ARCHIVED - Public Safety Canada - Report

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

SECTION II: Analysis of Program Activities

Expected results for each program activity have been identified and progress made toward each expected result contributed to the pursuit of the Department’s strategic outcome of a safe and resilient Canada.

Strategic Outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Public Safety Canada amended its strategic outcome in 2008-09 to a “safe and resilient Canada” which represents the long-term and enduring benefit for Canadians that stems from the Department’s mission and legislative mandate. In order to better manage the progress made towards this strategic outcome, the Department initiated the development of a measurement strategy for a “safe and resilient Canada”.

In 2009-10, the Department began the process of engaging other countries, Provinces and Territories, and academia on how to effectively measure “resilience.” Resilience can refer to the ability of a country to mitigate potential impacts to recover from a national disaster, the ability of critical infrastructure to withstand or recover effectively from disruption, as well as the capacity of a community to recover from an incident that strains its social fabric. More recently, this concept has been used by several countries in the context of emergency management, and the ability to measure resilience has been the focus of an increasing number of studies.

Public Safety Canada is partnering with other government departments to develop an approach to measure both the level of resiliency and safety in Canada. To date, the Department has met with several international partners and academic institutions and will continue this collaboration. In the meantime, the Department will measure the pursuit of its strategic outcome through an assessment of the expected results set out for each program activity.

Each program activity has been assessed based on the following five ratings:

Program activity ratings

Exceeded	More than 100 per cent of the expected level of performance for the expected result was achieved during the fiscal year.
Met all	100 per cent of the expected level of performance for the expected result was achieved during the fiscal year.
Mostly met	80 to 99 per cent of the expected level of performance for the expected result was achieved during the fiscal year.
Somewhat met	60 to 79 per cent of the expected level of performance for the expected result was achieved during the fiscal year.
Not met	Less than 60 per cent of the expected level of performance for the expected result was achieved during the fiscal year.

2.1 National Security

This program activity develops and coordinates policy to define and advance Canada’s national security objectives. To accomplish this Public Safety Canada works in collaboration with numerous domestic and international partners in support of our national security priorities. These priorities seek to protect Canada and Canadians from new threats and challenges to national security while balancing the need for oversight, accountability and the protection of civil liberties.

Benefit for Canadians

The demands of responding to national security threats often exceed the capacities of individuals, communities, or provinces and territories acting alone. There is a clear need for federal leadership on national security issues. To this end, Public Safety Canada works closely with domestic and international partners to protect Canada and Canadians from new, emerging and evolving threats and challenges to national security.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Canada has strong national security policy and legislative capacity		Status: Mostly met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Relevant international and domestic partners are engaged to strengthen relationships regarding matters of national security	≥ 5 International	16 International and multilateral
	≥ 20 Domestic	27 Domestic
Development of policies and strategies to support operational activities	≥ 3	5

Performance Analysis

In 2009-10, the Department took steps to improve the way in which Canada counters proliferation and deals with violent extremism. It also listed Al Shabaab as a terrorist entity in order to help protect Canadians and their interests from the activities of this organization. Numerous foreign investments were reviewed and the Department undertook an analysis of the security challenges resulting from rapidly evolving technologies.

Public Safety Canada worked towards strengthening Canada’s national security policy and legislative capacity. The Department supported the introduction of Lawful Access legislation (formerly known as Bill C-47: Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement in the 21st Century Act) to provide law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the tools required to effectively protect Canadians. Also, the Department provided advice to the Minister in support of the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act which fulfilled the Government’s commitment to provide a civil right of action for victims against sponsors and perpetrators of terrorism.

The Department provided regular advice to the Minister and Deputy Minister in relation to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) statutory obligations under the CSIS Act, and worked proactively to prepare the Government’s response to Justice Major’s Air India Inquiry. The Department also coordinated the Public Safety Portfolio’s approach to managing litigation for security certificate cases. Further, the Department obtained funding for the administration of national security inadmissibility cases, which will allow federal partners to meet their statutory responsibilities under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

With respect to the establishment of a mechanism to review national security activities that involve more than one security agency, work is ongoing and options are being considered. Internationally, the Department continued to engage the U.S. and other partners on a range of issues including: combating terrorist financing, radicalization, counter-proliferation and information sharing as part of enhancing domestic and international security.

A horizontal evaluation of the Security Certificate Initiative was undertaken in 2009-10 and concluded that initiatives are relevant, progress was made toward expected outcomes, and these initiatives protected Canada and Canadians from risks presented by inadmissible non-citizens while maintaining core values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. As well, the Lawful Access Initiative’s annual Performance Measurement Report concluded that the initiative enhanced public safety and national security, notably by contributing to a broad range of investigations and operations.

