2018–19 Departmental Plan

Minister's Message

As governments worldwide seek to transform their digital capacity, the Government of Canada is drawing from best practices to develop a digital approach that puts users first, offering services that are easy to use, seamless, secure, and available anytime, anywhere.

In 2018-19, SSC will concentrate on the delivery of its core responsibilities in support of the areas of action set out in the Government of Canada Strategic Plan for Information Management and Information Technology 2017 to 2021. Four priorities were developed to guide the execution of projects and initiatives within these core responsibilities. These priorities involve improving service delivery, modernizing Government of Canada IT infrastructure, strengthening cyber and IT security, and building and enabling the workforce.

This Departmental Plan contains detailed information on planned activities for the year ahead, as well as information about the management of SSC’s financial and human resources, operational structure, reporting framework, and much more.

I encourage you to review the information presented in this Departmental Plan to discover how SSC is working to ensure the Government of Canada’s IT infrastructure is enabling the efficient and timely delivery of programs and services to Canadians.

Plans at a Glance

SSC provides services related to email, data centres, networks and end-user IT to government organizations. SSC also coordinates government‑wide responses to cyber security events, including IT incident response and recovery, and supports decision making with respect to incident mitigation. SSC can procure whatever is required to provide shared IT infrastructure services to departments.

SSC is reporting on its core responsibilities, developed under the Treasury Board’s Policy on Results, for the first time in fiscal year 2018-19. Guided by the Government of Canada Strategic Plan for Information Management and Information Technology 2017 to 2021, as well as commitments outlined in the Minister’s mandate letter, SSC identified five core responsibilities to ensure the Department delivers on its mandate and expected results for Canadians.

Core Responsibilities

• Email and Workplace Technology
• Data Centres
• Telecommunications
• Cyber and IT Security
• Customer Relationships and Service Management

Modernize Government of Canada IT Infrastructure

SSC will continue to modernize the government’s digital platform, support the adoption of cloud computing services and contribute to a federal science infrastructure strategy.

• SSC will install 13 new cellular towers and upgrade existing towers to support the 2018 G7 Summit in La Malbaie, Quebec. As a result, Canadians in the Charlevoix region will benefit from better cell coverage and faster, more reliable Internet access
• SSC will establish a Government-of-Canada-wide contracting process to provide workplace technology devices e.g., personal workstations, printing products and software) to departments
• SSC will replace end-of-life telephony services with a modern industry standard, such as Voice-over Internet Protocol
• SSC will help accelerate the adoption of cloud computing across the Government of Canada by making public cloud services for unclassified data available to departments, launching the procurement of public cloud services for classified data, and by providing private cloud services to address unique requirements
• SSC will contribute to a federal strategy to support the specialized business requirements of science‑based departments and agencies for collaboration, connectivity, data analysis and storage

Strengthen Cyber and IT Security

SSC will further enhance IT infrastructure security and implement projects funded under Budget 2016.

• SSC has a number of projects under way that will allow the Department to detect and defend against cyber threats targeting Government of Canada networks, including putting vulnerability assessment tools and compliance processes in place. SSC will also control access to the Government of Canada infrastructure and what applications are installed on the shared network
• As a key component of the next phase of Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy, SSC is improving on the existing Government of Canada Secure Remote Access that allows employees to use the IT network from home or other non-work locations
• In order to ensure greater security and privacy in government communications, secure mobile communications capabilities for classified information are being developed

Build and Enable the Workforce

SSC will promote leadership development within the Department, promote health and wellness in the workplace, and invest in training and development.

• SSC will implement a new leadership development program for all of its executives, as well as for leaders within the management and supervisory categories. To help build personal and team agility, SSC will also offer a range of training, including on change management
• To improve the delivery of its services and to reduce the heavy workload faced by many of its employees, SSC will implement a comprehensive and innovative recruitment strategy to build its talent capacity
• SSC will increase its investment in professional development for all of its staff

For more information on SSC’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned Results” section of this report.

Planned Results: What we want to achieve this year and beyond

Customers receive high quality, timely and efficient software and hardware provisioning services that meet their needs

SSC is working to establish a Government-of-Canada-wide contracting process in order for Managed Print Services to provide printing products to departments. Standardizing and consolidating the procurement and provisioning of printing products will improve efficiency. In addition, SSC leads an interdepartmental working group on the Common Desktop Operating Environment that explores opportunities to use best practices, promote standardization, and add value to departmental workplace technology devices service delivery. The working group has over 300 members from 54 departments. These figures are expected to grow in 2018-19.

Planned results

*A critical incident is any event which is not part of the standard operation of the email service and which causes a full outage of the email service for 50,000 or more users.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Data Centres

Planned results

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Telecommunications

Description

SSC delivers data, voice and video communication services within and across the Government of Canada. SSC also provides the Government of Canada’s contact centre IT infrastructure, cellular and toll free services.

