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Ministers' Messages

Message from the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

I am pleased to present to Parliament the 2011-2012 Report on Plans and Priorities, which outlines the major directions of my Department for the next fiscal year.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada is responsible for many programs and services that Canadians use throughout their lives, from birth into their senior years. The Department’s mission is to build a stronger and more competitive Canada. It also is mandated to assist Canadians in making informed choices that will help them lead productive and satisfying lives.

Over the next year, the Government will be focused on job creation and growth to respond to a highly competitive job market and an economy that requires an increasingly educated, flexible and specialized labour force.

Therefore, we will be focusing our efforts in 2011-12 on the priorities of skills development, training and post-secondary education, elimination of employment barriers, labour mobility and recognition of foreign credentials.

We will also be working to improve access to services, programs and benefits to which Canadians are entitled, such as the Canada Pension Plan and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to assist the most vulnerable seniors.

The economy is—and remains—this government’s top priority. My Department will do its part to facilitate the return to a balanced budget. It will modernize its programs and practices by seeking to increase their efficiency without compromising the quality of programs and services offered to Canadians.

I firmly believe that these priorities will help us ensure that Canada has a bright and prosperous future.

The Honourable Diane Finley, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

Message from the Minister of Labour

The 2011-2012 Report on Plans and Priorities is a roadmap that enables us to better target our efforts in pursuit of our mission.

A safe, fair, and productive work environment with healthy labour relations is the key objective of this mission. The Labour Program’s priorities for the 2011-2012 fiscal year are to protect Canadian workers and employers by strengthening labour-management relations, implementing its 2010-2013 action plan, and playing a leadership role in international labour affairs.

On the national stage, it is very important that we continue to provide high-quality mediation and conciliation services to help employers and unions maintain harmonious and constructive relations, especially as we begin to see signs of recovery in our fragile economy. To that end, we will be more proactive in the delivery of our mediation services.

The Labour Program will pursue implementation of its action plan over the course of the 2010-2013 planning period. It will implement the findings of the strategic review it conducted recently, as announced in the 2010 Budget, especially the streamlining of service delivery and focusing program funding on the core mandate and priority sectors.

Lastly, the Labour Program continues to represent Canada in international labour discussions, as well as to negotiate international labour standards that advance the country's interests and values abroad. The federal government also continues with free trade negotiations. For each free trade agreement, the Labour Program starts negotiations to set up a corresponding labour cooperation agreement. Labour cooperation agreements commit parties to enforce national labour laws and provide protection for fundamental labour rights. In this way, the Labour Program contributes to improving working conditions internationally, while at the same time supporting the development of equitable global markets, which protects Canadian companies, employers and employees from unfair competition and promotes their success on the international stage.

Workplaces are constantly changing, and through these programs and activities, the Labour Program helps Canadians adjust, prosper and contribute to a productive economy. I am convinced that by working together, we will attain our objectives and all Canadians will benefit.

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour

Section I - Departmental Overview

Introduction

The Report on Plans and Priorities is Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC) key planning and priority document for 2011-2012. It provides an overview of the work of the Department, the challenges it faces, its planned expenditures and its expected results.

1.1 Raison d'être and Responsibilities

The mission of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) is to build a stronger and more competitive Canada, to support Canadians in making choices that help them live productive and rewarding lives, and to improve Canadians' quality of life. The Department delivers its mandate through three business lines: programs that support human resources and skills development, the Labour Program, and Service Canada. Together, HRSDC's three business lines deliver a range of programs and services that affect Canadians throughout their lives, including:

• Old Age Security;
• Canada Pension Plan;
• Employment Insurance;
• Canada Student Loans and Grants;
• National Child Benefit; and,
• Universal Child Care Benefit.

These direct benefits to Canadians are part of Canada's social safety net and represent almost 95% of the Department's expenditures. They provide seniors in need with basic income security, support unemployed workers in making a transition back to the labour market, help students finance their post-secondary education, and help parents who are raising young children, particularly those in low- and middle-income families.