In 2009-10, the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security held three meetings which focussed on border and transportation security, radicalization as well as the changing landscape of national security. As part of the Roundtable outreach plan, the Department organized various outreach initiatives, including two information sessions between national security agencies and newcomers to Canada. However, the outreach event planned for Halifax was cancelled due to travel constraints. In response to recommendations stemming from an evaluation completed in March 2008, a Performance Measurement Plan was developed and implemented in 2009-10 to measure the results of meetings and outreach activities of the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security. Results indicate that Roundtable members have a higher level of understanding of the national security issues and, similarly, government officials have expressed a better understanding of cross-cultural issues as they relate to national security.

The fourth and final memorial for the commemoration of the Air India Flight 182 tragedy was not completed in 2009-10. The identified partner and owner of the land where the memorial was to be built withdrew from the project. However, a new site was recently identified on federal land administered by Parks Canada. The Department will continue to work closely with Parks Canada to initiate the construction in Montreal of the final Air India memorial in 2010.

Lessons Learned

The Department recognizes the need to continue engaging international partners to address a number of evolving global threats; including terrorist financing, radicalization, foreign investments of concern, violent extremism, terrorist and criminal use of technology, and proliferation activities. For this reason, the Department has reorganized the National Security Program to ensure that efforts and resources are focused to achieve optimal results. Public Safety Canada has strengthened relationship with its domestic partners by developing and participating in various working groups and communities of interest, including those set out to prepare the Government’s response to the Air India Inquiry. Internationally, the Department engaged with 16 international and multilateral partners to further Canada’s national security objectives.

In the future, the Department will increase its policy development capacity by recruiting excellent employees while providing the training required to address complex national security issues; and continue to strengthen its domestic and international partnerships to accomplish the Government’s national security objectives. Due to the constantly evolving threat environment, the laws, policies, and programs that constitute Canada’s national security framework will be continually refined so they remain effective.

2.2 Emergency Management

This program activity aims to enhance the safety and security of Canadians and their communities by strengthening the resiliency of Canada’s critical infrastructure and delivering effective policy and program coordination across the four pillars of emergency management: prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Together with provinces and territories, this program also helps inform Canadians of their responsibility to prepare for emergencies and provides practical tools to do so.

Benefit for Canadians

Public Safety Canada provides strategic direction and coordination for emergency management before, during and after a variety of emergencies and events of national significance; contributing to an environment where Canadians are safer and better prepared to respond to natural and human-induced disasters.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Canadians are protected from all hazards (natural, technological and human induced) and Canada’s critical infrastructure is resilient		Status: Mostly met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Percentage of Canadians who believe they are safer and better prepared to respond to natural and non-natural disasters	An increase of 6% by 2011-12 over 2008 figure of 41%	N/A
Percentage of Canadians who have prepared an emergency kit	An increase of 5% by 2011-12 over 2008 figure of 43%[4]	34%
Critical Infrastructure Resilience Level	Development of a methodology to measure and assess resiliency by March 31, 2010	Mostly met

Performance Analysis

In 2009-10, the Department played a strategic coordination role to facilitate humanitarian relief, as well as the repatriation of Canadians and the immigration of orphans to Canada following the earthquake in Haiti; and worked closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial and territorial counterparts to help contain and manage the H1N1 pandemic in Canada.

Also, the Department helped ensure the safety and security of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Public Safety Canada participated in Exercise GOLD to confirm that federal, provincial, regional and municipal departments and organizations were prepared to respond in a coordinated manner to emergencies or hazards during the 2010 Winter Games.

The Auditor General made five recommendations related to the Department’s emergency management role in Chapter 7 of her fall 2009 report:

1. ensure all components of the Federal Emergency Response Plan are completed and obtain government approval for the plan;
2. establish policies and programs and provide advice for departments to follow when identifying risks and developing emergency management plans;
3. analyze and evaluate the emergency management plans prepared by departments to ensure the plans are prepared according to the policies, programs, and advice provided; potential gaps or risks to a coordinated emergency management response should be identified;
4. ensure the Department’s coordination role for the federal response to an emergency is well-defined and that the operational policies and plans that departments will follow are updated and consistent; and
5. provide policies and guidance for sectors to determine their infrastructure and assess its criticality, based on risk and its significance to the safety and security of Canadians, as well as establish policies and programs to prepare plans for their protection.

The Department has implemented a Management Action Plan to regularly monitor progress against these recommendations and is pleased to report that significant progress has been made on their implementation. Among other things, the report emphasized the need for the Department to exercise a more robust leadership in the area of emergency management.

In December 2009, the Minister of Public Safety had received letters from all Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for emergency management, confirming approval of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure. Implementation of this Strategy will build a safer, more secure and resilient Canada. Remaining consistent with Public Safety Canada’s overall approach to measuring resiliency, the Critical Infrastructure Resiliency Level will be based on a methodology developed by academia. To ensure that this methodology is applicable to Canada's critical infrastructure sectors, the Department explored opportunities with other lead federal departments to apply the resiliency model on a pilot basis.  