Planning Highlights

SSC’s delivery on this core responsibility are reflected in the following departmental result.

Planned results

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Cyber and IT Security

Description

SSC works with other Government of Canada departments to provide secure IT infrastructure services to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic information stored, processed and transmitted by the Government of Canada. SSC also coordinates the response to cyber and IT security incidents on behalf of Government of Canada departments and agencies.

Planning Highlights

SSC’s delivery on this core responsibility is reflected in the following departmental results.

Planned results

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Customer Relationships and Service Management

Description

SSC provides customer relationship and service management functions to ensure customers are supported and engaged and their IT services are well managed throughout their lifecycle.

Planning Highlights

SSC’s delivery on this core responsibility is reflected in the following departmental results.

Customers are satisfied with SSC’s delivery of services

To improve the experience of departments and agencies that receive its shared services, SSC is embarking on an initiative to explore, grow, and ultimately sustain a strengthened culture of customer service excellence. Through this initiative, SSC will examine best and leading-edge practices that result in exceptional customer service, and will investigate tools and strategies that promote superior service and support. To this end, SSC will encourage Government of Canada departments and employees to discuss their differing experiences in obtaining and delivering shared services. The objectives of the work in 2018-19 are to:

• engage with employees across the Department to build a common cause around a strong focus on SSC customer service
• improve and ensure consistency in how customer service is delivered across the Department
• acknowledge the tremendous efforts already being made within the Department toward improving client service
• identify opportunities to invest in tools and training to support and enhance customer service excellence across SSC

Customers are provided with effective service management

SSC’s IT service management approach is customer-centred and aims at driving service management excellence and improving customer experience through enhanced engagement and performance reporting. As part of this approach, SSC is implementing an IT Service Management Tool, which will support efforts to modernize its business management processes. The Department will also increase its service delivery and service management operations capacity to further stabilize and strengthen service management.

SSC is developing a Vendor Performance Incentive (VPI) initiative to ensure full lifecycle management of contracts with particular emphasis on creating incentives for improved innovation and performance, while also holding contractors accountable for poor performance. In 2018-19, SSC will develop the metrics for refining the requirements of the VPI initiative, and will launch a pilot project in 2019-20.

SSC will continue to mature its project management and delivery processes and tools to deliver on the modernization of the Government of Canada IT infrastructure. In 2018-19, the Department will focus its efforts on integrating project management software with its Government of Canada portfolio system, and on improving collaboration with Government of Canada partner organizations on activities from project initiation through to overall technical or strategic direction.

Planned results

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote iii}

Internal Services

Description

Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories 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, and acquisition services.

Planning Highlights

SSC is building and enabling its workforce by recruiting the right talent to improve service delivery and promote health and wellness in the workplace. SSC is preparing to recruit approximately 900 new employees by 2020 to fill current vacancies and projected departures to achieve and maintain a level of 6,000 full-time equivalents (i.e. staff).

SSC will focus its learning and development priorities on strategic investments and enabling tools for employees. In support of efforts to invest in staff and to commit to a service-first culture, SSC will continue its work on the leadership program, training procurement strategies (including Information Technology Infrastructure Library training), the onboarding of new employees, project management, language training, and client services training. In addition to the learning, developmental and coaching programs in place or in development, SSC will continue to leverage a number of tools to help foster and nurture talent. Several levels of management will take part in a leadership development program over a period of two years. The program, which is tailored to SSC’s context and reality, includes assessments of behavioural competencies and leadership styles using various tools, communication techniques, and individual development plans. As well, SSC has begun a Building Workplace Trust training pilot with senior leaders to help build personal and team agility.

Experimentation Initiative, Candidate Screening Self-Assessment Questionnaire

SSC will complete the Candidate Screening Self-Assessment experimentation initiative in 2018-19. The research objectives of this initiative are to provide structure and consistency in the evaluation of candidate competencies, increase the scope of areas assessed by automating aspects of the employee pre-qualification assessment, and to reduce the manager’s associated workload.

This initiative is expected to completely change the screening process, moving much of the work from the hiring manager to the Human Resources and Workplace team. Prior to the interview, the candidate and his/her reference will complete the self-assessment against a standard measurement system that eliminates bias. 

The initiative uses the following research methods:

• capture of baseline data (e.g., time to hire from staffing logs)
• mapping of current versus proposed process flows
• awareness sessions/training for managers (e.g., roles and responsibilities, use of the tool and expected results)
• development and use of 48 generic statements of merit criteria
• consistent application of evaluation tool/analysis of results
• qualitative surveys six months after completion to determine the participant’s satisfaction with the process. Managers will also be asked whether the results of the evaluation tool resulted in a candidate who met their needs (i.e. right fit)

The data analysis and the report on initial findings are currently under way. Further qualitative data will be collected from managers/participants through a survey followed by the review and assessment of results and the making of recommendations.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

Spending and Human Resources

Planned Spending

SSC’s planned spending reflects the amounts approved by the Treasury Board by April 16, 2018, to support the Department’s core responsibilities. The approved amount includes a vote-netted revenue of $442.1 million.