HRSDC also provides funding to organizations and other levels of government through targeted labour market and social development programs. The focus of these programs is to improve Canada's competitiveness, build a flexible, national labour market, increase opportunities for vulnerable Canadians to participate in the labour market and society, and help Canadians become more resilient, skilled and adaptable by removing barriers to skills development and post-secondary education. Working with communities and community organizations, the Department also maintains a network of social partnerships that help address the social development needs of Canadians across the country who require support.

Through the Labour Program, HRSDC is responsible for labour laws and policies in federally regulated workplaces. Its mandate includes promoting and protecting labour standards and workplace health and safety, facilitating constructive labour relations, developing labour-related policy and program options in response to changes in economic and social conditions, providing customized information about industrial relations and workplace trends, representing Canada in international organizations dealing with labour issues, and negotiating labour cooperation agreements and cooperative frameworks with free trade partners and emerging economic partners.

Service Canada helps citizens access HRSDC's programs, as well as other Government of Canada programs and services, at more than 600 points of service across the country. In addition to in-person services, the organization serves the needs of Canadians online at www.servicecanada.gc.ca and by telephone through 1 800 O-Canada and its network of program-based call centres.

In 2011-2012, HRSDC will continue to play a key role in delivering programs and services for citizens and employers as they adapt to changing economic conditions and prepare for the future.

1.2 Program Activity Architecture and Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

Click here to enlarge

Text description of the Program Activity Architecture image

The HRSDC Program Activity Architecture (PAA) is a representation of the programs offered by HRSDC and the results (strategic outcomes) that the programs are designed to achieve for Canadians. The PAA includes a program activity for services that are internal to the Department and are important in supporting the achievement of HRSDC’s four strategic outcomes, which are further described in Section 1.3.

As denoted by ““ next to Internal Services in the graphic above, HRSDC participates in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). The Department's focus, given the nature of its mandate, will be on the fourth theme of the FSDS, “Shrinking the Environmental Footprint – Beginning with Government.” For additional details about HRSDC's activities to support sustainable development, please see http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/cs/sp/hrsd/publications/reports/sds-2011-2012/page00.shtml, and http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/publications_resources/dpr/rpp/index.shtml. For complete information about the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, please see http://www.ec.gc.ca/dd-sd/default.asp?lang=En&n=C2844D2D-1.

1.3 Planning Summary

This subsection provides a concise, high-level summary of the Department's strategic outcomes, including planned spending and performance targets for 2011-2012. More detailed information is provided in Section 2 of this report.

Strategic Outcome 1: A skilled, adaptable and inclusive labour force and an efficient labour market

To achieve this Strategic Outcome, HRSDC helps Canadians take advantage of opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, and to participate in and complete post-secondary education, by offering programs that: provide temporary income support to those who have contributed to the Employment Insurance program, while they look for work; provide loans and grants to post-secondary students; encourage Canadians to save for the post-secondary education of a child under 18 years of age; and, provide training and skills development opportunities for Canadians, working in conjunction with partners, including provincial and territorial governments and Aboriginal organizations, as well as national and community organizations. HRSDC increases participation in the labour force by: reducing barriers particularly for under-represented groups including Aboriginal people, older workers, youth, and persons with disabilities; reducing barriers to inter-provincial labour mobility; providing labour market information to Canadians and newcomers; and, facilitating the recognition of credentials and qualifications of internationally trained newcomers to Canada.
Performance Indicator	Targets
Employment Ratio: Proportion of the working-age population who are employed. Source: Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada	Maintain or increase the employment ratio Historical Results: 2009-2010: 71.3% 2008-2009: 73.2% 2007-2008: 73.7% 2006-2007: 73.1% 2005-2006: 72.6%
Percentage of the Canadian labour force (aged 25-64) that has attained a post-secondary education credential Source: Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada	66.3% Historical Results: 2009: 65.0% 2008: 64.3% 2007: 63.7% 2006: 62.8% 1990: 44.2%
Canada's ranking for the percentage of its population with post-secondary education credentials among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Education at a Glance, 2011	Continue to be ranked 1st Historical Results: 2008: 1st 2007: 1st 2006: 1st 2005: 1st 2004: 1st Note: There is a two year lag in the availability of data.

