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2008-09
Departmental Performance Report

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

The original version was signed by
The Honourable Jason Kenney
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Message from the Chairperson

Section I – Overview

Section II – Analysis of Program Activities

Section III – Supplementary Information

Message from the Chairperson

Brian Goodman, Chairperson

I am pleased to present the 2008-09 Performance Report for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). This report is a balanced and comprehensive review of the IRB's performance and accomplishments as set against stated plans and priorities for 2008-09.

The IRB is an independent tribunal entrusted by Parliament with the resolution of immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. Through the work of its three divisions, namely the Refugee Protection Division (RPD), the Immigration Division (ID) and the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), the Board contributes directly to Canada's humanitarian traditions, the security of Canada and the quality of life of Canadians.

2009 marks the 20^th anniversary year of the IRB. I take this opportunity to recognize the dedication, professionalism and integrity of our personnel, who are vital to the Board's success in fulfilling its mission and ensuring that it maintains the trust and confidence of those who appear before it, Parliament and the Canadian public.

The Board continued to experience workload challenges in 2008-09, marked by a rising intake in all three divisions and a shortfall in its complement of Governor in Council (GIC) decision-makers in the RPD and the IAD. Although appointments and reappointments accelerated sharply toward the end of the reporting period, the pending inventory and average case processing time have nonetheless continued to grow in both divisions.

Our transformation agenda

The IRB is committed to maximizing the efficiency of its operations. To this end, it continued to pursue a multi-faceted transformation agenda, which included cross-divisional integration, internal process enhancements and integrated adjudicative support. With a focus on early resolution and innovative adjudicative and case management strategies, the Board has achieved significant improvements in decision-maker productivity, without compromising fairness.

Delivering results for Canadians

All three divisions finalized more cases than projected in 2008-09. Productivity was especially high in the ID, which concluded the largest number of admissibility hearings and detention reviews since 2001-02. Quality of decision-making also continued to be a priority over the year, with the proportion of decisions set aside by the Federal Court and sent back to the Board to be reheard remaining at less than one percent.

Improved governance

Following a wide-ranging review of its governance framework in 2007-08, the Board made a number of changes to its management structures during the reporting period to reinforce the primacy of case resolution as the IRB's core business and to strengthen accountabilities. Other measures taken include enhanced oversight of key corporate support functions and the establishment of additional management "cross-walks" that allow for improved coordination and communication among decision-making and adjudicative and corporate support functions across the organization.

The challenges ahead

The environment in which the IRB operates is complex and unpredictable, as the number and type of cases we receive are influenced by shifting migration patterns, refugee movements and other factors beyond our control, including the decisions of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

In the year ahead, the IRB will continue to work with the Minister and the Government to identify qualified candidates for appointment as GIC decision-makers. However, even with a full complement of decision-makers in place, since funding is based on former, significantly lower intake levels, the Board lacks sufficient capacity to address the current intake in the RPD and the IAD. Without additional funding to match the number of new cases that we receive, over which we have no control, the pending inventory and average case processing time will continue to grow. This is particularly the case in the RPD, where the pending inventory stood at 58,000 cases at the end of the reporting period, and is projected to increase further in 2009-10. Similarly, the average case processing time for refugee protection claims is expected to grow from 16.4 months in 2008-09.

While the IRB is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Government to secure the funding necessary to address this situation, in the interim we are committed to pursuing operational efficiencies and other measures that will allow us to respond to our growing workload as effectively as possible with our current resources.

The original version was signed by
Brian Goodman
Chairperson

Section I – Overview

Raison d’�tre and Responsibilities

The IRB is an independent, accountable administrative tribunal that was created on January 1, 1989, by an amendment to the Immigration Act.

Mission
Our mission, on behalf of Canadians, is to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law

In 2002, the Immigration Act was replaced by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) from which each IRB division gets its mandate.