In 2009-10, the percentage of Canadians who believe they are safer and better prepared to respond to natural and non-natural disasters was not measured. The Department instead focused its resources on measuring the effectiveness of Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week). The primary goal of EP Week is to encourage Canadians to take practical steps to prepare for emergencies. By raising public awareness, the Department met its target in terms of the number of Canadians who have prepared an emergency kit this year. Although the percentage is lower than the results reported in the 2008-09 Departmental Performance Report, this year’s figures are higher than the 2005-06 baseline. While the percentage fluctuates from year to year, it has consistently been above the baseline as set at the launch of the "72 Hours" emergency preparedness campaign.

Lessons Learned

In 2009-10, the funding for an annual mass media advertising campaign on emergency preparedness (one component of the overall social marketing plan) ended. Although this campaign has made solid progress in changing Canadians’ knowledge and attitutes towards emergency preparedness, it is important to continue this work of translating positive intentions into action. The “72 hours…Is your family prepared?” social marketing campaign is now sustained through a web presence, the use of social media as well as partnerships in order to maximize campaign reach in lieu of a mass media advertising campaign.

For the Department to provide strategic direction and coordination for emergency management activities as well as exercise leadership, it will implement a Cyber Security Strategy and establish the remaining sectors networks while engaging all levels of government, private sector partners and international allies in a collaborative manner. To do so, the Department will seek to ensure that it provides value added to these important relationships through appropriate guidance and policies; will work together to identify and address risks; will share information that is timely, relevant and targeted; and will respond quickly to emergencies and issues as they arise.

References

Additional information on the statistics provided within this section can be accessed at the websites below.

• Chapter 7 of the Fall 2009 Office of the Auditor General of Canada Report on Emergency Management can be found at: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200911_07_e_33208.html#hd3c
• The 2005 Baseline research report: “Are Canadians Prepared for an Emergency” can be found at: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/public_safety_emergency/2005/2005-1468/2005-1468-e.pdf
• The 2008 "72 Hours" Advertising Post-Campaign Evaluation can be found at: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/public_safety_canada/2008/438-07-e/report.pdf 
• The 2009 "Emergency Preparedness Week 2009 Evaluation" can be found at: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/public_safety_canada/2009/006-09/report.pdf

2.3 Law Enforcement

This program activity provides leadership to the Canadian law enforcement community on strategic national and international response to crime by contributing to the development of appropriate law enforcement policies and programs. It also supports the enhancements to on-reserve policing services through program funding.

Benefit for Canadians

To ensure safer communities and more effective policing, Public Safety Canada develops policies and law enforcement strategies that assist in the fight against serious and organized crime. The Department also strives to improve policing services by supporting the operations and accountability of Canada’s national police force. Furthermore, recognizing the unique public safety challenges associated with First Nation and Inuit communities, the Department enhances provincial policing by providing contribution funding for dedicated and culturally appropriate policing services in these communities.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Canada has safe communities and effective policing		Status: Mostly met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Percentage of Canadians who feel that their communities are safe	Baseline information under development	In 2004, 64% of Canadians believed that crime in their neighbourhood remained unchanged or decreased over the previous five years*.
Number of First Nation and Inuit communities that have access to the First Nations Policing Program	Maintain at 399 communities or increase slightly	398 communities

* Based on the Statistics Canada General Social Survey 2004, Cycle 18– Victimization (latest year available). The next release is scheduled for Fall 2010. Please note that this survey is conducted every five years and the subsequent release will include 2009 data.

Performance Analysis

In response to Public Safety Canada’s departmental priorities for RCMP modernization, the renewal of Police Services Agreements, and the support provided to the security partners related to the 2010 Olympics^[5], the following law enforcement activities were also accomplished.

In 2009-10, Public Safety Canada continued to lead the efforts of a FPT working group in sharing and updating Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) policies and practices. Following the FPT Ministers Responsible for Justice meeting in October 2009, the Department was directed to lead the development of national guidelines as well as a research agenda on law enforcement’s use of CEWs. Also at that meeting, FPT Ministers asked the federal interdepartmental working group to focus on developing administrative options to improve the ability of federal departments involved in the importation and exportation of firearms to share information. 

The Department also supported several amendments to the Firearms Regulations which extended three regulatory firearms compliance measures: the Firearms Fees Regulations; the Firearms Licenses and the Order Declaring an Amnesty Period (2006). Collectively, these measures will encourage previous lawful firearms owners to bring themselves back into compliance with federal firearms legislation.

Public Safety Canada led the preparation of a proposal, in partnership with the RCMP, CBSA, Canada Revenue Agency and Health Canada to access the $20M announced by the Minister of National Revenue in 2008, for several key initiatives developed by the Federal Task Force on Illicit Tobacco Products. Internationally, the Department led the Canadian delegation in negotiating a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The fourth negotiating session to develop a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was completed in March 2010. 

