ARCHIVED - Office of the Communications Security Establishment Commissioner - Report

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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome

The strategic outcome of the Office is that the Communications Security Establishment Canada performs its duties and functions in accordance with the laws of Canada.  This includes safeguarding the privacy of Canadians.

The following section describes the office's program activities and identifies the expected results, performance indicators and targets for each of them.  This section also explains how the office plans on meeting the expected results and presents the financial and non-financial resources that will be dedicated to each program activity.

This section will contain a discussion of the office's two Program Activities:

• Review Program

• Internal Services

Additional information on the office's operations, methodology and results can be found on the Commissioner's website (www.ocsec-bccst.gc.ca).

Program Activity Description

Program Activity: Review Program

The review program includes research, monitoring, planning, the conduct of reviews and the reporting of results.  In addition, it also includes consultations and communications with CSEC officials, with other review bodies and other government officials, as required.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
1,435	1,435	1,435

Human Resources (FTEs)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
7	8	8

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Reviews are completed within targeted time frames as established by the Commissioner	% of reviews completed within targeted time frames	80%
Recommendations resulting from the reviews conducted are accepted and implemented	% of recommendations implemented	80%
Negative findings addressed	% of negative findings addressed	80%

Commissioner's Office Review Program – Logic Model

The following logic model provides a graphic description of how the review program functions.

Planning Highlights

In order to achieve the expected result, the office plans to undertake the following activities:

• The Commissioner remains prepared to speak to amendments to the National Defence Act when they are introduced in Parliament.      
• The office will strengthen its review process by:
  • continuing to review and strengthen the risk assessment process for selecting and prioritizing areas and activities for review;
  • updating its operational policies and practices to improve the quality of its review process in order to ensure that its findings and recommendations are accurate, fair, complete and supportable; 
  • providing training and mentoring opportunities for the review staff to upgrade their skill sets related to the effective performance of reviews;
  • expanding the capacity of the review process by adding an additional full-time review officer.
• A pre-requisite to the effectiveness of the office's review process and the successful discharge of its mandate is a professional, tough but fair working relationship with CSEC.  Briefings, presentations, training, information sessions, roundtables will be continued between the two organizations.
• Canada is hosting in the spring of 2012 the International Intelligence Review Agencies Conference. The office will be contributing substantially to the conference, which is a major forum for the discussion of issues of mutual interest and concern, and the sharing of best practices in review methodologies.

The office's review program activity supports the Commissioner in his ability to provide assurance to the Minister and through him to Parliament and to all Canadians that the activities undertaken by CSEC are in compliance with the law and that the privacy of Canadians has been safeguarded.  If the Commissioner determines that CSEC may not have complied with the law, he is required by legislation to inform the Minister and the Attorney General.

Program Activity: Internal Services

Internal Services are those operations and resources that support the needs of the office's review program and respond to the requirements of the central agencies.  These operations include administration, human resources, finance, security, information management, and information technology.

Program Activity: Internal Services
Human Resources and Planned Spending ($ thousands) 

2012–13		2013–14		2014–15
FTE's	Planned Spending	FTE's	Planned Spending	FTE's	Planned Spending
3	650	3	650	3	650

Planning Highlights

The office is a micro agency with 3 planned resources devoted to internal services.  Several of the internal services that are not required on a full-time basis are provided through contractual arrangements with specialized service providers – security, informatics and technical services, human resources and finance. 

It is important that the office maintains a management and operational framework that ensures that all the internal services are effectively provided to the Commissioner and to the review program while at the same time is capable of responding to the ever growing demands of the central agencies for increased transparency and accountability. 

In order to effectively meet both the internal and external demands on internal services, the office plans to undertake the following activities:

• define more clearly roles and responsibilities for all internal services;
• provide for training programs for staff to ensure that all internal services can be delivered effectively, efficiently and in compliance with the requirements of the central agencies;
• create and/or update administrative policies and procedures;
• establish a performance measurement framework to adequately address the delivery of internal services;
• work closely with PWGSC to ensure that the fit-up of the additional office space is completed during 2012-13.

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