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The Corporate Management and Services program activity provides support to the three IRB decision-making program activities through a range of human resources, legal services, communications, strategic planning, audit and evaluation, risk management, values and ethics, financial services, information technology, and management activities. It also provides the IRB with efficient management processes and administrative services while promoting organizational effectiveness and implements government-wide management and improvement initiatives. The Corporate Management and Services program activity ensures that all corporate management services are integrated into the business of the IRB.
As noted in Section 1, the planned spending and FTEs for Corporate Management and Services are proportionally allocated to the three decision-making program activities.
In line with the strategic priorities set out for the organization, the Corporate Management and Services program activity will undertake the planned activities with the expected results outlined in the following table.
Strategic Outcome: Provide Canadians with well-reasoned, timely decisions on immigration and refugee matters efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. | |
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 Consolidate the integration of the work of the Board's divisions to ensure quality, consistency and fairness in the efficient resolution of cases in a time of transition. |
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Plans | Expected Results |
Participate in and coordinate national and international events (including conferences) to showcase the IRB's integration efforts and position the IRB as a leader in the administrative justice community in Canada and in the refugee and immigration sector internationally |
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2 Continue to build an organization that strengthens its operational and leadership capacity, its diversity and its flexibility. |
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Plans | Expected Results |
Continue to build on the 2006-2007 Employment Equity (EE) initiatives with a two-year IRB EE strategy, supported by robust communications activities |
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Continue to review the Official Languages (OL) program including policy, training and infrastructure |
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Continue the implementation of the People Management Strategy by focusing, namely, on the development of a wellness strategy and a talent management program |
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3 Continue to improve adjudicative and case management strategies including the implementation of Stage 1 of the ICMS. |
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Plans | Expected Results |
Legal Services to develop a national reasons database |
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Amend the IRB rules of practice |
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Finalize the transition of ICMS resources, tools, procedures and infrastructure to the IS Directorate to provide the necessary maintenance of ICMS applications |
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Facilitate effective change management in preparation for the transition to ICMS through comprehensive training, communications and change management plans |
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Provide ongoing maintenance and support to ICMS in production |
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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4 Implement a horizontal and fully integrated management plan that reflects the IRB's current reality. |
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Plans | Expected Results |
Planning and Accountability | |
Continue the implementation of the Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS) Policy |
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The Risk Management Plan updated to reflect new strategic priorities, the Government Management Agenda and the implementation of the Legal Risk Management System |
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Continue to comply with the new Internal Audit policy |
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Provide effective financial planning and budgeting using ABB, A-Base Reviews and other tools to support resourcing process within the IRB |
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Ensure ongoing implementation of integrated HR and business planning, including the development of additional planning tools |
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Enhance the IRB IT Planning Framework to be in line with the IRB business plans |
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People Management | |
Revise a Code of Conduct for members and public servants of the IRB |
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Ensure ongoing implementation of Classification Reform |
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Develop policies on GIC terms and conditions of employment |
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Review and update accountability profiles for GICs |
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Modernization of GIC resource planning to ensure that the IRB has the necessary complement of decision-makers |
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Continue HR modernization implementation including Human
Resources Planning and Informal Conflict Resolution to ensure compliance with legislative requirements, monitoring
practices, exploring of opportunities under the Public Service Employment Act and development of any necessary additional policies/tools |
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Financial Management | |
Begin the implementation of the CFO model |
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Implement formal financial monitoring function |
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Participate in TBS Renewal of Policies and Directives |
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Security | |
Enhance the comprehensive security program and ensure a robust communications strategy |
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Procurement and Asset Management | |
Implement a comprehensive procurement and asset management program |
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Information Management | |
Continue the implementation of the relevant elements of the Information Management action plan |
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Information Systems | |
Support all systems and users (external and internal) effectively and in accordance with service standards |
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Strategic Communications and Partnerships | |
Continue to strengthen outreach efforts and improve stakeholder and Parliamentary relations |
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Introduce revamped external website |
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In response to a growing inventory of immigration appeals, the IRB launched the IAD Innovation initiative in late 2005. The process entailed a comprehensive re-examination of how the IAD works, including a re-thinking of all the processes by which appeals are resolved.
Following extensive internal and external consultations, the Chairperson released the IAD Innovation Plan on March 21, 2006. The IAD Innovation Plan seeks to ensure that the IAD can continue to deliver justice simply, quickly and fairly, and in a manner that maximizes the opportunities for parties to resolve appeals within the shortest possible time.
