Departmental Performance Report 2014–15

Appropriate Minister: The Honourable Judy Foote, P.C., M.P.
Deputy Head: Ron Parker
Ministerial Portfolio: Public Works and Government Services
Enabling Instrument(s): Shared Services Canada Act ^{Footnote i}
Year of Incorporation / Commencement: 2011
Other: Associated Orders in Council include Privy Council Numbers: 2011–0877; 2011 1297; 2012–0958; 2012–0960; 2013–0366; 2013–0367; and 2013–0368.

Raison d’être

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is a federal department created on August 4, 2011, to transform how the Government of Canada manages its information technology (IT) infrastructure. SSC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and is responsible for delivering mandated email, data centre and network services to partner organizations in a consolidated and standardized manner to support the delivery of Government of Canada programs and services. SSC also provides certain optional technology–related services to government organizations on a cost–recovery basis. With a whole–of–government approach to IT, SSC is creating economies of scale to deliver more efficient, reliable and secure IT infrastructure services to Government of Canada departments. SSC’s mandate was reinforced on June 29, 2012, with the passage of the Shared Services Canada Act by Parliament.

Responsibilities

SSC was created by an Order in Council effective August 4, 2011, and subsequently received the authority to provide services related to email, data centres and networks to specified federal departments. SSC’s focus is to maintain and improve IT services delivery across the Government of Canada, generate and reinvest savings, enhance security, and implement government–wide solutions to transform IT infrastructure to improve services to Canadians.

The Shared Services Canada Act recognizes that the Government of Canada wishes to standardize and streamline, within a single shared services entity, certain administrative services that support government institutions. Through Orders in Council, the Department received specific standardization and consolidation responsibilities in the area of IT infrastructure services. SSC responsibilities include ensuring that approximately 1,517 mission critical systems across government continue to operate effectively.

SSC meets its responsibility to standardize and streamline IT infrastructure through its initiatives, working with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector to deliver one email system, a government-wide footprint of seven data centres, a single government-wide network and transformed telecommunications services. Budget 2013 further expanded SSC’s mandate, adding the consolidation of government-wide procurement of software and hardware for workplace technology devices

SSC contributes to the achievement of other critically important and transformational Government of Canada initiatives such as strengthening border security, the Transformation of Pay Administration initiative and the vision of the public service of the future as articulated in Blueprint 2020. As an IT security service delivery organization, SSC works collaboratively with other Government of Canada cyber security agencies to support the cyber security strategy.

Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Alignment Architecture

• 1. Strategic Outcome: Modern, reliable, secure and cost-effective IT infrastructure services to support government priorities and program delivery.
  • 1.1 Program: IT Infrastructure Services
    • 1.1.1 Sub-Program: Distributed Computing Services
      • 1.1.1.1 Sub-Sub-Program: Workstation Services
      • 1.1.1.2 Sub-Sub-Program: Desktop and Office Productivity Suite Services
      • 1.1.1.3 Sub-Sub-Program: Email and Directory Services
      • 1.1.1.4 Sub-Sub-Program: File/Print Services
      • 1.1.1.5 Sub-Sub-Program: Remote Access Services
      • 1.1.1.6 Sub-Sub-Program: Distributed Computing Services Program Management
    • 1.1.2 Sub-Program: Production and Operations Computing Services (Data Centre Services)
      • 1.1.2.1 Sub-Sub-Program: Utility Computing Services
      • 1.1.2.2 Sub-Sub-Program: Dedicated Application Hosting and Management Services
      • 1.1.2.3 Sub-Sub-Program: Facilities Management Services
      • 1.1.2.4 Sub-Sub-Program: Production and Operations Computing Services Program Management
    • 1.1.3 Sub-Program: Telecommunications (Data, Voice and Video) Services
      • 1.1.3.1 Sub-Sub-Program: Data Network Infrastructure Services
      • 1.1.3.2 Sub-Sub-Program: Inter and Intra Data Centre Network Services
      • 1.1.3.3 Sub-Sub-Program: Voice Network Services
      • 1.1.3.4 Sub-Sub-Program: Image and Video Communication Services
      • 1.1.3.5 Sub-Sub-Program: Call Centre Services (Data and Voice Network Infrastructure)
      • 1.1.3.6 Sub-Sub-Program: Telecommunications Services Program Management
    • 1.1.4 Sub-Program: Cyber and IT Security Services
      • 1.1.4.1 Sub-Sub-Program: IT Environment Protection Services
      • 1.1.4.2 Sub-Sub-Program: Identification, Authentication, and Authorization Services
      • 1.1.4.3 Sub-Sub-Program: Secure Communication Services
      • 1.1.4.4 Sub-Sub-Program: Perimeter Defence, Detection, Response, Recovery and Audit Services
      • 1.1.4.5 Sub-Sub-Program: Cyber and IT Security Services Program Management
  • Internal Services

