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ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Human Resources and Social Development Canada


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Section II Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Policies and Programs that meet the Human Capital and Social Development needs of Canadians

A. Policy, Research and Communications

HRSDC's strategic policy, research, and communications functions contribute to policies and programs helping to create opportunities and choices for people to reach their full potential in society and the labour market. Knowledge activities, such as research and evaluation, can identify trends and pressures, as well as provide an understanding of what is working and best practices to support evidence-based policy and program development. Strategic policy can address these trends and pressures, and integrate the responses into the Department's overall approach to human resources and social development policy. Communications translates these policies into communications products that can be easily discussed with Canadians, at the same time as providing a mechanism, through consultations, which facilitates the inclusion of views of Canadians in the research and policy development process. As such, these three functions - policy, research and communications - help HRSDC deliver on its mandate.

HRSDC will continue to lead the development and implementation of policies that support an appropriate federal role in:

  • Enhanced income security and well-being for Canadians, particularly children and families through initiatives such as the Universal Child Care Plan, which includes the Universal Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Spaces Initiative, the Canadian Retirement Income System, and disability and homelessness programs;
  • Approaches to address challenges and issues related to restoring fiscal balance in areas of post-secondary education and training as well as labour market programming;
  • Innovations in addressing adjustment issues, particularly Older Workers including an expert panel on older workers, and incentives to work;
  • Canada's Knowledge Advantage, to increase participation in the labour market and create opportunities and choices for people to thrive in a knowledge economy through gains in quantity of participation in the labour force (increasing labour force participation to meet current and future labour shortages), quality of participation in the labour market (enhancing the quality of education, skills development and training, and developing interest and excellence in research in Canada) and efficiency in the labour force (reducing barriers to mobility and enhancing labour market information availability necessary for informed labour market choices); and
  • A policy framework aimed at making HRSDC a Centre of Excellence for integrated human resources and social development policy.

In addition, collaborative work that occurs internally and across federal departments, as well as with the provinces and territories, on horizontal policies is key to advancing the well-being of Canadians. HRSDC will also continue to work with the community not-for-profit sector and federal government departments to promote collaboration and support innovation.

HRSDC is committed to developing a comprehensive and integrated knowledge base to inform government action and respond effectively to the needs of Canadians. HRSDC develops and shares knowledge on human resources and social development issues to support evidence-based decision-making by governments, public institutions, businesses, communities and citizens. It does so by managing key national surveys on human resources and social development in Canada to track and better understand factors affecting the lives and changing needs of Canadians. As well, it monitors and forecasts conditions of labour supply and demand by Canadian occupation and industry through the Canadian Occupational Projection System.

The development and implementation of the "Agenda for Excellence" initiative will enable HRSDC to become a more unifi ed and effective organization aimed at serving Canadians better. HRSDC's "Agenda for Excellence" focuses on people, partnerships and knowledge to assist in the integration of employees into a unified corporate culture and to provide overall direction for the department. The goal of the Agenda is to move the Department toward policy, program and service excellence by focusing on people, partnerships and knowledge. These three aspects have internal and external perspectives. For example, the people pillar refers to a healthy working environment internally, and refers to engaging, informing and serving Canadians externally.

HRSDC conducts and commissions policy research to identify factors affecting Canadians' well-being throughout their lives which can in turn help people make decisions. Evaluations undertaken by HRSDC help to identify what works as well as best practices to support excellence in effective program delivery and policy development for Canadians. In support of realizing HRSDC's vision of becoming a Centre of Excellence for human resources and social development policy, efforts will be devoted to developing a comprehensive and integrated corporate knowledge plan, including strengthening knowledge dissemination strategies, to support informed decision-making. HRSDC will also strengthen its capacity to monitor and report on indicators of key dimensions of Canadians' lives enabling the Department, provinces, territories and partners to respond more effectively to current and emerging socio-economic issues. In addition, the Department will continue to strengthen its knowledge capacity by providing a leadership role in the creation, management, preservation, exchange, and use of knowledge on human resources and social development issues to support effective management decision-making. This will include ongoing work to promote consideration of international policy research and analysis in development on policy initiatives to address human resources and social development priorities.

HRSDC understands it is accountable for explaining to citizens how their views have been taken into consideration. The development and implementation of a corporate Public Involvement Framework will support the Department's proactive efforts to promote and facilitate public involvement and awareness of program development and delivery, and maintain a transparent and interactive relationship with the Canadian public.

Plans Policy, Research and Communications

Plan: Support human resources and social development policies of the Government of Canada.

  • Develop policies that support the Government's commitments to create new opportunities and choices for people to reach their full potential and build a better quality of life, and promote the inclusion and participation of all in society and the economy.
  • Undertake an older worker feasibility study.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of a Working Income Tax Benefit for low- and modest-income Canadians.

Plan: Develop and implement departmental frameworks and strategies.

  • Develop a long-term policy framework that integrates human resources and social development.
  • Integrate and coordinate broad policy areas such as employment, adult learning, income security, social development and essential skills.
  • Develop and implement a department-wide Knowledge Management Initiative.
  • Develop and implement an Agenda for Excellence.
  • Develop an integrated HRSDC Knowledge Plan - a medium-term strategy to develop and disseminate knowledge and facilitate knowledge exchange.
  • Strengthen strategies to include evaluation in the policy development process.
  • Analyse labour market and social trends that could impact the effectiveness of the Canadian Retirement Income System over the long-term and explore strategies to address these challenges.

Plan: Advance knowledge development to support informed decision-making.

  • Develop rigorous, integrated knowledge and evidence to identify current and emerging social policy and human resources development issues, including the development, refinement or updating of:
    • A Data Plan - a coordinated, comprehensive strategy for data and survey planning;
    • A Research Plan to identify key research areas to inform policy and program development;
    • An Evaluation Plan to identify key areas for evaluation related to departmental policies and programs;
    • An Internal Audit Plan to identify key areas for risk-based audits related to departmental program activities and internal controls;
    • Knowledge dissemination strategies to foster the sharing of high-quality knowledge including a national conference to promote ongoing dialogue with provinces, territories and external partners;
    • A common knowledge base on social policy and human resources development trends.
  • Promote consideration of international comparisons and benchmarking in development of policy initiatives to address human resources and social development priorities.

Plan: Increase engagement and collaboration with provinces, territories, partners and Canadians through public involvement and other activities to ensure better, innovative and complementary policy initiatives.

  • Implement an engagement strategy and a Public Involvement Framework to guide all HRSDC public involvement activities in a manner that is coordinated and integrated both inter-departmentally and intra-departmentally.
  • Continue to support and enhance federal-provincial/territorial relations through formal meetings, consultations and working arrangements, which support the Government's effort to strengthen the economic union and continue to support the social union.
  • Develop mechanisms to engage provinces, territories and partners in developing integrated knowledge and evidence (e.g., External Advisory Committee on Knowledge).
  • Continue to support the Government of Canada's relationships with community sector organizations that play a key role in serving Canadians.
  • Undertake and promote a broader analysis of the role of community in fostering social well-being by learning from existing comprehensive community collaborations aimed at assisting communities to become more economically and socially resilient.

Programs

The Policy, Research, and Communication program activity provides strategic policy leadership by: promoting key human resources and social development for policies of the Government of Canada; developing and implementing key departmental frameworks and strategies; and engaging and collaborating with provinces, territories, partners and Canadians through public involvement and by advancing knowledge development.

This activity is vital in achieving HRSDC's priorities and outcomes by communicating with and engaging Canadians by building strong relationships with stakeholders.

For more details relating to this program activity please see Section IV - Other Items of Interest.


Financial Tables
Financial and Human Resources
  Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)      
Policy, Research & Communication      
Gross Operating Expenditures 197.5 195.1 200.9
Total 197.5 195.1 200.9
Human Resources      
Full Time Equivalents 991 984 1,006
Details by Programs and Services      
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)      
Policy, Research & Communication      
Strategic Policy 20.5 18.5 19.1
Strategic Analysis, Audit and Evaluation 74.1 72.4 72.3
Public Affairs and Engagement 41.8 41.5 41.5
Allocated Corporate Services a 61.1 62.7 68.0
Total 197.5 195.1 200.9
Human Resources      
Full Time Equivalents 991 984 1,006
a Corporate Services resources related to the Minister's Office, the Deputy Minister's Office, the Comptroller's Office and the Shared Services have been prorated to each program activity.

Enhanced Canadian Productivity and Participation Through Effcient and Inclusive Labour Markets, Competitive Workplaces and Access to Learning

B. Labour Market, Workplace Skills and Learning

Canada's continued prosperity lies in maintaining and building on growth, a strong economy and improved productivity and increasing competitiveness, by creating the best educated, most skilled and flexible labour force. Increasingly, the labour market will require workers with higher levels of skills and education, which are vital to improving productivity and sustaining strong economic growth.

Skilled workers contribute to productivity as they process information, perform tasks efficiently and effectively, and adapt to and use new technology. They also generate innovations in products, services and production and distribution processes. As such, HRSDC must continue to focus on supporting a highly skilled and adaptable labour force. In support of achieving this strategic outcome, the Labour Market, Workplace Skills, and Learning program activities complement each other in providing Canadians with the opportunities and choices to participate in an array of programs.

Although these program activities have distinct roles and responsibilities, they have common elements that contribute to the department's focus on supporting lifelong learning and the development and utilization of skills to work in the current and future labour market.

One such common element is the partnerships that are developed and continue to be strengthened with provinces, territories, partners, employers and stakeholders. With these, various strategies and agreements are developed which enable the Department to:

  • promote awareness;
  • enable access to learning, training and financial support; and
  • provide opportunities for skills development both within and outside the workplace.

The federal government has a clear role in addressing national skills and employment issues. As such, federal responsibilities include improving the country's economic union by working to remove barriers to employment, post-secondary education and lifelong learning as well as enhancing mobility and credential recognition and providing national labour market information.

HRSDC programs address the needs of traditionally under-represented in the workforce Canadians such as immigrants, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and older workers, who wish to participate in the labour market. These groups frequently face barriers to gaining employment and to furthering their education. Through partnerships, the Department gains an understanding of the workplace skills required, promotes and invests in skills up-grading and development, and works to meet the needs of clients, including those in local and regional labour markets.

