Federal Councils and External Relations

The Federal Councils and External Relations Division (FCER) facilitates the Treasury Board Secretariat's (TBS) working relationships with key federal, provincial / territorial, and international partners and stakeholders to promote more effective, responsive, and integrated approaches to developing and delivering federal programs and services, managing horizontal initiatives, and communicating federal activities.

There are four core elements to the FCER mandate:

• Regional Federal Councils: FCER facilitates inter-departmental and inter-regional coordination among federal departments and agencies in the regions, as well as between the regions and Ottawa, by providing a national level coordinating, integrating, and facilitating function in support of 13 Regional Federal Councils and the Secretariats that support them. 
• Regional Communications Network: The FCER Division is responsible for the TBS Regional Communications Network (TBS RCN), which provides strategic communications advice, regional intelligence, expertise, tools and support to horizontal organizations such as TBS’s portfolio partners, the Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance Canada, Regional Ministers’ Offices, Regional Federal Councils, and Federal Communications Councils. Established in every province and territory, the TBS RCN is uniquely positioned to provide a whole-of-government approach to the regional communication of federal policies and priorities.
• International Relations: FCER provides a window on the world of public sector reform and innovation by managing TBS's international bilateral agreements, international visits, memberships, and networks to support TBS priorities and to ensure consistency and coherence to TBS international activities. 
• Provincial/Territorial Relations: FCER coordinates TBS's effective working relationships with key provincial / territorial partners and stakeholders to facilitate information exchanges in areas of common interest, sharing best practices and lessons learned, and preparing for upcoming challenges.

For more information about FCER, please contact Sandra LaFortune, Director, at (613) 957-0141; or by e-mail at: Lafortune.Sandra@tbs-sct.gc.ca.