ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Transportation Safety Board of Canada

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Section 2 - Analysis of Program Activity

2.1 Strategic Outcome

The TSB has one strategic outcome: to advance transportation safety, thereby reducing risks to people, property and the environment. This strategic outcome is reflected in the TSB mission statement:

We conduct independent safety investigations and communicate risks in the transportation system.

This strategic outcome is aligned with the broader Government of Canada outcome of "safe and secure communities."

2.2 Program Activity

The TSB also has only one program activity: safety investigations. The TSB conducts independent safety investigations into transportation occurrences in the federally regulated elements of the marine, pipeline, rail and air transportation systems to identify causes and contributing factors; formulates recommendations to improve safety; publishes investigation reports; and communicates safety information to stakeholders.

The expected results of safety investigations are:

• the timely implementation of safety actions by stakeholders to improve transportation safety for Canadians; and
• increased awareness of safety issues and a strengthened safety culture on the part of governments, industry and the public.

All five priorities identified in section 1 are aimed at supporting and enhancing the TSB's ability to conduct safety investigations and to communicate safety information.

2.3 Key Service Areas

In order to optimize the use of resources and to effectively respond to its stakeholders, the TSB has defined four key service areas based on the four transportation modes included in its mandate: marine, pipeline, rail and air. This approach enables alignment with the transportation industry and the way it operates. Resources are therefore allocated and managed separately for each of these key service areas.

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Key Service Areas	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Marine	6,995	6,976	6,939
Pipeline	758	634	631
Rail	6,189	6,025	5,992
Air	18,372	18,076	17,977
Total	32,314	31,711	31,539

Human Resources (FTE)

Key Service Areas	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Marine	58	58	58
Pipeline	5	5	5
Rail	52	52	52
Air	125	125	125
Total	240	240	240

Activities carried out in all four key service areas are basically the same. Dedicated personnel collect information on occurrences, conduct investigations and analyses, identify safety deficiencies, draft investigation reports and communicate key safety information to stakeholders. Other specialized personnel, such as engineering, human performance, corporate services and communications staff, provide a full range of support services to all four key service areas.

2.4 Planning Context

The TSB is primarily funded by Parliament through an operating expenditures vote and, as a departmental corporation, it has authority to spend revenues received during the year. The TSB operates within the context of Canada's very large, complex, dynamic and ever-changing transportation system. For more details on the operating context, see the Transport Canada website and the National Energy Board website.

Many individuals and groups cooperate with the TSB in the fulfillment of its mandate. During the course of an investigation, the TSB interacts directly with:

• individuals, such as survivors, witnesses and next-of-kin;
• operators;
• other organizations and agencies, such as coroners, police, manufacturers, owners and insurance companies; and
• other federal government departments and agencies.

Their cooperation is essential to the conduct of the TSB's business, whether they contribute information or support services. More details on the investigation process are available on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada Web Site.

The TSB is one of many Canadian and foreign organizations involved in improving transportation safety nationally and internationally. Because it has no formal authority to regulate, direct or enforce specific actions, the TSB can only succeed in fulfilling its strategic outcome through the actions of others. Operating at arm's length from other federal departments involved in the transportation field, the Board must present its findings and recommendations in such a manner that others feel compelled to act. This implies ongoing dialogue, information sharing and strategic coordination with organizations such as Transport Canada, the National Energy Board and the Canadian Coast Guard. The TSB must engage industry and foreign regulatory organizations in a similar fashion. Through various means, the TSB must present compelling arguments that will convince these "agents of change" to take action in response to identified safety deficiencies.

The TSB has established memorandums of understanding with a number of federal government departments for the coordination of activities and the provision of support services. These agreements provide the TSB with access to a range of support services that can rapidly supplement internal resources (for example, assistance in the recovery of wreckage, the documentation of evidence, and the examination or testing of components). The agreements also define operating practices to ensure good coordination of activities and to avoid potential conflicts that could arise from the simultaneous implementation of various organizational mandates. Such agreements are currently in place with Transport Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Coast Guard, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, and the National Research Council. Similarly, the TSB has established strategic cooperation alliances with provincial and territorial coroners and with certain provincial government agencies (primarily in the rail area).