Program Activity*	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Skills and Employment	25,496.3	21,293.8	20,724.1	20,469.2	Income security and employment for Canadians
Learning	2,995.3	2,606.7	2,525.2	2,490.1	An innovative and knowledge based economy
Total Planned Spending	28,491.6	23,900.5	23,249.3	22,959.3
* For program activity descriptions, please access the Main Estimates online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/

Strategic Outcome 2: Safe, fair, and productive workplaces and cooperative workplace relations

To achieve this Strategic Outcome, the Department, through the Labour Program: develops innovative policy and program options, and explores modernizing legislation and regulations in response to changes in the workplace and employer employee relations; collects, analyses, and disseminates information about developments in collective bargaining, labour law, and trends in workplaces across Canada; provides mediation and conciliation services to federally regulated employers and unions engaged in collective bargaining; enforces compliance with occupational health and safety and labour standards, as defined under the Canada Labour Code for workplaces under federal jurisdiction; administers the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act, which regulates fair wages and labour conditions for workers on federal construction, remodelling, repair, or demolition contracts; provides tools and advice in support of employment equity, the Racism Free Workplace Strategy, and workplace diversity; administers the Federal Contractors Program; provides fire protection services in all federal government owned and leased buildings and facilities, and in schools and major public Band buildings in First Nations communities; provides oversight of the Wage Earner Protection Program; manages federal-provincial-territorial relations among Canada’s Departments of Labour; manages Canada’s participation in international labour forums; and, negotiates and implements labour cooperation agreements in the context of free trade negotiations and cooperation frameworks to advance Canada’s interests and values abroad, as well as provide strategic investments for capacity building in partner countries.
Performance Indicator	Targets
Percentage of collective bargaining disputes settled under Part I (Industrial Relations) of the Canada Labour Code without a work stoppage Source: Administrative Data	95% Historical Results: 2009 - 2010: 94% 2008 – 2009: 94% 2007 – 2008: 93% 2006 – 2007: 97% 2005 – 2006: 97%

Program Activity*	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Labour	298.3	307.1	312.5	312.4	A fair and secure marketplace
Total Planned Spending	298.3	307.1	312.5	312.4
* For program activity descriptions, please access the Main Estimates online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/

Strategic Outcome 3: Income security, access to opportunities and well-being for individuals, families and communities

To achieve this Strategic Outcome, HRSDC sets policy for and administers Canada's public pension system, which provides Canadians with retirement pensions, survivor pensions, and disability benefits through the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and Guaranteed Income Supplement. HRSDC also provides benefits through programs such as the National Child Benefit, the Universal Child Care Benefit, and the Canada Disability Savings Program, which helps Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. HRSDC is the lead federal department in Canada responsible for inter-country adoption of children and, through the Office for Disability Issues, co-ordinates the Government of Canada's efforts to promote the full participation of Canadians with disabilities in learning, work, and community life. The Department works with partners to increase access to opportunities and well-being for individuals, families, and communities through policies and programs that support: children and families; seniors; people with disabilities; communities working to address challenges they are facing; and, homeless individuals and families, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless.
Performance Indicator	Targets
Percentage of population able to purchase goods and services, which corresponds to a modest standard of living in Canada according to the Market Basket Measure (MBM)1 Source: Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, Statistics Canada, 2007	90.5% Historical Results: 2007: 89.9% 2006: 88.1% 2005: 87.6% 2004: 86.9% 2003: 86.8% Note: There is a three-year lag in the availability of data.

Program Activity*	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Income Security	68,043.6	71,485.0	75,415.9	79,726.7	Income security and employment for Canadians
Social Development	2,914.1	2,898.3	2,936.3	2,950.1	A diverse society that promotes linguistic duality and social inclusion
Total Planned Spending	70,957.7	74,383.3	78,352.2	82,676.8
1 The MBM is a measure of low income based on the cost of a specified basket of goods and services. The MBM measures the incidence, depth and persistence of low income nationally for all main age groups and genders, as well as for the five groups at high risk of persistent low income (lone parents; unattached individuals aged 45-64; persons with work-limiting disabilities, recent immigrants; and, Aboriginal people in Canada living off reserve). * For program activity descriptions, please access the Main Estimates online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/

