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Annual Report 2006-2007 - An Operational Review of CSIS Activities
Section 3: About SIRC
Committee membership
SIRC is chaired by the Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M., who was appointed on June 24, 2005. The other Members are the Honourable Raymond Speaker, P.C., O.C., the Honourable Baljit S. Chadha, P.C., the Honourable Roy Romanow, P.C., O.C., Q.C. and the Honourable Aldéa Landry, P.C., C.M., Q.C.
All Members of SIRC are Privy Councillors, who are appointed by the Governor-in-Council after consultation by the Prime Minister with the leaders of the Opposition parties.
SIRC provides assurance to Parliament—and through it, to Canadians—that CSIS complies with legislation, policy and Ministerial Direction in the performance of its duties and functions. SIRC seeks to ensure that the Service does not undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians. It is the only independent, external body with the legal mandate and expertise to review the activities of CSIS. Moreover, SIRC is a cornerstone of Canada's democratic tradition as it ensures the accountability of one of the government's most powerful organizations.
In addition to attending monthly committee meetings, members preside over complaints hearings, direct staff to undertake reviews, prepare complaint reports in consultation with staff, visit CSIS regional offices, appear before Parliament and exercise other duties associated with their responsibilities.
SIRC meetings and briefings 2006–07
April 5, 2006: The Chair spoke to the Associates of the I.H. Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
May 1, 2006: The Associate Executive Director and the Senior Counsel met with a delegation from the Czech Parliament.
May 12, 2006: The Chair and Executive Director delivered a presentation to Federal Court Judges regarding SIRC's warrant reviews.
June 8, 2006: The Associate Executive Director and Senior Researchers attended the third Review Agencies Forum hosted by the Inspector General of CSIS. In attendance were officials from the Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment, the Inspector General of CSIS, and the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.
September 19, 2006: The Executive Director, the Associate Executive Director and the Senior Counsel met with Sir Peter Gibson, UK Intelligence Services Commissioner and a representative from the UK High Commission.
September 22, 2006: The Chair spoke to the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alberta.
September 26, 2006: The Executive Director, the Associate Executive Director and the Senior Counsel met with a Norwegian Parliamentary Committee.
October 2–4, 2006: The Chair, one Committee Member and the Executive Director attended the International Intelligence Review Agencies Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The Chair also participated in a panel discussion.
October 10, 2006: The Executive Director spoke at a Carleton University seminar on Intelligence, Statecraft and International Affairs.
October 26–28, 2006: The Executive Director and several staff attended the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies, held in Ottawa.
November 1, 2006: The Chair, the Members of the Committee, the Executive Director, the Associate Executive Director and the Senior Counsel appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security of the House of Commons.
November 17, 2006: The Executive Director spoke at a Carleton University seminar entitled National Security and Intelligence in the Modern State.
December 10, 2006: The Chair appeared on CTV's Question Period.
January 31, 2007: The Associate Executive Director, Senior Counsel and Senior Researchers attended the fourth Review Agencies Forum, hosted by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.
Staffing and organization
SIRC is supported by an Executive Director, Susan Pollak, and an authorized staff complement of 20, located in Ottawa. The staff comprises: an Associate Executive Director, Senior Counsel, a Senior Advisor, a Corporate Services Manager, Counsel, a Senior Paralegal (who also serves as Access to Information and Privacy Officer/Analyst), plus researchers and administrative staff.
Committee Members provide staff with direction on research and other activities that are identified as a priority for the year. Management of day-to-day operations is delegated to the Executive Director with direction, when necessary, from the Chair as Chief Executive Officer.
As part of their ongoing work, the Chair of SIRC, Committee Members and senior staff participate in regular discussions with CSIS executive and staff, and other senior members of the security intelligence community. These exchanges are supplemented by discussions with academics, and other experts.
SIRC also visits CSIS regional offices on a rotating basis to examine the day-to-day work of investigators in the field. These trips give Committee Members an opportunity to be briefed by regional CSIS staff on local issues, challenges and priorities. It is also an opportunity to communicate SIRC's focus and concerns.
During 2006–07, SIRC visited two regional offices.
Budget and expenditures
SIRC continues to manage its activities within allocated resource levels. Staff salaries and travel within Canada for Committee meetings, hearings, briefings and review activities represent SIRC's chief expenditures. Table 8 below presents a breakdown of actual and estimated expenditures.
| 2006–07 (Actual) | 2006–07 (Estimates) | |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $1,817,160 | $1,777,000 |
| Goods and Services | $809,674 | $1,019,000 |
| Total | $2,626,834 | $2,796,000 |
Inquiries Under the Access to Information and Privacy Acts
The public may make requests to SIRC under both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Table 9 outlines the number of requests SIRC has received under these Acts for the past three fiscal years.
Requests for SIRC's reviews represent the largest portion of these requests. SIRC waives the application fees for all such requests.
| 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | |
| Access to Information Act | 21 | 17 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy Act | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Communications
Although SIRC's annual report is the main communications vehicle for informing Parliament and Canadians about its work, it has also implemented a modest communications program. SIRC has also undertaken some public opinion research, which shows that Canadians' awareness of review bodies remains very low, although perceptions of their independence and objectivity remain positive.
On occasion, the Committee is invited to attend and speak at conferences. In September 2006, the Chair delivered a speech to the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alberta, concerning “Global Threats to National Security.
” In it, he examined the impact of the current threat environment on Canada's economic security and well-being, described CSIS's role in combating such threats and explained SIRC's review functions.
In October 2006, the Chair delivered a speech on “Country Experiences: Oversight Mechanisms, Challenges and Opportunities
” at the International Intelligence Review Agencies Conference, held in Cape Town, South Africa. This biannual conference brings together review agencies similar to SIRC to discuss issues of common concern. The Executive Director and another Member of the Committee were also in attendance.
SIRC's website represents another important communications vehicle. It is continually updated with information relevant to the security and intelligence community. All of SIRC's annual reports since its creation are available, plus copies of speeches, backgrounders and other publications, as well as information on the roles and responsibilities of SIRC.
As principal spokesperson, SIRC's Chair has met with journalists to discuss SIRC's work and appeared on CTV's Question Period. He also wrote an op-ed piece, which was published in the Calgary Herald.
Management accountability
SIRC continues to make progress in this area, although as a very small federal agency without dedicated staff responsible for financial and human resource management, SIRC must increasingly rely on external contractors, diverting resources from its core functions.
In 2006–07, SIRC developed a financial management framework to improve the allocation and monitoring of expenditures. The latter aspect has been delayed, however, by technical problems related to software transition, preventing SIRC from realizing the full benefits of a modernized and automated monitoring of its expenditures.
In June 2006, SIRC received the results of an independent, external audit, which was a condition of receiving additional funding approved by Parliament in 2004. This audit found that ”SIRC's internal processes are reasonably well-controlled, thus enabling SIRC to properly manage the expenditure of public funds with prudence and probity.” Coincidentally, the Treasury Board Secretariat initiated another audit of hospitality and travel expenses of small federal agencies and included SIRC in its ambit. The results of this second audit are expected to be published by the Treasury Board Secretariat in the coming year.
Following the successful development of a Management Action Plan and Risk Assessment in 2004–05, SIRC participated in an online reporting exercise under the government-wide Management Accountability Framework. The results of this exercise will be published by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
Also, SIRC completed a threat and risk assessment by an accredited security officer from the Privy Council Office to ensure compliance with the Management of Information Technology Security initiative. SIRC has also enhanced physical security by upgrading its alarm system and further shielding its hearing room.