**IRB Division Mandates**
Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
Decides claims for refugee protection Decides applications for vacation of refugee protection Decides applications for cessation of refugee protection
Immigration Division (ID)
Conducts admissibility hearings for foreign nationals or permanent residents who seek entry into Canada, or who are already in Canada and are alleged to be inadmissible Conducts detention reviews for foreign nationals or permanent residents who are detained for immigration reasons
Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
Hears appeals of family sponsorship applications refused by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Hears appeals from certain removal orders made against permanent residents, Convention refugees and other protected persons, and holders of permanent resident visas Hears appeals by permanent residents against whom a CIC officer outside Canada has decided that they have not fulfilled their residency obligation Hears appeals by the Minister of Public Safety of ID decisions at admissibility hearings

Regional Operations

The IRB carries out its work in three regional offices in Toronto, Montr�al and Vancouver: the Central Region, responsible for Ontario, except for the Ottawa area; the Eastern Region, responsible for Quebec, Ottawa and the Atlantic provinces; and the Western Region, responsible for the Western provinces. All three divisions hold hearings in these regions, supported by operational and adjudicative support. The IRB also has offices in Calgary and Ottawa in which hearings are held. Internal and support services are managed at IRB Headquarters, located in Ottawa.

Administrative Justice

Through each division, the IRB strives to deliver a simpler, more accessible and faster form of justice than that provided by the courts, but with no less attentiveness to procedural fairness, the rigour of the law and its application to the particular facts of each case. The IRB applies the principles of administrative law, including natural justice, in its proceedings and resolutions, and decisions are rendered in accordance with the law, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The IRB is committed to fairness in all aspects of its work. The Board respects the dignity and diversity of individuals who appear before it, some of whom have experienced very difficult circumstances.

Benefits for Canadians

Immigrants and refugees have always contributed significantly to Canada's growth and development. The IRB ensures continued benefits to Canadians in three important ways:

In hearings of refugee claims, it ensures that Canada accepts those in need of protection in accordance with international obligations and Canadian law
In hearings on admissibility and detention reviews, it helps ensure the security of Canadians
As an independent tribunal for resolving sponsorship, removal order and residency obligation appeals, it helps to promote family reunification, helps ensure Canadians' safety and security, and safeguards the integrity of Canada's immigration system

The IRB also contributes more broadly to the quality of life of Canada's communities by strengthening our country's social fabric and by reflecting and reinforcing core values that are important to Canadians. These include respect for human rights, security, fairness, peace and the rule of law.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

Based on its legislated mandate and its currently approved PAA, the IRB has a single strategic outcome and three program activities that include responsibility for all tribunal decisions and resolutions. The fourth program activity, Internal Services, supports the first three as illustrated by the figure below.

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada's Program Activity Architecture

[D]

Performance Summary

**2008-09 Financial Resources ($ millions)**
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
113.4	124.4	114.7

**2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs)**
Planned	Actual	Difference
1,025	987	(38)

Total authorities increased by $11 million from planned spending primarily due to $5.3 million in compensation for collective agreements and $4.7 million carried forward from 2007-08. Actual Spending was approximately $10 million less than the Total Authorities and is mainly attributable to a lower volume of translations of decisions ($5.5 million) and to delays in appointments of decision-makers and staffing of public service positions ($4.2 million).

**Performance Summary Table**
Performance Indicator ¹	Target	2008-09 Performance
Strategic Outcome: Resolve immigration and refugee cases before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law
Percentage of IRB decisions overturned by the Federal Court	Less than 1 percent	The IRB exceeded its performance target with less than 0.3% of decisions overturned by the Federal Court

**($ millions)**
Program Activity ²	2007-08 Actual Spending	2008-09				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes ³
Program Activity ²	2007-08 Actual Spending	Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes ³
Refugee Protection Program Activity	75.4	80.8	80.8	88.7	82.5	A safe and secure world through international cooperation
Admissibility Hearings and Detention Reviews Program Activity	12.7	15.2	15.2	17.2	13.7	A safe and secure Canada
Immigration Appeal Program Activity	15.2	17.4	17.4	18.5	18.5	A vibrant Canadian culture and heritage ⁴
Sub-total	103.3	113.4	113.4	124.4	114.7
Services received without charge ⁵	18.4		19.6		21.2
Total	121.7		133.0		135.9

Note 1: See more detailed performance indicators for each of the program activities in Section II.

Note 2: Consistent with the Main Estimates, funds for Internal Services were allocated to the core program activities based on respective expenditures trends. For 2008-09 Actual Spending, a total of $30.3 million was proportionally allocated as follows: $21.5 million to Refugee Protection, $4.6 million to Admissibility Hearings and Detention Reviews and $4.2 million to Immigration Appeal.

Note 3: Alignment to Government of Canada (GOC) outcomes and benefits for Canadians are further discussed in Section II under each of the program activities.

