Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ 2023-24 Departmental results report
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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, 2024.
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From the Minister
It is my pleasure to present the 2023-24 Departmental Results Report for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. This report summarizes the Secretariat’s results in the last fiscal year .
Since its establishment in 2017, the Secretariat has supported the Committee in completing twelve reviews of Canada’s national security and intelligence community covering a broad range of organizations and issues.
In 2023-24, the Secretariat supported the Committee in completing its 2022 Annual Report, its Special Report of the Federal Policing Mandate of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, its Special Report on Foreign Interference in Canada’s Democratic Processes and Institutions and a review of an intelligence collection activity. The Secretariat continued its work on the Committee’s ongoing review of the lawful access for security and intelligence activities.
The Secretariat also briefed new Committee members on their roles and responsibilities, as well as the work completed to date, and ensured that required security measures were completed.
These are only a few highlights of the Secretariat of the NSICOP’s achievements over the past year. I invite you to read more about the department’s results.
Results – what we achieved
Core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibility 1: Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities
Description
The core responsibility of the Secretariat is to support Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities in Canada thereby contributing to enhanced transparency and accountability of the national security framework.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 1: Targets and results for Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities
Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities.
Departmental Result Indicators
|
Target
|
Date to achieve target
|
Actual results
|
---|---|---|---|
Committee’s annual report delivered to the Prime Minister on or before 31 December each year.
Committee’s annual report complies with legislative requirements. |
The Committee’s annual report must be delivered to the Prime Minister by 31 December. This report must meet the requirements of subsection 21(1) of the NSICOP Act.
|
December 31, 2023
|
Report delivered to the Prime Minister for:
|
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for the Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ departmental plan for the year.
Enhancing transparency and accountability of the national security framework
The results achieved in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in the departmental plan for that fiscal year were delayed due to the inability to provide a completed report on December 31, 2023.
Results achieved:
- The Committee’s 2023 annual report was delivered to the Prime Minister on April 10, 2024.
- The Committee’s annual report complies with legislative requirements.
Key risks
The NSICOP Act sets out the Committee’s right of access to information held by the government and the limitations to that right of access, including information that constitutes a confidence of the King’s Privy Council for Canada. In previous reviews and annual reports, the Committee raised a serious issue with respect to the government's broad claims of Cabinet confidence on documents or information. The Committee registered its concern that the breadth of the definition of Cabinet confidence reflected in its statute and found in s. 39(2) of the Canada Evidence Act, together with the lack of a requirement for departments to inform the Committee of how many and which relevant documents are being withheld and on what basis, may hamper its ability and the Secretariat’ ability to properly fulfil their mandates. The Secretariat continued its discussions with PCO to mitigate this risk.
In addition, the Committee is most effective when its full complement of members is in place. Delays in appointment of members who have resigned creates a risk that the Committee and its Secretariat are unable to conduct and complete reviews in a timely manner. Two additional members joined the Committee in 2023–24.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 2: Snapshot of resources required for the Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities
Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
Resource
|
Planned
|
Actual
|
---|---|---|
Spending
|
2,868,986
|
2,068,361
|
Full-time equivalents
|
9.0
|
7.5
|
Complete financial and human resources information for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
The Secretariat is comprised of nine full-time equivalents with diverse backgrounds, professional experiences and competencies consisting of an appropriate mix of research and analytical skills.
Program inventory
Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities is supported by the following program:
- Reviews
Internal services
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- 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
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.
The Secretariat attributes the following expenses and activities to internal services: the memoranda of understanding with the Privy Council Office for corporate, administrative, information technology services and security support; the memorandum of understanding with the Communication Security Establishment for information technology services; and legal counsel, which is consistent with standard practice.
Results – what we achieved
Table 3: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year
Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
Resource
|
Planned
|
Actual
|
---|---|---|
Spending
|
784,906
|
960,895
|
Full-time equivalents
|
3.0
|
2.0
|
The complete financial and human resources for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Contracts awarded to Indigenous business
Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.
The Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is a Phase 3 department and is aiming to achieve the minimum 5% target by the end of 2024–25.
The Secretariat continues to review its activities and contracts to identify where it could enhance opportunities for Indigenous businesses. For instance, the Secretariat has sought to support Indigenous businesses in its purchasing of office supplies.
Spending and human resources
In this section
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 4 Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 4 presents how much money the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services
|
2023–24 Main Estimates
|
2023–24 total authorities available for use
|
Actual spending over three years (authorities used)
|
---|---|---|---|
Parliamentary Review of National Security and Intelligence Activities
|
2,868,986
|
2,919,192
|
|
Subtotal
|
2,868,986
|
2,919,192
|
5,908,463
|
Internal services
|
784,906
|
965,704
|
|
Total
|
3,653,892
|
3,884,896
|
8,578,635
|
Analysis of past three years of spending
The Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ funding profile remains relatively consistent on a yearly basis. Year over year variances are primarily due to reduced costs of Committee meetings, reduced travel, and fluctuations in staffing and Committee membership.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 5 Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 5 presents how much money the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services
|
2024–25 planned spending
|
2025–26 planned spending
|
2026–27 planned spending
|
---|---|---|---|
Parliamentary Review of National Security and Intelligence Activities
|
2,635,805
|
2,635,805
|
2,635,805
|
Subtotal
|
2,635,805
|
2,635,805
|
2,635,805
|
Internal services
|
1,084,795
|
1,084,795
|
1,084,795
|
Total
|
3,720,600
|
3,720,600
|
3,720,600
|
Analysis of the next three years of spending
The Secretariat anticipates that its spending will remain relatively consistent in the coming years, although it notes that the expected federal election in 2025 will result in reduced spending for the period between the dissolution of the current Committee and the creation of the subsequent Committee following the election, which will temporarily result in reduced spending on salary and hospitality.
More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2021-22 to 2026-27.

Text description of graph 1
Fiscal year
|
Total
|
Voted
|
Statutory
|
---|---|---|---|
2021-22
|
2,698,002
|
2,530,086
|
167,916
|
2022-23
|
2,851,378
|
2,650,347
|
201,031
|
2023-24
|
3,029,255
|
2,820,378
|
208,877
|
2024-25
|
3,720,600
|
3,487,816
|
232,784
|
2025-26
|
3,720,600
|
3,487,816
|
232,784
|
2026-27
|
3,720,600
|
3,487,816
|
232,784
|
Analysis of statutory and voted spending over a six-year period
Spending in previous years was lower than forecasted due, in large part, to the adoption of health measures in response to the pandemic, which caused the Committee to hold fewer meetings, or in some circumstances, to the absence of the Committee due to the call of a federal election.
In 2023-24, Secretariat spending increased from the previous year as Committee meetings resumed in person with associated costs for hospitality and simultaneous interpretation. However, spending was lower than forecasted due to reduced travel and unexpected gaps in personnel in both the Secretariat and Committee membership.
For further information on the Secretariat’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Financial statement highlights
The Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ complete financial statements (unaudited or audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.
Table 6 Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)
Financial information
|
2023–24 actual results
|
2023–24 planned results
|
Difference (actual results minus planned)
|
---|---|---|---|
Total expenses
|
3,277,969
|
3,818,493
|
(540,524)
|
Total revenues
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
|
3,277,969
|
3,818,493
|
(540,524)
|
Difference between 2023-24 actual results and 2023-24 planned results:
The department’s actual net cost of operations from continuing activities was $540,524 lower than the planned results. These lower costs are due to the decision to not proceed with planned travel and a reconfiguration of the Committee’s meeting schedule which resulted in lower meeting-related costs (e.g., simultaneous interpretation, hospitality).
The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.
