Minister’s Message

My first year as Minister of Public Safety has been both rewarding and challenging. The Public Safety mandate is diverse and complex, and it aims to deliver a fundamental benefit to Canadians – safety and security. I am proud to submit to Parliament this report on the Department’s accomplishments for 2008-09.

The safety and security challenges that we face have continued to evolve; the rise in cyber-related criminal activity is but one example. Public Safety’s work in 2008-09 speaks to the Government’s commitment to keep pace with these challenges and to allocate our funds to programs that best serve Canadians’ needs.

For example, in June 2008 Public Safety Canada re-focussed the National Crime Prevention Strategy to better support evidence-based interventions and projects that could demonstrate measurable results in addressing risks of criminality in youth at risk and high-risk repeat offenders.

The Department also worked with the Correctional Service of Canada, the National Parole Board, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to help ensure the safe and effective reintegration of eligible offenders into their communities. In 2008-09, the Department also examined and developed legislative options to enhance the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act.

The Department supported Aboriginal communities in taking responsibility for corrections and healing by helping evaluate community-based projects and increasing capacities to respond to offenders’ needs. To enhance public safety in First Nations and Inuit communities in 2008-09, the Department oversaw 168 First Nations Policing Program agreements covering 408 communities across Canada.

During a period of global economic instability, and with a major portion of Canadian jobs related to international trade, efficient borders have never been more important. In March 2009, I met with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and established a strong relationship to further our joint work on border management. The Department continues to work with its U.S. counterparts to ensure that border security measures between the two countries are achieving security goals without unduly restricting legitimate cross-border trade. There were several important accomplishments on this front, and on the basis of strong Canada-U.S. engagement, I expect there will be many more.

I have outlined but a few of the Department’s successes above and invite all Canadians to read this Performance Report for more detail on Public Safety Canada’s accomplishments on behalf of Canadians.

Section 1 – Departmental Overview

1.1 Roles and Responsibilities

Public Safety Canada plays a key role in discharging the government’s fundamental responsibility for the safety and security of its citizens. The Department’s two main roles–as set out in the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act 2005, and the Emergency Management Act 2007 – are to support the Minister in his responsibility for all matters related to public safety and emergency management (including an important national leadership role), and in his responsibilities for the coordination of Portfolio agencies, including providing guidance on their strategic priorities.

The Department provides strategic policy advice and support to the Minister of Public Safety on a variety of issues, including: national security, emergency management, policing and law enforcement, border management, corrections, Aboriginal policing, and, crime prevention. The Department also delivers a number of grant and contribution programs related to emergency management and community safety. Almost 65 percent of the Department’s budget is devoted to funding grants and contributions.

1.2 Operations across Canada and Internationally

Public Safety Canada is supported in all Provinces and Territories by regional offices, which focus on emergency management, Aboriginal policing and the delivery of crime prevention programs. Regional offices also play a role in protecting the safety and security of Canadians by facilitating a whole-of-government response to emergencies, working closely with provincial/territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and citizens. The Department also has representation in Washington, D.C. and London, England.

1.3 Public Safety Portfolio

Public Safety Canada is one federal department within a much larger portfolio of organizations which report to the Minister of Public Safety. The Public Safety Portfolio encompasses nine distinct organizations which directly contribute to the safety and security of Canadians. It comprises Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), the National Parole Board (NPB), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). It also includes three arms-length review bodies: the RCMP External Review Committee, the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, and the Office of the Correctional Investigator. Also situated within the Department is the Office of the Inspector General of CSIS, which carries out its independent review of CSIS’ compliance with the law, Ministerial direction and operational policy.

While Portfolio agencies deliver public security operations according to their distinct mandates, Public Safety Canada, in its Portfolio coordination role, brings strategic focus to the overall safety and security agenda.

1.4 Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture

In 2008-09, the Department focused its efforts on a single strategic outcome: a safe and resilient Canada. Public Safety Canada’s strategic outcome reflects the Department’s central leadership role as established in legislation. The Department’s program activities reflect the breadth of the Portfolio’s responsibilities.