Note 4: Through its removal orders work, the Immigration Appeal program activity also contributes to the Safe and Secure Canada outcome area.

Note 5: These services represent mainly accommodations provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) as well as government payments to employee insurance plans.

IRB Strategic Priorities

In its 2008-09 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), the IRB identified three strategic priorities. As described in the table below, these priorities contributed to the achievement of the IRB's strategic outcome by ensuring that the IRB's plans, activities and expected results emphasize quality, consistency and efficiency across the organization, foster an open environment that values its people, and promote flexibility, accountability and continuous improvement.

**Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome**
Priorities	Type	Status
Strategic Outcome: Resolve immigration and refugee cases before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law
Manage the case inventory through innovative adjudicative and case management strategies	Operational Ongoing	Successfully met. Adjudicative and case management strategies were developed and implemented in all three divisions promoting quality decision-making and improving consistency in approach to common issues such as requests for postponements and adjournments. Further improvements were made to adjudicative support, early resolution of cases, case readiness procedures and proactive hearings.
Further integrate the work of the IRB to promote effective management	Management Previously committed to	Successfully met. The Board further integrated the work of the IRB by promoting effective and clear management responsibilities and accountabilities and by improving the Board's organizational design. The IRB also continued to implement financial and non-financial management processes such as the Management, Resources and Results Structure (MRRS), the PAA and the corresponding performance measurement framework and worked towards the full integration of the IRB's business planning cycles.
Continue to build a flexible organization with clear accountabilities, ethical behaviour, leadership and operational capacity	Operational Previously committed to	Mostly met. Following the recommendations of the Roles and Responsibilities Review, an action plan was implemented to reform IRB governance. The IRB instituted a new code of conduct applicable to all quasi-judicial decision-makers of the Board. The IRB restructured its advisory committees and created an independent audit committee. These changes will improve accountabilities, senior management decision-making support and enhance oversight of IRB activities. A significant portion of the IRB's operational capacity comes from its complement of decision-makers. Recruitment and selection efforts were intensified in order to ensure that the Government was provided with a sufficient pool of qualified candidates for appointment by the GIC to the RPD and the IAD. During the reporting period, appointments and reappointments of GIC decision-makers to the Board fell short of the vacancy rate, therefore the IRB could not benefit from its funded operational capacity to resolve cases. The consequences are discussed further in the report.

Risk Analysis

Operating Environment

The IRB carries out its mandate within a complex and ever-changing environment. Both international and domestic factors influence the IRB's operating environment. Conflicts and country conditions abroad can result in refugee movements, which affect the number of refugee protection claims made in Canada. Similarly, shifts in international migration patterns and the introduction of stricter policies by other receiving countries impact the number of people seeking admission to Canada.

Refugee populations. The report Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries, 2008, published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), shows that the number of asylum claims submitted in industrialized countries in 2008 rose by 12 percent compared to 2007. An estimated 383,000 claims were recorded in the course of the year, 41,600 more than the previous year. During this period, only the United States received more claims than Canada among the countries surveyed.

In North America, an estimated 86,000 new asylum applications were submitted in 2008, 6,900 claims or 9 percent more than in 2007. The United States registered approximately 49,000 new applications, a 3 percent drop compared to 2007, whereas Canada saw a dramatic 30 percent increase to approximately 36,000 new applications, mainly linked to the higher numbers of Mexican and Haitian asylum-seekers.

Growing trend of family sponsorships. Immigration continues to be important for Canada, as immigrants represent an increasing proportion of the population. Canada's population of immigrants is expected to reach between 7.0 and 9.3 million by 2017. It is within this context, and consistent with the Government's objective of promoting family reunification, that family-class sponsorship applications have increased. With this increase, it is expected that the IRB will continue to receive a high number of family sponsorship appeals.

Challenges

Appointment of decision-makers. In order to resolve refugee protection claims and immigration appeals referred to it, the IRB depends on decision-makers who are appointed by the Governor in Council (GIC) following a rigorous merit-based selection process. During 2008-09, the IRB made considerable efforts to recruit, select and recommend to the Minister suitable candidates for appointment to the Board. Once appointed, it takes approximately six months to train new decision-makers and for them to acquire the experience to become fully productive. During a period of a series of transitions in government between 2004 and 2008, appointments and reappointments of GIC decision makers to the Board did not keep pace with expired mandates, resignations and vacancies. As noted in the 2009 Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada, the high number of IRB member vacancies has had a significant impact on the Board's capacity to process cases on a timely basis.