Financial information
|
2023–24 actual results
|
2022–23 planned results
|
Difference (2023-24 minus 2022-23)
|
---|---|---|---|
Total expenses
|
3,277,969
|
3,070,449
|
207,520
|
Total revenues
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
|
3,277,969
|
3,070,449
|
207,520
|
Difference between 2022-23 actual results and 2023-24 actual results:
The department’s actual net cost of operations before government funding and transfers for 2023-24, as compared to 2022-23 increased by $207,520. This increase is primarily attributable to the increase in personnel mainly for Salary and Wages expenditures, as well as professional and special services.
Table 8 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited or audited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)
Table 8 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.
Financial information
|
Actual fiscal year (2023–24)
|
Previous fiscal year (2022–23)
|
Difference (2023–24 minus 2022–23)
|
---|---|---|---|
Total net liabilities
|
439,904
|
362,557
|
77,347
|
Total net financial assets
|
295,961
|
249,656
|
46,305
|
Departmental net debt
|
143,943
|
112,901
|
31,042
|
Total non-financial assets
|
6,626
|
7,722
|
(1,096)
|
Departmental net financial position
|
(137,317)
|
(105,179)
|
(32,138)
|
In 2023-24, the department’s net liabilities increased by $77,374. This increase is primarily attributable to an increase in accrued salaries.
Total net financial and non-financial assets were $302,587, an increase of $45,209 from 2022-23. This variance is primarily attributable to a decrease in accounts receivable with Other Government Departments.
The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarian’s Future-oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023-24.
Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.
Table 9: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 9 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.
Core responsibilities and internal services
|
2021–22 actual full-time equivalents
|
2022–23 actual full-time equivalents
|
2023–24 actual full-time equivalents
|
---|---|---|---|
Parliamentary Review of National Security and Intelligence Activities
|
7.6
|
7.7
|
7.5
|
Subtotal
|
7.6
|
7.7
|
7.5
|
Internal services
|
0.9
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
Total
|
8.5
|
8.7
|
8.5
|
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
In the 2021-22 fiscal year, the Secretariat operated with vacancies due to regular turnover within the organization. The Secretariat also hired full-time legal counsel in July 2021 (internal services). The Secretariat has recently conducted additional selection processes to ensure that it has a full staff complement of 10 full-time equivalents in 2023-24 and thereafter.
Table 10: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 10 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Core responsibilities and internal services
|
2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
|
2025–26 planned full-time equivalents
|
2026–27 planned full-time equivalents
|
---|---|---|---|
Parliamentary Review of National Security and Intelligence Activities
|
7.0
|
7.0
|
7.0
|
Subtotal
|
7.0
|
7.0
|
7.0
|
Internal services
|
3.0
|
3.0
|
3.0
|
Total
|
10.0
|
10.0
|
10.0
|
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
The Secretariat has recently conducted additional selection processes to ensure that it has a full staff complement of 10 full-time equivalents in 2023-24 and thereafter. It is currently analyzing whether this staff complement sufficiently meets the operational needs for the future.
Corporate information
Departmental profile
Appropriate minister:
The Honourable Karina Gould, P.C., M.P.
Institutional head:
Lisa-Marie Inman
Ministerial portfolio:
Privy Council Office
Enabling instrument(s):
National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act
Year of incorporation / commencement:
2017
Departmental contact information
Mailing address:
Mailing address: Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, P.O. Box 8015, Station “T”, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 5A6
Email:
Website:
Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parlimentarians’ website:
- Details on transfer payment programs
- Gender‑based analysis plus
- Response to Parliamentary committees and external audits
- Horizontal initiatives
- Up-front multi-year funding
- United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
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 as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Definitions
List of terms
- 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 an appropriated department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
- departmental priority (priorité)
- A plan or project that a department 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.
- departmental result (résultat ministériel)
- A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. 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 quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
- departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
- A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.
- Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
- A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
- fulltime equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
- A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the fulltime equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
- gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
- An analytical tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
- government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
- For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
- horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- An initiative where two or more federal 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 department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
- 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 to the expected result.
- planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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.
- 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 the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
- result (résultat)
- A consequence attributed, in part, to an department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.
- Indigenous business (enterprise autochtones)
- For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, an organization that meets the definition and Arequirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
- 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.
- 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.
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