Strategic Outcome 4: Service Excellence for Canadians

To achieve this Strategic Outcome, HRSDC, through Service Canada, connects Canadians with a wide range of programs and services offered by the Government of Canada. Through its service delivery network, it helps Canadians find information about Government of Canada programs and services, apply for benefits to which they are entitled under programs such as Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, or Employment Insurance, and access services delivered on behalf of partners, such as the Passport Receiving Agent service. The Department is committed to continual improvement in achieving excellence in the way it delivers services to Canadians. At the same time, Service Canada's connection to Canadians presents opportunities for engagement, dialogue and feedback on policy directions, program development and service delivery with respect to citizens' changing needs and expectations.
Performance Indicator	Targets
Percentage of clients whose service expectations were met Source: Client Satisfaction Survey, 2010	Targets will be set based on 2010-2011 results Historical Results: 2010 – 2011: Baseline year
Percentage of partner organizations whose service expectations were met Source: Administrative Data	Targets will be set based on 2010-2011 results Historical Results: 2010 – 2011: Baseline year

Program Activity*	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Citizen-Centred Service	529.9	431.3	430.4	422.3	A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Integrity and Processing	720.9	638.4	636.6	637.1	A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Total Planned Spending	1,250.8	1,069.7	1,067.0	1,059.4
* For program activity descriptions, please access the Main Estimates online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/

Internal Services

Internal Services are activities and resources that support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. HRSDC’s internal services include the Chief Financial Officer Branch, Human Resources Services, Legal Services, Strategic Policy and Research, Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations, Internal Audit Services, Internal Integrity and Security, Innovation and Information Technology, and the Corporate Secretariat.
Program Activity*	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Internal Services	1,016.5	859.5	860.3	834.6
Total	1,016.5	859.5	860.3	834.6
* For program activity descriptions, please access the Main Estimates online at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/

1.4 Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcomes

This subsection provides a summary of the Department's priorities. These priorities are specific activities that the Department has chosen to focus its attention and resources on in order to ensure ongoing progress across the various strategic outcomes. The priorities are not an exhaustive list of the Department's initiatives but rather, focus on the strategic activities that have been identified as crucial to the Department’s continued success.

As outlined below, the Department’s priorities are aligned with the strategic outcomes and are organized into two categories: operational priorities and management priorities. Operational priorities focus on ways to achieve better results for Canadians consistent with HRSDC’s mandate while ensuring value for money. Management priorities focus on improving the Department’s internal management practices, controls, and infrastructure in areas such as human resources, risk management and corporate services.

There is an important context to these priorities, however. Over the coming years, the Department’s focus will be to continue to deliver results for Canadians through smooth wind-down of our activities in support of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, implementation of Budget 2011 and other decisions of the government, and internal efforts to improve the efficiency of several key internal services, including human resources, finance, and information technology.