Increase in intake and pending case inventory. During 2008-09, the IRB experienced an increase in its intake and pending inventory. The growing inventory is primarily attributable to two external factors: an increased number of refugee protection claims referred and immigration appeals filed; and a decrease in timely appointments and reappointments of GIC decision-makers. Both factors are outside the IRB's control. The IRB is currently funded to finalize 25,000 refugee protection claims and 6,500 immigration appeals per year. At the end of March 2009, there were approximately 58,000 refugee protection claims and 10,600 immigration appeals pending. If intake levels and resource levels remain constant, it is expected that the inventory will continue to grow, even with a full complement of decision-makers. While the IRB will continue to seek opportunities to further increase its productivity, rising caseload pressures in the RPD and the IAD are such that changes to resource levels will be required to return the pending inventory to normal operating levels.

Expenditure Profile

Spending Trend 2005-06 to 2008-09

Spending Trend

[D]

There has not been any significant difference between Main Estimates and Planned Spending over the last four years. Main Estimates and Planned Spending amounts have been constant during the period with the exception of 2006-07, which included sunset funding of $4 million for both administrative measures related to refugee determination and reduction in the inventory of parents and grandparents sponsorship appeals. The difference between Planned Spending and Total Authorities is due to compensation for collective agreements and funding carried forward from the previous year. For Actual Spending, lower expenditures in 2007-08 were primarily due to delays in the appointment and reappointment of GIC decision-makers and vacant public service positions. Actual Spending for 2008-09 includes approximately $5 million in additional compensation for collective agreements.

**Voted and Statutory Items**
($ millions)
Vote # or Statutory Items (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2006-07 Actual Spending	2007-08 Actual Spending	2008-09 Main Estimates	2008-09 Actual Spending
10	Program expenditures	99.2	92.1	100.6	102.7
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	11.2	11.2	12.8	12.0
Total		110.4	103.3	113.4	114.7

Section II – Analysis of Program Activities

This section provides a performance summary as well as information on overall financial and human resources for the IRB's four program activities during the 2008-09 reporting period.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activities

As discussed in Section I, based on the IRB's legislated mandate and approved PAA, the IRB has a single strategic outcome and three program activities that include responsibility for all tribunal decisions and resolutions. These are supported by Internal Services, which is the fourth program activity.

Program Activities

[D]

Common Elements

The results presented in this performance report are based on the plans and expected results presented in its corresponding RPP. A key part of the RPP was the identification of initiatives from the plans and expected results that are of common interest to all IRB program activities. These program activities resulted in the IRB being able to meet its 2008-09 strategic priorities and strategic outcome. The results are presented in the following table.