DNA analysis remains an important tool in the fight against crime. In 2009-10, the DNA Forensic Laboratory Services Cost and Capacity Review was finalized and shared with all FPT partners. A FPT working group meeting was convened to discuss the study and next steps. Furthermore, the Department developed a proposal to support DNA analysis in Canada for the purpose of criminal investigations and prosecutions. Announced as part of Budget 2010, this initiative received $14M over two years to increase the ability to process DNA samples so that the results could be added to the National DNA Data Bank.

Public Safety Canada further lead collaborative efforts with Portfolio agencies, as well as federal, provincial, territorial and international partners to provide leadership on strategic national and international responses to organized crime. An organized crime work plan was developed, under the leadership of the joint Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials–National Coordinating Committee on Organized Crime Working Group, to guide nationally coordinated activities until 2012. The Department supported the Department of Justice’s enacting of An Act to amend the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants) S.C. 2009, c.22; and developed a National Research Agenda on Organized Crime to guide coordinated research efforts. In November 2009, Public Safety Canada hosted a Research Workshop, “Best Practices in Combating Organized Crime”, that brought together academics, policy analysts, and researchers from around the world and across Canada. Research findings will guide future research and strategies to combat organized crime. In addition, through a newly created contribution program, the Department has furthered efforts to combat child sexual exploitation on the Internet and human trafficking by funding research initiatives and innovative projects to combat these crimes.

The Department has several ongoing activities with respect to its commitment to hosting international events. The Department supported a research project examining the impact of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada. It is anticipated that the report’s findings will assist the Government in developing future approaches to address human trafficking during similar international sporting events. The report is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010. As Canada will be hosting the G8 and G20 Summits in 2010-11, the Department worked closely with municipal and provincial security partners, as well as the RCMP and other federal departments, to put in place financial arrangements relating to security for these events in accordance with the Security Cost Framework Policy.

In 2009-10, the Department successfully oversaw and administered 167 policing agreements across Canada under the FNPP. These agreements provided funding for 1,243 police officer positions for dedicated and culturally appropriate police services, in 398 First Nation and Inuit communities with an overall population of 330,922. A policing agreement encompassing one community in Alberta expired on March 31, 2009, and nine communities in Ontario – referenced in one large 2008-09 policing agreement – are no longer listed as part of the new agreement effective in 2009-10. For this reason, the Department reported a slight decrease in the number of agreements and communities from 2008-09 to 2009-10.

In Spring 2009, Public Safety Canada was directed to undertake a comprehensive review of the FNPP involving an examination of key program elements. The comprehensive review is scheduled to conclude in the fall 2010 with recommendations on the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the FNPP. As part of the comprehensive review, the Department initiated an independent evaluation of the FNPP which will be finalized in 2010-11.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan

Budget 2009 aimed to stimulate the Canadian economy and secure longer-term growth and prosperity for the future. The Department received an investment of $15 million to address the remediation of critical policing infrastructure in First Nation and Inuit communities across the country. The First Nations Policing Program was the vehicle used to disburse these funds at its cost-shared ratio of 52% federal government funding and 48% provincial or territorial government funding.

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Some First Nation and Inuit communities will improve their policing infrastructure
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Amount of federal funding provided to First Nation and Inuit communities for the remediation of critical policing infrastructure	$15 million	Mostly met

In 2009-10, the federal government worked in partnership with provincial governments to initiate and complete 17 projects totalling $12.2 million in federal funding to address critical policing infrastructure needs. Most of these projects were in isolated First Nation and Inuit communities and therefore presented significant challenges, such as having to deal with unforeseen weather conditions which limited community access. Furthermore, Budget 2010 granted additional time to the federal government to disburse $3M in remaining funds in First Nation and Inuit communities with the most pressing infrastructure needs. Future projects will be completed by March 31, 2011.

Lessons Learned

In 2009-10, a follow-up to the 2007 FNPP audit was conducted to assess the progress of the implementation of the subsequent Management Action Plan. This follow-up resulted in five recommendations. A new Management Action Plan will be developed and finalized in early 2010-11 to address these recommendations. The Management Action Plan resulting from the follow-up audit is intended to maximize the Department’s capacity to administer the FNPP. To date, the Department has succesfully staffed key positions as well as clarified roles and responsibilities to enable the development of effective management systems and information technology solutions. The Department will continue to develop more cost-effective and efficient ways to administer the FNPP.

With the 2010 Budget announcement, work on DNA will continue to advance in 2010-11. Next steps include negotiating and entering into new FPT cost-shared Biology Casework Analysis Agreements with all contract provinces and territories; developing a new contribution program to support federal contributions to Ontario and Quebec; and undertaking a study to explore alternative service delivery methods for the RCMP forensic laboratory services.

2.4 Corrections

This program activity develops legislative proposals and policies governing corrections, conditional release, and related criminal justice issues. It also develops and implements innovative approaches to community justice, and provides research expertise and resources to both the corrections community and the public.