Operational Priorities	Description
Ensure the responsiveness of learning and employment related programs to evolving socio-economic conditions.	Why is this a priority? The Canadian economy continues to recover; however, global economic conditions remain uncertain. HRSDC's learning and employment-related programs must remain responsive to the needs of Canadians in providing effective income support, removing barriers to post-secondary education attainment and skills development, increasing the participation of under-represented groups in the labour force, and supporting an efficient and integrated labour market. HRSDC's programs must also address the longer-term challenges in the Canadian labour market, including skills gaps in key sectors, and a shrinking labour force due to an aging Canadian population.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Strategic Outcome 1 A skilled, adaptable and inclusive labour force and an efficient labour market. Strategic Outcome 4 Service Excellence for Canadians.
	Plans for meeting the priority Provide effective income support measures. Support Canadians' efforts to acquire post-secondary education and develop their skills. Improve the quality and dissemination of learning and labour market information.
Strengthen labour mediation and conciliation services and negotiate international labour standards.	Why is this a priority? Given the increasing complexity of the issues at the bargaining table, such as pensions, it is crucial that the Labour Program be in a position to offer timely and proactive involvement to assist in resolving workplace disputes before parties resort to work stoppages. The Government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive free trade agenda. For every Free Trade Agreement negotiation initiated, the Labour Program is required to initiate a supporting Labour Cooperation Agreement.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Strategic Outcome 2 Safe, fair, and productive workplaces and cooperative workplace relations.
	Plans for meeting the priority Provide high-quality mediation and conciliation services to assist employers and unions in settling their labour disputes. Negotiate international labour cooperation agreements.
Support communities and community organizations in their efforts to address local challenges and meet the social development needs of Canadians.	Why is this a priority? The March 2010 Speech from the Throne highlighted the need for the federal government to support communities in their efforts to address local challenges, such as partnering with innovative charities and forward-thinking private sector companies on new approaches to social challenges.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Strategic Outcome 3 Income security, access to opportunities and well-being for individuals, families and communities.
	Plans for meeting the priority Implement the new approach to the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. Strengthen social partnerships and promote contributions from different sectors of society in the development of new approaches to social challenges.
Modernize the Department's programs and services and the way in which they are delivered to support service excellence for Canadians.	Why is this a priority? As the face of government to millions of Canadians, Service Canada will move forward on its modernization of service delivery to meet the evolving needs of citizens by providing quality services and value for money to Canadians. This includes modernizing some of its largest programs (i.e., Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security), to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery and respond to changing economic conditions and demographics. Grants and contributions are a key mechanism for supporting citizens through targeted programming. The Department will be developing and implementing a second wave of improvements to strengthen the administration of these programs to deliver results for Canadians. In addition, the Labour Program will modernize its operations to position itself to respond to increased demands with respect to workplace health and safety, unjust dismissals and terminations and unpaid wages to employees.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Strategic Outcome 1 A skilled, adaptable and inclusive labour force and an efficient labour market Strategic Outcome 2 Safe, fair, and productive workplaces and cooperative workplace relations. Strategic Outcome 3 Income security, access to opportunities and well-being for individuals, families and communities. Strategic Outcome 4 Service Excellence for Canadians.
	Plans for meeting the priority Advance service delivery modernization in response to citizens' needs, and enhance internal efficiencies and the integrity of operations: Further modernize delivery of Employment Insurance; Improve Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security services and policies for seniors; and, Enhance the various service delivery channels that Canadians use to get information, programs and services, as well as the scope of the services to which Service Canada provides access. Use modern approaches and tools to deliver services and achieve compliance in the areas of workplace health and safety, employment standards and equity. Modernize and integrate federal-provincial/territorial student financial assistance programs and extend outreach on post- secondary education savings incentives. Modernize the delivery of grants and contributions through enhanced on-line delivery and reduced administrative burden for applicants and recipients.

Management Priority	Description
Continue to modernize and integrate internal service functions and systems in order to improve our ability to deliver results for Canadians.	Why is this a priority? As an essential support to service delivery, key internal services and systems, particularly those related to human resources, financial management, and information technology will be modernized. A multi-year transformation of services and key resource management systems will strengthen decision making and help ensure the Department continues to improve the way in which it delivers results for Canadians.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Internal Services Support to achieving the strategic outcomes
	Plans for meeting the priority Continue renewing the electronic corporate administrative systems that support resource planning. Continue adopting common business processes for HR, IT and financial management, including tiered service delivery.
Strengthen the Department's management practices and infrastructure, and contribute to Public Service Renewal.	Why is this a priority? This priority represents HRSDC's continuing commitments to renewal, building a healthy and enabling workplace and improving internal processes for privacy, security, integrity, and investment planning. These activities are an essential part of the Department's responsibility to ensure the sound stewardship of public funds, the integrity and value for money of its programs, and the excellence of the services it provides to Canadians.
	Link to Strategic Outcomes: Internal Services Support to achieving the strategic outcomes
	Plans for meeting the priority Pursue public service renewal through a healthy and enabled workplace, workforce development, and strengthened leadership. Improve management measures in support of legislative and policy requirements in the areas of privacy, security and internal integrity. Develop a sound multi-year Departmental investment plan.