Further alliances have been established with the TSB's counterpart agencies in other countries, such as the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, France and the United Kingdom. The TSB cooperates on a reciprocal basis with foreign safety investigation agencies through the ad hoc exchange of specialized services or the provision of assistance as a means of coping with capacity gaps. As one of the world leaders in its field, the TSB regularly shares its investigation techniques, methodologies and tools. For example, the Recorder Analysis and Playback System (RAPS), originally developed by the TSB for decoding, analysis and animation of flight recorder data, is being used in more than 10 countries to aid in safety investigations. Recently, the RAPS software was commercialized by a Canadian company and renamed Insight, which expanded its worldwide use even further. Similarly, the TSB has contributed to the training of safety investigators from numerous countries, either by integrating foreign investigators into its in-house training programs or by sending senior staff to teach abroad. The TSB also shares data and reports with sister organizations and participates in international working groups and studies to advance transportation safety.

2.5 Risks and Challenges

The TSB faces many risks and challenges that have a potentially significant impact on the organization's ability to achieve its mandate. Managers are aware of these risks and challenges and are expected to take appropriate action to mitigate the risks while ensuring the delivery of their mandate. The most important challenges for 2006-2007 are described in the following paragraphs.

2.5.1 Prioritizing and Managing the Workload

The TSB is facing a number of internal and external demands not only to sustain existing activities but also to undertake new initiatives to meet government change requirements, such as human resources modernization and procurement reform, and to mitigate risks in areas such as information technology security and business continuity planning. The challenge lies in achieving all of this within a limited resource base. The TSB must therefore find the right balance between the level of activity to be undertaken and the capacity of available human and financial resources. This implies an ongoing review of products, services and processes to ensure that resources are applied in the best possible way to achieve optimum results.

2.5.2

Maintaining a Knowledgeable and Professional Workforce

The TSB, like many organizations, faces a specific challenge with respect to its workforce. Many positions are "one deep" - meaning that there is only one person responsible for a specific task or function. Over the next few years, the TSB must continue to operate while many of its key employees move into retirement. The TSB must also contend with a high turnover rate in some of the functional support areas of Corporate Services due to the high demand for such specialists across the Public Service. The TSB must ensure that it is adequately prepared to fill any gaps and to secure the proper transfer of knowledge to new employees. The 2005 Public Service Employee Survey will provide the TSB with a current assessment of employee satisfaction and concerns. Sustained efforts will then be required to respond to any employee concerns, including any issues related to career development and job classification.

2.5.3

Implementing and Sustaining the Transportation Investigation Information Management System (TIIMS)

The TSB has invested substantial resources, time and effort in the development of an internal information system to better manage its business while meeting government requirements with respect to information management and technology. As the rollout of TIIMS is undertaken, the TSB will encounter specific challenges with respect to change management and temporarily increased workloads for some employees. These challenges will need to be addressed through training and ongoing reviews and monitoring of the operation of the system. Furthermore, significant work remains to be done to complete the development of the full functionality required. This residual work will have to be done in parallel with the initial rollout. In order to make the implementation and sustainability of TIIMS a success, the management team must ensure that full employee buy-in and participation is achieved. Sustained investments will also be required to operate and maintain the new TIIMS work environment. Not meeting these challenges would result in the loss of resources invested to date and would have a significant impact on the delivery of products and services, given that the TSB has made a conscious decision not to revert to old tools and systems. Anything less than full adoption and use of TIIMS would result in a loss of productivity and create inefficiencies in work processes.

2.5.4 Sustaining External Communications

The TSB has improved stakeholder awareness of the agency and its work and has better positioned itself to influence key change agents to take actions that lead to improvements in transportation safety. For this planning period, the challenge will be to strike the best balance between enhanced external communication activities and changing stakeholder expectations. The TSB must ensure that external communication products and services are available, up-to-date and of a high quality in order to retain the levels of integrity and credibility required to fully achieve its mandate.

2.6 Departmental Plans and Priorities

The TSB is committed to providing Canadians with advancements in transportation safety through independent, objective and timely investigations and subsequent identification and analysis of safety failures in the federally regulated transportation system.

Based on the risks identified and on input received from managers and staff, five priority categories have been identified for 2006-2007. All require strategic investments aimed at enhancing the TSB's contribution to transportation safety in Canada and internationally and strengthening the organization from within. The five priorities are described briefly in the following paragraphs.

The TSB has developed a Business Plan that describes its 2006-2007 priorities in greater detail. Resources are allocated to specific initiatives, responsibilities are clearly defined and timelines established. A copy of the Business Plan can be found on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada Web Site.