The Program Activity Architecture (PAA) depicted above was developed in 2007-08 and has been formally incorporated into departmental planning and reporting in the 2008-09 fiscal year. The updated architecture better reflects the nature of the Department’s business and lays out a strong foundation for departmental planning and reporting activities. The crosswalk below illustrates changes made at the program activity level between 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Initial performance measures are included in this report; further work is underway to verify their utility and develop additional measures and indicators for future years.

1.5 Contribution of Priorities to Public Safety Canada’s Strategic Outcome

This section of the DPR describes progress the Department has made in meeting the priorities it set for 2008-09.

In 2008-09, Public Safety Canada directed its efforts towards four strategic priorities:

1. Implement strategies to tackle crime and make communities safer
2. Improve effective management of our borders
3. Strengthen Canada’s National Security Framework
4. Strengthen the resilience of Canada and Canadians in relation to emergencies

Strategic Priority: Implement strategies to tackle crime and make communities safer
Type: Previously committed to
Status: Mostly met
Corresponding Program Activity: Law Enforcement, Corrections, Crime Prevention and Interoperability

Several important strategies were funded and implemented in 2008-09 to enhance community safety. Most significantly, in June 2008, Public Safety Canada refocused its National Crime Prevention Strategy on reducing offending among those who are most at risk of offending. Specifically, the refocused strategy supports evidence-based interventions with children, youth and young adults; promotes the adoption of effective programs to meet the pressing needs of Aboriginal peoples and Northern communities; and develops interventions for ex-offenders who are no longer under correctional supervision yet still present a high risk of re-offending. The Strategy received a $30M increase in funding in Budget 2008, and directed funding to various community-based crime prevention initiatives. In addition, as part of the Government’s National Anti-Drug Strategy, in 2008-09 the Department funded a total of 23 projects aimed at reducing substance use/abuse and related crime problems. Through the Youth Gang Prevention Fund, the Department provided $6.1M to support 17 community-based projects during the last fiscal year. The Department also evaluated and promoted correctional practices and the best methods for the assessment and management of offenders. Finally, significant work was done to enhance the National Sex Offender Registry and to renew the National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet.

Strategic Priority: Improve effective management of our borders
Type: New
Status: Mostly met
Corresponding Program Activity: National Security, Law Enforcement, Border Management and Interoperability

Effective border management entails developing and implementing efficient public security, emergency management and law enforcement measures at the border, while facilitating and expediting legitimate trade and travel. A significant number of outputs were achieved that contribute to efficient and secure borders. First and foremost, the Minister and senior management quickly established strong working relationships with new counterparts in the new U.S. administration. Meetings in March with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano laid the groundwork for further collaboration on common border and security concerns. In 2008-09, the Department also participated in negotiations on a bi-national framework agreement with the U.S. to allow the RCMP and the U.S. Coast Guard to cross-train, share resources/personnel, and overcome jurisdictional challenges associated with cross-border policing. As well, in partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency, Public Safety Canada worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to defer the overall implementation of the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to June 2009 and set exemptions from the application of the U.S. law for certain classes of individuals including youth under the age of 16. Furthermore, the Department obtained an exemption for domestic overflights in response to the U.S. Secure Flight Program. Additionally, a provision in the U.S. final rule allows for a full exemption for Canada, should a comparable Canadian program be implemented.

Strategic Priority: Strengthen Canada’s National Security Framework
Type: New
Status: Mostly met
Corresponding Program Activity: National Security, Law Enforcement and Interoperability

The national security framework is comprised of laws, policies and programs that seek to ensure that Canada and Canadians are protected and that this country is not a base for threats against others. In 2008-09, the Department advanced Canada’s national security objectives by supporting the amendment of the Investment Canada Act to include a mechanism for national security review of foreign investments, and completed the two-year review of Canada’s listing of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. Combating national security threats requires considerable and consistent work with foreign partners, given the globalized nature of terrorism and organized crime. To this end, the Department participated in the G8 Roma Lyon Group, the Financial Action Task Force, the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism, as well as in various security and intelligence fora in the U.S. The Department also developed legislative proposals in support of victims of terrorism, who are seeking legal action against perpetrators and supporters of terrorism; modernized investigative techniques and capabilities for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In 2008-09, the Department also coordinated the response to the O’Connor and Iacobucci Commissions of Inquiry.

Engaging Canadians is key to a strengthened national security framework. In 2008-09, meetings of the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security (CCRS) focused on providing the Minister with advice under the themes of radicalization, organized crime and the financing of terrorism. As part of the Department’s CCRS outreach plan, four successful outreach activities were organized in 2008-09. First, CCRS members themselves participated in a workshop, then, in partnership with portfolio agencies, two information sessions were held with newcomers to Canada on the topic of national security. A session with youth leaders was also held to discuss youth radicalization leading to violence.

Finally, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan is closely related to the Department’s national security objectives, and Public Safety Canada worked with Portfolio partners to support the whole-of-government effort to improve circumstances in Afghanistan. In particular, the Department worked on enhancing the rule of law in Afghanistan through police and corrections training, and on enhancing border security by facilitating bilateral dialogue between Afghan and Pakistani authorities.

Strategic Priority: Strengthen the resilience of Canada and Canadians in relation to emergencies
Type: New
Status: Mostly met
Corresponding Program Activity: Emergency Management and Interoperability

To strengthen the resilience of Canada and Canadians, Public Safety Canada works with individuals, communities, businesses, and provinces and territories to enhance their capacities to respond to and recover from emergencies. In 2008-09, the Department provided national leadership and coordination in the development of a National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure and as of March 2009, eight of ten critical infrastructure sector networks were established to facilitate information sharing and improve risk management. Furthermore, a Federal Emergency Response Plan (FERP) was developed to address major emergencies and FERP orientation training was delivered to over 140 employees of other government departments in preparation for Exercise Silver. Exercise Silver was the second of three scenario-based exercises designed to test the security and consequence management plans for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics.

A number of programs provided funding to enhance resilience. Funding was provided to all provinces through the Department’s Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP). Public Safety Canada also enhanced national resilience by providing important training to first responders across the country. In the last fiscal year, Public Safety Canada’s Emergency Management College delivered 36 Emergency Management and First Responder Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear training courses to 4,941 participants, exceeding its target of 30 courses to 3,000 participants.

The Department reached out to individual Canadians and households through its “72 Hours” campaign, prompting one in four Canadians to take action to prepare for an emergency. Through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, funding to provinces and territories was approved for recovery costs related to 10 natural disasters. Commitments totalled $120,490,936. Nine provinces and territories received training on revised DFAA guidelines.

Public Safety Canada also focused its efforts towards two management priorities:

• Implement Public Service renewal through recruitment, development and retention
• Implement integrated departmental planning

Management Priority: Implement Public Service renewal through recruitment, development and retention
Type: New
Status: Mostly Met
Corresponding Program Activity: Internal Services

Public Service Renewal is a key priority identified by the Clerk of the Privy Council. Public Safety Canada continued its work to ensure it can attract, retain and further develop its employees. The Clerk’s government-wide recruitment target required at least 4,000 post-secondary graduate offers for indeterminate positions in 2008-09. The Department hired 27 graduates, surpassing its commitment to the Clerk to hire at least 25 post-secondary graduates. Moreover, the Department participated in four government-wide job fairs, which promoted Public Safety Canada and presented the variety of positions available to students and graduates. During the fiscal year, the Department provided work experience to over 100 students through the various student programs. In addition, Public Safety Canada implemented a Learning and Development program to support employee retention. An enhanced Orientation Program for employees was created and in-house training, such as monthly learning events, staffing delegation training, health and safety in the workplace and retirement planning workshops, were provided to employees over the course of the year. The Department committed to having 90% of its employees with an up-to-date learning plan along with a discussion with respective managers on yearly performance. Ninety per cent of all departmental employees had learning plans in place by March 2009. In 2008-09, the turnover rate significantly decreased from 21% in 2007-08, to 15.4%. The Department will continue in its efforts to retain and renew its employees.