The total expenditures net increase of $177 million between 2015-16 and 2016-17 is mostly due to new funding related to initiatives from Budget 2016 received in 2016-17, such as the Mission‑critical IT Infrastructure and the Secure Government of Canada IT Infrastructure initiatives, as well as the increase of revenues for standard and optional services offered to customers and partnering departments.

The forecast spending for 2017-18 represents the authorities to date, including the approved central vote for the newly signed collective agreements and the carry forward from 2016-17.

The decrease in planned spending from 2017-18 to 2018-19 is mainly due to the following:

• time-limited projects and initiatives, such as the Mission-critical IT Infrastructure
• funding for Secure Canada’s Government IT Infrastructure and Information that is higher in 2017-18 than in 2018-19
• payments of retroactive pay in 2017-18 for the current and previous fiscal years as a result of signed collective agreements
• re-profiling of funding for initiatives such as High Performance Computing and Secure Canada's Government IT Infrastructure and Information

The planned spending for 2018-19 indicates a total net decrease of $385.3 million over the 2017-18 spending forecast. This net decrease is due to time-limited projects/initiatives, such as the Mission-critical IT Infrastructure and the Secure Government of Canada IT Infrastructure initiatives, as well as the approved funding from the central vote for the 2018 G7 Summit, the re-profiling of funds for projects, such as High Performance Computing and Secure Canada’s Government IT Infrastructure and Information, and other adjustments.

Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Planned Human Resources

Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (full-time equivalents)

The Government of Canada’s IT consultation exercise and the Management Summary and Recommendations: Shared Services Canada Resource Alignment Review recognized that when SSC was created, the Department did not receive all the necessary resources to ensure its success. In a continually changing, competitive and high-pressure IT labour market, SSC has faced challenges in recruiting and keeping the needed talent. Through intensive and innovative recruitment approaches, SSC has made progress in building its talent capacity and hire new employees. The Department has also created other internal initiatives to retain and develop the most talented and qualified employees available. Today, SSC is in a better position to meet its operational requirements to further align with IT industry benchmarks, and to better support the government’s digital vision, including the adoption of cloud computing.

Estimates by Vote

For information on SSC’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2018-19 Main Estimates.^{Footnote iv}

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of SSC’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Given the Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on SSC’s website.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the year ended March 31, 2019 (dollars)

The decrease in planned expenses from 2017-18 to 2018-19 is mainly due to the following:

• time-limited projects and initiatives, such as the Mission-critical Infrastructure Technology initiative, which was two-year funding from Budget 2016
• funding for initiatives such as High Performance Computing and Secure Government of Canada IT Infrastructure and Information that is higher in 2017-18 than in 2018-19
• funding received in 2017-18 for retroactive pay for the current and previous fiscal years as a result of signed collective agreements

Supplementary Information

Corporate Information

Organizational Profile

Appropriate Minister: The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P.

Institutional Head: Ron Parker, President, Shared Services Canada

Ministerial Portfolio: Public Services and Procurement Canada, Shared Services Canada

Enabling Instrument: Shared Services Canada Act

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, 2013-0368, 2015-1071, and 2016-0003.

Raison d’être, Mandate and Role

“ Raison d’être, mandate and role: Who we are and what we do” is available on SSC’s website.

Operating Context and Key Risks

Information on operating context and key risks is available on SSC’s website.

Reporting Framework

SSC’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2018-19 are shown below:

Concordance between the Departmental Results Framework and the Program Inventory 2018-19, and the Program Alignment Architecture 2017-18:

Supporting Information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to SSC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote iii}

Supplementary Information Tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on SSC’s website:

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Gender-based Analysis
• Planned evaluation coverage over the next five fiscal years
• Status report on transformational and major Crown projects
• Upcoming internal audits for the coming fiscal year

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.^{Footnote v} This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational Contact Information

General inquiries

Please send your inquiries to the following email address:
SSC.information-information.SPC@canada.ca.

Media inquiries

Please send your inquiries to SSC.media-medias.SPC@canada.ca or to the Media Relations Office by telephone at 613-670-1626.

Appendix: Definitions

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 appropriated departments over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)
Any change or changes that the department seeks to influence. 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 factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
The department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)
Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
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.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
An analytical process used to help identify the potential impacts of policies, Programs and services on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. The “plus” acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences to consider multiple identity factors that intersect to make people who they are (such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability).

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2018–19 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government;  A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative in which two or more federal organizations, through an approved funding agreement, work toward achieving clearly defined shared outcomes, and which has been designated (by Cabinet, a central agency, etc.) as a horizontal initiative for managing and reporting purposes.

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 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 Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts 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 Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

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.

priority (priorité)
A plan or project 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 Departmental Results.

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 Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)^{Footnote 1}
A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

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.

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