Supplementary Information Tables: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits 2024-25 Departmental Results Report
Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
In 2024-25, the following Parliamentary Committee reports required a response:
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) supported the work of multiple parliamentary committees. This included support to both committee studies and Government Responses related directly to the work of the Defence Team, as well as those to which National Defence contributed to whole-of-government efforts. Key examples can be found below.
House Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN)
Prior to the dissolution of Parliament, National Defence tabled responses to three reports, including a Government Response to a report from Fiscal Year 2023-24.
On 26 February 2024, the Committee tabled the following report: On the Frontlines of Democracy: Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Responding to Russia's Aggression in Europe (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website). The report summarized the Committees' findings from their trip to Europe from 19 to 27 August 2023. No recommendations were made, but the Committee requested that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.
The Government Response (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) was tabled on 18 June 2024.
On 19 June 2024, the Committee tabled the following report: A Time For Change: Reforming Defence Procurement in Canada (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website). The report identified 36 recommendations focused on Canada's defence procurement challenges and their impacts on the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), options for reforming defence procurement processes, and the role of Canada's defence industrial base in defence procurement.
The Government Response (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) was tabled on 11 October 2024.
On 19 June 2024, the Committee tabled the following report: Providing Aid to the Civil Power: Disaster Relief and the Canadian Armed Forces' Domestic Operations (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website). The report identified 16 recommendations related to the rising demand on the CAF to respond to domestic climate-related natural disasters, including options for improving Canada's emergency management.
The Government Response (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) was tabled on 11 October 2024.
On 22 October 2024, the Committee tabled the following report: Gaps to Fill: Housing and Other Needed Supports for Canadian Armed Forces Members and Their Families (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website). The report identified 25 recommendations and focused on improving housing standards, reversing rent increases, remedying procurement issues, and increasing funding for family support programs. A Government Response has not yet been tabled.
A Government Response is currently being prepared for the tabling of the NDDN's report: Rebuilding Trust: Transparency and Accountability in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website), which was tabled 5 November 2024. The report outlined 22 recommendations which included enhancing transparency and accountability, protecting privacy, ensuring conflict-free investigations, improving information management, supporting complainants, and empowering oversight commissions
Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (SECD)
On 27 February 2024, the Senate adopted the sixth report of SECD: Arctic Security Under Threat: Urgent needs in a changing geopolitical and environmental landscape (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website). The report identified 23 recommendations focusing on continental defence, search and rescue capabilities, Arctic infrastructure, and Arctic sovereignty.
The Government Response (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) was tabled on 17 June 2024.
House Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP)
National Defence produced several updates to the Committee throughout the year.
An update on Public Accounts 2016 (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Recommendation 2 on Inventory Management) in May 2024; updates on Canada's Fighter Force (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Recommendations 1 and 2), Administration of Justice in the Canadian Armed Forces (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Request For Information), and CAF Housing (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Recommendation 1) in June 2024; and updates on CAF Housing (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Recommendation 1), upplying the CAF (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (Recommendation 2) in December 2024.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG)
Professional Services Contracts – Report 5 | 2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, tabled 4 June 2024.
The objective of the audit was to determine whether professional services contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company were in accordance with applicable procurement policies and whether the federal public sector obtained value for money. The Auditor General concluded that federal organizations, including National Defence, showed a frequent disregard for federal contracting and procurement policies and guidance when awarding professional services contracts to McKinsey & Company, and that contracting practices did not demonstrate value for money.
The report's recommendation did not require a response from National Defence.
Industrial and Technological Benefits – Report 10 | 2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, tabled 2 December 2024.
The objective of the audit was to determine whether Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada ensured the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy (ITB) met its objectives, as part of the Defence Procurement Strategy, for contracts managed in partnership with National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). The Auditor General concluded that ISED lacked some elements to ensure sound administration of the policy, such as clear rules and guidance on how to apply the policy and good tracking of contract obligations, economic benefits, and job creation.
The report's recommendations did not require responses from National Defence. Of the six recommendations, two implicated National Defence as follows:
Recommendation: ISED, in collaboration with National Defence, should ensure that the Key Industrial Capabilities align with Canada's Defence needs. In addition, outcomes and indicators for Key Industrial Capabilities should be developed to measure their contributions to the ITB Policy's results.
Recommendation: To improve the accuracy of data, tracking, and reporting for the ITB Policy, ISED, in collaboration with PSPC and DND, should ensure appropriate controls are in place for completeness and accuracy of the information in the databases and reporting.
ISED agreed with both recommendations, and National Defence will continue to work in collaboration to assist with addressing the recommendations.
Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
There were no audits in 2024-25 requiring a response.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC)
Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Acting Appointments, published on 24 September 2024.
This audit was undertaken to determine whether the four designated employment equity groups are proportionately represented in acting appointments, what systems and practices departments and agencies have in place to promote access to appointments for employment equity groups, and the extent to which hiring managers consider employment equity when making acting appointments.
The PSC concluded that results for persons with disabilities show that they were consistently underrepresented in acting appointments in comparison to their representation in the public service and experienced the most significant gaps out of the equity groups. With regards to the four largest sub-groups of members of visible minorities, representation of employees who self-declared as Chinese were underrepresented. Deputy heads of all 14 departments and agencies examined were found to have established measures to promote access to appointments for employment equity groups. One third of the acting appointments reviewed also evidenced that hiring managers considered employment equity.
The audit's recommendations did not require response from National Defence.
Audit on the Application of the Order of Preference for Veterans During the Data Transfer Outage Between the Department of National Defence and the Public Service Commission of Canada published on 18 November 2024.
This audit was undertaken to determine whether the order of preference was applied for veterans who were eligible for preference at the time of appointment but whose names and service numbers were not included in the Public Service Resourcing System due to the data transfer outage.
The PSC concluded that of the 2,893 veterans examined, 1,643 were not affected by the data transfer outage. It also found that the order of preference was not applied for 168 veteran applications, which resulted in 87 eligible veterans for whom the order of preference was applicable and yet not applied. These are veterans who may have been affected by the data transfer issue. They were unable to determine if the order of preference was applied for 1,163 of the veterans included in the audit. In these cases, additional information or analyses would be required to determine if the order of preference was applied.
Of the audit's four recommendations, one implicated National Defence as follows:
Recommendation: DND and the PSC should review their data transfer and data management practices as they relate to veteran status, to ensure that information is accurate and up to date.
Response: DND is deeply committed to ensuring that eligible Veterans and CAF members have access to the legislative supports that exist to help them apply and be considered for public service jobs. They are an important source of talent with valuable knowledge, skills and experience that can be leveraged for benefit of the public service and Canadians. As such, DND will collaborate with the PSC and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) on all aspects of this audit, future solutions and actions required on an ongoing basis. DND will continue to support the PSC with any follow-up actions related to the status of Veterans in staffing actions and will monitor future job opportunities to find potential job placements for Veterans. As the largest employer of current and former CAF members, DND will take specific action by developing tools to support the understanding and proper application of the Priority Entitlements and the Order of Preference under section 39(1) of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA). In collaboration with the PSC, DND has already taken steps to address the technical issues in the data transfer that caused the outage from 2020 to 2024. This included the development of business rules to align data with the relevant PSEA criteria; and the implementation of controls that ensure the flow of data from DND to the PSC. A Memorandum of Understanding has also been developed to govern the data transfer mechanism and provide escalation protocols when technical issues arise. DND, including representatives from the Digital Services Group (DSG), Chief Military Personnel (CMP) and Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian), will continue to be engaged with PSC and VAC counterparts to ensure effective management and oversight over all aspects of this issue.
A technical issue between DND and the PSC resulted in a data transfer outage period between 13 November 2020, and 19 January 2024, which may have led to a number of CAF members and veterans not being properly identified for preference and mobility entitlements in the Public Service Resourcing System.
The audit was undertaken with departments and agencies to determine who may have been affected, and advised that it would communicate the results of the audit to those individuals.
Of the report's four recommendations, one was directed at National Defence as follows:
Recommendation: DND and the PSC should review their data transfer and data management practices as they relate to veteran status, to ensure that information is accurate and up to date.
Response: DND accepts the recommendation and will collaborate with the PSC and VAC on all aspects of this audit, future solutions and actions required on an ongoing basis. DND will continue to support the PSC with any follow-up actions related to the status of Veterans in staffing actions and will monitor future job opportunities to find potential job placements for Veterans. DND will take specific action by developing tools to support the understanding and proper application of the Priority Entitlements and the Order of Preference under section 39(1) of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA). In collaboration with the PSC, DND has already taken steps to address the technical issues in the data transfer that caused the outage from 2020 to 2024. This included the development of business rules to align data with the relevant PSEA criteria; and the implementation of controls that ensure the flow of data from DND to the PSC. DND, including representatives from the DSG, CMP and ADM (HR-Civ), will continue to be engaged with PSC and VAC counterparts to ensure effective management and oversight over all aspects of this issue.
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL)
There were no audits in 2024-25 requiring a response.