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Chair’s Message

I am pleased to introduce the Departmental Performance Report of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC or the Committee) for the fiscal year 2010-11.

As Chair of the Committee, I take pride in SIRC’s commitment to building and maintaining the public’s trust that CSIS’s activities are carried out in a lawful, effective and appropriate manner. This independent assurance to the Parliament of Canada helps to ensure that the Service remains accountable to Parliament and to the citizens of Canada.

As a reflection of that commitment, for the first time in several years, SIRC achieved near-full staffing levels by the end of the fiscal year. This investment in our human resources has allowed SIRC to undertake more comprehensive and in-depth reviews of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s activities and to expand the Committee’s efforts to engage the Canadian public in discussions on today’s challenges in the world of security intelligence and where those challenges might take us as a society.

Our work is intended to provide expert advice to policymakers and lawmakers on CSIS’s performance, but also to reassure Canadians that CSIS investigates threats to national security in a manner that respects Canada’s core democratic values. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (CSIS Act) continues to guide SIRC’s work in assessing CSIS’s performance against the mandate and authorities conferred upon it by Parliament in 1984. The Committee embraces the belief that balancing collective public safety with individual rights is a hallmark of Canada’s democratic values and aspirations. It is a theme that I am confident will continue to guide SIRC’s work in the future.

_______________________________
Honourable Arthur T. Porter, P.C., M.D.
Chair

Section I: Organizational Overview

Raison d’être

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) performs its duties and functions in accordance with the law, policy and Ministerial direction.

Responsibilities

The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC or the Committee) is a small, independent review body that reports to Parliament on the operations of the CSIS. It was established at the same time that CSIS was created, in 1984, and derives its powers from the same legislation, the CSIS Act.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

Text Version

The above chart illustrates SIRC’s framework of program activities, which roll up and contribute to progress toward the organization’s Strategic Outcome.

Organizational Priorities

Performance/Priority Status Legend

Exceeded: More than 100 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) was achieved during the fiscal year.

Met all: 100 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.

Mostly met: 80 to 99 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.

Somewhat met: 60 to 79 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.

Not met: Less than 60 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.

Priority	Type1	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)	Status
Continuous improvement for reviews and complaints	Ongoing	The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.	Met all: SIRC continued to refine its research methodology by drawing on various social scientific approaches and methods, as well as other audit models. SIRC drew on an increasingly large pool of information - including comprehensive CSIS briefings, legislation and court decisions - to complete thorough, timely and topical reviews of CSIS’s performance. SIRC researchers enhanced their knowledge of the security intelligence environment by attending conferences, seminars and panel discussions. In regard to complaint investigations, SIRC standardized the process whereby the parties are encouraged to make representations on SIRC’s jurisdiction to investigate the complaints. SIRC Members including two who were appointed during the review period, received customized one-on-one legal training, to assist them in presiding over hearings in a fair and timely manner.
Improved corporate management	Ongoing	Internal Services	Met all: SIRC finalized both its Human Resources Authorities chart and its Financial Delegation document. SIRC developed and finalized an internal policy on the use of acquisition cards and created a new budget-tracking tool to facilitate the collection and management of financial information. SIRC finalized its Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and began a cycle of regular BCP updates. SIRC completed its Investment Plan.

Risk Analysis

The magnitude of change that has taken place in the security and intelligence community over the past ten years, and the pace of those changes, have given rise to many challenges. These have been most visible in the O’Connor, Major and Iacobucci Commissions of Inquiry and the engagement of the courts in national security issues, as expressed in a number of landmark judicial decisions.

Questions regarding the mandate and performance of Canada’s national security apparatus have been raised in public and parliamentary debates, driven partly by the high-profile judicial inquiries cited above. Calls for taking stock have come from a range of sources, including CSIS itself. SIRC continues to monitor discussion and debate about potential and ongoing government initiatives that may impact upon the nature and scope of SIRC's own reviews and complaints investigation processes.

SIRC continues to adjust its focus to account for CSIS's involvement in new operating environments. SIRC's review function has been adapting to these changes to ensure regular examination of all CSIS operations and activities.

The Federal Court is seized of two judicial review applications, one of which raises SIRC’s jurisdiction to consider the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the course of its investigations. The result of the federal Court ruling will have a direct impact on the future of complaints investigations by SIRC.

Given its very small staff complement, SIRC remains vulnerable to the loss of corporate memory that could result from even a minor staff turnover. As such, staff retention and cross-training remains a priority. SIRC completed this review period with a near-full complement of staff which positions it will for the next year.

Finally, as with all micro-agencies, meeting central agency reporting requirements provides constant challenges for SIRC.

Summary of Performance

2010–11 Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
2,996	3,139	2,683

2010–11 Human Resources (full-time equivalents—FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
21	16	-5

Strategic Outcome: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) carries out its mandate to investigate and report on threats to national security in a manner that respects the rule of law and the rights of Canadians.

Performance Indicators	Targets	2010–11 Performance
CSIS activities were appropriate, effective and in compliance with the CSIS Act	No major incidents of non-compliance by CSIS	SIRC review findings and the results of complaint investigations found no major incidents of non-compliance by CSIS.

Program Activity	2009–10 Actual Spending (thousands of dollars)	2010–112 (thousands of dollars)				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcome
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Reviews	836	1,626	1,626	1,654	1,039	A safe and secure Canada
Complaints	577	580	580	618	597	A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Total	1,413	2,206	2,206	2,272	1,636

Program Activity	2009–10 Actual Spending (thousands of dollars)	2010–11 (thousands of dollars)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Internal Services	942	790	790	867	1,047

Expenditure Profile

SIRC’s planning and budgetary profile has remained fairly constant, with a slight increase, over the four years outlined in the chart. However, actual spending is directly proportional with SIRC staffing levels. During the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years, the Committee struggled to fill vacancies created by departing staff and other leave without pay situations which resulted in lower than projected expenditures for those years.

Departmental Spending Trend
(thousands of dollars)

Text Version

Estimates by Vote

For information on our organizational Votes and/or statutory expenditures, please see the 2010–11 Public Accounts of Canada (Volume II) publication. An electronic version of the Public Accounts is available on the Public Works and Government Services Canada website.³

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