2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada

2014-15 Estimates

Part III – Departmental Expenditure Plans: Reports on Plans and Priorities

Purpose

Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPP) are individual expenditure plans for each department and agency. These reports provide increased levels of detail over a three-year period on an organization's main priorities by strategic outcome, program and planned/expected results, including links to related resource requirements presented in the Main Estimates. In conjunction with the Main Estimates, Reports on Plans and Priorities serve to inform Members of Parliament on planned expenditures of departments and agencies, and support Parliament's consideration of supply bills. The RPPs are typically tabled soon after the Main Estimates by the President of the Treasury Board.

Estimates Documents

The Estimates are comprised of three parts:

Part I - Government Expenditure Plan - provides an overview of the Government's requirements and changes in estimated expenditures from previous fiscal years.

Part II - Main Estimates - supports the Appropriation Acts with detailed information on the estimated spending and authorities being sought by each federal organization requesting appropriations.

In accordance with Standing Orders of the House of Commons, Parts I and II must be tabled on or before March 1.

Part III - Departmental Expenditure Plans - consists of two components:

• Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP)
• Departmental Performance Report (DPR)

DPRs are individual department and agency accounts of results achieved against planned performance expectations as set out in respective RPPs.

The DPRs for the most recently completed fiscal year are tabled in the fall by the President of the Treasury Board.

Supplementary Estimates support Appropriation Acts presented later in the fiscal year. Supplementary Estimates present information on spending requirements that were either not sufficiently developed in time for inclusion in the Main Estimates or have subsequently been refined to account for developments in particular programs and services. Supplementary Estimates also provide information on changes to expenditure forecasts of major statutory items as well as on such items as: transfers of funds between votes; debt deletion; loan guarantees; and new or increased grants.

For more information on the Estimates, please consult the Treasury Board Secretariat website.^{Endnote i}

Links to the Estimates

As shown above, RPPs make up part of the Part III of the Estimates documents. Whereas Part II emphasizes the financial aspect of the Estimates, Part III focuses on financial and non-financial performance information, both from a planning and priorities standpoint (RPP), and an achievements and results perspective (DPR).

The Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS) establishes a structure for display of financial information in the Estimates and reporting to Parliament via RPPs and DPRs. When displaying planned spending, RPPs rely on the Estimates as a basic source of financial information.

Main Estimates expenditure figures are based on the Annual Reference Level Update which is prepared in the fall. In comparison, planned spending found in RPPs includes the Estimates as well as any other amounts that have been approved through a Treasury Board submission up to February 1^st (See Definitions section). This readjusting of the financial figures allows for a more up-to-date portrait of planned spending by program.

Changes to the presentation of the Report on Plans and Priorities

Several changes have been made to the presentation of the RPP partially to respond to a number of requests – from the House of Commons Standing Committees on Public Accounts (PAC - Report 15^{Endnote ii}), in 2010; and on Government and Operations Estimates (OGGO - Report 7^{Endnote iii}), in 2012 – to provide more detailed financial and non-financial performance information about programs within RPPs and DPRs, thus improving the ease of their study to support appropriations approval.

• In Section II, financial, human resources and performance information is now presented at the Program and Sub-program levels for more granularity.
• The report’s general format and terminology have been reviewed for clarity and consistency purposes.
• Other efforts aimed at making the report more intuitive and focused on Estimates information were made to strengthen alignment with the Main Estimates.

How to read this document

RPPs are divided into four sections:

Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

This Organizational Expenditure Overview allows the reader to get a general glance at the organization. It provides a description of the organization’s purpose, as well as basic financial and human resources information. This section opens with the new Organizational Profile, which displays general information about the organization, including the names of the minister and the deputy head, the ministerial portfolio, the year the organization was established, and the main legislative authorities. This subsection is followed by a new subsection entitled Organizational Context, which includes the Raison d’être, the Responsibilities, the Strategic Outcomes and Program Alignment Architecture, the Organizational Priorities and the Risk Analysis. This section ends with the Planned Expenditures, the Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes, the Estimates by Votes and the Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. It should be noted that this section does not display any non-financial performance information related to programs (please see Section II).

