ARCHIVED - Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada

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Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

The following section describes the program activities of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL) and identifies the expected results and its performance indicators and targets. This section also explains how the OCL plans to meet its expected results and presents the financial and non-financial resources that will be dedicated to each program activity.

This section will contain a discussion of plans surrounding the following Program Activities:

2.1.1 Registration of Lobbyists;

2.1.2 Education and Research;

2.1.3 Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbying Act (the Act) and the Lobbyists'
        Code of Conduct (the Code); and

2.1.4 Internal Services.

2.1.1 Program Activity: Registration of Lobbyists

Financial Resources ($ thousands)			Human Resources (Full-time Equivalents)
2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
1,530	1,531	1,531	8	8	8

Expected Results	Performance Indicator	Target
All lobbying activity is carried out by individuals, organizations and corporations that are properly registered in the Lobbyists Registration System.	Number of active registrations processed in the Lobbyists Registration System.	Maintain the number of active registrations processed per fiscal year at 7,500 or greater.

Program Activity Summary: Lobbying the federal government is a legitimate activity which must be done transparently. The Act requires that individuals who are paid to lobby public office holders disclose certain details of their lobbying activities. The OCL analyzes and approves lobbyists' registrations and makes them accessible to the public in an online electronic registry.

The 2008 amendments to the federal lobbying legislation resulted in considerable changes to the registration requirements of lobbyists. In response to these changes, the OCL deployed an online registration system that meets the lobbyist registration requirements of the Act. This system allows lobbyists to register their lobbying activities and perform transactions, such as amendments, renewals and terminations. It also allows public office holders and members of the public to search the Lobbyists Registration System (LRS)- a function that increases the transparency of lobbying activities. The OCL plans to continue focusing on adaptive system maintenance of the Registry in order to generate operational efficiencies.

Performance of the program activity is measured by indicators, such as the number of visits to the OCL website, the number of active registrations, and the number of transactions completed within the LRS.

The OCL will continue to devote considerable effort to ensuring the integrity and the accessibility of the information held in the Registry of Lobbyists.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected result, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• Optimize the administrative and approval processes for registrations to reduce turnaround time.
• Improve the Registry's search capability and transparency by implementing additional publicly-available search tools.
• Complete the implementation of an administrative interface for the verification of monthly communications reports.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity directly contributes to the increased transparency of lobbying activities at the federal level which, in turn, will increase the confidence of Canadians in their federal institutions.

2.1.2 Program Activity: Education and Research

Financial Resources ($ thousands)			Human Resources (Full-time Equivalents)
2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
891	892	892	6	6	6

Expected Result	Performance Indicators	Targets
Lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public are aware of the scope and requirements of the Lobbying Act.	Number of outreach activities conducted by the OCL. Survey conducted in the third quarter of every year.	Maintain the number of outreach activities above 50 in fiscal year 2010-2011. 80% say that their awareness has increased.

Program Activity Summary: The Act provides the Commissioner of Lobbying with a formal mandate to develop and implement educational programs to ensure that lobbying activities at the federal level are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner. The Education and Research Program Activity includes the development and implementation of an educational and outreach strategy to ensure that lobbyists, their clients, public office holders, and the public fully understand the new registration requirements brought forward by the Lobbying Act. Our goal is to increase awareness among target groups about the rationale and requirements of the Act and the Code.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected result, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• Complete the development and implementation of a comprehensive education and outreach strategy that builds on the momentum of the OCL's activities from previous years.
• Generate awareness-building activities, such as: print and electronic documents; direct communication with lobbyists, media, public office holders and the public; advisory letters to lobbyists; information sessions; media relations; conferences; learning events; briefings for government institutions; and continued dialogue with other national and international jurisdictions and stakeholders.
• Continue to focus on the use of electronic, web-based and multimedia education and outreach approaches to reach large groups of stakeholders in an effective and cost-efficient manner.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity contributes to increased awareness of the requirements of the Act and the Code in order to increase accountability and transparency in the lobbying of public office holders which, in turn, will increase the confidence of Canadians in their federal institutions.

2.1.3 Program Activity: Reviews and Investigations

Financial Resources ($ thousands)			Human Resources (Full-time Equivalents)
2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
1,243	1,245	1,245	9	9	9

Expected Result	Performance Indicator	Target
Alleged breaches of the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct are determined to be either unfounded or true so that they may be subjected to the appropriate sanctions.	Number of alleged breaches of the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct which results in decisions.	Maintain the percentage of enforcement actions on alleged breaches at 100%.

Program Activity Summary: This program activity includes the monitoring of lobbying activity through the media, confirmation of information contained in monthly communication returns, review of applications for exemption from the five-year prohibition on lobbying, and investigations of allegations of non-compliance with the Act or the Code. Recommendation reports are prepared and submitted to the Commissioner to enable decision-making, and ensure that appropriate compliance measures are taken.

Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected result, the OCL plans to undertake the following activities:

• Monitor media and other publicly available sources of information for evidence of lobbying, verify that registrable activity is properly reported, advise groups and individuals about the requirement to register certain activities, and recommend appropriate means of ensuring conformity with the Act and the Code.
• Confirm the accuracy and completeness of monthly communication returns submitted by lobbyists and ensure the integrity of information contained in the Registry of Lobbyists.
• Review applications for exemption from the five-year prohibition on lobbying and provide timely and informative recommendation reports.
• Investigate alleged breaches of the Act and the Code, recommend appropriate compliance measures, and communicate results.
• Facilitate priority setting, planning, tracking and reporting of reviews and investigations by implementing a new case management system.

Benefits for Canadians: This program activity contributes to public confidence in decisions made by federal institutions by ensuring that lobbying activity is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Act, and that lobbyists adhere to the principles and rules set out in the Code. Increased conformity with the Act and the Code ensures accountability and transparency in the lobbying of public office holders.

2.1.4 Program Activity: Internal Services

Financial Resources ($ thousands)			Human Resources (Full-time Equivalents)
2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
961	961	961	5	5	5

Program Activity Summary: Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Material Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Given the specific mandate of the OCL to develop and implement educational programs to foster public awareness of the requirements of the Act, Communications Services are not included in Internal Services, but rather form part of the Education and Research Program Activity.

Planning Highlights: The OCL has reviewed its governance structure in fiscal year 2009-2010, and the decision was made to restructure it in an effort to enhance OCL effectiveness.

Therefore, in 2010-2011, the OCL will complete its governance restructuring, bringing all of the strategic planning and corporate functions under the responsibility of the Deputy Commissioner. Once the governance structure is completed, the OCL will be in a position to better integrate business and human resources planning, and increase the range of its outlook from one-year to three-year strategies. Over the next three years, the OCL will continue to strengthen its management accountability framework. This will be done through better alignment of management instruments such as the Performance Measurement Framework, Corporate Risk Profile, Integrated Business and Human Resources Planning, and IM/IT Strategic Plan.

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