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2008-09
Departmental Performance Report

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Supplementary Information (Tables)

Table 2: Details of Transfer Payment Programs (TPPs)

1. Name of Transfer Payment Program: Reimbursements to candidates, parties and auditors, and allowances to eligible political parties (new political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act)
2. Start Date: Ongoing	3. End Date: Ongoing
4. Description: Elections Canada�s role is to administer the Canada Elections Act, which has three main objectives: fairness, transparency and participation. To promote fairness and participation, the Act provides for reimbursement of election expenses to candidates and parties, and a subsidy for certain auditors� fees. A candidate who is elected or received at least 10 percent of the valid votes cast in an election is entitled to a reimbursement of 60 percent of the election expenses limit. A registered party is eligible for reimbursement of election expenses if the party obtained 2 percent or more of the total valid votes cast nationally or 5 percent of the valid votes cast in electoral districts where the party endorsed candidates. The Act provides for a subsidy, equal to the lesser of $1,500 or 3 percent of the candidate�s election expenses, but a minimum of $250, to be paid out of public funds directly to the candidate�s auditor. A registered association that has, in a fiscal period, accepted contributions or incurred expenses of $5,000 or more in total (less transfers to other political entities) must obtain an audit report that provides an opinion as to whether the Registered Association Financial Transactions Return fairly presents the information contained in the financial records on which it is based. When an audit of this return is required, the Act provides for a subsidy of a maximum of $1,500 for that audit. This amount is paid out of public funds directly to the electoral district association�s auditor after the Chief Electoral Officer has received the return, the auditor�s report and other documents that must accompany the return. For eligible political parties, the Act also provides for the payment of a quarterly allowance according to the following formula: a registered political party that obtained at least 2 percent of the total valid votes cast in a general election, or 5 percent of the valid votes cast in the ridings where it presented candidates, has the right to a quarterly allowance that is calculated as the product of $0.4375 multiplied by the number of valid votes cast in the most recent general election preceding that quarter and the inflation adjustment factor that is in effect for that quarter.
5. Strategic Outcomes: To maintain and strengthen the recognition among Canadians, whether they are electors or other participants in the electoral process, that we administer the Canada Elections Act in a fair, consistent, effective and transparent manner.
6. Results Achieved: In accordance with the Act, Elections Canada issued election expense reimbursements to eligible candidates, audit subsidies to candidates� and registered electoral district associations� auditors and quarterly allowances to eligible registered parties.

($ thousands)	7. Actual Spending 2006�07	8. Actual Spending 2007�08	9. Planned Spending 2008�09	10. Total Authorities 2008�09	11. Actual Spending 2008�09	12. Variance(s) Between Columns 9 and 11
13. General elections and by-elections
Candidates	(684)	158		27,715	27,715	(27,715)
Political parties	(816)	4		29,182	29,182	(29,182)
Candidates� auditors	(246)	51		1,269	1,269	(1,269)
14. Quarterly allowances
Allowance to eligible political parties	27,452	28,016	28,768	28,151	28,151	617
15. Electoral district associations� auditors
Electoral district associations� auditors	879	804	1,000	825	825	175
16. Total TPP	26,585	29,033	29,768	87,142	87,142	(57,374)

Table 10: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
No recommendations were received.

Response to the Auditor General (Including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Name of Audit: Managing Identity information This audit examined identity information databases of the Canada Revenue Agency, Elections Canada, Passport Canada and Service Canada. The audit looked at whether the four institutions manage identity information as a valuable asset, collecting only what is relevant to their programs or activities and using practices that are adequate to ensure the quality of the information. The audit also examined collaboration among departments to manage identity information efficiently. Overall, the audit found that the institutions examined collect and manage selected identity information as a valuable asset, with a few exceptions. The audit found that Elections Canada has an adequate quality management system. The audit also found that information received from provincial and territorial driver's licence registries (and in some cases through provincial electoral agencies) includes individuals under the age of 18 � information that Elections Canada does not have the authority to collect, since these individuals are known not to be electors. Elections Canada has responded to the report with an action plan to ensure that it collects only the identity information permitted by the Canada Elections Act. The Office of the Auditor General tabled this audit on February 12, 2009. For more information, please visit the Office's Web page using the link below. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/oth_200902_e_32154.html

Response to the Auditor General (Including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Name of Audit: Managing Identity information

This audit examined identity information databases of the Canada Revenue Agency, Elections Canada, Passport Canada and Service Canada. The audit looked at whether the four institutions manage identity information as a valuable asset, collecting only what is relevant to their programs or activities and using practices that are adequate to ensure the quality of the information. The audit also examined collaboration among departments to manage identity information efficiently.

