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2  Analysis of program activities, by strategic outcome

Statistics Canada's strategic outcome is that Canadians have access to timely, relevant and quality statistical information on Canada's changing economy and society for informed debate, research and decision making on social and economic issues. The indicators and targets that the agency is planning to use to assess its performance in achieving this strategic outcome are presented in section 1.5 of this report.

The section that follows describes Statistics Canada's program activities, and the financial and non-financial resources available to each. Priorities are identified for each of the four program activities:

• Economic Statistics
• Social Statistics
• Census, Demography and Aboriginal Statistics
• Internal Services

2.1  Economic Statistics

Table 6  Economic Statistics, planned spending and human resources

	2010/2011	2011/2012	2012/2013
Planned spending (thousands of dollars)	178,754	184,187	184,191
Human resources (full-time equivalents)	2,123	2,158	2,158
Notes: Planned spending amounts are presented net of respendable revenue. Totals may differ between tables because of rounding.

Program activity description

The Economic Statistics Program provides Canadians with a comprehensive, integrated set of measures of the structure and evolution of Canada's economy. This program must be continually adjusted to ensure it is responding to the highest-priority information needs of public and private decision makers. To support Canada's engagement in international policy making, the program must respect international standards to permit comparison and analysis, as well as development of global measures of economic performance.

Priorities

To fulfill their purpose, statistics produced under this program must be of high quality and must accurately depict the performance of Canada's economy. They must also be timely, coherent and accessible. The program must be efficient in terms of the resources consumed in the production of the various measures and in terms of the burden that the program imposes on businesses, farmers and other Canadians responding to its surveys.

Statistics Canada continues to update the Economic Statistics Program to reflect the changing realities of the Canadian economy. Simultaneously, it strives to increase the efficiency of its processes by increasing the use of administrative data and of modern technology for surveying and processing data. These transformations are undertaken with the goal of expanding data access to Canadians while maintaining or improving the data quality and timeliness they have come to expect.

The Economic Statistics Program has identified the following six priorities.

Priority: Improve access to economic data

Statistics Canada produces and disseminates a large array of statistics on the various aspects of the Canadian economy. To maximize the value of this information, it is essential to ensure that potential users are aware of the availability of these aggregate statistics and can easily identify and make use of the specific data series that will meet their needs.

It is also important that access be provided, for statistical and research use, to individual business information collected by Statistics Canada, but under very controlled conditions that preserve the confidentiality and security of the microdata. Researchers in government, academia and business have expressed great interest in having access to individual business survey responses to better understand the increasingly complex world in which Canadian businesses operate. Policy makers also recognize that the analysis of policy and the assessment of policy impacts are best supported by looking at the characteristics and behaviours of individual firms. To this end, work is underway to establish the infrastructure to facilitate such access.

Priority: Deliver gross domestic product data

The production of gross domestic product (GDP) data is one of the highest ongoing priorities at Statistics Canada, given the central role of these data in the management of Canada's economy. Priority is also given to Statistics Canada programs that make large contributions to the calculation of the GDP. These include the Balance of International Payments; the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours; the Quarterly Survey of Financial Statements; the industrial prices indexes; international trade statistics; the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey; the Monthly Retail Trade Survey; and tax files from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Ongoing activities related to the production of gross domestic product data will continue and will remain a priority.

Priority: Develop a framework for environment statistics

Statistics Canada publishes a small program of statistics related to the environment. The program has evolved on an ad hoc basis as different environmental priorities and policies have arisen. Work has begun on a framework for environment statistics to help identify data gaps and set priorities for future work. This framework is being developed in consultation with policy departments and agencies working on environment statistics at the international level.

Priority: Deliver Consumer Price Index data and better reflect current consumer spending patterns

The production of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), like that of the gross domestic product data, is one of the highest ongoing priorities at Statistics Canada, given the central role of these data in the management of Canada's economy. Ongoing activities related to the production of the CPI will continue and will remain a priority.

Under the current four-year renewal cycle, the basket weights used in the CPI for the 2005 reference year will be replaced with weights based on 2009 consumer spending patterns. This update, planned for June 2011, will refresh the index to more accurately reflect the most current purchasing patterns and economic conditions possible.