Management Priority: Implement integrated departmental planning
Type: New
Status: Mostly Met
Corresponding Program Activity: Internal Services

Integrated planning is an important building block, which supports the Department’s capacity to manage departmental expenditures and manage results. In 2008-09, the Department developed a departmental Integrated Human Resources and Business Plan and related Branch-level business plans. This integrated approach facilitates the consideration of both financial and human resource implications of activities to meet identified priorities. Although the Department has made much progress, it needs to further integrate its human resources, financial and information management/information technology strategies into its business planning. The Department will also complete the development of its Performance Measurement Framework (PMF), so as to better gauge performance against expected results.

1.6 Summary of Performance

The following table provides a summary of the Department’s overall performance, linking each Program Activity’s performance to a Departmental Strategic Priority set out for 2008-09. The following tables depict Public Safety Canada’s total financial resources, total authorities and actual spending for the 2008-09 fiscal year, in addition to information on human resources.

Strategic outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Detailed performance information on each Program Activity is available in Section II of this report. The Department’s eighth program activity, Internal Services, is based on a standard set out by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). As performance measures for this program activity are currently under development by TBS, the 2008-09 Report on Plans and Priorities did not include performance expectations for Internal Services.

The calculation of a full-time equivalent (FTE) differs from the calculation of an employee in that the former considers part-time employment, job sharing and would combine, for instance, two-half time employees in a single FTE.

^a Non-respendable revenue includes proceeds from access to information requests, parking fee reimbursements and other miscellaneous revenues.
^b Cost of services received without charge includes accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC); the employer’s share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by the Treasury Board Secretariat; Workers’ Compensation coverage provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada; and services provided by the Department of Justice Canada.

Total Authorities refer to total authorities received during the fiscal year. The Department’s Total Authorities are $10.5M lower than Planned Spending mainly due to Lawful Access and other items remaining in the fiscal framework ($2.7M); a transfer to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for First Nations community policing services ($39.8M); funding received for the renewal of the National Crime Prevention Strategy ($16.9M); and funding received from Treasury Board Votes for Carry-Forward, Eligible Paylist Expenditures and Collective Agreements ($13.8M).

Actual Spending for 2008-09 was $31.1M lower than Total Authorities, resulting in a lapse. The latter is mainly due to a lapse in Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements contributions ($9.5M); a lapse in National Crime Prevention Strategy grants and contributions ($10.7M); and a lapse in the operating budget ($16.9M).

* Finally, the Department did experience unforeseen contribution spending under the Law Enforcement program activity for the Security Cost Framework (Francophonie Summit and President Obama’s visit) which offset some of the lapse.

1.7 Expenditure Profile

Actual spending for 2008-09 was $391.8M. Over the past three years, the spending trend for the Department has consistently increased. Actual spending increased by 13% in 2007-08 and by 15% in 2008-09.

The increase in spending is primarily due to the net effect of a significant infusion of funding to enhance Emergency Management core capacity and higher total payments under Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. This was partially offset by the elimination of three-year funding provided for the Secret Communication Interoperability Project.

Planned spending will increase to $422.1M in 2009-10 and will decrease to $417.6M in 2010-11. The $4.4M decrease in 2010-11 is mainly due to the termination (sunsetting) of time-limited initiatives, such as Passenger Rail for the implementation of the Urban Transit Task Force and the Urban Transit Exercise Program, elements of Bill C-3 (amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) and the Strengthening of Community Safety (National Office for Victims). Planned spending is subject to possible changes resulting from future federal budget allocations.

The line chart below illustrates the Department’s spending trend over a six-year period based on four years of actual spending and two years of planned spending.