Together with provinces, territories and partners, HRSDC strives to provide individuals and organizations with the tools they need to succeed, and in so doing, strengthen our society and its growing knowledge-based economy. Each of the program activities supporting this Strategic Outcome target their programs and services toward different clients, yet towards the common objective of creating the best educated, most skilled and flexible workforce.


Strategic Outcome Indicators
Indicators Current Level
Participation rate By age group (2006)
  15 years or over 67.2%
15-24 years 66.4%
25-54 years 86.2%
55 years or over 32.1%
Labour productivity growth, for business sector 2.1% (2005, based on annual averages).
Canada's productivity level as a percentage of the United States' productivity level 82.9% (2005) total economy;
74.8% (2005) business sector
Percentage of unemployed looking for work for one year or more (52 weeks and over) 2005 9.2%
2004 9.5%
Percent of youth (15 - 24 year-olds) not in the labour force or in schoola 2005 8.9%
2004 9.3%
Unemployment Rates by Designated Group Women 7.2%
People with Disabilities 10.7%
Aboriginal Peoples 19.1%
Visible Minorities 9.5%
Older Workers 6.0%
Percentage of working-age Canadians who score below the literacy level which is considered the minimum to cope in today's economy and society. 2003 Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey 42%
Percentage of adult population (aged 25 - 64) who participated in adult learning opportunities 2002 36.7% (source Statistics Canada, Adult Education and Training Survey, HRSDC calc.)
Post-secondary participation of 18 - 21 year-olds by family income (2001) Family After-tax Income Quartile PSE Participation University/College
Lowest 21% 30%
Lower-middle 25% 32%
Upper-middle 30% 37%
Highest 38% 30%
Overall 29% 32%
Proportion of adults who were attending university or college, by age group (October 2006) Age Groups Percentage
25-34 9.2%
35-44 3.5%
45-54 1.5%
55-64

0.6%

Overall 25 - 64 3.7%
Percentage of adult workforce who participated in job-related formal training 1997 28.5%
2002 34.7%
Percent of adult workforce who participated in employer-supported job-related training 1997 22.4%
2002 25.0%
a Census 2001 data includes Labour Force 15 years or older that are unemployed.

Did You Know?

  • The percentage of involuntary part-time employment as a proportion of all part-time employment was 25.6% in 2005-2006 compared to 26.8% in 2004-2005.
  • In 2005-2006, the ratio of Employment Insurance regular beneficiaries to the unemployed was 44.8%, compared to 43.6% in 2004-2005.
  • In 2005-2006, there were 83.4% of unemployed Canadians who had been paying premiums and were laid o- or quit with just cause who were eligible to collect Regular Employment Insurance benefits. This represents an increase from 80.4% in 2004-2005.
  • The proportion of regular entitlement collected by Employment Insurance claimants for 2003-2004 was 60.9%, a decrease from 61.2% the previous year.
  • The proportion of Employment Insurance maternity and parental entitlement collected by Employment Insurance claimants for 2004-2005 was 92%.
  • In 2005-2006, there were 441,239 employment program clients served.

Efficient and Inclusive Labour Markets...

Labour market programming includes income benefits and active employment measures which provide temporary income support to eligible workers and enables Canadians to develop their skills, maintain or improve their employment earnings and become more adaptable to labour market changes.

Through this programming the Department promotes:

  • economic stability;
  • individual well-being; and
  • a flexible labour market that is capable of adjusting to changes in the economy.

The Department's efforts to increase opportunities and remove barriers for targeted groups such as immigrants, people with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and older workers are key goals of labour market programming. This supports the Department's agenda to promote inclusiveness while helping to meet labour market demands. The Department accomplishes this through a number of horizontal initiatives and collaborative efforts managed by HRSDC in the form of Labour Market Development Agreements; the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy; the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program; Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities; the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities; and the Youth Employment Strategy.12

Competitive Workplaces...

Through the Workplace Skills program activity, HRSDC supports broad economic priorities, such as an adaptable and resilient workforce with high quality skills; a sufficient quantity of skilled workers reflecting and responding to employers' needs; and a flexible, efficient labour market.

HRSDC generates accessible and quality labour market information to inform the decision-making of employers and employees; supports and promotes employer and employee investments in skills development; and supports trades, apprenticeships and mobility. HRSDC, in collaboration with key stakeholders, also works to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the work force by facilitating the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired outside of Canada. The Department also works to mitigate domestic labour shortages by facilitating the entry of foreign workers on a temporary basis. Together, these efforts enhance the recognition of credentials, competencies and skills of Canadians, immigrants, and temporary workers so that they can integrate into and benefit Canadian labour markets.

To effectively support this strategic outcome, the workplace skills strategy brings together a broad range of programs, services, provinces, territories, partners, employers and labour - to produce innovative responses to skills issues, to respond to employers' requirements and to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian workplaces.

Access to Learning...

Lifelong learning is vital to the well-being of individual Canadians, as well as to the productivity, competitiveness and prosperity of Canada.

HRSDC helps Canadians gain access to the learning opportunities they need to participate more fully in a knowledge-based economy and society.

The department fosters a culture of lifelong learning by:

  • Promoting awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and the need to save for post-secondary education;
  • Facilitating access for students to post-secondary education and adult learning opportunities;
  • Reducing non-financial barriers to adult learning by contributing to the development of innovative approaches to adult learning and strengthening the capacity of adult learning, literacy and essential skills sectors;
  • Facilitating the creation of opportunities for Canadians to acquire the learning and essential skills they need;
  • Collaborating with provincial and territorial governments and other key stakeholders on the delivery of learning programs and services; and
  • Strengthening the capacity of key learner support organizations.

As part of the Learning mandate, the department manages a horizontal initiative, the Canada Student Loans Program, and currently has agreements with three foundations, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the Peter Gzowski Foundation for Literacy, and the Winnipeg Foundation.13

In September 2006, the Government of Canada announced effective spending measures for adult learning and literacy programs, the Summer Career Placement program (a component of the Youth Employment Strategy), and the Training Centre Infrastructure Fund and the Workplace Partners Panel (relating to workplace skills development). These effective spending measures are re-targeting future federal investments to national priorities and aim to achieve concrete results for Canadians. To better support the needs of students given Canada's stronger labour market conditions, the new Canada Summer Jobs initiative was announced in early 2007.

Did You Know?

  • 61% of Canadians believe that acquiring a college or university education is much more important today than it was 10 years ago.14
  • The Canada Student Loans Program currently assists approximately 42% of all full time post-secondary students.15
  • Since the inception of Canada Education Savings Grants in 1998, assets in Registered Education Savings Plans of Canadian children plans have grown from $4B to $20B.16

Plans

Labour Market

Plan: Increase the workforce participation and develop the skills of Canadians by working with provinces, territories, the private sector and partners in the implementation of strategies that will eliminate barriers to employment and improve choices and opportunities.

  • Work with Aboriginal partners, provinces and territories, and employers to reduce workforce barriers for Aboriginal peoples, strengthening and supporting the delivery of the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy and Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program.
  • Continue work with provinces, territories, other government departments and stakeholders to assist targeted groups such as unemployed older workers and youth, with employment transitions.
  • Work with provinces and territories and stakeholders to examine the current array of labour market, employment and skills development programming in an effort to modernize labour market programming to meet the needs of employers and assist Canadians to find and keep jobs.
  • Continue to work with other government departments, stakeholders, and provinces and territories, to conduct program assessments to ensure continued relevance of youth employment programming. Specifically, for student summer employment, launch a new initiative focusing on creating high quality, career related jobs that would not otherwise be created and assisting students who could not otherwise find work as a result of where they live or the barriers they face.
  • Continue work with Official Languages Minority Communities, through national committee, consultations and other initiatives, to facilitate and support effective partnerships with private and other public sector stakeholders to ensure the vitality of their local labour markets and economies.

Workplace Skills

Plan: Implement key components of the workplace skills strategy by working with provinces, territories, government departments and stakeholders in advancing multiple activities that include mobility, labour market information, the integration of immigrants, workplace skills development, the skilled trades and apprenticeships.

  • Enhance the Foreign Worker Program by implementing a series of improvements designed to support faster and more efficient entry of foreign workers as appropriate to respond to regional, occupational, and sectoral labour demands.
  • Support the creation, adoption, testing and sharing of promising tools and approaches to workplace skills development by encouraging employers to invest in the skills of their employees through the Workplace Skills Initiative.
  • Work with provinces, territories and partners on labour mobility issues, including recognizing credentials (both domestic and foreign) and licenses granted by other jurisdictions, removing barriers and enhancing the labour mobility of Canadians, by April 1, 2009, and determine what additional assistance the Government of Canada can provide to accelerate these efforts.
  • Continue to work with internal and external partners, provinces and territories to enhance labour market information, products and services and improve pan-Canadian consistency, to help users make optimal, informed labour market decisions.
  • Implement the trades and apprenticeship strategy and the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant in consultation with the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship.
  • Work with provinces, territories and other workplace stakeholders to improve skills levels by strengthening the capacity of employers to develop workplace tools, models and other supports.
  • Continue the renewal of the Sector Council Program by strengthening the sector council network and improving program responsiveness through the introduction of new partnership models to address pressing human resources needs in key sectors of the economy.

Learning

Plan: Enhance management and delivery of learner support programs by ensuring programs are efficient, effective and produce results for Canadians.

  • Undertake a review of Canada Education Savings Program operations and evaluate the impact of recent program changes.
  • Assess measures to increase low-income Canadians families' awareness and uptake of education savings incentives, and to increase awareness of the importance of planning and saving for post-secondary education.
  • Transition to the selected Canada Student Loans Program Service Provider and renegotiation of Integration and Costing Agreements for the integrated delivery of student financial assistance with the four integrated provinces.
  • Implement the government's new direction to re-target the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program in order to ensure that it is delivered in an efficient and effective manner.

Plan: Continue to address financial and non-financial barriers to post-secondary education and to lifelong learning.

  • Continue diagnostic work with the provinces and territories on support to students to address financial and non-financial barriers to post-secondary education and to lifelong learning.
  • Continue to work with provinces and territories to pursue modernization of the delivery of student financial assistance to Canadians, as announced in Advantage Canada on November 23, 2006.
  • Continue program policy work on identifying and addressing non-financial barriers to adult learning.