Risk Analysis

In 2014–15 SSC continued to strengthen its risk management culture, by establishing its first, formal Organizational Risk Profile (ORP) and identifying organizational risks and associated mitigation strategies. In addition, the Department provided introductory risk management training for employees and developed key documents, such as the Risk Management Guide and the Integrated Risk Management Framework.

To mitigate partnership management risks, enhanced levels of engagement were undertaken through CIO forums, bilateral CIO-level meetings, CIO roundtable meetings, Deputy Minister bilateral meetings and other fora with partners. At the same time, renewed efforts were placed on further aligning SSC and partners’ plans in order to successfully deliver on the transformation agenda. To ensure alignment with Government of Canada IT modernization priorities and broader IT planning across the federal government, SSC works closely with both the TBS and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). IT planning was further informed by ongoing engagement with the ICT industry through such mechanisms as the ITIR and its sub-committees, as well as bargaining agents through ongoing labour-management meetings.

With regard to human resources capacity, SSC launched the Learning Academy, as part of the implementation of the Learning@SSC Strategy, to upgrade employees’ skills, including risk management skills. Mobility tools such as the Gateway to Mobility were refined to better account for the skills of employees. Through refinement of the workforce management strategy and ongoing use of the Departmental Vacancy Management Committee, SSC continues to reinforce its commitment to enabling employees’ contributions to the success of SSC’s transformation plan. These activities helped employees to take advantage of available opportunities, and reduced the assessed level of risk relative to human resources capacity.

Given SSC’s unique financial requirements, specifically the need to fund ongoing transformation through savings achieved, financial management continues to be a risk for the Department’s transformation agenda. In order to meet this self-funding requirement, timely financial information is crucial. In that regard, SSC began the implementation of a financial business intelligence tool, which will be further developed in 2015–16. SSC also supported a robust system of financial management by ensuring financial controls are in place throughout the organization, including the implementation of a framework which enables SSC to provide assurance over internal controls. Given that SSC’s transformation agenda is ongoing, oversight will continue and the financial management risk will be closely monitored.

In the future, SSC will continue to work closely with internal and external stakeholders in order to manage and mitigate risks, as well as identify emerging risks.

Key Risk

As part of SSC’s recent restructuring, a new organization structure was developed in 2014−15 and implemented in 2015−16. The new structure and mapping of employees to the new business lines will allow for a review of FTEs and use of professional services to determine steady state FTE baseline requirements aligned to the department’s transformation plan.

SSC's year-end results (Total Authorities Available for use less Actual Spending) reflects a surplus of $55 million, which can be explained by delays in the advancement of certain projects and initiatives, such as Carling Campus and IT Infrastructure for the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).

The Department's planned spending reflects the funding approved by the Treasury Board to support the departmental Strategic Outcome and Program. The majority of the increase of $204.1 million in the 2014−15 Total Authorities Available for use over the 2014−15 Planned Spending is explained by the additional funding received through Supplementary Estimates and Treasury Board Central Votes such as: 2013−14 Operating and Capital Budget Carry Forward to 2014−15 ($82.9M), the additional funding received for different projects and initiatives ($57.4M), adjustments with partner organizations as a result of the creation of the department ($41.1M) and an increase in the Employee Benefit Plan contribution mostly related to the Vote-Netted Revenue (VNR) authority ($22.7M).

The respendable revenue increase of $203.4 million (actual minus planned) is attributed to the additional VNR authority approved in late March 2014 for core and optional services, workplace technology procurement, and projects with partners and clients. At year-end, the actual revenues related to the offered services were less than forecasted by $20M (actual minus available authority).