2.6.1 Continuous Improvement of Internal Processes and Practices

The Transportation Investigation Information Management System (TIIMS) was designed to leverage knowledge, capabilities and capacity; eliminate disparate processes and systems; and provide staff with a central and integrated repository of key information and tools. As the rollout of TIIMS modules proceeds, the TSB will ensure that a robust change management strategy is in place to support users in the new way of conducting their business. The TSB will also foster a culture of continuous improvement through the development of a long-term sustainability strategy for its operational processes, tools and systems. This strategy will include end-user support, training and ongoing reviews. At the same time, work will continue on the development of outstanding modules. This year, the development emphasis will be on the Report Production and Corporate Management modules.

2.6.2 Continuous Improvement of Human Resources Management

The TSB will continue to focus on the strategic management of human resources. Management is committed to finalizing the implementation of Human Resources Modernization initiatives in order to meet the TSB's human resources obligations under the Public Service Modernization Act. This includes implementing effective human resources planning, a more flexible and responsive resourcing system, and increased delegation and accountability. The TSB will also develop and implement an integrated system for human resources planning that is in line with the existing business planning cycle, and that will support capacity, retention, development, knowledge transfer, succession and staffing activities for the coming years. All TSB managers will be expected to take ownership of the human resources planning activities.

2.6.3 Sustainable Communication Services and Products

In the past few years, the TSB has raised public awareness of the TSB's mission and mandate through the development of internal and external communication products and services such as expanded use of the Internet, the TSB corporate video, an outreach program and a speakers' bureau. For this planning cycle, the priority will be to ensure the currency, visibility and availability of communication products and services while developing a long-term sustainability strategy for the management of the tools. The TSB will also continue to develop its stakeholder outreach program, thereby capitalizing on opportunities for Board members and senior staff to meet with stakeholders and discuss key safety messages.

2.6.4 Business Continuity Planning

The TSB has made significant improvements to its management processes, tools and systems over the past few years. The TSB must protect its investments by ensuring it is able to deliver its products and services without disruption. Starting from a revised corporate risk profile, essential services and assets will be identified. Threat and risk assessments will be conducted, and plans will be developed to mitigate the risks identified. Although a significant focus will be on achieving compliance with the Management of Information Technology Security standards, work will also be done in other areas such as materiel management and information management. The TSB's readiness to respond to major occurrences in all modes will also be reviewed.

2.6.5 Ongoing Development of Partnerships

The TSB collaborates with many organizations in the course of its operational and administrative activities. A strategic review of partnerships was therefore undertaken in 2005-2006 in order to develop a framework for the management of such partnerships. Once completed, this framework will be used to review current arrangements and memorandums of understanding. The TSB is committed to seeking potential opportunities to establish new partnerships and to reinforcing existing ones.

2.7 Performance Measurement

The TSB has developed a balanced scorecard that will be used to measure organizational performance. This scorecard will provide performance information from four different perspectives: financial, client/stakeholder, internal business processes, and learning and growth.

The financial perspective makes linkages between operational and financial results. Financial analysis will be used to evaluate the cost of investigations. Financial results will be benchmarked between modes and with other safety investigation organizations.

The client/stakeholder perspective will measure the TSB's performance through stakeholder feedback and stakeholder action. First, stakeholder awareness and satisfaction will be measured through formal and informal processes. Then, stakeholder action based on the TSB's work will be measured by tracking responses to TSB recommendations and safety actions taken. Finally, the TSB will continue to measure transportation occurrence rates as an ultimate measure of the achievement of its strategic outcome.

Results from the internal business processes perspective will be measured with the use of productivity ratio analysis and benchmarking of results between modes, as well as with other safety investigation organizations.

Under the learning and growth perspective, the TSB will measure employee satisfaction, investments in employee training and employee attrition rates. Finally, the TSB will assess its management capacity against the Treasury Board's Management Accountability Framework (MAF).

The following table summarizes the key performance indicators included in the scorecard, with appropriate links to the current year's priorities.

Perspective	Performance Indicators	Link to Priorities
Financial	Cost of investigations	1
	Cost of Business Plan projects	All 5 priorities
Client/Stakeholder	Stakeholder awareness	1 + 3
	Stakeholder satisfaction (quality + timeliness)	1 + 3
	Responsiveness to TSB recommendations	1 + 3
	Timely safety actions taken per investigation	1 + 3
	Occurrence rates	1
	Safety outputs issued	1 + 3
Internal Business Processes	Number of investigations in process	1
	Average time in process	1
	Posting of reports on website	1 + 3
	Investigations started and completed per investigator	1
	Implementation of business continuity planning	4
Learning & Growth	Employee satisfaction	2
	Investment in training per person	2
	Employee attrition rates (excluding retirement)	2
	Effective use of partnerships	5
	Management Accountability Framework implementation	1 + 2 + 4

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