Future-Oriented Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ending March 31, 2021 - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 2020-21 Departmental Plan

1. Authority and Objectives

Under the broad authority of sections 5 to 13 of the Financial Administration Act, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) supports the Treasury Board as a committee of ministers in its role as the general manager and employer of the core public administration. TBS is headed by a Secretary, who reports to the President of the Treasury Board.

The mission of TBS is to ensure that rigorous stewardship of public resources achieves results for Canadians.

Expenses are presented in the Future-Oriented Statement of Operations by core responsibilities in accordance with TBS’s Departmental Results Framework. For information on the Secretariat’s core responsibilities, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks” section of the Departmental Plan.

2. Methodology and significant assumptions

The Future‑Oriented Statement of Operations has been prepared on the basis of government priorities and departmental plans as described in the Departmental Plan.

The information in the forecast results for fiscal year 2019–20 and the planned results for fiscal year 2020–21 are based on the activities and initiatives included in the forecast spending and planned spending amounts that are presented in the Departmental Plan, expressed in terms of accrual accounting.

Amounts presented in the Departmental Plan include Treasury Board central votes used to supplement the appropriations of other federal organizations for items such as government contingencies, government-wide initiatives, compensation requirements, operating and capital budget carry forward, and paylist expenditures. However, the results presented in the Future‑Oriented Statement of Operations exclude these funds because:

• the related expenses are incurred by individual departments and agencies
• TBS is accountable for reporting only on its own expenses (see Note 5b)

The main assumptions underlying the forecasts are as follows:

• TBS’s mandated activities will remain substantially the same as in the previous year
• Expenses and revenues, including the determination of amounts internal and external to the government, are based on historical experience. The general historical pattern is expected to continue

These assumptions are made as at January 30, 2020.

3. Variations and changes to the forecast financial information

Forecasts have been made for 2019–20 and 2020–21. Actual results achieved for both years are likely to vary from the forecast information presented, and this variation could be material.

In preparing this Future-Oriented Statement of Operations, TBS has made estimates and assumptions about the future. These estimates and assumptions may differ from the subsequent actual results. Estimates and assumptions are based on past experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, and are continually evaluated.

Factors that could lead to material differences between the Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and the Departmental Financial Statements include the following:

• the timing and amount of acquisitions and the disposal of tangible capital assets that may affect gains or losses and the amortization expense
• the implementation of new collective agreements
• further changes to the operating budget, such as new initiatives or technical adjustments later in the fiscal year

Once the Departmental Plan is tabled in Parliament, TBS will not be updating the forecasts for any changes in financial resources made in ensuing Supplementary Estimates. Variances will be explained in TBS’s Departmental Results Report.

4. Summary of significant accounting policies

The Future-Oriented Statement of Operations has been prepared using Government of Canada accounting policies that are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

5. Parliamentary authorities

TBS receives most of its funding through annual parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to TBS differs from financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles because authorities are based mainly on cash flow requirements. Items recognized in the Future‑Oriented Statement of Operations in one year may be funded through parliamentary authorities of prior, current or future years. Accordingly, TBS has a different net cost of operations for the year on an expenditure basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:

The authorities presented reflect current forecasts of statutory items; approved initiatives included (or expected to be included) in Estimates documents; and estimates of amounts to be allocated from Treasury Board Central Votes.

6. Employer Expenses

Total expenses reported under the “Employer” core responsibility comprise public service employer payments recorded centrally by TBS on behalf of other federal organizations and departmental expenses in support of the Treasury Board in its role as the employer of the core public administration.

Public service employer payments account for approximately 90% of TBS’s total expenses and include the following:

• the employer’s share of contributions to the Public Service Pension Plan and Retirement Compensation Arrangement
• the employer’s share of contributions to the Public Service Death Benefit Account
• the employer’s share of contributions to the Canada Pension Plan and Québec Pension Plan
• the employer’s share of Employment Insurance premiums
• the employer’s share of disability and life insurance premiums and related Québec sales tax
• the employer’s share of the Québec Parental Insurance Plan premiums
• claims and related costs under the Public Service Health Care Plan, the Public Service Dental Care Plan and the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan
• provincial payroll taxes for employees who work in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The payroll tax is levied on employers in these provinces to help fund their respective health plans
• returns to certain employees of their share of the Employment Insurance premium reduction

Generally, statutory employer contributions to the Public Service Pension Plan, Public Service Death Benefit Account, Canada Pension Plan, Québec Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance premiums are recovered from all departments, agencies and revolving funds, based on expenses incurred for salaries and wages. Non-statutory contributions to other employee benefit plans and payroll-related employer obligations are provided without-charge for most departments and agencies and on a recovery basis for revolving funds and certain departments and agencies, based on a percentage of expenses incurred for salaries and wages.

Departmental expenses under the “Employer” core responsibility are related to the following activities of the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer:

• executive and leadership development
• employment conditions and labour relations
• pension and benefits management
• people management systems and processes
• workplace policies and services
• research, planning and renewal

The following table presents a detailed breakdown of employer expenses by major category: