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Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat - 2014–15 Report on Plans and Priorities


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Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

Organizational Profile

Minister: The Honourable Tony Clement

Deputy head: Yaprak Baltacioğlu

Ministerial portfolio: Treasury Board

Year established: 1966

Main legislative authorities:

Organizational Context

Raison d'être

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (Secretariat) is the administrative arm of the Treasury Board, and the President of the Treasury Board is the Minister responsible for the Secretariat. This organization supports the Treasury Board by making recommendations and providing advice on program spending, regulations and management policies and directives, while respecting the primary responsibility of deputy heads in managing their organizations, and their roles as accounting officers before Parliament. In this way, the Secretariat strengthens the way government is managed and helps to ensure value for money in government spending and results for Canadians.

Responsibilities

The Secretariat supports the Treasury Board in each of its roles (see text box “Treasury Board Roles”).

Within the Secretariat, the Comptroller General of Canada provides government-wide leadership, direction, oversight and capacity building for financial management, internal audit and the management of assets and acquired services.

The Chief Human Resources Officer provides government-wide leadership on people management through policies, programs and strategic engagements and by centrally managing labour relations, compensation, pensions and benefits and contributing to the management of executives.

The Chief Information Officer provides government-wide leadership, direction, oversight and capacity building for information management, information technology, government security (including identity management), access to information, privacy, and internal and external service delivery.

The Treasury Board Portfolio consists of the Secretariat and the Canada School of Public Service. The Public Sector Pension Investment Board, the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada and the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada are arm’s-length organizations that report to Parliament through the President of the Treasury Board.

When working with federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations, the Secretariat plays three central agency roles:

  • A leadership role in driving and modeling excellence in public sector management and in identifying and launching government-wide horizontal initiatives that target administrative efficiencies;
  • A challenge and oversight role that includes reporting on the government’s management and budgetary performance and developing government-wide management policies and standards; and
  • A community enabling role to help organizations improve management performance.
Treasury Board Roles

The Treasury Board is a Cabinet committee of ministers established in 1867. It oversees the government’s financial, human resources and administrative responsibilities and establishes policies that govern each of these areas. In addition, the Prime Minister has designated the Treasury Board to act as the committee of the Queen’s Privy Council for the consideration and approval of regulations and most orders-in-council. The Treasury Board, as the Management Board for the government, has three principal roles:

  • It acts as the government’s Management Office by promoting improved management performance. It also approves policies to support the prudent and effective management of the government’s assets and financial, information and technology resources.
  • It acts as the government’s Budget Office by examining and approving the proposed spending plans of government departments and by reviewing the development of approved programs
  • It acts as the human resources office and employer or People Management Office by managing compensation and labour relations for the core public administration. It also sets foundational values for the public sector and people management policies for the core public administration (including determining the terms and conditions of employment) to ensure coherence and consistency, where needed.

Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA)

The Secretariat’s Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) is made up of six programs that contribute to the achievement of the Secretariat’s strategic outcome. Detailed information about the Secretariat’s strategic outcome and about each of the programs and sub-programs in the PAA can be found in Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome.

2014–15 Program Alignment Architecture

Strategic Outcome: Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results.

Organizational Priorities

For the period 2014–17, the Secretariat will continue to focus on implementing key reforms aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of government and ensuring value for taxpayer dollars. This includes supporting greater fiscal discipline in the management of government expenditures; enhancing public service integrity, performance and productivity; leveraging information technology (IT) to improve service and reduce costs; and continuing to simplify government rules and administrative processes. Efforts will also continue to increase the Secretariat’s efficiency and effectiveness as an organization.

The Secretariat has identified five priority areas for 2014–15 that will contribute to the achievement of the Secretariat’s strategic outcome, “Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results.” These priorities will be supported by efforts within each of the Secretariat’s programs and sub-programs, including a number of key initiatives highlighted in the tables below. Additional information is provided in Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome.

Priority 1: Strengthen government financial and expenditure management to support value for money, ongoing cost-containment and increased operational efficiency.
Type See footnote [1] Programs
Ongoing
  • Expenditure Management
  • Financial Management
Description

Why is this a priority?

As indicated in the 2013 federal budget and the Speech from the Throne, achieving leaner and more efficient government is a key part of the government’s plan to return to balanced budgets by 2015. To build on recent targeted measures (e.g., $5.2 billion in ongoing savings announced in Budget 2012), there is a need to reform how government spending is managed and ensure that limited resources are allocated efficiently to key priorities and results for Canadians. This reform includes a more rigorous examination of new spending proposals and a more systematic review of ongoing spending to ensure efficient design and delivery of federal government programs. It also includes efforts to modernize the way that government financial and performance data is captured and managed in order to support stronger management oversight and reduce administrative costs.

What are the plans for meeting this priority?

  • Implement the Guideline on Chief Financial Officer Attestation for Cabinet Submissions, to provide additional clarity and further ensure a stringent and consistent approach by all departments in the costing of funding proposals;
  • Establish a new Costing Centre of Expertise within the Secretariat, to strengthen its capacity to challenge costs and improve the consistency and quality of financial information provided for decision making;
  • Implement reforms to the Estimates process, including enhanced use of electronic reporting, to support Parliament’s capacity to scrutinize, challenge and approve government expenditures;
  • Support the Treasury Board and its Subcommittee on Government Administration to review spending, including transformation and targeted initiatives and time-limited programs;  
  • Enhance the Secretariat’s monitoring and reporting of government expenditures, including the freeze on the overall federal operating budget announced in the October 2013 Speech from the Throne; and
  • Advance the transformation of the financial management function across government, to deliver standardized and streamlined business processes; more consistent and comparable financial information that better supports enterprise-level decision making; and modernized services and rationalized systems for increased efficiency.

Priority 2: Modernize people management to support a productive, high-performing and affordable public service.
Type Programs
Ongoing
  • People Management
Description

Why is this a priority?

To contribute effectively, employees need to be supported with clear goals and opportunities to learn and innovate while they deliver the quality programs and services expected by Canadians. In this context, there is a need to modernize how the government manages performance, and how it supports employee wellness and productivity. At the same time, there is a need to manage compensation in a holistic and sustainable way that aligns with modern employment conditions and current fiscal and economic realities.

What are the plans for meeting this priority?

  • Lead collective bargaining negotiations, on behalf of government, toward outcomes that are fair and reasonable for both employees and taxpayers, and that align to the government’s fiscal objectives;
  • Modernize the disability and sick leave regime, in consultation with stakeholders, to better support employee productivity, recovery and wellness;
  • Oversee public service–wide implementation of the new Directive on Performance Management, to ensure a consistent and deliberate approach to supporting and managing employee performance, while promoting and recognizing employee excellence; and
  • Continue to modernize the public service–wide people management system, to reduce enterprise-wide costs and achieve consistency in service delivery.

Priority 3: Provide leadership in information management (IM) and strategic use of information technology (IT) to enable more efficient and effective enterprise delivery of government programs and services.
Type Programs
Ongoing
  • Management Frameworks
Description

Why is this a priority?

Adopting modern, consolidated systems based on standard business processes can reduce administrative or back office costs, enhance employee productivity and reduce overall government spending in internal services.

The 2013 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada has highlighted that the government is falling behind citizens’ expectations for how government services are designed and delivered. The government must adopt new IT solutions to enable e-Services that integrate the customer experience across government programs and allow citizens and businesses to “tell us once,” securely and confidentially.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) the government endorsed in April 2012 responds to citizens’ demands for increased transparency and engagement, and commits Canada to a three-year action plan encompassing a number of departmental and government-wide horizontal initiatives.

What are the plans for meeting this priority?

  • Design a government-wide applications rationalization program, including roadmaps for the rationalization of core back office IT applications (e.g., human resources, financial management, electronic documents records management), to streamline and modernize internal systems, reduce costs, support enhanced business analytics and increased administrative efficiency;
  • Improve the government’s ability to manage IT expenditures at the enterprise level through implementation of tools and processes that will support the integration of applications portfolio management with IT investment planning;
  • Migrate department-specific information to Canada.ca, a new web presence for the Government of Canada that provides more user-friendly access to services and information, better supports mobile devices and makes greater use of social media; 
  • Develop a government-wide service strategy and new policy instruments to support enhanced digital self-service delivery;
  • Advance work on pilot programs for business (Business Number Hub) and for citizens (Federated Identity Management) to facilitate a “tell us once” approach; and
  • Continue to lead the Open Government initiative by publishing Canada’s second Action Plan on Open Government, including a progress report on existing commitments and the identification of new commitments to foster greater engagement with citizens, consistent with the core principles of the OGP.

Priority 4: Further reduce red tape for business and streamline internal government rules to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Type Programs
Ongoing
  • Management Frameworks
Description

Why is this a priority?

Bureaucratic red tape can impose needless administrative costs on the operations of Canadian business and on government itself. Left unchecked, this can have a negative impact on productivity.

Launched in October 2012, the Red Tape Reduction Action Plan is one of the most ambitious red tape–cutting initiatives in the world today. The plan sets out the government’s common-sense approach to cutting red tape so that entrepreneurs can focus on doing business and creating jobs.

At the same time, there is an opportunity to review administrative rules within government, to increase administrative efficiency and to reduce costs.

What are the plans for meeting this priority?

  • Implement the Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, including the One-for-One Rule and the Small Business Lens, to reduce regulatory red tape and support business competitiveness;
  • Introduce legislation to enshrine the One-for-One Rule in law, to ensure that for every regulation added, one must be removed;
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen and streamline the Treasury Board policy suite, to ensure that it responds to the government’s management priorities, mitigates significant risks and enhances management performance; and
  • Implement a streamlined and enhanced Management Accountability Framework, to reduce administrative burden and provide more useful information on management practices within departments and across government.

Priority 5: Continue to implement the Secretariat’s workplace renewal initiative to modernize its office space, technology and internal operations and improve efficiency.
Type Programs
Ongoing
  • All programs, including Internal Services
Description

Why is this a priority?

The continued pressure on government resources and the heightened focus on cost-containment demand that the Secretariat improve its internal efficiency and effectiveness as an organization, including its work environment, processes and technologies. By 2017, the Secretariat’s four-year workplace renewal initiative will modernize and reduce the Secretariat’s office space by 33 per cent, streamline and automate internal operations, and leverage updated technology to enhance employee productivity and collaboration and increase efficiency in support of the Secretariat’s central agency responsibilities.

What are the plans for meeting this priority?

  • Continue to implement initiatives to streamline and automate internal processes, significantly reduce paper usage, and improve efficiencies by leveraging new technologies;
  • Implement new technology, tools and practices for managing information to increase productivity and collaboration and enhance security of the Secretariat’s information; and
  • Leverage the Secretariat’s move to new office accommodations starting in 2014–15 to consolidate and reduce office space, and implement enabling technologies to support collaboration and a mobile and connected workforce.

Risk Analysis

The Secretariat actively monitors its operating environment in order to identify and manage risks that could affect progress toward its strategic outcome, organizational priorities and program expected results. Key risks are captured in the Secretariat’s Corporate Risk Profile (CRP), which is updated at least once per year. Through the most recent review of its CRP, the Secretariat identified four key risks, which are described in the table below. For each risk, a response strategy has been developed, including specific mitigation measures.

Key Risks
Risk Risk Response Strategy See footnote [2] Link to Program Alignment Architecture

1. Cyber-Security
There is a risk that a cyber-attack could breach current Government of Canada information systems and infrastructure, resulting in the compromise of sensitive data and information.

The Secretariat will work on a number of fronts to mitigate the risk of rapidly evolving cyber-threats, including:

  • Strengthening IT infrastructure;
  • Updating security policies and plans;
  • Developing tools for departments; and
  • Maintaining strong communication and collaboration with key partners (e.g., Shared Services Canada and Public Safety Canada).

Government Security (1.1.6)

2. Back Office Transformation
There is a risk that the complexity and pace of the transformation agenda may exceed departments’ and the Secretariat’s capacity to drive standardization and consolidation of the back office.

The Secretariat will provide leadership and oversight toward ensuring that government administrative reforms achieve their intended results, including:

  • Leading development and implementation of common business processes for key functions (e.g., human resources and financial management);
  • Developing strategies to enable data transfer across government;
  • Developing enterprise-wide service delivery approaches; and
  • Supporting Treasury Board oversight of transformation projects.

Management of Information Technology (1.1.5 )

Enabling Infrastructure (1.2.2)

Financial Management, Oversight, and Reporting (1.4.1)  

3. Expenditure Management
There is a risk that gaps in the Secretariat’s information and analytic capacity may limit its ability to perform a robust challenge function and to provide sound advice to ministers on costs and expenditure management.

The Secretariat will pursue initiatives to ensure that appropriate mechanisms and capacities are in place to support sound decision making on government expenditures, including:

  • Strengthening the capacity for costing analysis, both in the Secretariat and in departments and agencies;
  • Engaging departments earlier in the development of new project proposals; and
  • Continuing to monitor the implementation of government-wide cost-saving measures.

Expenditure Management (1.3)

Financial Management (1.4)  

4. High-Performing Public Service
There is a risk that there is a misalignment between the skills and abilities required for an evolving and high-performing public service and current people management policies and tools.

The Secretariat will advance a number of key reforms to ensure that government people management practices are aligned with current and future needs, including:

  • Strengthening performance management processes for employees and executives; and
  • Reviewing key leadership competencies.

Management Frameworks (1.1)  

People Management (1.2)   

Financial Management (1.4)  

For 2014–17, the Secretariat will continue to operate in a dynamic environment, as it advances key reforms to achieve modern, efficient and high-performing government. This environment, described in the following paragraphs, provides the strategic and organizational context for the Secretariat’s management of the identified risks.

Reducing the cost of government and ensuring value for taxpayer dollars is a key ongoing priority. Significant savings and efficiencies have been achieved in recent years through targeted measures (e.g., $5.2 billion in savings identified in Budget 2012). Moving forward, cost-containment considerations need to continue to be embedded in federal expenditure management processes. Providing robust cost analysis of proposed new spending, as well as continuous review of existing spending, will ensure that limited government resources are aligned to current and future needs. As a central agency, the Secretariat remains focused on ensuring that government has the comprehensive, accurate and reliable information needed to support sound financial decision making.

As the government adapts to the realities of the 21st century, the Secretariat is providing leadership to modernize people management practices. This includes reviewing and updating the current people management policies and tools to support a high-performing workforce that has the skills to meet the needs of Canadians, now and for the future. The Secretariat is also advancing reforms that promote higher productivity and performance within the public service and that ensure that compensation and benefits are sustainable for the long term. In the next round of collective bargaining, which begins in 2014, a number of key issues will be under negotiation, including reforms to the current system of sick leave and disability management and the alignment of public sector compensation and benefits within the broader employment marketplace.

The government is continuing to leverage technology to increase efficiency and reduce the administrative costs associated with its back office functions (e.g., human resources, finance and records management). This is an ongoing and challenging area of work, which involves standardizing, consolidating and simplifying the administrative processes and systems that support the operations of federal departments and agencies. The Secretariat remains focused on facilitating a strategic and coordinated approach across government, to ensure that these reforms achieve their intended results.

Finally, while rapid technological change provides opportunities for greater efficiency, it also presents potential risks from a security perspective. Rapidly evolving cyber-threats are an ongoing consideration. As the government-wide lead on IT security policy and standards, the Secretariat has a responsibility to work with other departments, including Shared Services Canada, to support a coordinated and strategic approach to government cyber-security.

Planned Expenditures

Budgetary Financial Resources ($ dollars)
2014–15
Main Estimates		 2014–15
Planned Spending		 2015–16
Planned Spending		 2016–17
Planned Spending
7,364,924,114 7,364,924,114 6,884,471,022 6,567,126,038

Human Resources (Full-time equivalents—FTEs)
2014–15 2015–16 2016–17
1891 1879 1823

Budgetary Planning Summary for Strategic Outcome and Programs (dollars)
Program 2011–12
Expenditures		 2012–13
Expenditures		 2013–14
Forecast
Spending		 2014–15
Main
Estimates		 2014–15
Planned
Spending		 2015–16
Planned
Spending		 2016–17
Planned
Spending
Management Frameworks 65,304,000 58,544,372 53,692,649 51,725,463 51,725,463 51,404,826 50,260,516
People Management 65,443,624 60,974,838 57,951,754 64,550,201 64,550,201 64,786,456 62,349,147
Expenditure Management 50,893,368 31,046,559 34,280,616 31,791,958 31,791,958 31,791,872 31,791,259
Financial Management 36,469,977 30,866,718 34,453,786 32,235,681 32,235,681 32,235,681 31,772,740
Government-Wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments 2,192,868,914 2,500,372,809 2,711,199,661 7,106,195,208 7,106,195,208 6,646,263,604 6,333,254,397
Subtotal 2,410,979,883 2,681,805,296 2,891,578,466 6,836,498,511 6,836,498,511 6,826,482,439 6,509,428,059

Internal Services 2011–12
Expenditures		 2012–13
Expenditures		 2013–14
Forecast
Spending		 2014–15
Main
Estimates		 2014–15
Planned
Spending		 2015–16
Planned
Spending		 2016–17
Planned
Spending
Subtotal 93,528,245 80,220,720 78,295,105 78,425,603 78,425,603 57,988,583 57,697,978

