2020–21 Departmental Results Report

Table of contents

• From the Commissioner
• Results at a glance
• Key results achieved
• Results: what we achieved
  • Core responsibility
  • Internal Services
• Analysis of trends in spending and human resources
  • Actual expenditures
  • Actual human resources
  • Expenditures by vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
• Corporate Information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Operating context
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the Program Inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

From the Commissioner

This year has been a uniquely challenging one for PSIC, as it has been for public servants and for all Canadians.

Carrying out our work against a backdrop of uncertainty and instability in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has required flexibility, patience and focus, as we adjusted to working within a new set of parameters and expectations. This included not only learning to work with colleagues in new ways, as being together in an environment of open discussion and direct communication was replaced by telework, but it also meant adjusting to the limitations imposed on our operational work, especially investigations, which are at the core of our mandate. The inability to meet with and interview people in person, as well as the difficulties faced by them in accessing information that they need to fully participate in our investigative processes, resulted in delays and uncertainty. On a more positive note, it also presented the opportunity to explore new approaches to our work, using technology to a fuller extent to ensure flexibility and maintain efficiency.

In addition, the essential work of reaching out to people to tell them what we do and how we can help them come forward in confidence when they believe something is wrong in their workplace, became a greater challenge than ever. Adapting quickly, we were able to make ourselves available virtually to people across the country to continue this work.

Throughout this period, we continued to build our team of capable and dedicated professionals, who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to rising to the new and considerable challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented. While the timeliness of our work was clearly, and perhaps foreseeably affected, we met all our service standards, except for the self-imposed one-year period to complete investigations. I am very proud of the work and dedication that the PSIC team demonstrated and continues to demonstrate.

At this time, we are looking at new processes and strategies to help us adapt to what may be a longer-term situation than initially anticipated, to ensure that we are able to carry out our work in a timely, complete and fair manner. I look forward to reporting in the future on the results of these efforts. Until then, we will continue to explore opportunities to adjust and pivot to ensure that our work continues to be carried out in accordance with the highest standards, and that Canadians have confidence in our Office to carry out its mandate in support of the vital role of the public service in the lives of all Canadians.

(Original signed by)

Joe Friday   
Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

Results at a glance

The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada (the Office) supports the duties of its Commissioner by ensuring disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal are dealt with in a timely and effective manner. The Office also raises awareness about the federal whistleblowing regime to ensure public servants and members of the public have access to information to make an informed decision about disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal.

The Office reports to Canadians on the results achieved in relation to its core responsibility, namely the handling of Public Sector Disclosures of Wrongdoing and Complaints of Reprisal. The Office is using four performance indicators to track progress on its results. The planned results, indicators and related targets, were outlined in the 2020–21 Departmental Plan.

This Departmental Results Report outlines the achievements of the Office’s results identified in the 2020–21 Departmental Plan and the resources that it allocated toward achieving these results.

Key results achieved

• Timeliness and effectiveness
  • An evaluation of the Disclosure and Reprisal Management Program was completed and enabled the Office to take action on recommendations.
  • The Office continued the long-term implementation of recommendations of an evaluation of the Legal Access Request program.
• Awareness and access to information
  • In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office participated in virtual events targeted to public servants.

For more information on the Office’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Results: what we achieved

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend graph

The following graph presents actual and planned spending (voted and statutory) over time.

Text version

Departmental spending 2018–19 to 2023–24

This bar graph illustrates the actual and planned spending in the program appropriation acts (voted) and employee benefit plans (statutory) for the Office. Financial figures are presented in dollars along the y axis (vertical), starting at $4.4 million, ending at $5.8 million and increasing by $200,000. These are graphed against fiscal years 2018–19 to 2023–24 on the x axis (horizontal).

In 2018–19, actual spending was $418,784 for statutory items and $5,202,328 for program vote, for a total of $5,621,112.

In 2019–20, actual spending was $438,151 for statutory items and $4,960,450 for the program vote, for a total of $5,398,601.

In 2020–21, actual spending is $498,683 for statutory items and $4,892,975 for program vote, for a total of $5,391,658.

In 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24, planned spending is $547,052 for statutory items and $5,118,271 for program vote, for a total of $5,665,323.

Budgetary performance summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

Core responsibilities and Internal Services	2020–21    Main Estimates	2020–21    Planned spending	2021–22    Planned spending	2022–23    Planned spending	2020–21    Total authorities available for use	2018–19    Actual spending    (authorities used)	2019–20    Actual spending    (authorities used)	2020–21    Actual spending    (authorities used)
Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal	3,539,794	3,539,794	3,755,136	3,755,136	3,886,804	3,184,253	3,586,396	3,511,205
Internal Services	2,042,536	2,042,536	1,910,187	1,910,187	1,984,074	2,436,859	1,812,205	1,880,453
Total	5,582,330	5,582,330	5,665,323	5,665,323	5,870,878	5,621,112	5,398,601	5,391,658

There are very slight variances in amounts spent year over year due to the fact that the Office is a micro organization with a specific mandate delivered by a single program. The main reason for the fluctuation is related to employee turnover and the timing of new hires. Specific projects, such as the office refit in 2018–19, also had an impact in increasing spending. The Office expects its long-term spending to increase mainly due to inflation and increases in salaries and IT costs.

Corporate Information

Reporting framework

The Office’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2020–21 are shown below.

Text version

• Departmental Results Framework
  • Core Responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal
    • Departmental Result: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal are dealt with in a timely and effective manner
      • Indicator: Percentage of cases addressed within established service standards
      • Indicator: Percentage of applications addressed within established service standard under the Legal Access Request Program
    • Departmental Result: Public servants and members of the public are aware of the Office and have access to information to make an informed decision about disclosures of wrongdoing and/or complaints of reprisal
      • Indicator: Percentage of new website visitors
      • Indicator: Number of attendees at outreach events
• Program Inventory
  • Program: Disclosure and Reprisal Management
• Internal Services

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Office’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

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

• Reporting on Green Procurement
• Details on transfer payment programs

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. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada

60 Queen Street, 4^th Floor   
Ottawa, Ontario  K1P 5Y7   
Canada

Telephone: 613-941-6400 or 1-866-941-6400 (toll-free)

http://www.psic-ispc.gc.ca

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 an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department 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.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. 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 quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

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. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2020–21 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, namely: Fighting climate change; Strengthening the Middle Class; Walking the road of reconciliation; Keeping Canadians safe and healthy; and Positioning Canada for success in an uncertain world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

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.

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 to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

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

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 Inventory (Répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A 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.

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.