Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure

Description

Develop and manage modern, operational and sustainable bases and infrastructure. Contribute to the achievement of federal environmental targets.

Results

The Defence Team continued to effectively manage the largest infrastructure portfolio in the federal government. Maintaining modern and sustainable infrastructure that supports military requirements, improves efficiency, and reducing our energy and environmental footprint is critical to the military’s operational success. Providing our military personnel with the facilities and tools they need to perform their work is one of our foremost priorities - we must deliver. During FY 2021–22, the department achieved the following:

• Continued operating at bases and wings, effectively managing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that infrastructure continued to support the Defence mandate. This included ongoing maintenance and repairs to ensure that mitigation measures were implemented to protect the Defence workforce;  
• Awarded a new $54 million energy performance contract to upgrade 112 facilities across the Halifax area. Energy retrofits will also lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 15 000 tonnes per year (i.e.: by 22 percent);
• Invested $2.5 million to procure Smart Building Systems for 92 buildings in the portfolio in Trenton, Borden, the National Capital Region, Montreal, Saint-Jean, Halifax, and Gagetown. These Smart Building Systems provide deep analyses of equipment energy consumption to support the optimization of building operations, reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions;
• Advanced the implementation of four new energy performance contract (EPC) projects at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, Ontario, Canadian Forces Station Alert, Nunavut, CFB Comox, British Columbia, and CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a total contract value of $141 million. The Department of National Defence expended $6.9 million in capital funding in FY 2021-22 as part of the total multi-year EPC contract value for these locations;
• Delivered, in cooperation with the United States Department of Defense, a solution to maintain the Canadian Armed Forces’ ability to reach the United States classified network, using improved security features;
• Delivered an improved development and testing infrastructure that can be reached from anywhere for both unclassified and classified environments. It is more robust and easier to scale, and several large organizations within DND/CAF are now regularly using it;
• Completed a significant upgrade to the classified telephony capability that both DND and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) use on a regular basis known as the Canadian Defence Red Switch Network;
• Continued to modernize its communications infrastructure at bases, wings and garrisons. The Workplace Communication Services project migrated 7,895 old phone lines and 8 phone exchanges at 24 sites across Canada;
• The Workload Migration project has been centralizing information technology services to new Government of Canada datacentres. At the end of FY 2021-22, 76 percent of the planned moves had been completed;
• During FY 2021-22 the department acquired a new tool to support management of defence software assets. The implementation of this tool is expected to reduce overall software expenditures and more efficiently use existing software licences within the department; and
• DND/CAF formalized the Future Information Capabilities Framework in FY 2021-22. As part of the Future Information Capabilities Framework, the Defence Team established a Future Information Capabilities Steering Committee with a mandate to:
  • Identify and prioritize science and technology gaps in information capabilities and future IM/IT issues;
  • Review and advise on the quality and fit-for-purpose of science, technology and innovation products delivered;
  • Provide guidance to on the prioritization and sequencing of science and technology and innovation activities;
  • Champion the control, monitoring and maintenance of science and technology deliverables; and
  • Promote alignment and cooperation with other government departments.

The Future Information Capability Science and Technology Steering Committee is supported by a working group that was convened regularly in FY 2021-22. In June 2021, DND completed its first annual review of information capability challenges over multiple time horizons. In accordance with the Future Information Capabilities Framework, representatives worked closely with executives and general officers from the information capabilities stakeholder community across DND/CAF and developed a common list of information capabilities challenges requiring science and technology support.

The department continued with the roll out of its instance of Microsoft 365 known as Defence 365, a cloud-based suite of collaboration and work tools, which support the Defence Team in continuing to work and conduct operations remotely using processing features and applications.

Established the Information Protection Centre this year, as well as a fully dedicated cloud security monitoring team, in support DND’s cloud adoption. This team delivered partial protected processing capability in its Microsoft 365 tool, to support missions in Afghanistan and Latvia and provide support to Ukraine. The Information Technology (IT) Security team also mitigated more than 1000 information mishandlings, proactively preventing information loss. This initiative directly enhanced the information technology command and control capabilities of the CAF, aligning itself with the needs to modernize the information technology of bases and wings around the country. The Information Protection Centre will elevate the level of security of all and can be part of the foundation of the Future Information Capabilities Framework.

In support of Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy delivery in a cyber-safe manner, the department implemented cyber security requirements in over 300 acquisition contracts, ranging from platforms to blood-service health support, ensuring the protection of privacy and sensitive mission information on cloud-based and infrastructure IT systems.

The Joint Defence Cloud Program is the lead for business and technological transformation for DND/CAF toward the cloud, and has been steadily building capacity in terms of skilled talent in emerging domains. The Joint Defence Cloud has supported a preliminary business intake process for cloud services, and has also advanced the technical readiness of three cloud environments in Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) enabled consultation with all local Defence Advisory Groups during aspects of infrastructure barrier identification and improvement, specifically involving renovations for inclusive heads and wash places, accessibility, and support to sweat lodge repairs in Canadian Forces Base Halifax, Nova Scotia. Additionally, in infrastructure areas under RCN influence, the RCN continues to implement and review lactation spaces, expectant parent parking spaces, multi-faith rooms and inclusive heads and wash places.