**Common Elements in the IRB's Plans and Results**
Strategic Priority 1: Manage the case inventory through innovative adjudicative and case management strategies
Strategic Outcome: Resolve immigration and refugee cases before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law
Plans	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Focus on Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) maintenance and regional processing through the release of system improvements; review of reporting functionality so reports may better support senior management decision-making and case management; enhanced regional training efforts	Somewhat Met	Delivered two maintenance releases to enhance the functionality of system Undertook the assessment (ongoing at year-end) of enhancements required to improve the capacity of the system to meet operational needs Improved governance structure was put in place to enhance deliberation and decision-making regarding the future direction of the project Options were formulated to consider the long-term viability of the system and other critical IRB systems
Initiate consultations to map the business process and develop business requirements for the ID	Somewhat Met	All regional processes of the ID were mapped Additional work on business requirements remained outstanding at year-end
Develop the National Reasons Database	Mostly Met	Development and planning for the implementation of the National Reasons Database continued as planned A standardized naming convention for files was established
Develop a framework for the use of videoconferencing and new technology across the divisions	Somewhat Met	The IRB defined operational and adjudicative requirements for a Board-wide framework for videoconferencing Work continued on a policy document intended to provide high-level guidance to decision-makers regarding the use of videoconferencing
Hearing readiness: take pre-hearing action to ensure that files are hearing-ready and to facilitate proactive hearings	Mostly Met	Work continued on ensuring that case readiness procedures were in place across the three divisions, including conducting pre-hearing proceedings as required
Assessment of the revised ID-IAD streamlining process and consideration for expansion to other regions	Mostly Met	Revised process with participation by counsel and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) was implemented Reports were developed and implemented to monitor progress and measure results; assessment led to further recommendations and improvements As of year-end, the revised process, which includes a short oral hearing at the IAD, was in place in the Central Region while expansion to other regions remained pending
ID-IAD implementation of new legislation with respect to section 86 of the IRPA dealing with non-disclosure of information and use of special advocates	Mostly Met	Procedures were revised to reflect changes to the IRPA following the Supreme Court decision (Charkaoui) amending the process for application of non-disclosure IRB facilities were upgraded to accommodate the special advocate process while ensuring that an arm's length relationship between all parties is maintained Policy officers and legal advisors attended a Department of Justice (DOJ) training session for special advocates; liaison with DOJ remained ongoing at year-end regarding the evolution of the program
Deliver focused training on priority topics in order to: Meet the needs of decision-makers and tribunal officers and promote quality, consistency and efficiency Ensure RPD and IAD decision-makers are cross-divisionally trained Ensure tribunal officers are trained to provide support to all divisions Provide joint training where appropriate	Mostly Met	Training remained a priority due to the number of new and less experienced decision-makers: IRB decision-makers trained on IAD adjudication strategies, including conducting more proactive hearings, consistent approaches to postponements/ adjournments and conducting hearings in the absence of the Minister's counsel A successful and productive IAD National Training Session was held in November 2008 Training was delivered on the Code of Conduct for decision-makers Cross-divisional training was deferred until GIC decision-maker complement is closer to the number for which it is funded Tribunal officers were trained on advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Early Informal Resolution (EIR) The ID conducted training on issues identified in the ID adjudicative strategy The RPD conducted focused training on priority topics
Liaise with Canada's administrative justice community and international partners in order to benefit from their experiences and best practices in the area of adjudicative and case management initiatives	Met All	The IRB considered the experiences of Canada's administrative justice community and international partners when developing its best practices The IRB attended 13 multilateral events, undertook 2 official visits abroad and participated in 10 visits of foreign delegations to Canada. The IRB also sent an expert on a short-term assignment to a UNHCR office overseas to provide advice and training
Strategic Priority 2: Further integrate the work of the IRB to promote effective management
Assess the IAD-RPD Western Region Integration pilot project and consider expansion to other regions	Met All	Assessment concluded and recommendations made and accepted Decision on expansion to other regions deferred until GIC decision-maker complement is closer to the number for which it is funded
Develop a common approach to reducing adjournments/ postponements across the divisions	Somewhat Met	Board-wide training on dealing with postponements and adjournments was delivered in October 2008 Reductions in postponements and adjournments were realized as a result of more targeted monitoring At year-end, work to ensure the accuracy and integrity of definitions, regional data entry, associated statistical analysis and reporting of postponements and adjournments remained ongoing. An evaluation of case scheduling processes has been initiated and the resulting action plan will be established in 2009-10 The application of Guideline 6, Scheduling and Changing the Date or Time of a Proceeding in the Refugee Protection Division, was reviewed with decision-makers, and plans were initiated to expand Guideline 6 to the IAD and the ID
Strategic Priority 3: Continue to build a flexible organization with clear accountabilities, ethical behaviour, leadership and operational capacity
Implement an action plan further to the recommendations of the Roles and Responsibilities Review	Met All	Eleven recommendations were made to address the review issues. All of the recommendations were successfully implemented
Implement the revised IRB Code of Conduct for all decision-makers	Met All	An IRB Code of Conduct for decision-makers was implemented Training on the IRB Code of Conduct for decision-makers was completed across the three divisions
Revise the complaint protocol and process for GIC decision-makers	Mostly Met	Revision of the complaint protocol and process for all decision-makers was ongoing at year-end. Completion is expected in fall 2009
Pursue recruitment efforts of GIC decision-makers for the RPD and the IAD	Exceeded	Recruitment campaigns were conducted in June 2008 and March 2009. Over 1,300 applications were received. Applicants were screened and tested Following the IRB rigorous selection process, qualified candidates from the June 2008 campaign were recommended to the Minister. A similar process is planned in the next fiscal year for the qualified candidates from the March 2009 campaign
Put resource planning in place to ensure that the IRB has the necessary complement of decision-makers and the necessary support for new decision-makers throughout their integration	Met All	Incorporation of GIC resource planning into the IRB's business planning cycles is ongoing New decision-makers receive extensive training and coaching in their first year, and ongoing legal and other support during the remainder of their mandate
Review and update accountability profiles for GIC decision-makers and develop guidelines on the application of GIC terms and conditions of employment	Somewhat Met	Accountability profiles for GIC decision-makers have been reviewed. Updated profiles will be finalized in fall 2009 The performance evaluation process was reviewed and updated The Privy Council Office is reviewing the terms and conditions of employment for GIC appointees. The IRB will issue appropriate guidelines following the completion of the review process

