Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department’s planned spending and human resources for the next three consecutive fiscal years and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years’ actual spending.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2017-18 to 2022-23
Departmental spending trend graph

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory) spending over time.

departmental spending trend graph ranging from 2016 to 2022
Description of Figure: Departmental Spending Trend 

This bar graph depicts Defence's financial spending trend starting with fiscal year 2017-18.

On the Y-axis are dollars ranging from 0 to 30,000,000,000. On the X-axis is Fiscal Year 2017-2018 through 2022-2023.

Statutory Financial Spending Trend is:

  • $3,441,201,378 in 2017-18;
  • $1,596,143,119 in 2018-19;
  • $1,525,661,560 in 2019-20;  
  • $1,504,857,997 in 2020-21;
  • $1,272,179,196 in 2021-22; and
  • $1,283,559,987 in 2022-23.

Voted Financial Spending Trend is:

  • $19,435,885,343 in 2017-18;
  • $20,019,798,793 in 2018-19;
  • $21,615,236,080 in 2019-20; 
  • $21,917,189,410 in 2020-21;
  • $22,273,632,400 in 2021-22; and
  • $21,907,734,334 in 2022-23.

Total Financial Spending Trend is:

  • $22,877,086,721 in 2017-18;
  • $21,615,941,912 in 2018-19;
  • $23,140,897,640 in 2019-20; 
  • $23,422,047,407 in 2020-21;
  • $23,545,811,596 in 2021-22; and
  • $22,907,294,321 in 2022-23.
Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned spending for each of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Core Responsibilities and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services 2017–18
Expenditures
2018–19
Expenditures
2019–20
Forecast spending
2020–21
spending (as
indicated in Main Estimates)
2020–21
Planned spending
2021–22
Planned spending
2022–23
Planned spending
Operations 1,372,428,482 1,424,919,741 1,399,113,021 1,075,628,685 1,080,817,402 1,084,690,693 1,115,625,002
Ready Forces 10,331,831,988 9,506,982,585 9,755,266,593 9,716,036,927 9,760,714,328 9,789,287,544 10,003,032,978
Defence Team 3,424,068,331 2,779,583,406 3,363,320,915 3,416,850,794 3,444,253,339 3,442,743,021 3,524,278,188
Future Force Design 894,647,455 845,573,026 927,459,805 840,491,721 845,220,905 857,200,067 878,147,746
Procurement of Capabilities 2,992,354,792 3,069,157,738 3,629,426,719 3,907,432,104 3,910,791,611 4,149,996,557 3,032,978,525
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure 3,237,004,066 3,219,172,782 3,279,602,750 3,665,573,962 3,680,697,534 3,515,136,435 3,626,990,238
Subtotal 22,252,335,114 20,845,389,278 22,354,189,803 22,622,014,193 22,722,495,119 22,839,054,317 22,181,052,677
Internal Services 624,751,607 770,552,634 786,707,837 695,921,525 699,552,288 706,757,279 726,241,644
Total 22,877,086,721 21,615,941,912 23,140,897,640 23,317,935,718 23,422,047,407 23,545,811,596 22,907,294,321

Sources: Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Group / Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) / Chief Financial Officer Group (CFO).

Notes:

Due to rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.

These figures will be subject to changes in the near future as the supplementary estimates and Annual Reference Level Update (ARLU) numbers have not yet been finalized (along with figures from the CFO survey).

departmental spending trend graph ranging from 2016 to 2022

Description of Figure: Departmental Planned Spending for 2019-2020 by Core Responsibility (Dollars)

Description of Figure: Actual Spending (authorities used) for 2017-18 by Program (dollars)
Description of Figure: Actual Spending (authorities used) for 2017-18 by Program (dollars)

This pie chart illustrates the Department of National Defence’s spending for Fiscal Year 2020-21, broken down by Core Responsibility.

The percentages allocated to each section, from largest to smallest, are:

  • 42%, $9,760,714,328 for Ready Forces;
  • 15%, $3,444,253,339 for Defence Team;
  • 16%, $3,680,697,534 for Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure;
  • 17%, $3,910,791,611 for Procurement of Capabilities;
  • 5%, $699,552,288 for Operations;
  • 4%, $845,220,905 for Future Force Design; and
  • 3%, $699,552,288 for Internal Services

Planned human resources

The Regular Force strength is currently at 99% of its authorized 68 000 personnel. Through recruiting efforts and a retention strategy, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will continue to grow to its authorized strength. The 3 500 Regular Forces personnel increase announced in SSE will be attributed to specific Core Responsibilities at a later date ensuring a gradual and manageable growth of the workforce.

