2023–24 Departmental Results Report

(Click to read the Financial Statements, Supplementary Information Tables, and Annex.)

ISSN 2561-2158

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From the Commissioner

I am pleased to present the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report for the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada (the Office).

It takes considerable courage and effort for a whistleblower to disclose wrongdoing or to file a complaint of reprisal. Over the past year, we have received unprecedented numbers of general inquiries, disclosures of wrongdoing, and reprisal complaints, highlighting the growing awareness of, and confidence in the Office. It also demonstrates a growing sense of the responsibility that we all feel as public servants, to contribute to a professional public service grounded in integrity and accountability. We are grateful to all those who have come forward and to those who have participated in investigations.

At the same time, the unexpected and sustained surge has impacted the Office’s ability to provide the level of responsiveness that disclosers and complainants have a right to expect, and that we strive to achieve. Considerable efforts have been and continue to be made, including reviewing operational practices, seeking opportunities to leverage technology and streamlining processes whenever possible, whilst also seeking required resources.

Also, we have noted that misunderstandings about the limits of the Office’s mandate have led to submissions that we are unable to address, as they fall outside of the Office’s mandate as established in the Public Service Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA). This can lead to disappointment for those who feel aggrieved and who had hoped for the Office to take action. Our outreach efforts are designed to increase awareness of the Office to encourage disclosures of wrongdoing and to offer the whistleblower protections provided under the PSDPA, whilst at the same time fostering a greater understanding of the scope of our mandate to minimize misunderstanding and disappointment.

I am deeply honoured to be part of a team that upholds such exceptional professionalism and dedication. This has been a cornerstone of our success in the past and through this challenging period. It will, without a doubt, enable us to meet the increasing demand for our services in the future.

I look forward to serving Canadians in my second year as Commissioner.

Results – what we achieved

Core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Related government-wide priorities
• Program inventory

Description

The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada (the Office) contributes to strengthening accountability and increases oversight of government operations by:

• providing an independent and confidential process for receiving and investigating disclosures of wrongdoing in, or relating to, the federal public sector from public servants and members of the public;
• reporting founded cases of wrongdoing to Parliament and making recommendations to chief executives on corrective measures;
• providing a mechanism for handling complaints of reprisal from public servants and former public servants for the purpose of coming to a resolution, including through conciliation and by referring cases to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the Office performed to achieve results and meet targets for its core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal. Details are presented by departmental result.

Tables 1 and 2: Targets and results for core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal

Tables 1 and 2 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under the Office’s core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal.

Table 1: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal are dealt with in a timely and effective manner

Notes:

1. In 2021–22, challenges related to the context of conducting investigations during the COVID-19 pandemic affected our capacity to meet all service standards targets as planned in the 2021–22 Departmental Plan.
2. In 2022–23, challenges related to the transition to a hybrid work model, and the still-felt consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected our capacity to meet all service standards targets as planned in the 2022–23 Departmental Plan.
3. In 2023–24, a surge in the number of new disclosures and reprisal complaints submitted to the Office has affected its capacity to meet all service standards targets as planned in the 2023–24 Departmental Plan.
4. In 2021–22 and 2023–24, an intake checklist was not completed in the required five days in one instance.

Table 2: 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

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Office’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

This section describes the results for the core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in Office’s Departmental Plan for the year.

Result 1: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal are dealt with in a timely and effective manner

In 2023–24, the Office continued to implement recommendations stemming from the Evaluation of the Disclosure and Reprisal Management Program. At the same time, the Office faced a significant increase in new disclosure files and reprisal complaints.

Results achieved:

• For the first time since 2007, a budget request to increase reference levels was submitted to address the increase in files.
• The Office continued to implement recommendations from the Lean exercise conducted in 2021.
• The Office adapted its work processes and developed new tools to optimize resources to overcome an important surge in new files received.
• The Office implemented and customized a new case management system.
• The Office promoted a transparent, collegial, collaborative and supportive work environment to stabilize the operations and support the retention of staff.

Result 2: 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

The Office is committed to enhancing public awareness and understanding of the Office and the federal whistleblowing regime. In 2023–24, the Office continued its outreach efforts by participating in presentations, conferences and training sessions, building its reputation and trust among public servants.

The Office initiated a comprehensive redesign of its website, which is an essential tool to communicate with individuals interested in its work or wanting to report wrongdoing or reprisal. It focused on making key information about the Office, including whistleblowing processes, more accessible and transparent.