1.5 Corporate Risk Analysis

Following the economic downturn, the Department’s emphasis for 2011-2012 will continue to be on helping Canadians respond to new labour market realities while actively preparing for jobs of tomorrow and an increasingly competitive global market. As a result of changes in the economy, the level of demand for the Department’s programs and services may fluctuate, and changes may need to be made to programs and policies to ensure Canadians’ needs are met.

The Department’s multi-year agenda, including the modernization and transformation of several key internal services over the next five years, will also bring change. The Department will take advantage of these opportunities to promote a healthy and enabled workplace as part of ongoing efforts towards public service renewal.

Considering this broader environmental context, the Department has identified the following corporate level risks and mitigation strategies for 2011-2012:

• Demand for Pensions and Benefits
• Human Resources
• Information Technology Infrastructure
• Information Management
• Financial Management

Demand for Pensions and Benefits

Moving into 2011-2012, the Department expects continued high demand for its core services.  Long-term demographic trends project continued growth in the demand for Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) services. This demographic shift will result in an increased workload as the number of applications increases, which will be difficult to manage without modernizing the way in which these programs are delivered to Canadians. To mitigate this risk, HRSDC will modernize the administration and delivery of OAS, CPP and CPPD over time. Efforts will concentrate on aligning resources towards improving the client and stakeholder experience as well as simplifying the application process.  

In addition to these specific mitigation activities, the Department has already implemented a broad-based strategy to support effective workload management throughout its service delivery network. To maintain service standards, the Department has optimized its processing and service delivery operations across the country and is improving Internet services to enable greater citizen self-service.

Human Resources

As with the rest of the Canadian population, the Department's workforce is aging, and turnover also remains high. Given these trends, there is increasing pressure to manage organizational renewal and change in a more systematic manner in order to have the right people in place, at the right time to deliver on the Department's mandate.

To mitigate this risk, the Department will continue to implement its Renewal and Excellence Action Plan, which focuses on improving the resilience and strength of the Department’s workforce. A greater focus will be placed on integrated business planning to better align human resource requirements to the evolving needs of the organization.

Further, HRSDC will continue to build an enabled workplace and a workforce with strong executive and managerial leadership. Moving forward, this will involve building the skills of employees, creating an environment that facilitates employee empowerment and engagement, and encouraging creativity, innovation and forward-looking policies.

Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure

HRSDC’s IT infrastructure is aging and must be upgraded to meet an increased demand for service and support of new automated business processes. The Department will continue to invest in infrastructure, including planned roll-out of ongoing improvement in Information Technology Assets to replace aging equipment and support the modernization of the Department’s programs, service delivery operations and internal services.

Information Management

HRSDC has a broad mandate and offers a wide array of programs and services to Canadians. These programs are accompanied by a need for detailed and accurate record-keeping practices. At present, the approach to record-keeping varies from one program to another. Greater standardization is required to reduce the amount of time and effort required to provide timely and accurate information in the course of serving Canadians, as well as in managing departmental resources (human, financial and material) and in reporting to Parliament.

To mitigate this risk, the Department will implement an information management strategy, including training and awareness-raising activities that will aim to improve information management and record keeping practices in the Department, while also moving to electronic imaging of paper files. This will improve the integrity, security and automation of record-keeping, which is essential to ensuring compliance with the Treasury Board Secretariat's directive on record-keeping.

In particular, the Department will work to reduce risks related to the management of personal information by increasing awareness through training and ensuring that the appropriate structures are in place to support the proper management of personal information.

Financial Management

Treasury Board has recently implemented new standards for financial management controls across the Government of Canada to support ongoing stewardship, value for money and service excellence. In order to comply with the new standards, HRSDC will develop additional financial management capacity through initiatives such as staff development and a new structural model for its Chief Financial Officer Branch. The Department will also work to strengthen the Financial Management Framework through work on items such as control frameworks, risk registers and audit readiness. Finally, the Department will take steps to replace its existing Corporate Management System to improve the security, effectiveness and utility of its financial administrative system.

