost wages, pain and suffering, and reckless practice); and higher maximum Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) for violations of accessibility provisions.

The CTA is enhancing outreach, education, and compliance monitoring activities, while working with other implementation agencies to align approaches and ensure a smooth, "no wrong door" experience for any person who wants to bring forward an accessibility-related complaint.

With an aging population and increased passenger travel worldwide, accessible transportation is a global imperative. Because air travel so often crosses borders, clear and common accessibility principles at the international level are in the interests of both persons with disabilities and airlines. Accordingly, the CTA is working with partners in other federal organizations to increase the emphasis placed on accessible air transportation within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As well, the CTA has convened and is continuing to support multi-stakeholder discussions on ways of addressing the growing challenges around the storage and transportation of mobility devices on aircraft.  The international working group examining these challenges is expected to report on its findings and recommendations during 2019.

Air Passenger Protection

In recent years, a record number of Canadians turned to the CTA for assistance with air travel issues. In 2018-19 alone, the CTA received over 7,500 air travel complaints – a more than ten fold increase from the 700 complaints that the CTA averaged annually over the five-year period spanning 2012 through 2016. 

This trend is expected to continue into 2019 as the CTA finalizes new Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which are being made following amendments to the Canada Transportation Act in May 2018. The new regulations will provide clearer and more consistent air passenger rights by imposing certain minimum airline requirements in air travel – including standards of treatment and, in some situations, compensation for passengers. The regulations will set out airlines' obligations to passengers in the following areas:

• Communication;
• Delayed or cancelled flights;
• Denied boarding;
• Tarmac delays;
• The seating of children under the age of 14;
• Lost or damaged baggage; and
• The transportation of musical instruments.

It is anticipated that the regulations, once finalized, will come into effect during the summer of 2019. The CTA is also preparing to implement the regulations, including issuing guidance material for airlines and the public, developing new online products and ramping up of monitoring and compliance activities.

 For more information on the CTA’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.

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

Core Responsibility

Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users

Description

Set and enforce economic, accessibility, and air passenger protection rules for the national transportation system; resolve disputes between transportation service providers and users through facilitation, mediation, arbitration, and adjudication; and provide information to stakeholders and the general public on the transportation system and their transportation-related rights and responsibilities.

Planning highlights

The CTA will undertake the following activities to support its planned results:

• Continue the modernization process for the regulations administered by the CTA to ensure that they are clear and reflect current business models, user expectations and best practices, and are in accordance with recent legislative changes that have expanded the CTA's regulation making authority:
  • Finalize and implement new Air Passenger Protection Regulations that establish airlines' minimum obligations to passengers, including compensation levels and standards of treatment in certain circumstances;
  • Update the Air Transportation Regulations to simplify and clarify requirements, including with regard to charters and licensing;
  • Finalize and implement new Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations to establish comprehensive, legally binding and enforceable accessibility requirements for transportation service providers;
  • Update rail regulations to ensure rail related requirements are clear, up to date and enforceable.
• Implement new accessible transportation responsibilities if and when Bill C-81 is passed and comes into force, and continue efforts to coordinate with other implementation agencies to align approaches and a ' no wrong door' experience for complainants.
• Work with partners in other federal organizations to increase the emphasis placed on accessible air transportation in the deliberations of ICAO and facilitate multi-stakeholder discussions on the carriage and storage of large and/or complex mobility aids with aircraft.
• Continue to identify and implement improvements to CTA services aimed at maximizing the clarity, efficiency and responsiveness of dispute resolution and regulatory determination processes.
• Continue development and implementation of a data-driven, risk-based approach to compliance monitoring and enforcement activities.
• Continue efforts to raise awareness among stakeholders and the public on their transportation-related rights and responsibilities, and CTA recourses available to them.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results	2017–18 Actual results
An efficient, competitive national transportation system	Transportation Fluidity Index	Obtain baseline information (2021)	TBD	Not available	Not available	Not available
	Percentage of regulatory authorities issued, and disputes and contested determination cases resolved within service standards	85%	March 2020	95%	92%	90%
	Percentage of transportation service providers that comply with legislative and regulatory requirements	80%	March 2020	Not available	Not available	Not available
Accessible transportation services for persons with disabilities	Percentage of air, rail, marine carriers and facility operators complying with accessibility related legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice	80%	March 2020	Not available	Not available	Not available
	Percentage of accessibility disputes resolved within service standards	80%	March 2020	98%	89%	62%
Consumer protection for air travellers	Percentage of air carriers complying with consumer protection legislative and regulatory requirements	Obtain baseline information (2020)	TBD	Not available	Not available	Not available
	Percentage of air consumer protection disputes resolved within service standards	85%	March 2020	Not available	Not available	Not available

In this report, any reference to “obtain baseline information” in the target column refers to performance indicators that are in the first year of implementation. Results collected in 2018–19 will be used to establish performance targets for future years.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020-21 Planned spending	2021-22 Planned spending
23,176,780	23,176,780	20,333,872	19,550,053

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
198	198	198

Financial, human resources and performance information for the CTA’s Program Inventory is available in the GC 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 services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020-21 Planned spending	2021-22 Planned spending
11,792,835	11,792,835	10,346,303	9,947,479

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
72	72	72

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

For fiscal years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the amounts shown represent the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts.