Results achieved:

• The Office reached nearly 7,500 participants across 24 events.
• Engagement activities contributed to an increase in new submissions.
• The Office continued to work on redesigning both the content and structure of the website.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 3: Snapshot of resources required for Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal

Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual (authorities used) spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

Note: The difference between planned and actual FTE resources is mainly due to staffing delays and attrition. The variance between actual (authorities used) and planned expenses in dollars is mainly due to salaries, as a result of an economic increase following the signing of a new collective agreement, retroactive payments, and travel and professional services.

Complete financial and human resources information for the Office’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Office’s Sustainable Development Strategy and actions supported the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns. Although the impact may be on a small scale, the Office continued practices to reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The Office also promoted public procurement practices that are sustainable.

More information on the Office’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

The Office’s core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal is supported by the following program:

• Disclosure and Reprisal Management

Additional information related to the program inventory for the core responsibility: Public sector disclosures of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal is available on the Results webpage on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous business

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

During 2023–2024, the Office established in-house information technology (IT) capacity, eliminating reliance on an external service provider. This decision enabled the Office to implement opportunities identified in the 2022–23 IT audit and to mitigate risk.

More features of the Microsoft 365 suite (i.e., Sharepoint Online) were activated to achieve greater efficiencies, by enabling more effective collaboration within the Office and with external partners.

The Office continued to invest in employee training and skill development. In addition to courses directly linked to employees' professional development, the Office made mandatory, training on mental health and discrimination, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 4: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year

Table 4 provides a summary of the planned and actual (authorities used) spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

The complete financial and human resources information for the Office’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.

The Office is a Phase 3 department and the 5% target was met in 2023–24. The Office will continue to explore opportunities to increase positive outcomes for procurement related social objectives (i.e., Indigenous, greening government, etc.). For example, this will include changes to the internal Request for Contract form. Additional changes may be made to other procurement tools and processes. For all sole-source contracts, the Office will give priority to qualified Indigenous suppliers.

Spending and human resources

In this section

• Spending
• Funding
• Financial statement highlights
• Human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's actual (authorities used) and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 5: Actual (authorities used) three-year spending on core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

Table 5 presents how much money the Office spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibility and for internal services.

Analysis of the past three years of spending

The table above shows that in 2023–24, there was a significant variance of around 20% ($1,176,814) between the Main Estimates and the total authorities available for use. This increase in funding was for compensation and benefits allocations, in line with newly signed collective agreements.

The significant increase in funds also applies to expenditures. Over the last three years, Actual (authorities used) spending rose by a drastic 24% ($1,320,828), comparable to the increase in funds. This increase is largely due to salaries, vacation pay, severance pay and termination benefits.

Over the past three years, the distribution of expenditures between the Office's core responsibilities and internal services has remained stable, at 65% and 35% respectively.

In 2023–24, this breakdown changed slightly to 62% and 38%, due to the procurement of professional services and the purchase of new equipment attributed to internal services.

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Table 6: Planned three-year spending on core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

Table 6 presents how much money the Office plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibility and for internal services.

Analysis of the next three years of spending

From 2024–25 onwards, planned spending by core responsibility is comparable to the approved budget, and should remain at the same level until 2026–27.

More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibility and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

The following table summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period

Between 2021–22 and 2023–24, the Office’s funding increased significantly by 24% (approximately $1,320,828), largely attributable to employee compensation and benefits (including retroactive adjustment from previous years) and carry forward of funding from previous years.

Starting in 2024–25, the funding level decreased by 10% ($710,614), due to the expiry of funds for eligible compensation expenses and the reduction in the operating budget carry forward from 2023–24.

For further information on the Office’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Financial statement highlights

The Office’s complete financial statements (audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.

Tables 7 and 8: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 7 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.

The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the Office’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.

Table 8 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.

Table 9: Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 9 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibility and internal services

Table 10 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), the Office’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.

Analysis of human resources over the last three years

The table above shows that the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the Office has remained stable (on average 32.9 FTE) between 2021–22 and 2023–24. This stability in FTEs also applies to the Office's core responsibilities and internal services over the previous three years.

Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibility and internal services

Table 11 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Office’s core responsibility and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Analysis of human resources for the next three years

FTE projections from 2024–25 and beyond are similar to those for 2023–24.

Corporate information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board

Institutional head: Harriet Solloway, Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

Ministerial portfolio: Treasury Board

Enabling instrument: Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2007

Other: The Office supports the Commissioner, who is an independent Agent of Parliament.

Departmental contact information

Mailing address:

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

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

Email: info@psic-ispc.gc.ca

Website: www.psic-ispc.gc.ca

Supplementary information tables

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

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender‑based Analysis Plus
• Response to Parliamentary committees and external audits

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.

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, departments 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 3year 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.

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 tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

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

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtone)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.

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 a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department 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 a department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department 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 department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’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 a department, 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.