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Section 3: Supplementary Information

3.1 Organizational Structure

The TSB's Program Activity Architecture identifies a single program activity: safety investigations. The TSB reports annually to Parliament on its activities, findings and recommendations through the President of the Queen's Privy Council. The Chair, assisted by the Executive Director and the Director General, Investigation Operations, is responsible for all activities associated with this program activity. The Director General, Corporate Services, is responsible for the provision of the full range of corporate services in support of departmental operations.



Program Activity Accountability Structure


Figure 12. 

Program Activity Accountability Structure


The Chair and Executive Director contribute to the program activity through the provision of leadership and vision, as well as the strategic management of all activities of the TSB. They also contribute by establishing strategic alliances with key stakeholders, client groups and change agents, and by communicating key safety messages through stakeholder outreach activities. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Communications Division ensures that communications are integrated into all phases of program planning, development, implementation and management.

Members of the Board contribute to the program activity through the review, approval and public communication of occurrence reports and safety recommendations. The Board also contributes to the communication of key safety messages through focused stakeholder outreach activities.

The Investigation Operations Directorate contributes to the program activity through the investigation of occurrences. It does so by assessing all occurrences and investigating those with the greatest potential for reduction of risks. The Directorate's work is focused on the collection and analysis of information, the drafting of reports and recommendations, the tracking and assessment of safety actions taken, data and trend analysis, as well as ongoing communication with the transportation safety community. The Directorate maintains a highly qualified staff of investigators who are experts in marine, pipeline, rail or aviation operations, engineering and other specialists, and investigation support staff.

The Corporate Services Directorate contributes to the program activity through the provision of sound corporate planning, as well as provision of financial, human resources, information management, information technology, administrative and materiel management services. The Directorate also contributes by promoting modern management practices and ensuring that the TSB complies with all government policies and directives.

3.2 Financial Information

These tables provide a summary of the financial resources allocated to the TSB as well as details on the actual resources utilized for the delivery of the mandate.

The following table explains the way Parliament voted resources to the TSB and in essence replicates the summary table listed in the Main Estimates.


Financial Table 1: 

Voted and Statutory Items



(in thousands of dollars) 2006-2007


Vote
Vote Wording Main Estimates Planned Spending Authorities Actual Spending
  Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board  
10 Program expenses 25,486 27,257 28,256 27,473
(S) Contributions to employee benefit plans 3,652 3,652 3,403 3,403
(S) Re-spendable revenues 0 0 8 8
  Total Department 29,138 30,909 31,667 30,884
Total authorities are Main Estimates plus Supplementary Estimates.

The following table provides a detailed breakdown of the changes to the total authorities during the course of the year.


Authorities Amount
(in thousands of dollars)
Main Estimates 29,138
Adjustments:  
- Supplementary Estimates - Vote 10a1 1,674
- Treasury Board Transfer - Vote 152 1,096
(S) Year-end adjustment to employee benefit plans (249)
(S) Re-Spendable Revenues 8
Total Authorities 31,667

1.Details regarding this adjustment can be found in the paragraph below.
2.This adjustment offsets the salary increases provided under new collective agreements.


Through the Supplementary Estimates, the TSB was granted additional spending authorities of $1,674,000. This amount includes an allocation of $1,046,000 to cover the costs associated with investigations into the following: the sinking of the Queen of the North ferry in British Columbia; the loss of the rudder by the Air Transat flight en route from Cuba to Canada; and train derailments in Lévis, Quebec, McBride, Alberta, and Lillooet, British Columbia. This amount also includes a carry forward of $758,000 from the organization's 2005-2006 operating budget. The Treasury Board reduced the available funds by $69,672 to offset the expenditures in excess of the organization's 2005-2006 spending authorities. It also deducted $60,000 as the contribution to the reductions announced in Budget 2005 as a result of the procurement review conducted by the Expenditures Review Committee.

In addition to the funds available from the Supplementary Estimates, the Treasury Board authorized an adjustment of $1,096,000 to cover the salary increases granted under the collective agreements. However, it deducted $249,000 from the funds as an adjustment to employee benefit plan contributions. After all of these transactions, TSB budgetary authorities totalled $31,667,000. In 2006-2007, the TSB used $30,884,000 of the permitted authorities. TSB's complete audited financial statements are provided in Appendix E.

The following table provides a comparison of the Main Estimates, planned spending, total authorities, and actual spending for the most recently completed fiscal year, as well as historical figures for actual spending by the TSB.