Logic Model - Labour Market, Workplace Skills and Learning
Strategic Outcome Enhanced Canadian productivity and participation through effective and inclusive labour markets, competitive workplaces and access to learning
Program Activety
  Labour Market Workplace Skills Learning
2007 - 2008 Plans
  • Increase the workforce participation and develop the skills of Canadians by working with provinces, territories, the private sector and other partners in the implementation of strategies that will eliminate barriers to employment and improve choices and opportunities.
  • Implement key components of the workplace skills strategy by working with provinces, territories, government departments and stakeholders in advancing multiple activities that include mobility, labour market information, the integration of immigrants, workplace skills development, the skilled trades and apprenticeships.
  • Enhance management and delivery of learner support programs by ensuring programs are efficient, effective and produce results for Canadians.
  • Continue to address financial and non-financial barriers to post-secondary education and to lifelong learning.
Program Activity Expected Results
  • Unemployed Canadians who qualify under the EI Act are supported while they look for work, facilitating a smooth, and effective labour market transition
  • Individuals are able to balance work and family responsibilities
  • A resilient and adaptable workforce with smooth labour market transitions between school and work and between unemployment and reemployment
  • Challenges of a changing labour market are mitigated through new strategies: such as for older workers
  • Employers who are able to find skilled workers and thus improve their pro ductivity and competitiveness
  • Improved labour market outcomes for Aboriginal Canadians
  • Better understanding of workplace-related learning and needs by all stakeholders
  • Enhanced utilization of existing skills in labour market
  • Increase Pan-Canadian consistency of skills recognition processes and requirements
  • Increased commitment of stakeholders towards workplace-related learning
  • Reduced financial barriers to participation in post-secondary education
  • Reduced non-financial barriers to participation in adult learning
  • Increased awareness of the benefits of lifelong learning and literacy
  • Increased access to international education
Program Indicators
  • Clients Employed: Number of clients employed and / or returns to school following an employment program intervention and as a proportion of the total number of clients who complete their employment program intervention(s).
  • Job Ready/Job Search: Number of Job Ready/ Job Search clients employed or returned to school following an employment program intervention.
  • Developmental: Number of clients who become employed or return to school following a developmental employment program intervention. / Number of clients participating in Skills Development and as a proportion of the total number of clients who participate in a developmental employment program intervention. / Number of appren ticeship clients who received Benefits provided through EI Part I or II.
  • Percentage of Sector Councils that meet or exceed expected level of performance
  • Increase in the number of trades people who are fully mobile in Canada through Red Seal endorsement
  • Portion of skilled immigrants in occupations targeted by systemic foreign credential recognition interventions
  • Percentage of Canada Student Loan borrowers who would have been severely impacted if it were not for the loan
  • Client satisfaction with the overall quality of services provided by the Canada Student Loans Program
  • Percentage of children 0 - 17 who have ever received a Canada Education Savings Incentive
Programs
  • Employment Insurance:
    • Income Benefits
  • Labour Market Programs:
    • Employment Benefits and Support Measures
    • Labour Market Development Agreements
    • Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy
    • Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnerships
    • Youth Employment Strategy
    • Labour Market Adjustment
    • Official Language Minority Communities
    • Targeted Initiative for Older Workers
  • Workplace Partnerships:
    • Trades and Apprenticeship
    • The Interprovincial standards Red Seal Program
    • Workplace Skills Initiative
    • Sector Council Program
  • Foreign workers and Immigrants:
    • Immigration Portal
    • Foreign credential recognition
    • Foreign Worker Program
    • Interprovincial Labour Mobility
  • Skills and Labour Market information:
    • Skills and Labour Market Information
    • National Occupational Classification
    • Essential Skills
  • Student Financial Assistance
  • Canada Education Savings Program
  • Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program
  • International Academic Mobility
  Planned Spending: $15,406.7M / FTE: 236 Planned Spending: $213.7M / FTE: 338 Planned Spending: $2,100.0M / FTE: 407

Programs Labour Market

The Labour Market program activity comprises Employment Insurance income Benefits and active employment measures. Employment Insurance income benefits promote individual well being, economic stability, and a flexible labour force by providing temporary income support to unemployed workers who qualify under Part I of the Employment Insurance Act. Employment Insurance encompasses a wide range of income Benefits to address the needs of workers and the labour market, including Canadians who are sick, pregnant, or caring for a newborn or adopted child, as well as those who must care for a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death, in addition to active benefits and measures for those who require them.

Labour Market active employment measures enable Canadians, including unemployed adults and individuals facing barriers to employment, such as youth, displaced older workers and Aboriginal peoples, to develop their skills, find and maintain employment, and become more adaptable to labour market changes. These programs and services strengthen Canadians' participation in a dynamic labour market and are funded through the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Part II of the Employment Insurance Act.

Workplace Skills

Workplace Skills collaborates with industry partners and stakeholders through Workplace Partnerships programming to identify, address, and promote workplace skills development.

Workplace Skills improves immigrant integration outcomes through Foreign Workers and Immigrants programming such as Foreign Credential Recognition, the Immigration Portal, and the Foreign Worker Program.

Workplace Skills also develops and disseminates knowledge and information, which is vital to inform a well-functioning labour market through Skills and Labour Market Information, including National Occupational Classification, Essential Skills, and Labour Market Information.

Funding is administered through non-statutory grants and contributions. The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Employment Insurance Account.

Learning

The Learning program activity assists Canadians to acquire the education and skills that will enable them to participate more fully in a knowledge-based economy and society.

In doing so, it works in close partnership with the provinces and territories, voluntary sector, financial institutions, service providers and other key stakeholders to increase awareness of and access to lifelong learning and literacy opportunities by reducing financial and non-financial barriers for today's and tomorrow's learners.

Programs within this area are delivered nationally and include statutory and non-statutory programs. In terms of statutory programs, the Canada Student Loans Program promotes accessibility to post-secondary education through the provision of loans and grants to students with demonstrated financial needs. The Program also offers debt management measures to help borrowers with repayment. The Canada Education Savings Program promotes and encourages Canadians to save for a child's post-secondary education through Registered Education Savings Plans by providing grants.

In terms of non-statutory programs, the Adult Learning, Literacy, and Essential Skills Program administer grants and contributions related to adult learning, literacy, and essential skills. The International Academic Mobility initiative administers contribution programming in the area of international student mobility.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Employment Insurance Account.

For more details relating to these programs please see Section IV - Other Items of Interest.


Financial Tables
Financial and Human Resources
Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Labour Market
Gross Operating Expenditures 38.0 34.8 33.9
Voted Grants and Contributions 539.2 482.2 439.1
Statutory Transfer Payments 0.1 0.1 0.1
Total Gross Expenditures 577.3 517.1 473.1
EI Part I - Income Benefits 12,641.0 12,936.0 13,105.0
EI Part II - Employment Benefits and Support Measures 2,143.1 2,143.1 2,143.1
Government Annuities and Civil Service Insurance Payments 45.3 42.6 40.0
Sub-Total Labour Market 15,406.7 15,638.8 15,761.2
Workplace Skills
Gross Operating Expenditures 52.1 34.3 31.2
Voted Grants and Contributions 161.6 175.7 158.9
Sub-Total Workplace Skills 213.7 210.0 190.1
Learning
Gross Operating Expenditures 162.3 156.5 170.9
Voted Grants and Contributions 50.8 27.0 26.6
Statutory Transfer Payments 1,031.2 1,051.4 1,063.6
Total Gross Expenditures 1,244.3 1,234.9 1,261.1
Loans disbursed under the Canada Student 855.7 749.3 607.0
Financial Assistance Act
Sub-Total Learning 2,100.0 1,984.2 1,868.1
Total 17,720.4 17,833.0 17,819.4
Human Resources
Labour Market 236 215 209
Workplace Skills 338 257 249
Learning 407 396 424
Total - Full Time Equivalents 981 868 882
Details by Programs and Services Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Labour Market
Employment Insurance 12,697.9 12,990.4 13,154.8
Labour Market Programs 2,696.8 2,637.0 2,594.6
Allocated Corporate Servicesa 12.0 11.4 11.8
Sub-Total 15,406.7 15,638.8 15,761.2
Workplace Skills
Workplace Partnerships 162.9 167.9 159.3
Foreign Workers and Immigrants 22.6 22.7 10.9
Skills and Labour Market Information 5.7 6.5 6.5
Others b 6.5 2.8 2.8
Allocated Corporate Services a 16.0 10.1 10.6
Sub-Total 213.7 210.0 190.1
Learning
Student Financial Assistance 1,442.0 1,321.3 1,196.0
Canada Education Savings Program 577.3 607.0 614.5
Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program 51.4 26.6 26.6
International Academic Mobility 4.0 4.0 4.0
Others b 5.1 4.3 4.4
Allocated Corporate Servicesa 20.2 21.0 22.6
Sub-Total 2,100.0 1,984.2 1,868.1
Total 17,720.4 17,833.0 17,819.4
Human Resources
Labour Market 236 215 209
Workplace Skills 338 257 249
Learning 407 396 424
Total - Full Time Equivalents 981 868 882
a Corporate Services resources related to the Minister's Office, the Deputy Minister's Office, the Comptroller's Office
and the Shared Services have been prorated to each program activity.
b Other category is for the resources which are not directly related to the sub-activities identified.

 


Safe, Healthy, Fair, Stable, Cooperative, Productive Workplaces and Effective International Labour Standards

C. Labour

In a global economy, fulfilling the mandate of the Labour Program is crucial to the performance, productivity and competitiveness of Canada's workplaces. The mandate can be defined, in general terms, as the employment relationship between employers and employees and the work environment. More specifically, the Labour Program has a three-fold mandate:

  1. Federal Jurisdiction Mandate - The development and administration of labour-related legislation governing federally-regulated industries. The federal mandate covers approximately 8.5% of the Canadian labour force;
  2. National Mandate - National leadership and coordination within the network of labour jurisdictions in Canada in the interests of strengthening the Canadian economic union;
  3. International Mandate - Managing Canada's international labour affairs, including the relatively recent field of trade-related international labour agreements.

The primary stakeholders of the Labour Program are employers, employees and unions in key sectors of the economy. These sectors include:

  • Transportation (airlines, rail, inter-provincial trucking, ports and airports);
  • The post office and courier companies;
  • Communications (broadcasters, cable companies, telecom companies, Internet providers);
  • The banking, grain and nuclear industries;
  • Federal Crown corporations, federal departments and agencies (for occupational health and safety purposes);
  • A wide range of companies who have major contracts with the federal government (for employment equity purposes); and
  • Aboriginal governments, their employees, Aboriginal communities, and certain Aboriginal undertakings.