Budgetary Planning Summary Total
Program 2011–12
Expenditures		 2012–13
Expenditures		 2013–14
Forecast
Spending		 2014–15
Main
Estimates		 2014–15
Planned
Spending		 2015–16
Planned
Spending		 2016–17
Planned
Spending
Total 2,504,508,128 2,762,026,016 2,969,873,571 7,364,924,114 7,364,924,114 6,884,471,022 6,567,126,038

The tables above outline actual spending for 2011–12 See footnote [3] and 2012–13; forecast spending for 2013–14; the 2014–15 Main Estimates figures; and planned spending for 2014–15 and two future years. See footnote [4] Additional details regarding planned spending are discussed in Section II: Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome.

Approximately 60 per cent of the planned spending for Program 1.5 Government-Wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments is transferred to, and spent by, other departments and agencies for items such as operating and capital budget carry-forward, severance, parental benefits and compensation requirements (Votes 5, 10, 15, 25, 30 and 33). The Secretariat’s total authorities are therefore reduced accordingly. The most significant difference between the planned and the actual spending (on average $4.2 billion per year) relates to the amounts that were distributed from these votes to other departments and agencies (expenditures appear in their operating votes). The balance of funding within the program is for public service employer payments.

Actual spending for the Secretariat’s operations (Programs 1.1 to 1.4 and Program 1.6) decreased by $50 million from 2011–12 to 2012–13, largely as a result of the following:

  • One-time expenditures related to professional services costs for external experts to support the review of departmental spending across government;
  • Payouts to employees resulting from the revision of specific collective agreements;
  • Reductions related to Economic Action Plan 2012 cost-containment measures;
  • Project delays; and
  • Deferral of staffing plans.

Forecast spending for the Secretariat’s operations shows a decrease of $3 million from 2012–13 actual spending to 2013–14 forecast spending due to the following:

  • Payouts to employees resulting from the revision of specific collective agreements;
  • Reductions related to Economic Action Plan 2012 cost-containment measures; and
  • Transfers of funding to other departments.

The above decreases are offset by increases in new activities related to Workspace Renewal and the Workplace Wellness and Productivity Strategy.

An increase of $55 thousand from the 2013–14 forecast spending to the 2014–15 Main Estimates and 2014–15 planned spending is largely a result of increases in funding for Workspace Renewal. This is offset by reduced activities due to the Economic Action Plan 2012 cost-containment measures and the sunset of the Human Resources Modernization initiative and other programs.

Forecast spending for the Secretariat’s operations will decrease by $20.5 million from 2014–15 to 2016–17 due to the sunset of the Workspace Renewal initiative in 2015–16 and to the sunset of the Joint Learning and Federal Contaminated Sites programs (total $4.3 million in 2016–17).

The increase of $307.5 million to net public service employer payments from 2011–12 to 2012–13 largely resulted from a statutory payment for an actuarial adjustment made in virtue of the Public Service Superannuation Act, which was offset by a one-time payment in 2011–12 for long-term disability benefits provided under the Service Income Security Insurance Plan. The increase of $210.8 million from 2012–13 actual spending to the 2013–14 forecast includes a contingency for employee benefit plan expenses. The increase of $4.4 billion from 2013–14 to 2014–15 is due to the transfers to other departments and agencies.

The decrease of $459.9 million from 2014–15 to 2015–16 is due to a decrease of $450 million in government-wide paylist requirements (Vote 30) and to a decrease of $9.9 million in public service employer payments (Vote 20) from Strategic Review Reductions. Planned spending between 2015–16 and 2016–17 will decrease by $313 million due to a reduction of $400 million in government-wide paylist requirements (Vote 30) and will increase by $87 million as a result of expected increases in plan usage per member and unit costs, and employer contributions directly related to salaries.

Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes

2014–15 Planned Spending by Whole-of-Government-Framework Spending Area ($ dollars)
Strategic Outcome Program Spending Area Government of Canada Outcome 2014–15 Planned Spending
Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results 1.1 Management Frameworks Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 51,725,463
1.2 People Management Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 64,550,201
1.3 Expenditure Management Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 31,791,958
1.4 Financial Management Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 32,235,681
1.5 Government-Wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 7,106,195,208
1.6 Internal Services Government Affairs Well-managed and efficient government operations 78,425,603

Total Planned Spending by Spending Area ($ dollars)
Spending Area Total Planned Spending
Economic Affairs N/A
Social Affairs N/A
International Affairs N/A
Government Affairs 7,364,924,114

Departmental Spending Trend

Figure 1: Departmental Spending Trend Chart

Departmental Spending Trend Chart

Figure 1: Departmental Spending Trend Chart - Text version

For fiscal year 2014–15, the Secretariat’s total planned spending is $7.36 billion. This includes $4.84 billion, or 65.8 per cent, in centrally managed funds used to supplement the appropriations of departments and agencies.

Most of the balance of planned spending, $2.52 billion, is related to the Secretariat’s role as employer of the core public administration ($2.26 billion). These funds are used for:

  • Public service pension, benefits and insurance, including payment of the employer’s share of health, income maintenance and life insurance premiums;
  • Payments in respect of provincial health insurance;
  • Payments of provincial payroll taxes and Quebec sales tax on insurance premiums; and
  • Return to certain employees of their share of the employment insurance premium reduction.

The remaining amount ($0.26 billion) is directly related to the operations of the Secretariat and its five other programs: Management Frameworks, People Management, Expenditure Management, Financial Management and Internal Services.

Figure 2: Departmental Spending Trend for Program Expenditures (Vote 1)

Departmental Spending Trend for Program Expenditures (Vote 1)

Figure 2: Departmental Spending Trend for Program Expenditures (Vote 1) - Text version

The Secretariat’s program expenditures include salaries, non-salary costs that support its operations, and contributions to employee benefit plans for its own employees, as well as other statutory payments.

The decrease in spending from 2011–12 to 2012–13 is largely due to one-time expenditures related to professional services costs for external experts to support the review of departmental spending across government, incurred in 2011–12, and to payouts to employees resulting from the revision of specific collective agreements.

Decreases from 2012–13 to 2016–17 are mostly a result of Strategic Review 2010 reductions, transfers to Shared Services Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Economic Action Plan 2012 cost-containment measures.

Figure 3: Spending Trend for Public Service Employer Payments (Vote 20)

Spending Trend for Public Service Employer Payments (Vote 20)

Figure 3: Spending Trend for Public Service Employer Payments (Vote 20) - Text version

Expenditures for public service employer payments and statutory items include the payment of the employer’s share of contributions required under the various insurance plans sponsored by the Government of Canada. These amounts also include statutory items for payments under the Public Service Pension Adjustment Act; pay equity settlements, pursuant to section 30 of the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act; and employer contributions made under the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA), other retirement Acts and the Employment Insurance Act.

Public service employer payments increased by $307.5 million from 2011–12 to 2012–13, mostly as a result of a $443 million actuarial adjustment to employer contributions made under the PSSA. The actuarial adjustment was offset by a decrease of $112.4 million due to a one-time payment under the Service Income Security Insurance Plan and by savings in the Public Service Health Care Plan and payroll taxes. This actuarial adjustment is reflected in forecast and planned spending each year from 2013–14 to 2016–17.

Planned spending between 2015–16 and 2016–17 will increase by $87 million as a result of expected increases in plan usage per member and unit costs, and employer contributions directly related to salaries.

Estimates by Vote

For information on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s organizational appropriations, please see the 2014-15 Main Estimates publication.

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)

The 2013–16 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) tabled on November 4, 2013, guides the Government of Canada’s 2013–16 sustainable development activities. The FSDS articulates Canada’s federal sustainable development priorities for a period of three years, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. 

The Secretariat contributes to Theme IV, Shrinking the Environmental Footprint – Beginning with Government, as denoted by the visual identifier below.

Federal Sustainable Development Strategy Theme IV, Shrinking the Environmental Footprint – Beginning with Government

This contribution is a component of the Internal Services program and is further explained under “Planning Highlights” for Program 1.6: Internal Services.

The Secretariat also ensures that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets through strategic environmental assessment (SEA). An SEA for policy, plan or program proposals includes analysis of the impacts of the proposal on the environment, including on FSDS goals and targets. The results of SEAs are made public when an initiative is announced or approved, demonstrating that environmental factors were integrated into the decision-making process.

For additional details on the Secretariat’s activities to support sustainable development, please see Section II of this RPP and consult the Secretariat’s website under Contributing to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. For complete details on the FSDS, please see the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy web page.



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