The Department’s spending trend indicates increasingly smaller lapses over the last three fiscal years between Authorities and Actual Spending. This is primarily due to a higher number of requests for payment under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program combined with a reduction in Authorities. Furthermore, in fiscal year 2008-09, the Department undertook an A-Base Review to assist in the improvement of financial management in relation to its priorities.

1.8 Voted and Statutory Items

Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

Vote 1 actual spending decreased by $16.5M (10%) between 2006-07 and 2008-09 primarily due to:

• a change in the accounting treatment for RCMP operating expenditures incurred in support of First Nations Policing Program (FNPP);
• a decrease due to the finalization of the Secret Communication Interoperability Project, and offset by:
• increases in spending due to Emergency Management Core I & II;
• an increase attributable to building increased policy capacity; and
• an increase to ensure conformity with government rules and policies.

Vote 5 actual spending increased by $105.5M between 2006-07 and 2008-09 primarily due to:

• higher total payments under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements contribution program;
• an increase in payments for the FNPP;
• expenses related to the Francophonie Summit and President Obama’s visit, paid under the Security Cost Framework Policy; and
• an increase in claims under the Communities at Risk: Minor Security Infrastructure pilot program.

1.9 Operating Environment, Context and Risk Analysis

Public safety and security is a vast and complex domain that spans a broad continuum – from intelligence and national security functions, to social interventions for youth at risk, to readiness for all manner of emergencies. Public safety issues and functions intersect with the government’s foreign, social and economic policies, implicate human rights, and span jurisdictions. As such, the environment in which Public Safety Canada operates and sets priorities is very demanding and constantly changing.

Domestically, crime rates and the severity of crime continue to decline, following a trend in other industrialized countries. Although the rate and severity of violent crime also dropped in 2008, the decline has been less dramatic, and violent crime remains a cause for concern, particularly as it is associated with gangs, drugs and organized crime. The Department continues to learn more about risk factors for criminality and works to apply this knowledge to its crime prevention activities.

Crime and threats to Canada’s national security – be it espionage, terrorism, financing of terrorism, or the proliferation of weapons – are increasingly mobile and globalized, aided in their spread by information and communication technologies. Canadian intelligence and law enforcement, like their foreign counterparts, are dealing with cyberspace challenges which are very difficult to detect, do not respect borders, and are hard to prosecute. Legislative regimes require updating to take into account the new ways in which crimes can be perpetrated.

Transnational crime and terrorism requires transnational law enforcement and intelligence efforts. Working across jurisdictions entails building strong working relationships and aligning priorities to make concerted progress in areas of common interest. The volume of engagements, the pace of change in the threat environment and the range of partners all amount to a significant demand on Public Safety Canada. The relationship with the United States continues to receive priority attention, as does our work in the Americas more broadly.

Within Canada, work with provincial, territorial, private sector and non-governmental partners is critical to the achievement of the Department’s strategic outcome. Resilience to natural disasters or any other form of local or national emergency depends largely on the risk management capacity of local first responders and the owners and operators of Canada’s critical infrastructure. The same holds true for the country’s capacity to deal with pandemics, such as the H1N1 virus. Public Safety Canada continues to take a national leadership role in facilitating information sharing and strategies and leveraging local capacities to move the national capacity in a desired direction.

Making progress on the Government’s safety and security agendas requires a high degree of coordination, consultation and integration among the entities of the Public Safety Portfolio. The Department’s Portfolio coordination function helps ensure coherence across the numerous, complex but closely interrelated activities and issues in the public safety domain. This function occupies considerable resources within Public Safety Canada, especially given the number of new policy issues that are emerging and their increasing complexity. 

Allocating resources in such a dynamic policy and operating environment can be challenging.  Ensuring preparedness to respond to emergencies is always paramount. At the same time, the Department must have a clear sense of how the public safety and security environment is changing – in Canada and abroad – and the challenges that those changes may present to the safety and security of Canadians. Clear priorities, enhanced reporting and rigorous evaluation will help the Department to achieve its mandate within a challenging environment.