Benefit for Canadians

The Department strives for a safe and resilient Canada by working with the Correctional Service of Canada to ensure the safe and effective reintegration of eligible offenders into Canadian communities. This program activity continually examines existing legislation to determine whether it remains relevant, needs to be modified, or if new legislative tools are necessary to better protect Canadians. In addition, the Department manages programs that build capacity and assist in the effective community management and reintegration of eligible offenders, such as grant and contribution programs for criminal justice projects across Canada.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: There is safe and effective reintegration of eligible offenders into Canadian communities		Status: Met all
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Percentage of successful statutory releases reported by the annual departmental Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview	≥ 58%	60.3%
Expected Result: Aboriginal communities have the knowledge and skills necessary to assume responsibility for corrections and healing		Status: Mostly Met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Number of First Nation, Métis, Inuit or urban Aboriginal communities that are ready to assume responsibility for corrections and healing	50% increase in Aboriginal communities (increase to 8 communities, from 4 in 2008-09)	6 communities

Performance Analysis

In 2009-10, the Department led the development of policy options for Cabinet and proposed legislative amendments in support of correctional reforms. Legislation was introduced in Parliament this fiscal year and includes amendments to: the Sex Offender Information Registration Act; the International Transfer of Offenders Act; and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. Additionally, as reported in the 2008-09 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, increases to the success rates of conditional release occurred in day parole (81.5% to 84.5%); full parole (71.2% to 73.4%); and statutory release (58.6% to 60.3%).

The Department also led ongoing consultations with a Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) working group regarding proposals to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Sex Offender Registry as a tool for use by police and to enhance public safety. Subsequently, the proposals from these consultations were included in the amendments made to the Sex Offender Information Registration Act which were tabled in Parliament.

The Department sought to support Aboriginal communities taking on responsibility for corrections and healing. Efforts included testing and evaluating community-based projects; supporting the development of closer relationships between Aboriginal communities and the Correctional Service of Canada; providing necessary skills to communities that enable their response to offenders’ needs; and publishing and disseminating knowledge on corrections and healing. In 2009-10, two additional Aboriginal communities have increased their capacity to assume responsibility for community corrections or healing processes through targeted investment in training, skill development and the creation of an environment that was conducive to positive change, bringing the total to six communities. The Department also administered pilot projects with the Manitoba Métis Federation (Winnipeg) to test and evaluate healing strategies, and funding was provided to Fisher River Cree Nation to develop a strategic plan and evaluation framework in order to determine and better respond to community needs.

Lessons Learned

During the 2009-10 fiscal year, Public Safety Canada found that working with Aboriginal communities in the area of corrections and healing was challenging given the complexity of issues, and that communities need to address these issues at their own pace, which may not necessarily correspond to government timelines.

The importance of developing and maintaining productive partnerships with our key stakeholders, for example, FPT jurisdictions, RCMP, CSC, NPB, Department of Justice and the National Voluntary Organizations, is integral to achieving our policy goals and meeting our performance objectives. It has also been noted that training correctional staff in evidenced-based practices can reduce offender recidivism by 15 percentage points.

* A copy of the 2009 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview is available at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/rep/_fl/2009-ccrso-eng.pdf

2.5 Crime Prevention

This program activity develops policies and programs designed to reduce the likelihood of criminal behaviour among targeted groups of the population. It supports the implementation in local communities of evidence-based crime prevention initiatives by providing funding and practice-oriented knowledge, tools and support.

Benefit for Canadians

Public Safety Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy provides funding for programs and knowledge development designed to reduce offending among at risk groups and populations. Ultimately, it contributes to reducing crime and victimization while creating safer and more resilient communities. The Department supports strengthening partnerships across all sectors and systematically integrating crime prevention with enforcement, corrections and other relevant interventions for the benefits of all Canadian communities.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: There is reduced offending among targeted populations (youth at risk and high risk repeat offenders)		Status: Somewhat met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Percentage of approved project proposals that use evidence based information when developing an intervention for children and youth at risk and high risk repeat offenders	≥80%	81%
Number of at risk individuals who participated in National Crime Prevention Centre funded programs	Baseline information under development	10,317

Performance Analysis

Further to the 2008 renewal of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Department worked closely with stakeholders in communities to develop evidence-based crime prevention projects which provided the most suitable interventions to the appropriate target groups. The Department funded 152 projects in 73 cities targeting children, youth, and young adults at risk of offending, including 19 projects which specifically addressed youth gangs. Approved projects used the evidence base to inform their interventions. In 2009-10, 43 out of 53 (81%) new projects used evidence-based information and 10,317 at-risk individuals participated in the Department’s funded projects. As a partner in the National Anti-Drug Strategy, the Department supported 29 projects. The project activities, outputs and outcomes are measured through internal and, in selected cases, external evaluations. Evidence to demonstrate the achievement of the expected results will become available in 2013. Most of the projects involved close cooperation with multiple stakeholders, including provinces and territories, RCMP and other federal departments. Public Safety Canada’s regional offices provided ongoing support to communities during the projects’ design, development, and implementation. The Department also fostered the dissemination and use of the knowledge base among practitioners in communities as well as its continued cooperation and coordination with the Provinces and Territories.