For Internal Services, the decrease in the 2014–15 actual spending over the 2014–15 planned spending, is mainly due to the transfer of funds from Internal Services to IT Infrastructure Services.

The decrease in actual spending of $30.9M between 2013–14 and 2014–15 is mostly attributed to an increase in revenues for core and optional services offered to clients and partner organizations and to an increase in Internal Services.

Alignment of 2014–15 Actual Spending With the Whole–of–Government Framework^{Footnote ii} (dollars)

Total Spending by Spending Area (dollars)

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues. The statutory amounts represent the contribution to the employee benefit plans.

For the period of 2012–13, 2013–14 and 2014–15, the actual spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts.

The decrease in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 Planned Spending from 2015–16 is primarily due to time-limited projects that do not have ongoing funding.

For information on Shared Services Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2015, ^{Footnote iii} which is available on the Public Works and Government Services Canada website.^{Footnote iv}

Strategic Outcome: Modern, reliable, secure and cost-effective IT infrastructure services to support government priorities and program delivery.

Description

This program delivers IT infrastructure services to federal government departments to enable and support the management, coordination and delivery of government programs to Canadians and the achievement of Government of Canada priorities. The IT infrastructure services consist of four main IT service groups: (a) Distributed Computing; (b) Production and Operations Computing; (c) Telecommunications (Data, Voice and Video); and (d) Cyber and IT Security. This program establishes a centralized common IT infrastructure service leading to consolidation and standardization in the management and delivery of IT services across the mandated 43 partner organizations. This consolidation and standardization contributes to greater operational efficiencies and economies of scale resulting in forecasted cost-savings, enhanced reliability and security of the IT services, reduction in duplication of effort and managerial oversight, and development of harmonized responses to partner organizations’ business requirements.

Performance Results

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

In 2014–15, SSC provided IT infrastructure services to partner organizations by managing over 530,000 email accounts, more than 400 data centres, 50 wide area networks, enterprise cyber and IT security services and more than 14,000 applications hosted on government servers.

In 2014–15, implementation of the Department’s Transformation Plan across the enterprise began to take shape: the first Government of Canada employees were moved to the new email system, with the migration of 4,126 mailboxes; the Department established two enterprise data centres, and began migrating partner applications, while continuing the planned closure and transformation of existing data centres across the government; SSC awarded three contracts to industry service providers to consolidate the Government of Canada’s wide area network; and the Department handled several high-impact security incidents, including a major incursion into National Research Council networks.

SSC has learned from the early stages of the implementation of the email project and will use this knowledge to increase efficiency in future transitions to enterprise products and services for partners. SSC engaged partner CIOs to ensure that government priorities were understood and that partner considerations and priorities were effectively incorporated into enterprise decision-making. In addition, the implementation of SSC’s Transformation Program Office is providing a specialized monitoring function to ensure that measurable benefits are achieved, while developing the capacity to effectively implement and monitor future enterprise transformation.

Description

This program includes the provision and support that provides users with local and remote access to enterprise email applications and functionality including file/print and directory services.

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues.

Performance Results

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

In 2014–15, SSC continued to deliver existing email services to partner organizations, while working with its industry service providers to implement an enterprise email solution for the Government of Canada. The consolidation of the Government of Canada’s email systems from 63 systems to a single standardized and secure system will deliver annual savings of $67 million dollars to taxpayers once all accounts will be migrated. The contract for the Email Transformation Initiative was awarded in June 2013 to Bell Canada in partnership with CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants Inc. and Microsoft Canada. In 2014, our industry service providers experienced significant challenges in meeting the government’s security requirements resulting in an implementation delay. In February 2015, SSC began migrating its own employees to the new email system, and at year end had migrated 4,126 SSC mailboxes to Canada.ca accounts. The lessons learned by first implementing the email solution at SSC will help guide the roll-out in other departments.

SSC awarded a contract to Microsoft to provide consolidated desktop software and related workplace technology devices for the Government of Canada. The contract is three years in length with an anticipated yearly savings of over $4.5 million beginning in 2014–15, and streamlines the procurement of Microsoft products for SSC's partner organizations. The agreement is aligned with SSC's strategy to standardize commonly used software and to simplify the purchasing and management of such software throughout government.