Priority: Reflect changes to Canadian accounting standards in survey programs

On January 1, 2011, Canada will officially replace Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the current accounting standard authorized by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Transitioning companies are required to produce parallel financial statements using GAAP and IFRS standards in the year preceding their formal transition to IFRS. Planned initiatives will use this information to explain the impact of the transition on enterprise-level financial statements, economy-level aggregates and the quarterly enterprise financial data series. This work may also identify requirements to modify the Quarterly Survey of Financial Statements questionnaires and systems, as well as have the potential to recommend changes to the Chart of Accounts.

Priority: Produce new quarterly services indicators and improve coverage of service price indexes

As part of its effort to expand the amount of information available on the services sector, Statistics Canada has been exploring innovative and cost-effective approaches to using administrative data. While detailed data are available annually for a wide range of service industries, understanding of this important sector is hampered by the limited data available on a subannual basis. The quarterly services indicators is a new statistical program aimed at providing the subannual information needed to monitor the economic performance of service industries. The program relies primarily on Goods and Services Tax data, and produces quarterly industry estimates of the rate of change in revenue.

In addition to developing and disseminating indicators focused on output quantities, Statistics Canada will also improve the coverage of service price indexes. These indexes will be developed and disseminated for a number of industries for which information of this kind and quality does not currently exist—including a number of industries in wholesale and retail trade, in finance and insurance, and in transportation.

Benefits for Canadians

An effective, well-developed economic statistics system is a prerequisite for Canada's recognition as a developed country and an essential underpinning of its participation in international institutions such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. International co-ordination of economic policy, as well as effective trade negotiations, depends on statistical information.

Beginning with the Constitution Act of 1867, much Canadian legislation at the federal and provincial level has relied on statistical information for its operation. Equalization payments to provinces and indexation of social benefits and tax brackets are important examples of legislated uses of economic statistics. In the private sector, many contracts and collective agreements are similarly dependent on economic statistics.

The current economic climate illustrates well the dependence of macroeconomic fiscal and monetary policy on economic statistics. Equally important is a similar dependence on economic statistics of industrial and labour market policies, regional economic policy, policies designed to promote innovation, and policies designed to attract and retain foreign investment in Canada.

Like governments, private businesses depend on economic statistics for their decisions on such matters as mergers and acquisitions, investments, and opening and closing of locations. Timely and reliable statistics remove uncertainty about the economic environment and improve the efficiency of private decision making.

Economic statistics provide Canadians with a score card against which to measure their governments, to engage in policy debate and to hold governments to account. An effective economic statistics system is an essential ingredient of a vibrant, modern democracy.

2.2  Social Statistics

Table 7  Social Statistics, planned spending and human resources

	2010/2011	2011/2012	2012/2013
Planned spending (thousands of dollars)	135,419	138,394	138,380
Human resources (full-time equivalents)	1,781	1,798	1,800
Notes: Planned spending amounts are presented net of respendable revenue. Totals may differ between tables because of rounding.

Program activity description

The Social Statistics Program provides information to decision makers and all Canadians on the social and economic characteristics of individuals, families and households in Canada, and on the major factors that can contribute to their well-being. It includes the production of key indicators related to the labour market, earnings, pensions, income and expenditures, health, justice and education, as well as information on factors influencing social outcomes. A number of indicators also target segments of the Canadian population, such as children, youth, immigrants, the elderly and people with activity limitations. The program also provides information and analysis on the facilities, agencies and systems that are publicly funded to meet the socioeconomic and physical needs of Canadians and on the outcomes of the services that they provide.

Priorities

An ongoing threat to the quality of Statistics Canada data is the increasing difficulty of collecting that information. The active lifestyles of Canadian families make it harder to contact them at home. As well, more households have only cell phones or use Internet phones. All of this makes it more costly to maintain representative samples and response rates. Without further efforts in survey collection, relevance and quality will decline.

The past 20 years have seen overall shifts in user demand toward more detailed and timely access to both cross-sectional (status of a population at a given point in time) and longitudinal (the status of a population tracked over long time periods) survey data. Thus, in addition to published standard products (e.g., reports and summary data tables), there has been a tremendously increased appetite among policy makers and academics for microdata. In partnership with universities, research organizations and federal policy departments, Statistics Canada has established 25 Research Data Centres across the country. They provide researchers and policy makers with access to microdata in a secure environment, allowing Statistics Canada to meet data needs while ensuring the confidentiality of respondent data. While these solutions go a long way toward meeting the needs of today's data users, the challenges posed by users provide the impetus for continued innovation.