The Labour Program's federal jurisdiction mandate reaches an estimated 46,000 Canadian workplaces and up to 1,132 million employees. The clients of the Labour Program in the federal jurisdiction mandate area are employers, their employees and their unions in key sectors of the economy. They are sophisticated and well organized, whether through labour organizations for employees or through business associations for employers. These organizations are well informed and intensely concerned with all aspects of labour policy, and they are powerful lobbyists. Labour Program clients expect high levels of professionalism in both administration and policy development. Beyond the federal jurisdiction, the Labour Program relates to a wide variety of business, labour and other non-governmental organizations representing the different interests of Canadians on both national and international issues.


Strategic Outcome Indicators
Labour
Indicators Current Level
Percentage of total working days lost due to work stoppages (federal jurisdiction) (2005) Less than 1%
Representation of designated groups in all occupations and workforce availability,
employers covered under the Legislated Employment Equity Program
Representation of Designated Groups (2005)
  Women 47.3%
Aboriginal Peoples 1.8%
Visible Minorities 14.1%
People with Disabilities 2.7%
Workforce Availability(2001)
Women 47.3%
Aboriginal Peoples 2.6%
Visible Minorities 12.6%
People with Disabilities 5.3%

The employment relationship and work environment are critical to the productivity and successful functioning of Canadian workplaces. They are equally important to the personal and family lives of roughly 16 million individuals who go to work every day in Canada. The economic importance of the federal jurisdiction is enormous. Significant economic and social impacts can be caused by labour strife in the airline industry, telecommunications, rail, ports, postal and courier services, and so on. Labour law and policy defines the relationship between employers and employees under federal jurisdiction, whether the employees are treated as individuals or are organized into recognized unions. Not only do regulated employers and unions look to the federal government to assist in their labour relations, but also thousands of businesses in provincial jurisdictions can be immediately impacted by disputes in the federal jurisdiction. Transportation and communications are the infrastructure of the economy, and third party impacts in these sectors are immediate and substantial.

Rights in the workplace are among the most tangible and important citizens have in day-to-day terms. The presence of the Government of Canada is represented directly to thousands of Canadians every year in workplaces across the country by officials of the Labour Program in matters of great concern to them. The Labour Program's regulatory program is particularly significant in the case of non-unionized employees who are fending for themselves. Employees who are dismissed, or who are not properly paid their wages, and who have no union to represent their interests, must rely on a Labour Program officer to protect their rights. The lack of access, or prolonged delays in obtaining responses to complaints, can have a serious impact on personal lives, and be far more costly to employers, employees and the government than rapid resolution, usually through mediation of a settlement.

Employees rely on Labour Program officials to promote and protect their health and safety at work. Enforcement of the right to refuse dangerous work and other rights related to occupational health and safety have critical consequences for both employees and employers. Again, the promotion of occupational health and safety is best undertaken in a proactive and preventative context. The consequences of lax administration in this field can bring high costs to companies and the economy, and can be tragic at the level of the individual worker. On the other hand, the potential savings of good occupational health and safety practices can mean billions of dollars annually to public health care and workers' compensation systems.

Similarly, Aboriginal Canadians, visible minorities, women and the disabled look to the Labour Program to promote equity in their employment opportunities.

During the 2007 - 2008 fiscal year, the Labour Program will be focusing on a number of activities, along with ongoing operations. The Labour Program will be analysing recommendations emanating from a review of Part III of the Canada Labour Code and will be seeking the views from stakeholders to follow-up with them on the government's decisions regarding legislative and administrative changes.

As a statutory requirement, the Employment Equity Act is reviewed by Parliament every five years. The Standing Committee on Human Resources and Social Development will conduct the review. Federal partners, such as the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency, collaborate in the review.

The Wage Earner Protection Act was passed by Parliament on November 25, 2005, but has not yet been proclaimed in force because of Parliament's wish to revisit a number of its technical provisions. The Act establishes a program to compensate workers, up to a limit, for unpaid wages and vacation pay owed to them by employers who are declared bankrupt or are subject to receivership under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Work remains to be done on technical amendments to the Act and on the design and implementation of the program. This will involve the Labour Program in setting program policy and direction. Most importantly, Parliamentary approval for changes to the Act are needed before the existing Act can be put into force.

Key challenges that the Labour Program will face in 2007 - 2008 include managing high profi le disputes in key industries, as well as contentious industrial relations policy issues. Of particular importance, a private member's bill seeking to amend the Canada Labour Code to ban the use of replacement workers is being studied by the Standing Committee on Human Resources and Social Development. The Labour Program, through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is required to provide ongoing support to the Minister of Labour in his efforts to manage the repercussions of the Parliamentary process. In addition, a new industrial relations internship program will be in the first year of implementation. Particular efforts will be required to hire and provide rotational training to new recruits over a period of two years in order to build capacity for the industrial relations community.

There has been a sharp increase in the number and complexity of workplace refusals by employees who feel there is a danger in performing certain tasks or using certain equipment. In order to ensure there is a consistent approach in dealign with these refusals, new guidelines and operational directives are being developed in implementing the requirements of the Canada Labour Code.

A critical challenge facing the Labour Program in terms of International and Intergovernmental Affairs is to enhance the engagement of Canada's provinces and territories on international labour issues. Of particular importance is securing provincial territorial agreement to adhere to the labour cooperation agreements that Canada signs with its free trade partners and to ratify international labour conventions that aim to protect fundamental rights at work. In addition, a federal-provincial-territorial strategy needs to be developed to improve Canada's record of compliance with existing international obligations. The directorate also faces the challenge of finding the means to ensure that the delivery of Labour Program services in Aboriginal communities is effective and managed in a culturally sensitive way.

The Government Employees' Compensation Act, which provides benefits for federal employees who are injured on the job, needs to be modernized. This would include support for prompt reporting of injuries, as well as the safe and early return to work of injured employees.

These objectives are not adequately addressed, resulting in longer than normal claim durations for federal government claims. Legal difficulties have also arisen due to certain conflicts between federal and provincial compensation Acts. A review of the Act is under way to address these challenges. Furthermore, a federal Disability Management Strategy is also being considered to promote more efficient management of disabilities and effective return to work and accident prevention programs.

More information on the Labour Program can be found at: www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/nav/top_nav/program/labour.shtml

Plans

Plan: Analyse recommendations in the Report of the Commissioner on the Review of Part III(Labour Standards) of the Canada Labour Code and consult stakeholders, identify and evaluate options for the government response.

  • Obtain responses from stakeholders on legislative and administrative recommendations of the review.
  • Analyse the report and recommendations; identify areas in the report that would require further research and follow up as appropriate; perform economic and social impact analyses and determine the operational feasibility of specific recommendations.

Plan: Proactive administration of existing Pay Equity legislation

  • Promote education and provide promotional materials to increase awareness of pay equity legislation.
  • Advise federally-regulated employers, employees and unions of their rights and obligations.
  • Make available specialised mediation assistance to workplace partners in order to provide them with critical assistance in their efforts to implement pay equity in accordance with their statutory obligations.
  • Monitor employers' progress, provide expert guidance on implementation and, if necessary, refer cases to the Canadian Human Rights Commission for investigation when employers refuse to implement pay equity.

Plan: Complete preparations for the Wage Earner Protection Program

  • Support the regulatory and legislative processes by providing policy advice and relevant information as circumstances require.
  • Finalise Program policy and work with Service Canada to design, develop and ready the Program for implementation.

Logic Model - Labour
Strategic Outcome Safe, healthy, fair, stable, cooperative, productive workplaces and effective international labour standards
Program Activity
Labour
2007 - 2008 Plans
  • Analyse recommendations in the Report of the Commissioner on the Review of Part III (Labour Standards) of the Canada Labour Code and consult stakeholders, identify and evaluate options for the government response
  • Proactive administration of existing Pay Equity legislation
  • Complete preparations for the Wage Earner Protection Program
Program Activity Expected Results
  • Constructive and stable labour-management relations in federally-regulated workplaces
  • Safe, healthy and fair federally-regulated workplaces
  • Increased awareness of occupational health and safety practices and regulations .
  • Fulfillment of Canada's international labour commitments
  • Increased cooperation and consensus on national and international labour issues through promotion of dialogue among federal, provincial and territorial governments and among government and employer and worker organizations
Program Indicators
  • Percentage of collective bargaining disputes settled under Part I (Industrial Relations) of the Canada Labour Code without work stoppage
  • Percentage of unjust dismissal complaints settled by inspectors (Part III of the Canada Labour Code.)
  • Disabling Injury Incidence Rate measuring the change in the rate of lost time injuries, illnesses and fatalities within federal jurisdiction industries from year to year
  • Percentage of money collected in relation to the amount found to be owed for complaints under Part III (Labour Standards) of the Canada Labour Code (excluding unjust dismissal complaints)
  • Client satisfaction with the quality of workplace information directorate data
Programs
  • Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
  • National Labour Operations
  • International and Intergovernmental Labour Affairs
  • Workplace Policy and Information
  Planned Spending: $271.5M / FTE: 870

Programs

Labour Program

The Labour program activity promotes and sustains stable industrial relations and a safe, fair, healthy, equitable, and productive workplace within the federal labour jurisdiction. It collects and disseminates labour and workplace information, represents Canada at international labour activities, fosters constructive labour-management relationships and ensures that minimum labour standards and occupational health and safety protections are enforced.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Employment Insurance Account.

For more details relating to this program please see Section IV - Other Items of Interest.

 


Financial Tables
Financial and Human Resources
  Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Labour
Gross Operating Expenditures 99.9 93.1 95.4
Voted Grants and Contributions 3.9 3.9 3.9
Statutory Grants and Contributions 28.7 28.7 28.7
Total Gross Expenditures 132.5 125.7 128.0
Workers' Compensation Payments 139.0 129.0 131.0
Total 271.5 254.7 259.0
Human Resources
Full Time Equivalents 870 817 826
Details by Programs and Services
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Labour
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 8.2 7.7 7.7
National Labour Operations 187.5 173.6 175.5
International and Intergovernmental Labour Affairs 6.7 6.3 6.3
Workplace Policy and Information 38.1 37.3 37.3
Other b 1.0 1.0 1.0
Allocated Corporate Servicesa 30.0 28.8 31.2
Total 271.5 254.7 259.0
Human Resources
Full Time Equivalents 870 817 826
a Corporate Services resources related to the Minister's Office, the Deputy Minister's Office,
the Comptroller's Office and the Shared Services have been prorated to each program activity.
b Other category is for the resources which are not directly related to the sub-activities identified.