Description

This program includes the provision, technical support and certification for the hosting of the enterprise's day-to-day operations and production applications and database computing environments, including Web application environments, regardless of where they reside in the virtualized data centre or within the business unit (in a server room). Included in this service group is the execution of business resumption plans and disaster recovery plans developed under Security Services.

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues.

Performance Results

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

In 2014–15, SSC maintained the operations of data centres and related services for partners and Canadians. These systems included 21 mainframes to support mission critical applications, such as the Canada Revenue Agency’s tax system, Employment and Social Development Canada’s Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan, and Public Works and Government Services Canada’s pay and pension systems. As of March 31, 2015, SSC has closed 57 legacy data centres and has reduced the data centre footprint from 600,000 to 529,000 square feet.

In December 2014, Treasury Board approved the award of a contract for mainframe hardware and software to IBM, allowing SSC to begin consolidating the government’s 21 mainframes into eight upgraded mainframes.

Through a competitive procurement process, IBM Canada Ltd. was awarded a multi-year contract to provide and manage Enterprise Data Centre (EDC) Barrie, which serves as a backup for EDC Borden. The Department also launched a procurement process to expand and refurbish EDC Borden.

In 2014–15, SSC’s workload migration strategy required partner organizations to use SSC’s new standard infrastructure in enterprise data centres for their applications. However, as a lesson learned from the slow pace of migration in 2014–15, SSC has adopted a more flexible workload migration strategy to better enable departments to migrate applications to enterprise data centres on infrastructure that more closely matches their current environment. SSC’s expectation is that workload migrations will now accelerate over the next year and beyond. In 2014–15, SSC also drafted a facilities end-state transition plan and a set of guiding principles for the maintenance of SSC end-state infrastructure and facilities.

Description

This program includes the transmission of data, voice and video within and across the enterprise. Data network services include the provision and ongoing support of multi-platform, multi-protocol electronic data and communications networks, which includes all software as well as wiring, switches, hubs, routers and all other hardware required to support data communications between computing devices. The voice communication services include provision of local and long-distance services globally, as well as fax services, voice mail, videoconferencing, secure voice and other related services, which include all carrier software and hardware environments.

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues.

Performance Results

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

The continued operation of the Government of Canada’s telecommunications infrastructure provides the capabilities of all voice and data traffic on the network, in support of government program delivery for Canadians. These services include maintaining networks within 3,580 separate buildings, and running 50 wide area networks (WANs).

In January 2015, SSC awarded contracts to TELUS and Allstream to begin the consolidation of the WANs, which will allow a greater volume of enterprise data to be maintained and exchanged. Shared Services Canada worked extensively with its partners and the telecommunications industry during the procurement of the Government of Canada’s enterprise WAN. SSC hosted industry engagement conferences, Information Technology Infrastructure Roundtable meetings, Advisory Committee meetings and bilateral meetings involving industry stakeholders, SSC managers and partners so that participants could learn about best practices in the procurement of enterprise WANs.

Shared Services Canada is increasing the Government of Canada’s network bandwidth capacity in order to meet the growing demand for videoconferencing as a viable alternative to travel. In 2014–15, SSC replaced legacy equipment and ensured that partner organizations and regional offices had access to equipment with the ability to host multi-party videoconferences. The Department leveraged its lessons learned in previous implementations to successfully on-board an additional 16 departments to its standardized videoconferencing service. There are currently 34 partner organizations that now have access to more than 2,000 active virtual meeting rooms, thus helping the government to reduce travel costs and maximize its savings and security in IT. SSC also disconnected 23,000 unused telephone lines and migrated more than 77,000 outdated and costly desktop telephones to VoIP technology. The number of Data Network Services that met their availability objectives within 2014–15 was limited to 13 out of 16 due to a supplier that suffered a loss of a number of satellites. However service availability has improved and stabilized, meeting the contracted target availability, with the replacement of failed satellites.

Description

Cyber and IT Security Services is the application of “safeguards to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, availability, intended use and value of electronically stored, processed or transmitted information” (Policy on Government Security, Operational Security Standard: Management of Information Technology Security (MITS)).

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues.

Performance Results

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

The Department plays a major role in preventing, detecting and responding to cyber intrusions and ensuring the recovery of IT systems. Consolidating and modernizing the government’s IT infrastructure will address the underlying causes of the vast majority of cyber incidents.