The Plan contains 26 recommendations grouped under the themes of:
Two teams have been formed to implement the recommendations of the Plan.
Several of the recommendations put forward in the IAD Innovation Plan are dependent on changes being made to the way in which the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) do business. As such, in September 2006, a portfolio working group was struck with representatives from CBSA, CIC and the IRB to begin addressing a number of recommendations put forward in the IAD Innovation Plan of March 2006.
To date, portfolio discussions have focused on ensuring the earlier receipt of the record of appeal at the Board, appropriate resourcing at CBSA to respond to the IRB's early informal resolution efforts, and the streamlining of the ID/IAD processes in which CBSA and the concerned person are able to agree on a joint recommendation on the removal order and IAD appeal.
The 2007-2008 plans and expected results associated with the IAD Innovation initiative are presented in Section 2.
To respond more effectively to changes in the volumes of work, the IRB has taken two important measures which have had the effect of transforming the way we do our work. The first has been to thoroughly review how the work is done. With respect to refugee claims, the Chairperson's Action Plan produced significant results through a review of business processes. A similar exercise is underway in the Immigration Appeal Division, with the Innovation initiative. The second measure which the Board has taken has been to promote functional integration of the three Divisions, subject to legal and practical constraints. This has entailed training decision-makers to hear cases in more than one Division.
A major component of functional integration has been to expand the level of adjudicative support to the decision-making process across all three Divisions. The integration of adjudicative support is aimed at improving quality and consistency through effective pre-hearing preparation and resolution of cases, as well as enhancing efficiency by enabling decision-makers to focus on their adjudicative functions with the assurance that they are receiving the best available information to make their decisions. Finally, an integrated approach to tribunal support is consistent with the core values of flexibility and responsiveness to business needs that are key components of public service modernization.
As of 1 April 2007, a restructuring of public service support will ensure that the three Divisions are being supported effectively. The existing community of Refugee Protection Officers, Operations Service Managers, Quality Project Officers and Regional Program Analysts will be transformed through a competency-based assessment process into a community of Tribunal Officers serving all three Divisions. The Tribunal Officers will receive training in areas of immigration and refugee law to which they would not have been exposed in their current jobs. In addition to accessing employment at a higher classification level, existing staff may also see career advancement possibilities expand with new competencies in hand. The Board will benefit from new efficiencies that maximize flexibility. The new structure places special emphasis on quality control and enhanced management to assure that the highest quality support is provided to the Divisions, enhancing their productivity and the quality of their work.
The Board's accomplishment of its mandate to make well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters quickly, simply and fairly is facilitated by the availability of high-calibre adjudicative support. The integration of adjudicative support will contribute to the Board's capacity to resolve as many matters as possible without a hearing, to assure that all matters going to hearing are fully hearing-ready, and to assure that all decisions produced are of the highest quality.
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
(S.C. 2001, c. 27, as amended)
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
(SOR/2002-227, as amended)
Refugee Protection Division Rules
(SOR/2002-228)
Immigration Division Rules
(SOR/2002-229)
Immigration Appeal Division Rules
(SOR/2002-230)
Oath or Solemn Affirmation of Office Rules
(Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada)
(SOR/2002-231)
Visit these websites to find out how the IRB tribunal processes its cases:
UNHCR website: http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home
For more information, visit the IRB website at
http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca or contact the IRB Communications Directorate at
(613) 947-0803 or contact one of the IRB offices listed below.
National Headquarters
Immigration and Refugee Board
Minto Place, Canada Building
344 Slater Street, 12th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K1
Tel: (613) 995-6486 Fax: (613) 943-1550
Regional Offices
Eastern Region
200 René Lévesque Boulevard West
Guy Favreau Complex
East Tower, Room 102
Montreal, Quebec H2Z 1X4
Tel: (514) 283-7733 Fax: (514) 283-0164
Central Region
74 Victoria Street, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5C 3C7
Tel: (416) 954-1000 Fax: (416) 954-1165
Western Region
Fording Place
205-9th Ave. S.E., 9th Floor
Calgary, Alberta T2G 0R3
Tel: (403) 292-6134 Fax: (403) 292-6131
The photographs that appear in this report originate from a number of sources, and include images of IRB locations, IRB employees working in offices, as well as photographs from public royalty-free image banks, so as not to infringe on the privacy of actual claimants or persons appearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.