Section II: Analysis of Program(s) by Strategic Outcome(s)

This Section provides detailed financial and non-financial performance information for strategic outcomes, Programs and sub-programs. This section allows the reader to learn more about programs by reading their respective description and narrative entitled “Planning Highlights”. This narrative speaks to key services or initiatives which support the plans and priorities presented in Section I; it also describes how performance information supports the organization’s strategic outcome or parent program.

Section III: Supplementary Information

This section provides supporting information related to organizational plans and priorities. In this section, the reader will find the future-oriented statement of operations and a link to supplementary information tables regarding transfer payments, as well as information related to the greening government operations, internal audits and evaluations, horizontal initiatives, user fees, major crown and transformational projects, and up-front multi-year funding, where applicable to individual organizations. The reader will also find a link to the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication, produced annually by the Minister of Finance, which provides estimates and projections of the revenue impacts of federal tax measures designed to support the economic and social priorities of the Government of Canada.

Section IV: Organizational Contact Information

In this last section, the reader will have access to organizational contact information.

Definitions

Appropriation

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Budgetary Vs. Non-budgetary Expenditures

Budgetary expenditures – operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to crown corporations.
Non-budgetary expenditures – net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

Expected Result

An outcome that a program is designed to achieve.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. FTEs 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

A set of high-level objectives defined for the government as a whole.

Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS)

A common approach and structure to the collection, management and reporting of financial and non-financial performance information.
An MRRS provides detailed information on all organizational programs (e.g.: program costs, program expected results and their associated targets, how they align to the government’s priorities and intended outcomes, etc.) and establishes the same structure for both internal decision making and external accountability.

Planned Spending

For the purpose of the RPP, planned spending refers to those amounts for which a Treasury Board (TB) submission approval has been received by no later than February 1, 2014. This cut-off date differs from the Main Estimates process. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditure levels presented in the 2014-15 Main Estimates.

Program

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

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs, where programs are arranged in a hierarchical manner to depict the logical relationship between each program and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

Spending Areas

Government of Canada categories of expenditures. There are four spending areas^{Endnote iv} (social affairs, economic affairs, international affairs and government affairs) each comprised of three to five Government of Canada outcomes.

Strategic Outcome

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization's mandate, vision, and core functions.

Sunset Program

A time-limited program that does not have on-going funding or policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made as to whether to continue the program. (In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration).

Whole-of-Government Framework

A map of the financial and non-financial contributions of federal organizations receiving appropriations that aligns their Programs to a set of high level outcome areas defined for the government as a whole.

Table of Contents

• Chair’s Message
• Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview
  • Organizational Profile
  • Organizational Context
    • Raison d’être
    • Responsibilities
    • Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)
    • Organizational Priorities
    • Risk Analysis
  • Planned Expenditures
  • Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
  • Departmental Spending Trend
  • Estimates by Vote
  • Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)
• Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome
  • Strategic Outcome
  • Program 1.1: Reviews
  • Program 1.2: Complaints
  • Internal Services
• Section III: Supplementary Information
  • Future-Oriented Statement of Operations
  • List of Supplementary Information Tables
  • Tax Expenditures and Evaluations
• Section IV: Organizational Contact Information
• Endnotes

Chair’s Message

I am very pleased to submit the Security Intelligence Review Committee's Report on Plans and Priorities for 2014-15.

For thirty years now, the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC or the Committee) has been an integral component of democratic accountability for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). In fact, SIRC carries full responsibility for assessing whether CSIS acts appropriately, effectively and lawfully in protecting Canadians against threats to Canada's national security.

SIRC will continue to pursue its two core programs; conducting comprehensive reviews of CSIS’s activities and carrying out investigations; all the while seeking to engage in more active outreach to promote discussion of security intelligence issues. The organization will also benefit from the implementation of a more robust and modern information management system.

It is with a great sense of pride and responsibility that SIRC fulfills its mandate. As we strive to improve our transparency, it is my hope that this year's Report on Plans and Priorities will provide readers with further insight into SIRC's mandate and the role that we play in the security intelligence community.

_______________________________
The Honourable Deborah Grey, P.C., O.C.
Interim Chair

Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

Organizational Profile

Minister: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

Deputy Head: Honourable Deborah Grey, P.C., O.C.

