ARCHIVED - Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada - Report

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Section II — Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

The following section describes the program activities of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL) and identifies expected results, performance indicators and targets. This section also explains how the OCL plans to meet its expected results and presents the financial and non-financial resources that will be dedicated to each program activity.

This section contains a discussion of plans surrounding the following program activities:

• Registration of Lobbyists;

• Education and Research;

• Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct; and

• Internal Services.

Registration of Lobbyists

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands)
2011–12		2012–13		2013–14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
6	1,072	6	1,072	6	1,072

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Lobbyists can register in accordance with the requirements of the Lobbying Act.	Percentage of registrations that are processed in accordance with client service standards.	100% of registrations received are processed in accordance with client service standards.
Canadians have access to information about lobbyists and lobbying activities.	Online availability of the Registry of Lobbyists.	The Registry of Lobbyists is available to the public 95-98% of the time.

Program Activity Summary: Lobbying the federal government is a legitimate activity which must be done transparently. The Lobbying Act requires that individuals who are paid to lobby public office holders disclose their lobbying activities. The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying reviews all lobbyists' registrations for completeness and makes them accessible to the public through an online registry, the Lobbyists Registration System (LRS). The performance of this program activity is measured by specific indicators, such as the percentage of registrations that are processed within established service standards.
The OCL devotes considerable efforts to ensuring the integrity of the LRS through a quality assurance program. It also works at improving the accessibility of the Registry of Lobbyists through the development of new functionalities aimed at improving user-friendliness.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected results, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• An internal audit of the LRS to ensure its data integrity, dependability and responsiveness to user requirements.
• Implementation and monitoring of service standards in relation to the processing of lobbyists' registrations.
• Improvements to the capability and user-friendliness of the search function of the Registry.
• Improvements to the reporting capability of the LRS, including the range of available statistical information.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity directly contributes to greater transparency of lobbying activities at the federal level which, in turn, increases the confidence of Canadians in federal institutions and in the integrity of government decision-making.

Education and Research

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands)
2011–12		2012–13		2013–14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
7	916	7	916	7	916

Expected Result	Performance Indicator	Target
Lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public are aware of the scope and requirements of the Lobbying Act.	Awareness of the Act on the part of lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public is medium to high.	80% say that their awareness is medium to high.

Program Activity Summary: The Lobbying Act provides the Commissioner of Lobbying with a mandate to develop and implement educational programs to ensure that lobbying activities at the federal level are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner, in compliance with the requirements of the Act. The Education and Research Program Activity includes the development and implementation of an outreach strategy to educate lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public about registration requirements under the Lobbying Act.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected result, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• Refine the OCL outreach strategy to identify and reach out to selected stakeholder groups across the country.
• Use web-based and other electronic approaches to reach large groups of stakeholders in an effective and cost-efficient manner, including revitalizing and reorganizing the OCL website to improve functionality and navigability.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity contributes to greater awareness of the requirements of the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct in order to increase accountability and transparency in the lobbying of federal public office holders, which, in turn, increases the confidence of Canadians in federal institutions and in the integrity of government decision-making.

Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands)
2011–12		2012–13		2013–14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
9	1,137	9	1,137	9	1,137

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Suspected, alleged or known breaches of the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct are reviewed or investigated and appropriate measures taken to ensure compliance.	Percentage of suspected, alleged or known breaches of the Act or Code that are subject to review or investigation.	100% of suspected, alleged, or known breaches are subject to review or investigation.
Exemptions from the five-year prohibition are granted or denied in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Lobbying Act.	Percentage of exemption reviews completed in compliance with service standards.	100% of exemption reviews are completed in compliance with service standards.

Program Activity Summary: This program activity includes a range of activities to ensure compliance with the Lobbying Act (the Act) and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct (the Code), such as monitoring of lobbying activities reported in the media, validation of selected monthly communication returns, review of applications for exemption from the five-year prohibition on lobbying, and investigations of allegations of non-compliance with the Act or the Code. Reports are submitted to the Commissioner to recommend appropriate compliance measures.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected results, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• Investigate alleged breaches of the Act and the Code, recommend appropriate compliance measures and communicate results.
• Review applications for exemption from the five-year prohibition on lobbying and provide timely and informative recommendation reports.
• Implement an automated Case Management System to facilitate priority setting, planning, tracking and reporting of reviews and investigations and other Directorate activities.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity contributes to public confidence in decisions made by federal institutions by ensuring that lobbying activities are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Act, and that lobbyists adhere to the principles and rules set out in the Code. Compliance with the Act and the Code leads to accountability and transparency in the lobbying of public office holders.

Internal Services

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands)
2011–12		2012–13		2013–14
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
6	1,512	6	1,512	6	1,512

Program Activity Summary: Internal Services are activities that support programs and corporate obligations of the organization. They include activities such as: Management and Oversight Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management; and Information Technology Services. Internal Services include only activities and resources that apply across the organization and not to those provided specifically to a program activity.

Given the mandate of the OCL to develop and implement educational programs to foster public awareness of the requirements of the Lobbying Act, Communications Services are not included in Internal Services, but rather form part of the Education and Research Program Activity.

Planning Highlights: The OCL will continue to strengthen its management accountability framework, including reporting instruments such as Performance Measurement Framework, Corporate Risk Profile, Integrated Business and Human Resources Plan, and Information Management/Information Technology Strategic Plan.

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