Financial Table 2: Comparison of Planned to Actual Spending
(Full-Time Equivalents Included)


Program Activities (in thousands of dollars) 2004-2005 Actual 2005-2006 Actual 2006-2007
Main Estimates Planned Spending Total Authorities Actual
Safety Investigations 25,562 24,865 24,017 25,477 25,130 24,484
Corporate Services 6,637 6,434 5,121 5,432 6,537 6,400
Total 32,199 31,299 29,138 30,909 31,667 30,884
Plus: Cost of services received without charge 3,351 3,303 3,236 3,285 3,518 3,518
Total departmental spending 35,550 34,602 32,374 34,194 35,185 34,402
             
Full-time equivalents 244 234 240 234 N/A 226
Total authorities are Main Estimates plus Supplementary Estimates.

Overall, actual expenditures for 2006-2007 were lower than the expenditures in 2005-2006. This slight decrease is attributed mainly to a reduction of $0.4 million in expenditures for the completion of major safety investigations. As in 2005-2006, expenditures for 2006-2007 seem lower than those for 2004-2005. However, in 2004-2005, the TSB received special short-term funding from Parliament in the amount of $2.1 million to address specific resource pressures. If these special expenditures are excluded, the actual expenditures for 2006-2007 are higher than in 2004-2005. As in 2005-2006, this increase is mainly due to employee salary increases set out in the new collective agreements.

The following tables show the services received without charge by the TSB and the user fees that it collected.


Financial Table 3: Services Received Without Charge



(in thousands of dollars) 2006-2007


Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada 1,850

Contributions covering employer's share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by Treasury Board
1,593

Audit services provided by the Office of the Auditor General
15

Workers' compensation coverage provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada
60

Total of services received without charge

3,518



Financial Table 4: User Fees


User Fees Fee Type Fee-setting Authority Date Last Modified 2005-2006 Actual Revenue 2006-2007 Actual Revenue
Fees charged for the processing of access request files under the Access to Information Act (ATIA) Other products and services (O) Access to Information Act 1992 $2,625.61 $160.00


Performance Standard Performance Results Stakeholder Consultation
Response provided within 30 days following receipt of request; the response time may be extended pursuant to section 9 of the ATIA. Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days after receipt of request. For results, see the 2006-2007 Annual Report to Parliament on the Management of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The service standard is established by the Access to Information Act and the Access to Information Regulations. Consultations with stakeholders were undertaken by the Department of Justice and the Treasury Board Secretariat for amendments done in 1986 and 1992.


3.3 

Response to Parliamentary Committees, Audits and Evaluations



During the reporting period, there were no Parliamentary Committee recommendations addressed specifically to the TSB. The Auditor General conducted an audit of the TSB financial statements and issued an unqualified opinion. A copy of the Auditor General's Audit Report appears in Appendix E.


In 2006-2007, the TSB completed three internal audit projects. It first completed an audit of hospitality expenses and formulated its response and action plan. The audit report and management response were posted on the TSB website. The auditors concluded that the TSB met government standards and that there were no major problems. However, recommendations were made with regard to staff training, updates to internal procedures and record keeping. Over the course of the year, the TSB undertook two other internal audit projects concerning the optimization of resources in the fieldwork component of the Air France investigation and the availability of work tools in both official languages. These two projects were completed by the end of the fiscal year and were submitted to management for the development of responses and action plans for 2007-2008. In both cases, the auditors indicated no major concerns, but they nevertheless made some recommendations for improving operating procedures. These two audit reports and their associated action plans should be published shortly. The three audit reports as well as corresponding management responses will be posted on the TSB website.

During the fiscal year, the TSB received the monitoring report on the position classification file review conducted in 2005-2006 by the Canada Public Service Agency. According to the report, the TSB must review and update the descriptions and classifications of certain positions and improve certain internal procedures. TSB management has prepared a response to the Agency's report. The Agency's report and the TSB's response will be posted on the Agency's website within the next few months.

In addition, in 2006-2007, the Treasury Board Secretariat conducted an evaluation of the TSB under the Management Accountability Framework. The TSB has been notified of the results of this evaluation and management is currently preparing a response, which will be submitted to the Treasury Board Secretariat. The results of this evaluation will be published by the Treasury Board Secretariat.

3.4 Other Information and Contacts

The TSB reports publicly on all its investigations. Most investigation reports published since 1995 are available on the TSB website. The TSB also publishes periodic statistical reports for each of the four transportation sectors, which are also available on the website. The TSB publishes an Annual Report to Parliament, which is available in paper format by request and on the TSB website. Previous years' Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports and miscellaneous additional information are also available on the TSB website.

For further information, please contact:

Communications Division
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage
4th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1K8

E-mail: communications@tsb.gc.ca
Telephone: (819) 994-3741
Fax: (819) 997-2239