Year established: 1984

Main legislative authorities: Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act^{Endnote v}

Organizational Context

Raison d’être

The Security Intelligence Review Committee is an independent, external review body which reports to Parliament on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS or the Service).

Parliament has given CSIS powers to enhance the security of Canadians by investigating threats to national security. SIRC ensures that these powers are used legally and appropriately, in order to protect Canadians' rights and freedoms. To do this, SIRC examines past operations of the Service and conducts investigations. It has absolute authority, with the exception of Cabinet confidences, to examine all information concerning CSIS activities, no matter how sensitive and highly classified that information may be. The result of this work, redacted and edited to protect national security and personal privacy, are summarized in its Annual Report to Parliament.

Responsibilities

SIRC’s work is designed first and foremost to reassure Canadians that CSIS investigates threats to national security in a manner that respects Canada’s core democratic values. It also serves to provide expert advice to policymakers and lawmakers on CSIS’s performance. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (CSIS Act) continues to guide SIRC’s work in assessing CSIS’s performance against the mandate and authorities conferred upon it by Parliament.

Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)

1 Strategic Outcome: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

1.1 Program: Reviews

1.2 Program: Complaints

Internal Services

Organizational Priorities

Risk Analysis

SIRC’s effectiveness requires having a full complement of Committee Members. The Committee’s ranks will be refreshed through the appointment of new Members in 2014-15, which will have a significant impact on the organization as these individuals are brought up to speed on their new duties and provided the support needed to fully discharge their new responsibilities with SIRC.

Throughout, SIRC will continue to adapt its operations to follow the rapid pace of change in the security intelligence environment.

Planned Expenditures

Barring any significant new undertaking, the organization’s budget is projected to remain flat and the allocation between Programs stable for the foreseeable future.

Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes

Departmental Spending Trend

Text Version

Departmental Spending Trend Graph (Dollars)

	Actual Spending		Forecast Spending	Planned Spending
	Fiscal Year
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Total Spending	2,833,554	2,901,273	2,814,528	2,786,799	2,786,799	2,786,799

The forecasted decrease in spending for the 2013-14 fiscal year, when compared to the previous years, is mainly due to the reduction in spending for professional services due to a reduced use of contract lawyers. This was possible through the completion of staffing processes and filling existing vacancies. There were also additional savings in the area of Members’ per diems due to the fact that two of the Committee’s Members were former Members of Parliament, in receipt of a pension. This special status resulted in their total individual per diem payments being capped at $5,000 per year. Finally, there was also a reduction in spending on transportation and communications resulting from less activity in these areas.

Estimates by Vote

For information on the Security Intelligence Review Committee’s organizational appropriations, please see the 2014-15 Main Estimates publication.^{Endnote vii}

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)

The Security Intelligence Review Committee also ensures that its decision-making process includes a consideration of the FSDS goals and targets through the strategic environmental assessment (SEA). An SEA for policy, plan or program proposals includes an analysis of the impacts of the proposal on the environment, including on the FSDS goals and targets. The results of SEAs are made public when an initiative is announced or approved, demonstrating that environmental factors were integrated into the decision-making process.

Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

Program 1.1: Reviews

Description

Conduct reviews of CSIS activities to ensure effectiveness, appropriateness and compliance. Develop an annual research plan identifying reviews to be conducted each year, provide a retrospective examination and assessment of specific CSIS investigations and operations, examine information concerning CSIS activities, assesses CSIS compliance, and issue findings and recommendations. In addition, SIRC reviews the CSIS Director’s annual classified report to the Minister of Public Safety and provides the Minister with a certificate stating the extent to which it is satisfied with the content of the report.

The objective of this program is to provide Parliament, the Minister of Public Safety and Canadians with a comprehensive picture of CSIS's operational activities, and assurance that CSIS is acting lawfully.

Planning Highlights

SIRC research is designed to address a broad range of subjects on a timely and topical basis. In deciding which matters to review, SIRC considers: events or developments with the potential to represent threats to the security of Canada; intelligence priorities identified by the Government of Canada; CSIS activities that could have an impact on individual rights and freedoms; issues identified in the course of SIRC’s complaints functions; new directions and initiatives announced by or affecting CSIS; and the CSIS Director’s annual classified report submitted to the Minister of Public Safety.