 


Enhanced Income Security, Access to Opportunities and Well-Being for Individuals, Families and Communities

D. Social Investment, Children and Families, Housing and Homelessness

Well-being for Individuals, Families and Communities...

Canada's economic prosperity, its vibrant labour market, and a strong and vibrant society are closely linked to the security and well-being of Canadians, their families and communities.

As highlighted at the outset of this report, individuals, families and communities are facing new challenges. HRSDC is working with other government departments, stakeholders, and the provinces and territories to address these challenges.

HRSDC provides a number of programs and services for Canadians to provide them with the support, knowledge, and information they need to maintain their well-being and facilitate their participation in all areas of society. There is a special emphasis on vulnerable Canadians.

In 2007 - 2008, HRSDC will continue its efforts to build and improve social investments for Canadians with a focus on core social programs for:

  • children and families;
  • seniors;
  • people with disabilities;
  • communities; and
  • homeless people.

The Department will achieve this by ensuring that programs are accountable, efficient and managed to achieve results.


Strategic Outcome Indicators
Indicators Current Level
Number and proportion of individuals aged 65 years+, who had low family income 218,500 5.6% (2004)
Number and proportion of individuals aged 65 years+ who would have had low
income without public pension support
1,977,400 50.9% (2004)
Primary child care arrangements for
children aged six months to
six years in 2002 - 03:
Parental 47%
Non-parental 53%
Care by a relative 29%
Care by a non-relative 38%
Daycare centre 28%
Other 5%
Percentage of young children with average to
advanced levels of verbal development
2002-2003
86.9% of children 4 - 5 years of age displayed average
to advanced levels of verbal development.
Percentage of children living in families exhibiting positive family functioning 2002-2003
90.2% of children from birth
to 5 years of age lived in well-functioning families
Core Housing Need 1.5 million Canadian households
13.7%(2001 Census)

Enhanced Income Security...

Ensuring income security is essential to the quality of life and well-being of Canadians. HRSDC develops and administers a broad range of programs that address the needs of seniors, persons with disabilities and children and families.

Seniors constitute the fastest growing population in Canadian society. In the next 30 years, nearly one in four Canadians will be a senior. This represents a fundamental demographic shift in the population. Despite the fact that many of today's seniors are generally healthier, better educated and economically better off than their predecessors, there are seniors that remain vulnerable and face significant challenges. The Department's delivery and administration of the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security aims, among other objectives, to ensure that seniors receive all the benefits to which they may be entitled and contribute to a stable income for them in retirement.

Income security is also a significant challenge for people with disabilities. Many individuals with disabilities are not always able to earn an adequate income through employment. Recognizing these factors, the Government of Canada uses its fiscal and tax policies to support people with disabilities and their caregivers through a variety of income support measures and tax incentives. As part of the Government of Canada's income support programs, HRSDC manages the Canada Pension Plan Disability program. Canada Pension Plan Disability pays monthly benefits to eligible contributors to enhance the social and economic participation of people with disabilities. The Canada Pension Plan Disability is Canada's largest long-term disability insurance plan and is an important source of earnings replacement for Canada Pension Plan contributors who cannot work due to a severe and prolonged disability.

The economic security of families with children is another key area of concern for HRSDC. HRSDC will continue to support these families through the National Child Benefit, which helps to ensure children in low-income families, get the best possible start in life. Through the National Child Benefit initiative, the federal government works in partnership with provincial and territorial governments to provide income support, as well as Benefits and services, for low-income families and their children. In addition to the base benefit of the Canada Child Tax Benefit, low-income families with children are eligible for the National Child Benefit Supplement.

In 2007 - 2008 the Department will continue work with the Department of Finance to implement a Working Income Tax Benefit to help make work pay for low- and modest-income Canadians.

HRSDC's Social Development Partnerships program was affected by effective spending measures of September 2006 in two ways: the program's Early Learning and Child Care and the social inclusion components will be consolidated into one single Children and Families component; and the Understanding the Early Years Initiative will grow to 50 communities instead of the planned 100.

Access to Opportunities

Access to opportunities refers to a wide variety of social programs and services that help those that face barriers in society and in the labour market. For HRSDC this means strengthening and building capacity to increase access to services, information, and resources, as well as funding and encouraging social programs that empower and engage citizens.

Did You Know?

Ministers unanimously approved in principal several changes, notably: easing disability eligibility for contributors with 25 or more years of contributions and adopting guidelines to operationalize requirements to fully fund and account for benefit enhancements. These, along with other amendments, comprise Bill C-36, introduced in Parliament on November 29, 2006, as an Act to Amend the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Act.

Canada Pension Plan Triennial Review: In June 2006, federal, provincial, and territorial finance ministers concluded the Review confirming that the Plan is on sound financial footing and that the current contribution rate of 9.9% will be suffcient to sustain it into the foreseeable future.

The average proportion of income provide by public pensions is:

Seniors - OAS 23.1%, CPP 18%

Low income Seniors - OAS Programs 58.1%

Did You Know?

Child poverty rates declined from a high of 18.6% in 1996 to 12.1% in 2001. They have subsequently increased slightly to 12.4% in 2004.

By 2007, child benefits delivered through the Canada Child Tax Benefit are projected to reach $9.5 billion per year.

  • This includes over $3.7 billion in benefits targeted to low-income families with children through the National Child Benefits Supplement.
  • The maximum federal child benefits for a low-income family with two children will rise from $6,175 today to $6,312 by 2007-2008.

Because of the National Child Benefit 106,000 children in 45,900 families were prevented from living in low income in 2002 - a 9.7% reduction (National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2004).

  • Overall, young children in Canada are developing well. According to their parents, in 2002-2003, over 80% of young children between 2 and 5 years of age were displaying positive signs of development with respect to emotional and social behaviours such as hyperactivity/inattention, anxiety or aggression/ conduct problems.

Recognizing that the needs of families are diverse, in 2006 the Government of Canada introduced a new approach to child care to give parents the flexibility to choose the option that best suits their needs. Canada's Universal Child Care Plan recognizes families as the key building block of society and gives parents the flexibility to balance work and family as they see fit.

As the federal government's focal point for seniors' issues, the Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat supports and co-ordinates federal efforts to identify issues and opportunities created by the growing seniors population. HRSDC will continue to work with other federal government departments and with provinces, territories and partners, including various stakeholders, on the policy, program development and coordination of the Government's approach to seniors' issues in Canada. In this role, it will also support the work of the newly appointed Secretary of State (Seniors) and the National Seniors Council.

HRSDC also supports the Government of Canada on matters affecting people with disabilities. HRSDC will strive to improve awareness, coherence, and horizontal management of disability issues within the Department, and across the Government of Canada. Additionally, HRSDC's Office for Disability Issues serves as a model of accessibility for the federal government, and provide leadership by example to promote accessible workplaces throughout the government.

At the community level, HRSDC is committed to supporting the efforts of the community not-for-profit sector to innovate, strengthen networks of collaboration, promote self-suffi ciency and share good practices to contribute to community well-being.

HRSDC works to prevent and reduce homelessness by working with communities to broaden and increase partnerships - with a focus on the corporate sector, unions and foundations to ensure the long-term sustainability of community efforts. Over the past six years, this work has led to enhanced planning, decision-making, networking and information-sharing. These valuable assets have helped build and sustain a network that can generate local solutions to address homelessness. A range of facilities such as emergency shelters, supportive and transitional housing, and related support services have been made available for homeless people and at-risk Canadians.

A new Homelessness Partnering Strategy was announced by the Federal Government on December 19, 2006 to combat homelessness in Canada. This replaces the National Homelessness Initiative and provides $269.6 million over two years to help put in place the structures and supports needed to move individuals towards self-sufficiency and participation in Canadian society. This new strategy builds and improves upon the National Homelessness Initiative, by focusing on a 'housing-first' approach to homelessness in Canada. By working with communities, provinces and territories, partners in the private and not-for-profit sectors and Aboriginal partners, the Strategy will encourage an effective alignment of federal/provincial/territorial investments and facilitate access to the range of services and programs that homeless individuals and families need in order to move towards self-sufficiency. Under the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the federal government will offer the provinces and territories the opportunity to enter into bilateral partnerships to deepen collaboration between the two levels of government that would help develop linkages between the federal homelessness programs and provincial/territorial social services, thus assisting communities in making strategic investments toward maximizing outcomes for the homeless population.

Did You Know?

  • Canada's homeless population has many faces: men, women, children, youth, newly arrived immigrants, refugees, victims of spousal violence, persons suffering from mental illness or addictions, and low-wage workers.
  • Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative has transferred 76 federal properties to community groups for the creation of 982 new beds.
  • The cost of keeping an individual in a correctional or health facility is estimated to be from $200 to $600 per night whereas the costs of transitional and supportive housing are between $20 to $60 per night.

HRSDC will make a concerted effort, through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, to improve collaborative work among departments by working with other federal departments and agencies to achieve shared outcomes, and to find the appropriate accountability and delivery instruments.

  • In the area of health, HRSDC is involved with the Canadian Institutes on Health Research program, Reducing Disparities Initiative and through funding of various projects.
  • Other cross-departmental research partnerships efforts include: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to ensure active dissemination of the results of previously funded research in the area of homelessness and diversity through various outreach knowledge transfer activities; the Metropolis Project at Citizenship and Immigration Canada through continued support of its Interdepartmental Committee17 the National and International Metropolis Conference contributions of HRSDC-funded researchers in various Metropolis policy publications, and other knowledge transfer activities; Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation through various co-funded research projects; and Statistics Canada through continued liaison to improve data holdings in the area of housing and homelessness.
  • HRSDC staff will continue to hold discussions with departments such as Justice Canada, Canadian Heritage, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and Status of Women Canada, in order to improve relations among federal departments.