In order to meet the high ambition set out in SSE, we will hire an additional 1 150 defence civilians, with a specific target in 2020-21 of 115 to strengthen our capabilities in the areas of intelligence, logistics, procurement and maintenance. These full-time equivalents will be attributed to specific Core Responsibilities at a later date.

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for each Core Responsibility in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ departmental results framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services
2017–18
Actual
full-time
equivalents
2018–19
Actual
full-time
equivalents
2019–20
Actual
full-time
equivalents
2020–21
Planned
full-time
equivalents
2021–22
Planned
full-time
equivalents
2022–23
Planned
full-time
equivalents
Operations N/A 4,884 4,923 2,860 2,886 2,910
Ready Forces N/A 45,566 46,016 46,489 46,917 47,280
Defence Team N/A 20,123 20,243 20,838 21,025 21,180
Future Force Design N/A 2,421 2,669 2,223 2,228 2,233
Procurement of Capabilities N/A
2,420 2,339 2,176 2,182 2,189
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure
N/A
13,209 13,363 14,843 14,913 14,971
Subtotal
N/A
88,623 89,553 89,429 90,151 90,763
Internal Services N/A
3,347 4,039 5,293 5,308 5,321
Total N/A 91,970 93,592 94,722 95,459 96,084

Notes:

The actual numbers for FY 2017-18 cannot be reported as the reporting mechanism changed from the Program Alignment Architecture to the Departmental Results Framework in FY 2018-19.

The 2019-20 Forecast full-time equivalents has been taken from the Departmental Plan 2019-20.

Total planned human resources – Reserve Force personnel

The Reserve Force is a valued and integrated component of the CAF. It is divided into four distinct sub-components:

  • Primary Reserve;
  • Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service;
  • Canadian Rangers; and
  • Supplementary Reserve (Strategic reserve).

The Primary Reserve consists predominately of part-time professional CAF members, located throughout Canada, ready with reasonable notice to conduct or contribute to domestic and international operations to safeguard the defence and security of Canada. Important initiatives to reduce attrition and to streamline recruitment resulted in the substantial growth of the Primary Reserve in FY 2018-19. These sustained efforts will support the Primary Reserve to reach the Government of Canada (SSE initiative 74) authorized Average Paid Strength level to 30 000 by 2025.

The Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service completed an organizational restructure and will be maintained at the current approved target of 8 000 personnel.

The Canadian Rangers are integral to CAF Northern surveillance and regularly provide support to ground search and rescue. They are Canada’s eyes, ears and guides across the country, particularly in the sparsely settled Northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada. During FY 2020-21, the CAF will continue to focus on surveillance and control of the Canadian territory; this will include the continuous review of the force structure of the Canadian Rangers and increasing their numbers to improve their functional capabilities within the CAF.

The following table provides our total planned human resources for Reserve Force personnel for the next three FY’s 2020-23.

  2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Primary Reserve 28,950 29,250 29,550
Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service 8,000 8,000 8,000
Canadian Rangers 5,640 5,680 5,680

Estimates by vote

Information on the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ organizational appropriations is available in the 2020–21 Main EstimatesFootnote cxxix.

Condensed future-oriented statement of operations

The condensed future‑oriented statement of operations provides an overview of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ operations for 2019-20 to 2020-21.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore 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 Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ websiteFootnote cxxx.

Condensed future-oriented statement of operations for the year ending 31 March 2021 (dollars)

Financial Information 2019–20 Forecast results 2020–21 Planned results Difference (2020–21 Planned results minus 2019–20 Forecast results)
Total expenses 22,547,841,000 22,945,471,000 397,630,000
Total revenues 430,637,000 424,908,000 (5,729,000)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 22,117,204,000 22,520,563,000 403,359,000

The variance between the 2020-21 planned results and 2019-20 forecast results is mainly due to an overall increase in capital expenditures.

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