In 2014–15, SSC improved the protection of IT infrastructure and associated data in transit, storage and use through the Security Operations Centre (SOC). During its first full year of operation, the new centre, which is now providing 24/7 coverage, successfully coordinated cyber protection activities and prioritized remedial activities related to security incidents. Learning from these situations, ongoing improvements were made across the government to enhance the communication of cyber events, mitigation and recovery plans.

Design considerations for security and privacy have also been incorporated into the Department’s business lines, by implementing and verifying safeguards.

SSC continued to work on the development of timelines for the implementation of the cyber and IT security program, which will be under full review in 2015-16. After consulting with federal security agencies and industry stakeholders, SSC developed a cyber and IT security framework to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of government information, services and infrastructure.

In 2014–15, over 1,200 supply chain integrity procurement reviews were completed by the departmental cyber threat assessment team to examine vendors’ sourcing practices. In addition, a process was established for the recall of equipment, software and services identified as having increased risk as a result of threat assessments done in consultation with security partners.

To address the current IT security skills gap, SSC partnered with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Communications Security Establishment and the Canada School of Public Service to develop a new competency based learning framework as a core discipline under SSC’s learning academy initiative.

SSC is implementing a standardized, consolidated enterprise approach to the procurement of security software. In 2014–15, the approach was realigned based on industry feedback obtained in three Architecture Framework Advisory Committee consultations. As a result, IT Security was included in the Network Solutions Supply Chain procurement vehicle, for which the target contract award date is in 2015-16.

Description

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are Management and Oversight Services, Communications Services, Legal Services, Human Resources Management Services, Financial Management Services, Information Management Services, Information Technology Services, Real Property Services, Materiel Services, Acquisition Services, and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not those provided to a specific program.

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

In 2014–2015, SSC reviewed and refined its Program Alignment Architecture and associated Performance Measurement Framework. The Department also developed an Organizational Risk Profile, a framework and a guide for risk management to support the integration of risk management practices. Risk management training was provided for SSC employees across Canada.

In support of organizational change management and the broader culture shift needed to support transformation initiatives, the Department implemented culture development efforts in order to achieve departmental Blueprint 2020 activities, and took action in response to the Public Service Employee Survey results. The Workforce Management Strategy was developed to promote employee skill development, mobility and leadership capacity building in order to meet the future competency needs of the organization.

SSC enhanced its financial management instruments and controls by developing guidelines and documentation with respect to the Chart of Accounts to improve its ability to record, analyze and report on financial data. SSC also developed an Internal Control Management Framework that provides policy directions for maintaining an effective system of financial internal control. The Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE) continued to carry out its audits and evaluations in accordance with the 20142017 Risk-based Audit Plan and the 20142019 Evaluation Plan. The OAE reorganized its resources in order to increase its audit capacity and focus evaluations on operational requirements. The OAE completed six internal audit engagements and coordinated 22 external oversight activities that involved SSC.

As planned, SSC completed a long-term office accommodation strategy and began implementing office transfer activities to consolidate office space. SSC initiated the implementation of Government of Canada information management solutions by making GCDOCS available to all employees. The implementation of the Electronic Procurement to Payment tool will be completed in 2015–16 with the launch of its first services, and will improve efficiency of IT goods and services procurement based on an end-to-end process.

The financial highlights presented within this Departmental Performance Report are intended to serve as a general overview of SSC’s Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and its Statement of Financial Position. More detailed information is provided in SSC’s 2014–15 financial statements. These unaudited statements have been prepared using Government of Canada accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.

The unaudited financial statements are prepared in accordance with accrual accounting principles and are therefore different from the information published in the Public Accounts of Canada, which are prepared on an appropriation basis. Sections I and II of this report contain financial information based on parliamentary authorities, which reflect cash flow requirements. Items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Financial Position in one year may be funded through parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. A reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year authorities used is presented in Note 3 to SSC’s 2014–15 financial statements on its website.

The tables below illustrate the March 31, 2015 ending balances for each major grouping in the financial statements, along with the corresponding change from the previous fiscal year.