HRSDC has been working with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to strengthen collaboration. HRSDC will continue to ensure that the department's programs for the homeless population complements those offered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Initiative and Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program. To this end, HRSDC is renewing its agreement with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation on general research issues, data sharing, and data integration. Other collaborative initiatives include the HRSDC-led Action for Neighborhood Change project, where agreements have been signed with other federal departments including Health Canada, and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada.

Plans

Social Investment

Plan: Raise awareness of seniors' issues and improve the retirement income system.

  • Develop and implement a plan to inform people about the retirement income system and their role within it. Efforts will include a focus on Aboriginals on-reserve.
  • Continuing efforts will be directed towards future reforms to Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan to ensure that the programs meet current and future needs. Implementing the proposed amendments of Bill C-36 (an Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Act) will be a priority for 2007-2008 if it is passed.
  • Develop and, once created, support, a National Seniors Council that will advise the Government of Canada on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors.

Plan: Support full participation of persons with disabilities in the labour market and society.

  • Undertake policy research to develop a proposal for a Canadians with Disabilities Act.
  • Renew labour market programs for people with disabilities as part of the development and implementation of a departmental labour market strategy.
  • Contribute to the Canada Pension Plan Triennial Review by managing the adoption of an amendment to ease contributory eligibility for long-term contributors applying for Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits as part of Bill C-36, and planning for its potential implementation.
  • Start Phase I of a comprehensive evaluation of the Canada Pension Plan Disability Program, including a review of existing literature and data, a methodology plan and key informant interviews.
  • Place Canada Pension Plan Disability administrative data into Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres for use by academic researchers to build the knowledge base relating to Canada Pension Plan Disability.
  • Improve awareness, coherence, and horizontal management of disability policies and programs within HRSDC and across the Government of Canada.

Plan: Support not-for-profit community sector efforts to innovate, strengthen networks of collaboration, develop capacity and share good practices to contribute to community well-being.

  • Make strategic investments through the Social Development Partnerships Program to improve social outcomes for children, families, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations consistent with the social priorities of the Government. Develop options and engage in activities to support the renewal of the program whose terms and conditions expire in March 2008.
  • Foster entrepreneurship and innovation within the community not-for-profit sector to achieve better socio-economic outcomes for individuals and promote sectoral self-sufficiency.
  • Increase the participation of seniors through projects funded through the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
  • Select and engage new communities to participate in the Understanding the Early Years initiative.
  • Support a government dialogue on understanding "place-based" policy approaches and how federal instruments affect communities as they address their complex social and economic problems.
  • Invest in national francophone non-governmental organizations to promote French language early childhood development programs in official language minority communities.

Children and Families

Plan: Provide support and choices for families, through Canada's Universal Child Care Plan and other existing initiatives, to help ensure their children have the best possible start in life.

  • Ensure successful implementation of Canada's Universal Child Care Plan, including:
    • Administration of the Universal Child Care Benefit for all children under six, in partnership with Canada Revenue Agency; and
    • Implement a new Child Care Spaces Initiative to support the creation of child care spaces.
  • Continue implementation of the 2000 Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement and the 2003 Federal/Provincial/Territorial Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care.
  • Continue to work with provincial and territorial governments on the National Child Benefit Initiative.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of a Working Income Tax Benefit for low and modest-income Canadians and their families.

Housing and Homelessness

Plan: Implement the new Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

  • Allocate program funding based on approved community plans/projects, and update program guidelines and tools to implement the new Homelessness Partnering Strategy that will ensure continuity of services to homeless people.
  • Focus on achieving tangible results for homeless persons through a housing-first approach.

Plan: Develop partnerships to better align investments.

  • Develop bilateral arrangements with provinces and territories to align federal capital investments with provincial/territorial investments in social services.
  • Shape meaningful public-private partnerships in the context of addressing homelessness challenges.

Plan: Srengthen horizontal links between housing and homelessness and other policy areas.

  • Improve coordination and reporting of horizontal links with federal partners.
  • Develop pilot projects to test innovative and collaborative approaches to preventing and reducing homelessness.

Logic Model - Social Investment, Children and Families, Housing and Homelessness
Strategic
Outcome
Enhanced income security, access to opportunities and well-being for individuals, families and communities
Program Activity
  Social Investment Children and Families Housing and Homelessness

2007 - 2008 Plans

 

  • Raise awareness of seniors' issues and improve the retirement income system
  • Support full participation of persons with disability in the labour market and society
  • Support non-profit community sector efforts to innovate, strengthen networks of collaboration, develop capacity and share well-being
  • Provide support and choices for families, through Canada's Universal Child Care Plan and other existing initiatives, to help ensure their children have the best possible start in life
  • Implement the new Homelessness Partnering Strategy
  • Develop partnerships to better align investments
  • Strengthen horizontal links between housing and homelessness and other policy areas
Program Activity Expected Results
  • Enhanced income security and social inclusion, increased opportunities and participation of Canadians (in particular for seniors, people with disabilities and communities), through our own initiatives and through working with all of our partners
  • Support low income families with children
  • Provide families with a choice in child care
  • Contribution to the reduction and prevention of homelessness
Program Indicators
  • Number and percentage of clients with enhanced employability
  • Number of new community-based social development projects or initiatives that have been supported to promote the participation of children and families, persons with disabilities or other vulnerable populations.
  • Number of persons participating in new horizons for seniors community projects
  • Percentage of families who are receiving the Universal Child Care Benefit for their children under age 6
  • Amount invested in communities by external partners (not-for-profit groups, private sector organizations and other government departments) for every dollar invested by the Homelessness Partnership Initiative.
  • Percentage of all Homelessness Partnering Strategy investments targeted to long-term stable housing and related services.
Programs
  • Old Age Security Program
  • Canada Pension Plan
  • Canada Pension Plan - Disability
  • Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
  • Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities
  • Social Development Partnership Program
  • New Horizons for Seniors Program
  • Understanding the Early Years
  • Official Language Minority Communities
  • Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector
  • Inter-country Adoption
  • Canada's Universal Childcare Plan
  • Universal Childcare Benefit
  • Child Care Spaces Initiative
  • Multilateral Framework for Early Learning and Child Care
  • Early Childhood Development Agreement
  • National Child Benefit
  • Homelessness Partnership Initiative
  • Homelessness Accountability Network
  • Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative
  Planned Spending: $59,971.1M/
FTE: 1,009
Planned Spending: $2,481.2M/ FTE: 163 Planned Spending: $144.5M /
FTE: 319

Programs

Social Investment

The Social Investment program activity provides Canadians with pensions and benefits for retirement, death, and disability through the Old Age Security Act and the Canada Pension Plan. It also includes social investment programs, policies, and grants and contributions designed to ensure that children, families, seniors, communities, and people with disabilities are provided with knowledge, information, and opportunities to move forward with their own solutions to social and economic challenges.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Canada Pension Plan Account.

Children and Families

The Children and Families program activity provides support to families to help ensure all children have the best possible start in life; that parents have choice in childcare, to ensure the needs of those who provide care to loved ones are taken into account and that families' economic security is sustained.

The Children and Families activity undertakes specific initiatives supported by multilateral agreements between the Federal Government and Provinces and Territories through programs such as the National Child Benefit, the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care and Canada's Universal Child Care Plan.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Housing and Homelessness

Provides programs and services that assist communities in helping homeless individuals and families, as well as those at risk of homelessness, move towards self-sufficiency, thereby contributing to society and the economy. This is accomplished through partnerships with all levels of government, the voluntary and private sectors, foundations, faith-based communities and unions.

The activity accomplishes its objectives through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, a class contribution and class grant program. The four class contribution programs are: Homelessness Partnership Initiative-Designated Communities, Homelessness Partnership Initiative - Outreach Communities, Homelessness Partnership Initiative - Aboriginal Communities, and Homelessness Partnership Initiative - Federal Horizontal Pilot Projects. The Homelessness Knowledge Development Program is a class contribution and class grant program that addresses the gaps and priorities in knowledge around issues of homelessness in Canada. The Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative, whose funds are administered through Public Works and Government Services Canada, provides surplus federal properties to communities across Canada to address their local homelessness-related needs.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. www.homelessness.gc.ca/home/index-eng.asp

For more details relating to these programs please see Section IV - Other Items of Interest.


Financial Tables
  Financial and Human Resources
  2007-2008 2008-2009  2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Social Investment
Gross Operating Expenditures 138.3 133.6 130.9
Voted Grants and Contributions 294.9 290.0 288.7
Statutory Grants and Contributions
Old Age Security 24,093.0 25,168.0 26,347.0
Guaranteed Income Supplement 7,413.0 7,685.0 7,959.0
Allowances 553.0 580.0 608.0
Total Statutory Grants and Contributions 32,059.0 33,433.0 34,914.0
Total Gross Expenditures 32,492.2 33,856.6 35,333.6
Canada Pension Plan Benefits 27,478.9 28,881.9 30,381.0
Sub-Total Social Investment 59,971.1 62,738.5 65,714.6
Children and Families
Gross Operating Expenditures
Statutory Grants and Contributions
21.2 21.5 21.8
Universal Child Care Benefit 2,460.0 2,470.0 2,480.0
Sub-Total Children and Families 2,481.2 2,491.5 2,501.8
Housing and Homelessness
Gross Operating Expenditures 35.2 39.0 0.7
Voted Grants and Contributions 109.3 109.3 -
Sub-Total Housing and Homelessnessa 144.5 148.3 0.7a
Total 62,596.8 65,378.3 68,217.1
Human Resources
Social Investment 1,009 991 1,001
Children and Families 163 164 165
Housing and Homelessness 319 327 10
Total - Full Time Equivalents 1,491 1,482 1,176
a A new program, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, was annouced in December 2006 and is funded for two years (2007 - 2008 and 2008 - 2009)

Details by Programs and Services

Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)
Social Investment
Seniors and Pensions 55,933.4 58,558.2 61,371.3
Disability Programs 273.7 273.8 272.1
Canada Pension Plan - Disability 3,667.0 3,819.2 3,985.9
Community Development and Partnerships 54.0 45.1 41.8
Allocated Corporate Servicesa 43.0 42.2 43.5
Sub-Total 59,971.1 62,738.5 65,714.6
Children and Families
Child Care 2,460.6 2,470.6 2,480.4
Multilateral Framework for Early Learning and Child Care - - -
Early Childhood Development Agreements 2.8 2.8 2.8
National Child Benefit 2.4 2.4 2.4
Other b 8.8 8.8 8.8
Allocated Corporate Servicesa 6.6 6.9 7.4
Sub-Total 2,481.2 2,491.5 2,501.8
Housing and Homelessness
Homelessness Partnership Initiative 128.0 129.7 0.7
Homelessness Accountability Network 1.8 1.9 -
Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative 3.7 3.7 -
Allocated Corporate Services a 11.0 13.0 -
Sub-Total c 144.5 148.3 0.7
Total 62,596.8 65,378.3 68,217.1
Human Resources
Social Investment 1,009 991 1,001
Children and Families 163 164 165
Housing and Homelessness 319 327 10
Total - Full Time Equivalents 1,491 1,482 1,176
a Corporate Services resources related to the Minister's Office, the Deputy Minister's Office, the Comptroller's Office and the Shared Services have been prorated to each program activity.
b Other category is for the resources which are not directly related to the sub-activities identified.
c A new program, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, was announced in December 2006 and is funded for two years (2007 - 2008 and 2008 - 2009).