Distinct Program Activity Elements

The RPP also identified the plans, expected results and operations that are distinct to each of the four IRB program activities and contributed to achieving the IRB's strategic priorities for 2008-09 and the IRB's strategic outcome. The results for each of the program activities are highlighted in the following pages.

Program Activity 1: Refugee Protection

**Description**
The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) delivers the IRB's Refugee Protection program activity. It determines claims for refugee protection made in Canada. Processing of refugee claims is the main focus of the IRB's activities and resources. Through the work of the RPD, Canada fulfills its obligations as a signatory to a number of international human rights conventions.	2008-09 Highlights
	36,000 new refugee claims filed 20,000 refugee claims resolved Case inventory increased from 42,000 to 58,000

Program Activity: Refugee Protection
2008-09 Financial Resources ($ millions)			2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
80.8	88.7	82.5	780	743	(37)

Strategic Priority 1 Manage the case inventory through innovative adjudicative and case management strategies
Plans	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Implement a case management strategy to minimize the growing backlog of pending claims	Met All	Finalizations in the expedited stream increased from 5% to 12% of all claims More proactive hearings were conducted with the development of an "agreed statement of facts" between counsel and tribunal officers There was an increase in the use of pre-hearing readiness conferences and other hearing readiness tools There was a 5% increase in decision-maker productivity
Develop and implement an adjudicative strategy to ensure quality and efficiency of decision-making	Met All	New tools for quality decision-making were implemented including decision trees, flow charts and check lists
Assess the RPD Language Analysis pilot project and present results to the Policy Advisory Committee	Mostly Met	Claims within the Language Analysis pilot project continued to be heard during 2008-09 Project assessment and presentation of results are scheduled for 2009-10
Develop the next steps for the Early Information Gathering (EIG) initiative	Somewhat Met	Work continued on the EIG project. Given recent changes in information gathering on the part of CIC and CBSA, future direction of the project remained under consideration at year-end
Improve the National Documentation Packages (NDPs)	Met All	183 NDPs were maintained and updated on a regular basis Selection of documents for inclusion in the NDPs was improved through enhanced consultation process

Performance Analysis

Decision-makers. The RPD depends on experienced, highly trained decision-makers to provide well-reasoned quality decisions in a timely manner. Throughout 2008-09, the RPD operated with approximately 40 fewer decision-makers than its funded complement. Losses in experienced decision-makers were due to expired mandates, resignations, or reappointments not being made. Although the pace of GIC appointments quickened in the last quarter of the fiscal year, the shortfall in decision-makers hampers the RPD's ability to resolve more cases more quickly.

Pending case inventory. The RPD began the fiscal year with a pending inventory of approximately 42,000 cases. The Division received an additional 36,000 new refugee claim referrals in 2008-09. With the number of decision-makers available and their level of experience, the RPD finalized 20,000 claims. This resulted in a pending inventory of 58,000 claims at the end of 2008-09. With the RPD currently funded to decide 25,000 claims per year, the inventory has increased beyond our capacity to resolve within existing resource levels. Without increased resources for the RPD, refugee claimants, many of whom come from difficult circumstances, will face the added stress and uncertainty associated with lengthy delays in the resolution of their claim.

Business improvements, productivity increase. RPD decision-makers have increased their productivity, from finalizing an average of 3.8 cases per week per decision-maker during 2007-08 to 4.0 cases in 2008-09. This 5 percent increase was obtained through training, implementation of new procedures, internal process improvements, and strategic monitoring of postponements and adjournments, and of time taken to render reasons.

Lessons Learned

In the Eastern Region, the RPD introduced a new initiative through which a number of cases that are simple and involve the same counsel are scheduled together and decisions are rendered mostly orally. The initiative has resulted in more cases being resolved without the addition of new resources. This initiative could yield even better results with improved liaison with counsel and expansion to other regions.