Overall, the audit found that the institutions examined collect and manage selected identity information as a valuable asset, with a few exceptions. The audit found that Elections Canada has an adequate quality management system. The audit also found that information received from provincial and territorial driver's licence registries (and in some cases through provincial electoral agencies) includes individuals under the age of 18 � information that Elections Canada does not have the authority to collect, since these individuals are known not to be electors.

Elections Canada has responded to the report with an action plan to ensure that it collects only the identity information permitted by the Canada Elections Act.

The Office of the Auditor General tabled this audit on February 12, 2009.

For more information, please visit the Office's Web page using the link below.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/oth_200902_e_32154.html

Response to External Audits (Note: These refer to other audits conducted by organizations such as the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Name of Audit: Privacy Management Frameworks of Selected Federal Institutions (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada examined Elections Canada, Passport Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada to assess whether these agencies, which operate databases housing vast quantities of personal information, treat the information in a manner that safeguards the privacy of Canadians. The audit found that Elections Canada is aware of privacy as an important consideration in the programs they deliver and in their business activities. Elections Canada has also undertaken some positive measures to mitigate privacy and security risks. The design of Elections Canada's security measures with respect to the internal management of the National Register of Electors is adequate. The audit also made recommendations to help the agency improve its privacy management frameworks. The recommendations cover governance structure and accountability, privacy training, privacy risks in ongoing operations, meaningful consent of electors for inclusion in the National Register of Electors and information collection and sharing agreements. Elections Canada recognizes the importance of the elector information entrusted to it, as this information is central to the administration of the electoral process. Security of personal information has always been a priority because it is essential to preserving elector confidence in that process. Elections Canada welcomes the observations of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to help strengthen its privacy management frameworks. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada tabled this audit on February 12, 2009. For more information, please visit the Office's Web page using the link below. www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/ar-vr/pmf_20090212_e.cfm

Response to External Audits (Note: These refer to other audits conducted by organizations such as the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)

Name of Audit: Privacy Management Frameworks of Selected Federal Institutions (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada)

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada examined Elections Canada, Passport Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada to assess whether these agencies, which operate databases housing vast quantities of personal information, treat the information in a manner that safeguards the privacy of Canadians.

The audit found that Elections Canada is aware of privacy as an important consideration in the programs they deliver and in their business activities. Elections Canada has also undertaken some positive measures to mitigate privacy and security risks. The design of Elections Canada's security measures with respect to the internal management of the National Register of Electors is adequate. The audit also made recommendations to help the agency improve its privacy management frameworks. The recommendations cover governance structure and accountability, privacy training, privacy risks in ongoing operations, meaningful consent of electors for inclusion in the National Register of Electors and information collection and sharing agreements.

Elections Canada recognizes the importance of the elector information entrusted to it, as this information is central to the administration of the electoral process. Security of personal information has always been a priority because it is essential to preserving elector confidence in that process. Elections Canada welcomes the observations of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to help strengthen its privacy management frameworks.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada tabled this audit on February 12, 2009.

For more information, please visit the Office's Web page using the link below.

www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/ar-vr/pmf_20090212_e.cfm

**Table 11: Internal Audits and Evaluations**
1. Name of Internal Audit	2. Audit Type	3. Status	4. Completion Date
Audit of the IT Integrated Program Office	Information Management/ Information Technology (IM/IT)	Complete	April 2009
Audit of the Management of Returning Officers	Program	In progress	August 2009
Audit of the Special Voting Rules (SVR) System Redevelopment Project	IM/IT	Planned	2009�10, 3rd quarter
Audit of Returning Officers� Management Practices	Program	Planned	2009�10, 4th quarter
Audit of the IT Business Continuity Plan	IM/IT	Planned	2009�10, 4th quarter
Audit of the Management of the Human Resources Information System	Management	Planned	2009�10, 4th quarter