Achieve Better Outcomes for Canadians Through Service Excellence

E. Service Canada

Service Canada's mandate is to work with federal departments, other levels of government, and community-based partners to transform government service delivery for Canadians across all service delivery channels - telephone, Internet, and in-person. Service Canada's five objectives are as follows:

  • Deliver seamless, citizen-centred service by providing integrated, one-stop service based on citizen needs;
  • Enhance the integrity of programs by building trust and confidence in programs and achieving significant savings in program payments;
  • Work as a collaborative, networked government by building whole-of-government approaches to service that enable information sharing, integrated service delivery and strategic investment for the benefit of Canadians;
  • Demonstrate accountable and responsible government by delivering results for Canadians and government, savings for taxpayers and transparency in reporting; and
  • Build a culture of service excellence by supporting management and staff, encouraging innovation, and building leadership and capacity to provide citizen-centred service.

In the next three years, Service Canada will focus on the following four key transformative priorities to achieve these objectives:

  • Enhance regional and community points of service to bring more services and benefits to more Canadians;
  • Improve the management of client information by integrating citizens' information from various government sources and increasing automation;
  • In line with the Federal Accountability Act, strengthen accountability and transparency through improved program integrity and sound stewardship to demonstrate responsible governance to Parliament and Canadians; and
  • Achieve and sustain a culture of service excellence by building management and employee capacities to deliver citizen-centred service, and recognize service excellence.

Service Canada will continue to generate savings through efficiencies and reduced program payment errors and fraud.

Service matters to Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to providing high quality, citizen-centred service that meets the needs and expectations of Canadians.

Launched in September 2005, Service Canada has been in operation for more than a year. As a dedicated service delivery organization, Service Canada makes it easier for Canadians to get the services and Benefits they need in one place. In collaboration with its service partners, Service Canada provides one-stop, easy access to government benefits and services across multiple service delivery channels. In building a world-class, integrated call centre network and leading-edge Internet services, Service Canada is providing more personalized and responsive services to Canadians. New approaches to reaching clients in all communities are being implemented to improve citizens' access to the services and Benefits they need, and provide them with an excellent service experience.

Service Canada provides Canadians with easy access to more than 60 government programs and services, including the Employment Insurance program, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Benefits, Passport Receiving Agent Services, pleasure craft licenses, and many on-line tools and applications such as Career Navigator and Appli-Web.

Service Canada has more than 19,000 employees dedicated to serving Canadians; provides 493 points of service throughout the country; manages the national 1 800 O-Canada telephone information line; and offers a wide range of on-line services through servicecanada.gc.ca

Service Canada supports the Government's overall direction by:

  • Focusing and building on what we do best:
    Providing one-stop access to Canadians by beginning to expand service offerings and service enhancements for four segment groups: families, seniors, youth, and people with disabilities;
  • Creating new opportunities and choices for Canadians:
    Supporting government priorities through effective service strategies that improve service across our delivery channels in areas such as the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, the Universal Child Care Benefit, and Common Experience Payments;
  • Investing in sustainable growth:
    Investing in the design of an ideal one-stop service by modernizing infrastructure to improve access and efficiency, produce tangible improvements, and generate savings commitments; and
  • Freeing businesses to grow and succeed:
    Investing in processing automation, electronic filing of Records of Employment, and other initiatives to reduce the paper burden related to Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan.

Did You Know?

Each year, Service Canada serves more than 32 million Canadians by:

  • Paying $70 billion ($190M a day) in benefits to Canadians
  • Processing more than 5 million applications for government benefits
  • Handling 4.8 million on-line transactions
  • Handling 56 million calls
  • Mailing 20 million letters

To demonstrate its commitment to accountable and responsive government, Service Canada is building on its Service Charter, which outlines what Canadians can expect and how they can provide feedback on the quality of service they receive; and its Service Standards, which describe how these commitments will be met in specific, measurable ways. The organization reports on its progress through its Performance Scorecard and Annual Report. In addition, the Office for Client Satisfaction makes recommendations to Service Canada on how to improve service delivery based on client satisfaction surveys and feedback from Canadians on Service Canada's services and benefits. For 2007 - 2008, Service Canada's business plan focuses on improving performance relative to our service standards, designing and implementing new service offerings and target enhancements, and initiatives that improve our efficiency and modernize our infrastructure. The table, on the following page, illustrates additional measures that demonstrate our commitment.

Recognizing that its employees are essential to providing Canadians with excellent service, Service Canada is supporting the development and accreditation of knowledgeable, trained and helpful staff through the newly launched Service Canada College and its service excellence curriculum.

For 2007 - 2008, Service Canada will continue to focus on improving service to Canadians, strengthening transparency and accountability, and fostering service excellence. This focus is directly reflected in its program goals: seamless, citizen-centred service; integrity; accountability; collaborative, networked government; and service excellence.

Seamless, Citizen-Centred Service

In the past, Canadians had to determine how to access services and Benefits across a multitude of programs and departments. Citizen-centred service is about changing how government serves Canadians by putting the citizen at the centre of how government does business, and providing the quality of service that Canadians need and expect.

A citizen focus means integrating services in a way that reduces the burden to find and access programs and services Canadians need. By improving existing delivery channels and increasing our federal presence in regional communities, Service Canada is providing a more relevant and meaningful service delivery choice for Canadians.

Service Canada will continue to improve in five key service areas:

  • Service Canada will further integrate and tailor programs and services in a way that is more relevant, comprehensive and intuitive for citizens. Programs and services are being bundled into service offerings designed to meet the needs of eight key citizen segments or "communities" including: families, seniors, youth, people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, official language minority communities, workers and employers, and newcomers to Canada. Service Canada is researching and building strategies that will guide the development of service offerings to these communities.
  • Service Canada will shift service and product development priorities to meet the expectations and needs of Canadians, for example, by improving service delivery capacity in areas such as passport applications or increasing access to services such as the Common Experience Payments to former Indian residential schools students.
  • Service Canada will focus the expansion of its regional and community service network to areas which were previously underserved, to ensure that over 90% of Canadians have access to government services within 50 kilometres of where they live.
  • Service Canada will provide a more consistent service experience to meet the needs of Canadians regardless of their location.
  • Service Canada will continue to develop a world-class integrated call centre network that provides telephone-based services to Canadians through a single phone number. This, along with ongoing improvements to Internet and in-person services, will improve our overall reach and service performance for Canadians.

Our research shows that 96% of Canadians support the concept of setting up a one-stop shop for service delivery, as service is the primary means of direct and personal contact between citizens and their governments.

Concurrently, Service Canada will continue to build a service-oriented, professional workforce by:

  • Enhancing employee skills through the recently launched Service Canada College;
  • Rewarding citizen-centred service through an awards and recognition program;
  • Establishing a leadership development program, building leadership capacity, and fostering an environment which allows staff to bring forward innovative ideas to further improve service;
  • Putting in place mechanisms to ensure the recruitment of individuals with client service excellence competencies.

Service Canada will continue to report on its progress in meeting the commitments laid out in the Service Charter and Service Standards through a Performance Scorecard and the Service Canada Annual Report. The Office for Client Satisfaction will also provide annual recommendations to Service Canada on areas for improvement in service delivery.

Did You Know?

  • More than 400,000 Canadians called Service Canada about new federal initiatives in 2006
  • The new Service Canada Web site gives Canadians one-click access to 90% of the most commonly requested programs and services
  • Citizen service agents conduct more than 500,000 client interviews each year

Service Canada Additional Measures
Forecasts
Number of new Service Offerings 10
Canada Pension Plan Applications 680K
Employment Insurance Applications 2.8M
Old Age Security Applications 52.9Ma
Passport Applications 38K
Pleasure Craft Licences Applications 125K
Social Insurance Number Requests 1.5 Million
Number of employment program clients served 500,000
In-person visits - Assisted clients (personally and Internet) Actual Volumes to be reported
In person visits - Self-served clients Actual Volumes to be reported
Internet visits Actual Volumes to be reported
Job seekers using Job Bank Actual Volumes to be reported
Telephone calls - specialized calls answered by an agent Actual Volumes to be reported
Telephone calls - answered in the Interactive voice response system Actual Volumes to be reported
a Includes Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) automatic renewals

Integrity

Service Canada issues over $70 billion in benefits to Canadians each year. Canadians expect these benefits to go to the right person in the right amount for the right purpose. Ensuring integrity in the delivery of government programs and benefits is fundamental and crucial to increasing public trust. Sound methodologies and dependable data are required to measure our achievements and save money for taxpayers.

Service Canada will continue to focus on the following priorities to strengthen integrity:

  • Enterprise-wide integrity will be achieved through the implementation of integrated risk and quality management practices, systems and processes to ensure the security and confidentiality of client information. This will involve the further strengthening of the Social Insurance Number processes, the enhancement of the vital events management initiative and the review of Social Insurance Number validation processes in fiscal year 2007-2008. The Social Insurance Registry will also be enhanced by establishing clear and concrete goals for Social Insurance Registry completeness, accuracy and reliability; and measuring and reporting on these goals beginning in fiscal year 2007-2008. Both authentication and quality checks will assure authorized access to service accounts for benefits and services. Service Canada will also focus on expanding its risk analysis capacity by implementing an enterprise-wide risk management framework to improve and measure compliance, accuracy in benefit delivery, and security of personal information.
  • Rigorous risk and quality management, coupled with enhanced systems integrity, will provide reliable, accurate and timely information to help Service Canada maximize savings. Efficient and cost-effective delivery of service offerings, coupled with tighter control of benefit payments will optimize savings. New risk management and other quality management approaches will allow us to make further progress in 2007-2008.