Each review results in a snapshot of CSIS’s actions in a specific case which, over time, provide a comprehensive picture of CSIS's performance. This approach allows SIRC to manage the risk inherent in being able to review only a small number of CSIS activities in any given year. These reviews are submitted to the Director of CSIS, Public Safety Canada and, in special circumstances, directly to the Minister of Public Safety. A declassified summary of each review is included in SIRC's Annual Report.

SIRC's Annual Report to Parliament is the primary method for informing Canadians about its work. To the best of its ability and within the legal constraints governing national security and privacy, every review undertaken and every complaint acted upon, is summarized in SIRC's Annual Report.

Additional information is available in SIRC’s Annual Reports^{Endnote viii} which can be found on its website.

Program 1.2: Complaints

Description

Conduct investigations into complaints concerning CSIS made by either individuals or groups as per the CSIS Act. Under section 41 of the CSIS Act, SIRC investigates “any act or thing done by the Service”; under section 42, SIRC investigates complaints about denials of security clearances to federal government employees and contractors. SIRC may also conduct investigations in relation to referrals from the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Minister’s reports in regards to the Citizenship Act.

If jurisdiction is established, complaints are investigated through a quasi-judicial hearing presided over by one or more Committee Members. On completion of a section 41 investigation, SIRC provides a report to the Director of CSIS and to the Minister of Public Safety, as well as a declassified version of the report to the complainant. On completion of a section 42 investigation, SIRC reports its findings and any recommendations to the Minister of Public Safety, the Director of CSIS and the Deputy Head concerned, and provides a declassified version of the report to the complainant.

Planning Highlights

The time to investigate and resolve a complaint will vary in length depending on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the file, the volume of documents to be examined, the number of hearing days required (both in the presence and in the absence of complainants), and the availability of the participants.

In order to address the level of risk in the process, SIRC is undertaking a number of strategies including the adoption of new Rules of Procedure which will modernize and clarify roles and responsibilities during SIRC proceedings.

SIRC investigation processes are resource intensive in that it is not unusual for SIRC legal staff to have to review a significant volume of documents in the course of a single SIRC investigation. SIRC is reallocating internal resources in order to temporarily increase the number of lawyers on staff by one.

A detailed description of the complaints’ process is available in SIRC’s Annual Reports^{Endnote ix} which can be found on its website.

Internal Services

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 Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Planning Highlights

SIRC relies heavily on its information resources to effectively fulfill its mandate. The 2014-15 fiscal year will see the organization committing to significant undertakings in two aspects of information management:

• information management system enhancements will facilitate the searching and retrieval capabilities within the organization; and
• implementation of a case management system will greatly enhance the organization’s ability to track and manage various investigations, reviews and projects.

Section III: Supplementary Information

Future-Oriented Statement of Operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations presented in this subsection is intended to serve as a general overview of the Security Intelligence Review Committee’s operations. The forecasted financial information on expenses and revenues are prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the future-oriented statement of operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of this report are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts will differ.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes^{Endnote x}, including a reconciliation of the net costs of operations to the requested authorities, can be found on the Security Intelligence Review Committee’s website.

The forecasted decrease of $21,609 in the net cost of operations for fiscal year 2014-15, compared to fiscal year 2013-14, is mainly due to a decrease in the areas of salary, as well as professional and special services. This decrease is mainly offset by an increase in accommodation expenditures.

List of Supplementary Information Tables

The supplementary information tables listed in the 2014–15 Report on Plans and Priorities can be found on the Security Intelligence Review Committee’s website.

• Greening Government Operations^{Endnote xi}

Tax Expenditures 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 publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures annually in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations^{Endnote xii} publication. The tax measures presented in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication are the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Section IV: Organizational Contact Information

[As presented in the Government Electronic Directory Services^{Endnote xiii}]

Security Intelligence Review Committee

PO Box 2430, Station D
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5W5
Canada
Telephone : 613-990-8441
Fax : 613-990-5230

E-mail : info@sirc-csars.gc.ca
Web : http://www.sirc-csars.gc.ca