An extension was provided to the Security Infrastructure Pilot Program^[6] (SIP) resulting in funding being provided to 43 new projects totalling $243,000 in 2009-10. Applications for the third intake saw an increase in diversity, both in terms of community and geographic location, due in large part to program maturity as well as community responses to outreach activities.

In 2009, an Interim Evaluation of the Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF) was completed. Project-based audits were conducted; no significant issues were identified with respect to the management of YGPF funds. All YGPF funding available was fully committed; the 19 projects funded were based on a model or promising program, or contained elements promoted in recent and relevant research. Through the YGPF, approximately 1,400 youth at risk were reached.

Lessons Learned

The Department remains committed to playing an active and collaborative role in the implementation of results-driven crime prevention initiatives. Furthermore, the Department will continue working in partnership with the Provinces and Territories, municipal orders of government, and with communities and organizations interested in contributing to the goal of a safer and more secure Canada.

Research and evaluation studies are demonstrating that effective crime prevention projects have shown results in reducing violence, offending and making communities safer. However, the increasingly complex nature of projects contributes to a slow up-take in some communities. Work is underway to streamline the governance of grant and contribution programs. Currently, the Department is approaching grants and contributions monitoring through a risk management approach, including  the implementation of a risk management tool.

2.6 Border Management

This program activity provides federal policy leadership and advice related to the Government’s overall management of Canadian borders and the pursuit of specific border initiatives such as cross-border law enforcement to better ensure that security objectives are achieved in a manner that facilitates the flow of legitimate trade and travel.

Benefit for Canadians

Borders secured against threats and open to legitimate trade and travel are critical for the safety and economic well-being of all Canadians. Modern border programming provides Canadians with protection against potential threats ranging from organized crime and terrorism, to unlawful immigration and dangerous imports. At the same time, there are programs that facilitate efficient crossing of legitimate trade creating jobs in Canada, and as a result contribute to the strength of the Canadian economy. The Department provides strategic advice to the Minister of Public Safety on border management and works to ensure that the benefits to Canadians of all border programming are fully realized through a coordinated and effective approach.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Borders are efficient and secure, facilitating legitimate trade and travel		Status: Mostly met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
Percentage of border wait times (people and shipments) standards that are achieved	Baseline information under development	People: 90.0% Shipments: 96.3%
Number of inadmissible persons removed from Canada	Baseline information under development	Removed: 14,775

Source: Canada Border Services Agency

Performance Analysis

In 2009-10, the Department developed and implemented a framework agreement to govern integrated cross-border maritime law enforcement (Shiprider); advanced options for a joint border patrol pilot project in the Province of Quebec to patrol unguarded roads and marine crossings between Canada and the U.S.; and coordinated efforts with the U.S. on joint initiatives, reports and presentations for the Cross Border Crime Forum.

This year saw some important developments at the Canada-U.S. border. In particular, on
June 1, 2009, the U.S. Government implemented the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requiring Canadians and Americans to show their passports at land border ports of entry. To implement this initiative, Public Safety Canada worked with the U.S. government, Canada Border Services Agency and Passport Canada to ensure a smooth transition that resulted in no border delays from its introduction. Canada Border Services Agency figures show that border wait time standards are met 90% of the time in the traveller stream and 96.3% of the time in the commercial stream.   

Public Safety Canada also focused its efforts on the development and implementation of the Shiprider Framework Agreement: a joint Canada-U.S. initiative to govern the deployment of regularized integrated cross-border maritime law enforcement operations. The Agreement was signed in May 2009 between the Minister of Public Safety and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Legislation to implement the Agreement (Keeping Canadians Safe (Protecting Borders) Act) was introduced in the House of Commons in November 2009. While this legislation died on the order paper with the prorogation of Parliament, it is expected that it will be reintroduced in the fall of 2010. 

While the Shiprider legislation was not enacted, the Department worked closely with the RCMP and interdepartmental partners to deploy a Shiprider pilot project to augment security at the 2010 Olympics. Specially designated and trained RCMP officers and U.S. Coast Guard officers worked together to provide a visible presence to deter, prevent and respond to national security threats in shared waters between Vancouver and Washington State. Field reports indicated that operations have functioned effectively and while no security interventions were required, there were a number of positive law enforcement outcomes resulting from these operations, including vessel checks and enforcement actions. The pilot project was further extended to the conclusion of the 2010 Paralympic Games.

With a view to further enhancing border integrity–and with a particular emphasis on stemming the illegal flow of guns into Canada–the Department worked collaboratively with the Portfolio partners to advance options for a pilot project in the province of Quebec to patrol unguarded roads and marine crossings between Canada and the U.S.

The Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF) is a key bilateral mechanism to advance and resolve cross-border law enforcement and justice matters. In September 2009, the U.S. hosted a mini CBCF meeting where Canadian and U.S. law enforcement and justice officials discussed key joint strategies and initiatives, including bi-national threat assessments and collaborative operations. Canadian and U.S. officials continue to work closely together in the lead up to the next Ministerial CBCF in the U.S., expected in the fall 2010. The Department also established a more integrated approach to cross-border cooperation by jointly announcing the Canada-U.S. Framework for the Movement of Goods and People Across the Border During and Following Emergencies, which establishes a protocol to facilitate essential cross-border movements during crises.

Public Safety Canada also provided leadership in developing Canada's response to the attempted December 25, 2009 attack on Northwest Flight 253. In March 2010, the Department co-hosted, with Transport Canada, an international meeting of aviation security experts in Montreal. Departmental officials represented Canada at other meetings in Mexico and Japan to promote multilateral cooperation to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks from outside of our borders against Canada and the international civil aviation system.

Lessons Learned

Border management requires effective engagement with a large number of partners both in and outside of Canada. The U.S. remains Public Safety Canada’s key bilateral partner given the proximity, interrelated economies and shared borders of Canada and the U.S. The success of this relationship entails ongoing effort. Over the course of the fiscal year, the Department will work with key U.S. counterparts, including the Department of Homeland Security and domestic partners both within and outside of the Public Safety Portfolio, to elaborate a shared vision for the border.

The Department is also learning that using risk management and advanced information border management enables the Government to focus enforcement resources on higher-risk traffic, thereby accelerating the cross-border movement of lower-risk traffic.

The Department has been able to leverage the expertise of stakeholders and lessons learned from pilot projects to help advance new and innovative approaches to secure the border. For example, the successful development of the bilateral Shiprider framework agreement was based on meaningful contributions provided by stakeholders during consultations and lessons learned from the deployment of several Shiprider pilot projects. This approach has enabled Canada and the U.S. to gradually move from a border enforcement partnership that has traditionally employed coordinated and collaborative approaches to one that leverages the deployment of fully integrated cross-border law enforcement operations to more effectively identify, assess and respond to public safety and security threats.

2.7 Interoperability

This program activity supports information-sharing among federal departments and agencies engaged in protecting public safety and security. While safeguarding the privacy rights of individuals, this program engages in maximizing information-sharing opportunities with others and minimizing security risks to Canadians.

Benefit for Canadians

Effective interoperability ensures that people, processes and systems work in a collaborative fashion to share information. Within the public safety and security sector, it refers to ensuring that government agencies and organizations can share the right information at the right time to keep Canadians safe. Accordingly, Public Safety Canada strives to promote the safety and security objectives of the Government of Canada by maximizing information-sharing opportunities among federal departments and agencies and minimizing security risks.

 

Performance Summary

Expected Result: Information regarding public safety and security objectives is shared in an integrated and timely manner		Status: Mostly met
Performance Indicators	Targets	Results
The number of participating public safety and security departments and agencies involved in interoperability and information-sharing	≥26 by 2015*	21

* Please note that in the 2009-10 RPP, the target was erroneous.

Performance Analysis

In 2009-10, the Department supported collaborative efforts with its federal, provincial and municipal partners to develop and advance a national strategy for the Canadian Voice Interoperability Plan, including the identification of necessary requirements to enable interoperable communications with first responders. The Department also supported Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group Regional Forums and the third Canadian Voice Interoperability Workshop held in November 2009. The workshop brought together over 200 first responders, federal, industry and academic participants to focus on issues addressing public safety interoperability across the country.

In April 2009, Public Safety Canada co-hosted the first Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Voice Communications Interoperability Workshop, with the Office of Emergency Communications within the Department of Homeland Security. This event brought together policy officials from both sides of the border to pursue efforts in enhancing interoperability among emergency responders.

Another key area of interoperability within the Department is the Data Exchange Standards Initiative. This initiative aims to support information-sharing among federal departments and agencies engaged in protecting public safety and security, while safeguarding the privacy rights of individuals. Some of the key accomplishments included: defining the National Data Quality Standard vision in collaboration with the law enforcement community; designing research studies; collaborating with Natural Resources Canada to establish a trusted national geospatial (geographical representation of information) framework; and defining the Emergency Management System Interoperability Framework. Work is expected to continue into 2010-11.

Over the past few years, significant work was done to define the role of interoperability in the delivery of public safety and security. The “interoperability gap” is the difference between current interoperability and the envisioned, effective, and coordinated ability to share information in order to enhance the pursuit or delivery of respective mandates. The first gap analysis report was released in May 2005 and updated in 2009-10 to reflect progress on the initiatives as well as to include the 2009 perspective on the scope of the interoperability issues.

In 2009-10, a project closeout report on the Secret Communications Interoperability Project (SCIP) concluded that it was a success from a technical perspective as a secure communications system was operational with defined policy and procedures. The report further indicated that in comparison to similar projects of magnitude with the Federal Government, SCIP was a success and delivered an operational system slightly over budget and schedule. However, long-term funding was not secured and the project was shut down. In 2010-11, the Department will assess the viability of re-using the equipment to create a secure network for internal use.