For fiscal year 2018-2019, the forecast spending represents the planned budgetary and statutory expenditures as presented in the Estimates documents (Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates). This amount has increased in comparison to previous years' forecast spending.  This increase is primarily attributable to the new funding received to support the CTA's modernization initiative ($2,4M), as announced in Budget 2018, and to implement legislative and regulatory changes related to Canada’s freight rail system ($1.9M), as announced in the 2017 Fall Economic Statement.

For fiscal year 2019-2020, the planned spending also reflects increased funding of $3.7 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 2020-2021 to 2021-2022, the planned spending reflects approved funding by Treasury Board to support the CTA'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 Core Responsibility and Internal Services (dollars)

Core Responsibility and Internal Services	2016-17 Expenditures	2017-18 Expenditures	2018-19 Forecast spending	2019–20 Main estimates	2019-20 Planned spending	2020-21 Planned spending	2021-22 Planned spending
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users	19,539,045	21,161,225	25,906,015	23,176,780	23,176,780	20,333,872	19,550,053
Internal Services	7,409,032	7,986,592	7,683,270	11,792,835	11,792,835	10,346,303	9,947,479
Total	26,948,077	29,147,817	33,589,285	34,969,615	34,969,615	30,680,175	29,497,532

The increase in Internal Services expenditures in 2019-20 includes an allocation of $3.7 million for a mandatory government initiative (Government of Canada Fit-up Standards) to make more efficient use of office space.

Planned human resources

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

Core Responsibility and Internal Services	2016-17 Actual	2017-18 Forecast	2018-19 Planned	2019-20 Planned	2020-21 Planned	2021-22 Planned
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users	162	171	200	198	198	198
Internal Services	58	55	60	72	72	72
Total	220	226	260	270	270	270

Estimates by vote

For information on the CTA’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2019–20 Main Estimates.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the CTA’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. The forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis; as a result, 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 CTA’s website.

Future Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the year ended March 31, 2020 (dollars)

Financial information	2018–19 Forecast results	2019–20 Planned results	Difference (2019–20 Planned results minus 2018–19 Forecast results)
Total expenses	37,824,443	35,665,196	(2,159,247)
Total revenues	-	-	-
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	37,824,443	35,665,196	(2,159,247)

In 2018-19, the CTA received new funding to support its modernization initiative ($2.4M), as announced in Budget 2018, and to implement legislative and regulatory changes related to Canada’s freight rail system ($1.9M), as announced in the 2017 Fall Economic Statement.  This incremental funding includes one-time allocations for specific projects ($1M).  In addition to this, the forecast results for 2018-19 include the 2017-18 Operating Budget Carry Forward ($1M).

Additional information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister[s]: 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, as amended

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1904

Other:

Acts

The CTA has primary responsibility for carrying out the provisions of the Canada Transportation Act. It also shares responsibility for the following laws:

• Canada Marine Act, S.C., 1998, c. 10
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, S.C. 2012, c. 19
• 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
• Pilotage Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. P-14
• 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.)

Regulations

The CTA has sole responsibility for the following regulations:

• Air Transportation Regulations, SOR/88-58
• Canadian Transportation Agency Designated Provisions Regulations, SOR/99-244
• Regulations on Operational Terms for Rail Level of Service Arbitration, SOR/2014-192
• 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

The CTA has promulgated the following Rules:

• Canadian Transportation Agency Rules (Dispute Proceedings and Certain Rules Applicable to All Proceedings), SOR/2014-104
• Rules of Procedure for Rail Level of Service Arbitration, SOR/2014-94

Rules

• Canadian Transportation Agency General Rules, SOR/2005-35
• Canadian Transportation Agency Rules (Dispute Proceedings and Certain Rules Applicable to All Proceedings), SOR/2014-104
• Rules of Procedure for Rail Level of Service Arbitration, SOR/2014-94

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

Raison d’être, mandate and role

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on the CTA’s website.

Reporting framework

The CTA’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2018–19 are shown below:

Core Responsibility

Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users

Description

Set and enforce economic, accessibility, and air passenger protection rules for the national transportation system; resolve disputes between transportation service providers and users through facilitation, mediation, arbitration, and adjudication; and provide information to stakeholders and Canadians in general on the transportation system and their transportation-related rights and responsibilities.

Results and indicators

Result 1: An efficient, competitive national transportation system

Indicators

1A   Transportation Fluidity Index

1B   Percentage of regulatory authorities issued, and disputes and contested determination cases resolved within service standards

1C   Percentage of transportation service providers that comply with legislative and regulatory requirements

Result 2: Accessible transportation services for persons with disabilities

Indicators

2A   Percentage of air, rail, marine carriers and facility operators complying with accessibility-related legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice

2B   Percentage of accessibility disputes resolved within service standards

Result 3: Consumer protection for air travellers

Indicators

3A   Percentage of air carriers complying with consumer protection legislative and regulatory requirements

3B   Percentage of air consumer protection disputes resolved within service standards

Program Inventory

• Analysis and Outreach
• Dispute Resolution
• Determinations and Compliance
• Internal Services

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CTA’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the CTA’s website:

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Gender-based analysis plus

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

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)

A report 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)

Any 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)

The department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

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

evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

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.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to help identify the potential impacts of policies, Programs and services on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. The “plus” acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences to consider multiple identity factors that intersect to make people who they are (such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability).

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2019–20 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 initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

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.

Performance Information Profile (profil de l’information sur le rendement)

The document that identifies the performance information for each Program from the Program Inventory.

plan (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.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts 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.

priority (priorité)

A plan or project 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 Departmental Results.

Program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

Program Inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s Core Responsibilities and Results.

result (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.

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.