In FY 2021-22, the Defence Team continued applying GBA Plus to inform the development and management of modern, sustainable bases and infrastructure that meets the needs of a diverse Defence Team. The modernization of bases and infrastructure includes ensuring that physical spaces are effectively designed to be accessible, safe and inclusive for all Defence Team members.

GBA Plus requirements were integrated into planning processes and technical guidance. GBA Plus, in the infrastructure context, assesses the manner in which land use and infrastructure interacts with and affects a broad range of identity groups. By ensuring that site design and infrastructure is inclusive, it respects the needs of everyone and creates a more inviting DND community. Better lighting and pathways, and the provision of a more flexible mix of housing will increase the comfort, safety, and accessibility of those who live in, work within and visit DND infrastructures.

For example, GBA Plus applications in Master Real Property Plans and Site Development plans at 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia, led to improvements in roads, walkability, lighting, and security to increase comfort, safety, and accessibility for those who live in, work within, and visit the Wing.

For areas of infrastructure under RCAF responsibility, the RCAF endeavoured to create physical spaces that improve accessibility for all members for the RCAF defence team. This includes the creation of lactation rooms, multi-faith gathering rooms, gender neutral washrooms, and “expectant mother” parking spaces at many RCAF bases. Additionally, future force projects that included an infrastructure development component were created to ensure that such inclusive spaces were factored into the design.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In support of the government’s greening commitments, we continued working hard to implement the Defence Energy and Environment Strategy (DEES) and achieve the strategy’s ambitious objectives. The DEES will help DND meet its greening targets, improve energy efficiency, integrate climate-change adaptation into our programs, maintain sustainable real property, and strengthen our green procurement processes. The DEES continues to build on environmental commitments in Strong, Secure Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy and is aligned with the goals of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The implementation of the Defence Energy and Environment Strategy (DEES) for 2020-2023 advanced with notable updates:

• Assessment and remediation of contaminated sites continued, with the goal of reducing DND's contaminated sites liability by an average of 10 percent per year by 2023;
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was advanced, with a target of 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 (infrastructure and commercial light-duty fleet) and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 (includes emissions from National Safety and Security—aircraft, ships and land-based military pattern vehicles);  
• DND ensured that, when possible, all of its commercial light-duty vehicle fleet purchases are zero-emission vehicles or hybrid, with a zero-emission vehicle procurement target of 50 percent by 2023;
• DND initiated the drafting of a Climate Change Risk Assessment Framework which is forecasted to be finalized in FY 2022-23. DND has also drafted a statement of work to prioritize infrastructure and programs for climate change risk assessments. Prioritization is expected to be complete by FY 2022-23;
• The Green Building Directive took effect in April 2021. The new directive integrates commitments related to construction, renovation and demolition waste, net-zero emissions, and available industry standards on embedded carbon requirements; and
• Industry consultation plans were developed for a new sustainable packaging National Master Standing Offer between DND and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Experimentation

Defence-related experimentation activities are outlined in this report under Core Responsibility 4 – Future Force Design.

Key Corporate Risk(s)

There are many risks associated with the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility. Two of the Key Corporate Risks are articulated below:

Physical Environment – There is a risk that changes to the physical environment of Canada and the world will impact the type, frequency and conduct of DND/CAF activities.

Infrastructure Procurement – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty procuring/building infrastructure at the right level to support operations.

The risks above may affect the department’s ability to achieve the Departmental Results of the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility.

As the Defence Departmental Results Framework reflects a chain of delivery from conceiving of the required armed forces, to developing them and then executing operations. The activities to mitigate the risks of the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility can also be found in other core responsibilities which deliver building blocks that enable the results of Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure.

Many of the preventative and mitigating controls for these risks are articulated as activities of each Departmental Result below.

Departmental Result 6.1 – Naval, Army and Air Force Bases enable military operations and defence activities

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the average daily meal cost in FY 2021-22, as supply chain shortages and delays caused undue hardship for local suppliers resulting in higher than usual prices. The Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy will continue to evaluate these new metrics for upcoming reporting years.

The Canadian Army’s 21 bases and training establishments are centres of military life across Canada. In FY 2021-22, these bases supported not only Canadian Army personnel and force generation, but also more than 50,000 personnel from across the Defence Team who were involved in operations or routine activities. FY 2021-22, saw the implementation of two performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of the delivery of food services and availability of single quarters’ accommodation on CAF bases and wings. The experience gained during the implementation of these indicators is being used to inform decisions regarding others.