1.6 Expenditure Profile

For 2011-2012, the Department has planned expenditures on programs and services of more than $101.1B. Of that amount, $95.8B directly benefit Canadians through statutory transfer payment programs, such as Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Universal Child Care Benefit, Old Age Security, as well as loans disbursed under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act.

Financial Resources ($ millions)

2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
101,156.2	104,460.8	108,473.9

Human Resources (FTEs)

2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
23,955	23,815	23,587

CONSOLIDATED TOTAL: $101,156.2 M

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - Gross Expenditures (in millions of dollars)
Budgetary
Net Operating Costs		1,111.1
Add Recoveries in relation to:
Canada Pension Plan	258.0
Employment Insurance Account	1,318.3
Workers' Compensation	126.4
Other Government Departments	14.4	1,717.1
Gross Operating Costs		2,828.2
Voted Grants and Contributions		1,902.4
Total Gross Expenditures		4,730.6
Other - Workers' Compensation and EI/CPP Charges and Recoveries		636.1
Non-Budgetary
Loans disbursed under Canada Student Financial Assistance Act (CSFAA)		816.1
Statutory Transfer Payments (in millions of dollars)
Grants and Contributions:
Old Age Security		29,162.2
Guaranteed Income Supplement		8,429.8
Allowance		534.3
Other Statutory Payments:
Universal Child Care Benefit	2,660.0
Canada Student Loans	894.1
Canada Education Savings Grant	660.0
Canada Disability Savings Program	83.0
Canada Learning Bond	76.0
Wage Earner Protection Program	56.2
Pathways to Education	6.0	4,435.3
Sub-Total		42,561.6
Canada Pension Plan benefits		33,222.3
Employment Insurance benefits
Part I	17,030.0
Part II	2,121.8	19,151.8
Other Specified Purpose Accounts		37.7a
Total Statutory Transfer Payments		94,973.4
a This amount includes payments related to Government Annuities Account, the Civil Service Insurance Fund and the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation Excellence Awards Funds.

The figure below illustrates the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada spending trend from 2007-2008 to 2013-2014. For the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada plans to spend $101 billion to meet the expected results of its program activities.

For the 2007-2008 to 2010-2011 periods, the total spending includes all Parliamentary appropriation and revenue sources, Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates. For the 2011-2012 to 2013-2014 periods, total spending corresponds to the planned spending.

Spending Trend

Total Consolidated Expenditures (in millions of dollars)

Actual Spending			Forecast Spending	Planned Spending
2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014
84,504.4	88,264.2	97,402.7	102,655.7	101,156.2	104,460.8	108,473.9

Actual expenditures for 2008-2009 were $3.8 billion higher than actual expenditures for 2007-2008, mainly as a result of a $2.0 billion increase in EI benefits and a $1.5 billion increase in CPP benefits. In addition, Old Age Security payments were $1.4 billion higher over the same time frame due to a change in the number of beneficiaries. These increases were offset by a $1.8 billion decrease in spending from 2007-2008 related to the administration and delivery by Service Canada of Common Experience Payments, one of the five components included in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

In 2009-2010, actual expenditures were $9.1 billion higher than in 2008-2009. This increase can be mainly explained by a $3.6 billion increase in EI benefits and administrative costs due to the economic downturn, a $2.3 billion increase for initiatives announced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan, a $1.4 billion increase in CPP benefits and a $1.3 billion increase in Old Age Security payments due to changes in the number of beneficiaries and the average monthly rate.

From 2009-2010 actual expenditures to 2010-2011, the increase of $5.3 billion in forecasted spending is mainly due to $2.9 billion for the provision of funds for enhanced Employment Insurance benefits in accordance with the Budget Implementation Act (2009), $1.6 billion in Old Age Security benefits payments and $0.3 billion in grants and contributions mainly for measures announced in the Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

Increases in planned spending are explained by changes in Old Age Security average rates of payment and population, and to increases in Canada Pension Plan benefits which reflect forecast of clients’ population and average benefit payments.

Estimates by Vote

For information about the Department’s organizational votes or statutory expenditures, please see the 2011–2012 Main Estimates publication. An electronic version of the Main Estimates is available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20112012/me-bpd/toc-tdm-eng.asp

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