Lessons Learned

Recognizing the importance of interoperability to help achieve its strategic outcome, the Department will do more to advance interoperability priorities with partners. To that end, a draft governance model will be presented to the FPT Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management working group for consultation, revision and endorsement and a national strategy for voice and data interoperable communications will follow. In addition, Public Safety Canada will coordinate a second Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Voice Communications Interoperability Workshop in the fall 2010.

2.8 Internal Services

As an integral part of the PAA, Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that support the work of other program activities and provide key corporate services. Key corporate services provided include the following: management and oversight, communications, legal, human resources, financial management, information management and information technology, contracting and material management, security and others.

* Funding adjustments were made in 2009-10 following a review of the Department’s Internal Services requirements.

Performance Analysis

To strengthen internal relationships with the Portfolio, other departments and central agencies, the Department established partnerships and collaborative mechanisms to develop policy; coordinate programming; and share information that promoted a safe and resilient Canada. The Department hosted monthly International Strategies Group meetings to exchange ideas on how to best increase domestic security through international policy and programming, as well as to address challenging issues of common concern, such as the provision of assistance to Haiti following its earthquake. Furthermore, the Department worked with its partners to reduce security risks to Canada from abroad, by participating actively on the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Advisory Board and the Anti-Crime and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Steering Group, as well as the governance body for the Canadian Police Arrangement.

PSES initiatives:

• Nominated departmental PSES Champion
• Hosted first policy retreat “Along and Beyond the Horizon”
• Created Policy Connection, Middle Management and Young Professionals networks

In 2009-10, the Department addressed people management issues raised in the 2008 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) that mattered most to employees. The Department pursued initiatives to improve its people management efforts, placing particular focus on workforce, workplace and leadership issues at all levels. These initiatives aim to strengthen employee confidence, innovation, knowledge and skills.

In 2009-10, the Department strengthened its internal audit function by creating a Departmental Audit Committee (DAC). The DAC was established with a Chair and two other members from outside the public service and held three meetings during the fiscal year. However, as a result of unforeseen financial limitations and resourcing delays, full implementation of the Quality Assurance and Improvement Plan was postponed. In addition, the Department undertook an assessment of all direct program spending, as part of its strategic review, to ensure effectiveness and appropriate alignment with government priorities and federal responsibilities. Discussions took place across the organization to finalize decisions made for implementation beginning in 2010-11.

During the reporting period, the Department made considerable progress to comply with the Government of Canada's 2009 Policy on Evaluation. A senior-level Departmental Evaluation Committee and charter were created; as well as an Evaluation Policy; a Protocol for Horizontal Evaluations led by other government departments; and a five-year rolling departmental evaluation plan. The Department also completed three of five evaluations planned for 2009-10.

In 2009-10, the Department continued to update its Business Continuity Plans (BCP). It identified an alternate site and worked towards finalizing processes to ensure a smooth transition to the alternate site, if necessary. Using the H1N1 Pandemic as a scenario, two significant exercises were held to test the BCP. Combining these exercises with a third party assessment confirmed the Department’s readiness to face unplanned events.

During 2009-10, the Department announced its intention to modify its PAA and create its first ever Performance Management Framework (PMF). As a result of extensive consultations and building upon the experience of other organizations, the Department finalized both documents and subsequently submitted them to the Treasury Board Secretariat in June 2010. Moreover, significant progress was made in improving the mechanisms used for performance measurement across the Department. Public Safety Canada contributed to the development of the performance measurement strategies for the 2010 Winter Olympics; G8 and G20 Summits; and developed logic models for programs such as Critical Infrastructure, security certificates and others. These documents contribute to the Department's ability to measure its efficiency and effectiveness and enable Public Safety Canada to communicate its successes.

In 2009-10, Public Safety Canada held interdepartmental consultations to gather best practices with the goal of improving the Department’s Integrated Human Resources and Business Plan (IHRBP). Consequently, this year’s IHRBP had better integration of human resources and financial information, than in the past. Business plans for each of the Department’s branches complement the IHRBP.  Integration meetings, which gathered internal services and the program branches to discuss operational needs for the next fiscal year, were very well received by those involved. Both the IHRBP and Branch Business Plans are readily used by senior management to discuss departmental priorities with staff. 

2009-10 risk accomplishments:

• Risk Management Policy approved
• Risk Registry developed
• Branch Risk Profiles developed
• Corporate Risk Profile developed

The Department worked toward finalizing the development of its Integrated Risk Management Framework; this activity is still underway. The Department’s approach to risk management is based on the new ISO 31,000 standard and includes the development of a Department risk management policy statement and the initial development of corporate and branch specific risk profiles.

Lessons Learned

As a result of the MAF VII assessment, the Department will carry over three of the last year's priorities by focusing on making improvements to Internal Audit, Evaluation, Management of Security and Business Continuity in 2010-11. The Department has also identified AoM 2 “Utility of the Corporate Performance Framework” as a new management priority for 2010-11.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page