Service Canada is also increasingly automating its information systems for payment and service delivery processes in areas such as call centre and vital events management. This will achieve better client information integration and respond to Canadians' expectations for better, faster, more convenient services. By automating services involving Employment Insurance, for example, processing times and errors will be reduced.

Collaborative, Networked Government Service

As the largest government service delivery organization in Canada, Service Canada is a key resource for Canadians. By working hand-in-hand with provinces, territories and local government, Service Canada is making it easier for Canadians to obtain government and community services at the same time. Over the next year, Service Canada will continue to expand this integrated network and improve Canadians' access to all the key services they need in the communities where they live. Service coverage will be expanded by co-locating with more municipalities, provinces and territories as integrated service delivery partners.

As manager of the 1 800 O-Canada government telephone service, and both the servicecanada.gc.ca and Canada.gc.ca Internet sites, Service Canada is ideally positioned to deliver Government of Canada services and Benefits to all Canadians.

Service Canada has set out the following plans to further invest in service delivery by integrating client information and ensuring citizens can access this world-class collaborative network:

  • Establish a "one client view" when designing service delivery. Providing service to Canadians requires that information be viewed from a citizen-centred perspective. The one-client view strategy (to be developed over the next few years) will transform the way Service Canada approaches service delivery by removing current program delivery silos. Service Canada will build expertise in the collection, use and integration of information to meet the needs of Canadians. Consistent with privacy laws and practices, Service Canada's strategy is to ensure that information is only collected once, and Canadians can easily find programs and services in one place. Service to Canadians will be transformed by significantly reducing the administrative burden and making services more efficient.
  • Collect information from the originating source, where possible. Through collaboration with provincial vital statistics registries, Service Canada will collect information on births, deaths and marriages directly from these sources. Service Canada will continue negotiations and build upon new agreements with Ontario and British Columbia. It will also extend the agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to collect information on new Canadians when they first arrive in Canada.

Provinces, territories and partners share our goal to better serve Canadians and improve their satisfaction level with requesting and receiving government services.

Plans

Seamless, Citizen-Centred Service

Plan: Transforming service to Canadians.

  • Expanding Service Canada regional and community presence.
  • Integrating call centres.
  • Implementing Service Strategies for Client Communities.
  • Undertaking business and product development.

Plan: Achieving and sustaining a service excellence culture.

  • Building, achieving and sustaining service excellence.

Plan: Strengthening accountability and transparency.

  • Reporting on our commitments to Canadians and to Parliament.

Integrity

Plan: Strengthening accountability and transparency.

  • Establishing enterprise-wide integrity.
  • Generating program and operational savings.

Plan: Achieving client information integration.

  • Achieving processing automation.

Collaborative, Networked Government Service

Plan: Transforming service to Canadians.

  • Building the capacity of Service Canada as the Government of Canada network of choice.
  • Building partnership strategies.

Plan: Achieving client information integration

  • Establishing a "one client view" for citizen-centred service.
  • Transforming vital events management.

Programs

Seamless, Citizen-Centred Service

The Citizen-Centred Service program activity develops service strategies, policies and research and delivers one-stop, easy-to-access, personalized services across integrated delivery channels - phone, Internet, and in-person - while ensuring needs, expectations, and priorities of citizens and communities are at the centre of the design and delivery of services and that the information gathered through service delivery about citizen and community needs informs the policy, program and service delivery development process.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Employment Insurance Account and the Canada Pension Plan Account.

Integrity

The Integrity program activity enhances and strengthens the integrity of programs to ensure that the right person or organization receives the right service or Benefit at the right time, and for the intended purpose. It implements the Social Insurance Number and the Social Insurance Registry as the foundation for a safe and secure common identifi er, develops integrity risk management strategies that will address operational risk and lead to the reduction of payment errors, and processes grants and contributions, individual Benefits and mail service requests.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Employment Insurance Account and the Canada Pension Plan Account.

Collaborative, Networked Government Service

The Collaborative, Networked Government Service program activity implements a government-wide, collaborative, networked business approach to delivering citizen-centred service to Canadians by working with other federal departments and agencies, other levels of government, and community partners, sharing information, adopting interoperable systems and infrastructures, providing secure management of citizen's personal information and respect of their privacy, and increasing the accuracy of the Social Insurance Registry through more timely and complete updates with vital statistics organizations.

The operating expenditures are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Employment Insurance Account.

For more details relating to these programs please see Section IV - Other Items of Interest.


Logic Model - Service Canada
Strategic Outcome Achieve better outcomes for Canadians through service excellence
Service Indicators Access / Choice
-Call
- Specialized calls answered by an agent within 180 seconds-information and transaction
- General calls answered by an agent within 18 seconds
(1 800 O-Canada)
- Access to automated telephone information services
- Click
- 24/7 availability of Internet - information and transaction
-Number of forms online in formats accessible for people with disabilities
- Visit
- Percentage of Canadians with access within 50 kms of where they live
- Number of Service Canada Centres with extended hours of service
- Number of established points of service for Official Language Minority Community Groups
- Languages offered other than English and French
Timeliness
- Notifications sent within seven days of receipt of applications
- CPP retirement benefit payment or non-payment notification issued within first month of entitlement
- EI benefit payment or non-payment notification issued 28 days of filing
- EI Umpire Appeals sent to the Office of the Umpire within 60 days
- EI Board of Referee Appeals scheduled within 30 days
- OAS basic benefit payment or non-payment notification within first month of entitlement
- Pleasure craft licenses issued in a visit
- SINs issued in a visit
Quality
- Accuracy rate of payments (includes EI and OAS)(CPP under development)
Satisfaction
- Client satisfaction in relation to services provided
Expected Results

Citizens are connected to whole-of-government programs and services through easy to access multiple channels that meet their individual needs.

Benefits are delivered in the most cost-effective manner to the right citizen, at the right time, and for the purpose they were intended. Programs and services are synchronized within the federal government and across jurisdictions to enhance efficiency and ease of accessibility for citizens.
Program Activity
  Seamless, Citizen-centred Service Integrity Collaborative, Networked Government Service
Priorities and Associated Plans Transforming Service to Canadians
- Implementing our Service Strategies for Client Communities
- Undertaking business and product development
- Expanding our regional and community presence
- Integrating call centres

_______________________________

Strengthening Accountability and Transparency
- Reporting on our commitments to Canadians and to Parliament

_______________________________

Achieving and Sustaining a Service Excellence Culture
- Building for service excellence
- Achieving service excellence
- Sustaining service and management excellence

Strengthening Accountability
and Transparency

- Establishing enterprise wide integrity
- Generating program and operational savings

_______________________________

Achieving Client Information Integration
- Achieving processing automation
Transforming Service to Canadians
- Building capacity as the Government of Canada network of choice
- Building partnership strategies

_______________________________

Achieving Client Information Integration
- Establishing a "One Client View’ for citizen-centred service
- Transforming vital events management

Corporate Focus: Strengthening Management and Financial Accountability

Sustainable Development Commitments

By taking initiative to purchase energy efficient equipment and lighting, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, using recycled materials where feasible, and reducing energy and paper use through service process automation, Service Canada will have significant cumulative effects on reducing environmental impacts.

Shared Services

Service Canada is responsible for the provision of Human Resources, Information Technology, Administrative and Financial services to HRSDC as a shared service provider, bringing together common support functions enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these services.


Financial Table
Financial and Human Resources
  Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)      
Seamless Citizen-Centred Service      
Gross Operating Expenditures 2,479.6 546.2 538.8
Sub-Total Seamless Citizen-Centred Service c 2,479.6 546.2 538.8
Integrity      
Gross Operating Expenditures 1,029.6 1,026.6 1,025.1
Sub-Total Integrity 1,029.6 1,026.6 1,025.1
Collaborative, Networked Government Service      
Gross Operating Expenditures 228.4 226.4 226.1
Sub-Total Collaborative, Networked Government Service 228.4 226.4 226.1
Totalb 3,737.6 1,799.2 1,790.0
Human Resources (Full Time Equivalents)      
Seamless Citizen-Centred Service 7,045 6,827 6,778
Integrity 11,302 11,287 11,261
Collaborative, Networked Government Service 757 739 736
Total - Full Time Equivalents 19,104 18,853 18,775

Details by Programs and Services

  Planned Spending
  2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
Financial Resources (in millions of dollars)      
Seamless Citizen-Centred Service      
Service Strategies and Policy 5.3 5.4 5.2
Client Service Offerings 22.6 23.0 22.5
Service Delivery 2,254.4 332.7 327.1
Allocated Corporate Services a 197.3 185.1 184.0
Sub-Totalc 2,479.6 546.2 538.8
Integrity      
Identity Management 10.9 10.7 10.7
Risk Management 105.0 104.6 104.6
Processing 555.9 560.6 559.6
Allocated Corporate Services a 357.8 350.7 350.2
Sub- Total 1,029.6 1,026.6 1,025.1
Collaborative, Networked Government Service      
Partnerships 148.1 148.1 148.1
Information and Knowledge Management 1.0 1.0 1.0
Allocated Corporate Services a 79.3 77.3 77.0
Sub-Total 228.4 226.4 226.1
Totalb 3,737.6 1,799.2 1,790.0
Human Resources (Full Time Equivalents)      
Seamless Citizen-Centred Service 7,045 6,827 6,778
Integrity 11,302 11,287 11,261
Collaborative, Networked Government Service 757 739 736
Total - Full Time Equivalents 19,104 18,853 18,775
a Corporate Services resources related to the Deputy Head's Office, the Chief Financial Officer's
Office and the Shared Services have been prorated to each program activity
b Planned spending for the Public Access Programs Sector ($14.2 million excluding Employee Benefit
Plan and Accommodations) is reported under Government Information Services (PWGSC) for all years pending transfer
of the funding. Control and supervision of these programs transferred to HRSD by Order-in-Council September 12, 2005.
c Common Experience Payments to former Indian Residential Schools represent $1.9 billion for 2007 - 2008 (pending approval of the Settlement Agreement).