SSC’s total expenses for 2014–15 were $1,974.5 million, a decrease of $59.9 million from the previous year’s total expenses of $2,034.4 million. In 2014–15, salaries and employee benefits accounted for the largest portion of expenses (33%) at $652.2 million ($714.9 million and 35% in 2013–14), followed by telecommunications expenses (23%) at $453.8 million ($463.3 million and 23% in 2013–14). Salaries and employee benefits decreased by $62.7 million in 2014–15, mainly due to the decrease of $41.6 million related to severance settlements paid in 2013–14 and to the decrease of $16.7 million related to the implementation of the salary payments in arrears in 2014–15. Operating expenses (excluding salaries and employee benefits) increased by $2.8 million in 2014–15 (from $1,319.5 million in 2013–14 to $1,322.3 million in 2014–15).

The Financial Statement's Note 15 Segmented Information provides detailed information broken down by major object of expenses and by program.

SSC’s total revenues for 2014–15 were $398.1 million, an increase of $63.3 million over the previous year’s total revenues of $334.8 million. Of these revenues, the majority are respendable revenues related to IT infrastructure services provided to partnering organizations and other Government of Canada departments and agencies on a cost recoverable basis. SSC’s revenues, net of $13.9 million in non-respendable revenues earned on behalf of the government, consist of 99.97% in sale of goods and services and 0.03% in miscellaneous revenues.

Total liabilities were $597.4 million at the end of 2014–15, an increase of $63.7 million (12%) over the previous year’s total liabilities of $533.7 million. In 2014–15, accounts payable and accrued liabilities accounted for the largest portion of liabilities (69%) at $412.5 million ($431.0 million and 81% in 2013–14), followed by lease obligations for tangible capital assets (19%) at $113.2 million ($29.3 million and 5% in 2013–14).

Total net financial assets were $447.6 million at the end of 2014–15, a decrease of $21.5 million (5%) from the previous year’s total net financial assets of $469.1 million. In 2014–15, the amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) represented the largest portion (79%) of the net financial assets of $353.6 million ($333.0 million and 71% in 2013–14).

Total non-financial assets were $510.1 million at the end of 2014–15, an increase of $152.5 million (43%) over the previous year’s total non-financial assets of $357.6 million. This net increase is due to an increase of $164.2 million in tangible capital assets (from $329.9 million in 2013–14 to $494.1 million in 2014–15) and to a decrease of $11.7 million in prepaid expenses (from $27.7 million in 2013–14 to $16.0 million in 2014–15). The increase in tangible capital assets is mainly due to new acquisitions of leased capital assets, assets under construction and computer hardware. The decrease in prepaid expenses is mostly attributable to the amortization of the previous year’s prepaid expenses.

The Department’s financial statements can be found on Shared Services Canada Departmental Financial Statements website^{Footnote v}

The supplementary information tables listed in the 2014–15 Departmental Performance Report can be found on SSC’s .Supplementary Information Tables website^{Footnote vi}.

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy - Greening Government Operations;
• Internal Audits and Evaluations.

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 annually in the Government of Canada Tax Expenditures^{Footnote vii} publication. The tax measures presented in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Appropriation (crédit): Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires): Includes operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Departmental Performance Report (rapport ministériel sur le rendement): Reports on an appropriated organization’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Report on Plans and Priorities. These reports are tabled in Parliament in the fall.

Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein): Is 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.

Government of Canada outcomes (résultats du gouvernement du Canada): A set of 16 high‑level objectives defined for the government as a whole, grouped in four spending areas: economic affairs, social affairs, international affairs and government affairs.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (Structure de la gestion, des ressources et des résultats): A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.

Non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires): Includes 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.

Planned spending (dépenses prévues): For Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPPs) and Departmental Performance Reports (DPRs), planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures 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 RPPs and DPRs.

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.

Priorities (priorité): Plans or projects 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 Strategic Outcome(s).

Program (programme): A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes): A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

Report on Plans and Priorities (rapport sur les plans et les priorités): Provides information on the plans and expected performance of appropriated organizations over a three-year period. These reports are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Respendable revenues (revenus disponibles): Revenues for which the department has specific authority from Parliament to respend.

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.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique): A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

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.

Whole-of-government framework (cadre pangouvernemental): Maps the financial contributions of federal organizations receiving appropriations by aligning their Programs to a set of 16 government-wide, high-level outcome areas, grouped under four spending areas.

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