For more information, refer to the following webpages:

• Naval bases;
• Army bases; and
• Air Force wings.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.1 Naval, Army and Air Force Bases enable military operations and defence activities	% of single quarters accommodations that can be used	At least 90%	31 March 2022	Results not available New indicator as of 2020-21	69%	75%Footnote 1
	% deviation of average daily meal cost from the standard allowance	15% or less	31 March 2022	Results not available New indicator as of 2020-21	12%	5.5%

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 6.2 – Defence infrastructure is well-managed throughout its lifecycle

The Defence Team also continued to improve infrastructure management in FY 2021-22, and achieved the following targets:

• DND implemented low-complexity housing investment plans through the Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan which will involve renovating the existing residential housing portfolio and constructing new units to address some of the portfolio shortfalls over a 10 year period. The Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan is based on the principles defined by DND’s operational requirements for residential housing and the forecasted housing program requirements, and is improving the overall supply, condition and functionality of the Defence residential housing portfolio. DND invested a total of $123.6 million in the residential housing portfolio in FY 2021-22;
• DND continued to improve its portfolio, in support of its commitment to reduce GHG emissions. It progressed 19 divestment projects by divesting and demolishing older, non-energy-efficient properties and replacing facilities with new EnerGuide and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design approved properties. The resources previously used to maintain these properties will save an estimated $0.4 million annually which will be reinvested in modernizing our portfolio and building new infrastructure to support personnel and their work;
• The Defence Real Property Portfolio Strategy was developed to satisfy the Treasury Board Secretariat Directive on the Management of Real Property and align with the Horizontal Fixed Asset Review recommendations, it provides strategic objectives and specific activities designed to improve the management of DND real property infrastructure; and support broader Government of Canada priorities; and
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, DND/CAF and its service providers diligently operated and maintained the Department’s facilities and office spaces through continuously changing public health measures and restrictions. This ensured that CAF members could conduct training, and plan, command and execute domestic and expeditionary operations.

For more information, consult the investing in Defence Infrastructure Projects webpage.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.2 Defence infrastructure is well-managed throughout its lifecycle	% of infrastructure in suitable condition	At least 80%	31 March 2022	64%	64.49%	64.4%Footnote 1
	% of maintenance and repair investment in relation to the infrastructure portfolio value	At least 2%Footnote 2	31 March 2022	1.01%	0.71%	1.55%Footnote 3
	% of the total real property value that is identified as surplus	2% or less	31 March 2022	2.59%	1.78%	1.72%

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 6.3 – Defence activities are carried out in a safe and environmentally responsible manner

The Defence Team continued to make significant progress in improving the energy efficiency of our operations. Ongoing investments in green technologies and innovative approaches to business management are helping us meet our sustainability commitments. In FY 2021-22, the department achieved the following:

• Continued implementing the Defence Energy and Environment Strategy (DEES 2020-2023), which outlines DND/CAF’s energy and environmental commitments; and
• Explored innovative approaches to deliver Real Property services and secure better value for the Crown, including energy performance contracts (EPC) that limit upfront costs and transfer performance risk from DND/CAF to energy service companies and partners. EPC projects are underway at Comox, Halifax, Borden, Kingston, Bagotville, Greenwood, Valcartier, Esquimalt, Alert, Shilo and Petawawa. Similar contracts are in development for bases Trenton and Gagetown;
• Eighty-five percent of eligible bases and wings have been assessed for energy performance contracts with 52 percent of them in implementation a full year ahead of schedule;
• Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Silver Leadership standards were met for all required major capital projects that achieved Initial Operating Capability in FY 2021-22;
• The Green Building Directive, which came into effect in April 2021 included a commitment for all new and major recapitalization projects to be built to LEED standards. The new Green Building Directive integrates commitments related to construction, renovation and demolition waste, net-zero emissions, and more. This revision goes beyond LEED Silver standards to require that new construction and major recapitalization projects be built to net-zero-carbon standards; and
• DND has supported Public Services and Procurement Canada's efforts to secure Green Power Purchase Agreements, which would fulfill clean power and alternative energy option demand for infrastructure at bases and wings.

The publication of the first Canadian Army summary report on water quality impacts associated with live-fire training was completed in FY 2021-22. Additionally, an effort to support the Department’s assessment of the impacts of climate change, the report “Canadian Army Climate Change Study Phase II: Prioritization of Potential Adaptation Strategies" was published in June 2021. The report prioritizes potential adaptation measures based on their importance and their overall impact on the CAF, as well as the project cost of implementation and the required time and effort to achieve full implementation.

For more information, refer to the Greening Defence webpage.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.3 Defence activities are carried out in a safe and environmentally responsible manner	% of greenhouse gas emissions reduction relative to a 2005 baseline	At least 40%	31 March 2030	31.3%	38%	35.9%Footnote 1
	% of light-duty vehicle fleet that is hybrid, plug-in hybrid and/or electric	At least 30%	31 March 2022	33%	34%	29.9%Footnote 2
	% of reduction in contaminated sites liability based on the closing liability of the previous year	At least 7%	31 March 2022	16.5%	10%	12.6%

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure, budgetary spending for FY 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

2021–22 Main Estimates	2021–22 Planned spending	2021–22 Total authorities available for use	2021–22 Actual spending (authorities used)	2021–22 Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
3,829,653,614	3,829,653,614	4,171,775,572	3,945,280,646	115,627,032

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for FY 2021–22.

2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Actual full-time equivalents	2021–22 Difference (Actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
16,493	15,642	(851)

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.