The widespread adoption of Internet technologies creates an opportunity for increased efficiency, since Internet-based surveys can be less costly and of greater quality. To maintain quality, manage its survey costs and satisfy clients' demands for increased access to data, Statistics Canada will modernize the infrastructure it uses to collect and disseminate data.

The Social Statistics Program has identified the following four priorities.

Priority: Improve access to social data

Statistics Canada is at the forefront internationally with regard to access to confidential microdata by academic and policy researchers. The network of Canadian Research Data Centres (RDCs), in particular, is recognized as a world leader in this domain.

In response to a demand for more timely and convenient access, particularly when the RDCs are not situated close to where researchers work, Statistics Canada is developing a new mode of access to its confidential microdata files. Real Time Remote Access (RTRA) is a basic online application that allows users to remotely submit queries against the microdata from selected social surveys housed within Statistics Canada's network. Within a short time researchers receive results that have been reviewed automatically to ensure that they do not disclose confidential information. A prototype was developed in 2009/2010 on a cost-recovery basis, in partnership with policy departments, taking into account security, legal and functionality requirements.

Priority: Respond to information needs on the impact of the H1N1 pandemic

Two of Statistics Canada's main social surveys—the Labour Force Survey and the Canadian Community Health Survey—have the capacity to respond to emerging information needs by offering the flexibility to initiate data collection and reporting services within very short time periods.

Data users have expressed a need for information on the social and economic impacts of the H1N1 pandemic. To respond to this need, questions have been added to the Labour Force Survey and the 2010 Canadian Community Health Survey. Labour Force Survey respondents have been asked whether their work hours were affected by the H1N1 pandemic or seasonal flu, and if so, whether this was as a result of their own illness, caring for a sick family member or time away for related appointments. Results will be released as aggregate data tables, with more detailed analysis to follow in 2010/2011.

Respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2010 will be asked whether and when they received the H1N1 flu vaccine and if they did not receive the vaccine, the reasons why not. Respondents will also be asked whether they received the seasonal flu vaccine. National, provincial and, where possible, health region-level estimates will be produced in 2010/2011. Furthermore, as analogous questions are being asked in the United States through the National Health Interview Survey, cross-country comparisons will be possible.

Priority: Deliver Labour Force Survey data

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is one of the highest ongoing priorities at Statistics Canada, given the central role of the data in the management of Canada's economy. This survey is the source of well-known statistics such as the official unemployment rate. LFS data, the first of Statistics Canada's socioeconomic statistics to be published each month, are highly relevant for determining the direction of the economy and the effect of changing economic conditions on Canadians. The LFS is a crucial input into the effective administration of the Employment Insurance (EI) program, run by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Regular EI benefits are determined by the unemployment rate in various regions across the country. Ongoing activities related to the production of the LFS will continue and will remain a priority.

Priority: Begin to implement electronic data reporting for household surveys

Experience with the 2006 Census of Population and other surveys has shown a growing interest in the use of an Internet survey response option. This interest, along with the potential for cost savings efficiencies in data collection, has lead to an initiative to add the Internet as an option for household survey respondents.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the first major household survey to move toward an Internet option. A prototype Internet application will be used to provide approximately 6,000 households with the option to complete the LFS online in an early 2010 pilot test. A high take-up rate of respondents entering their information directly online for the LFS, and for other household surveys in the future, could produce collection efficiencies and data quality improvements in the coming years.

Benefits for Canadians

Timely and accurate information on a broad range of social issues provides decision makers at all levels of government, non-government organizations and academics with essential information for developing policies, managing programs, conducting research, and making decisions that affect individuals, families and households in Canada.

2.3  Census, Demography and Aboriginal Statistics

Table 8  Census, Demography and Aboriginal Statistics, planned spending and human resources

	2010/2011	2011/2012	2012/2013
Planned spending (thousands of dollars)	161,859	304,761	64,287
Human resources (full-time equivalents)	1,290	1,615	919
Notes: Planned spending amounts are presented net of respendable revenue. Totals may differ between tables because of rounding.

Program activity description

The Census, Demography and Aboriginal Statistics Program produces statistical information on the Canadian population, its demographic characteristics and conditions, and their change over time through a number of statistical activities, including the quinquennial Census of Population and Census of Agriculture. Population counts and estimates are required to determine electoral boundaries, the distribution of federal transfer payments, and the transfer and allocation of funds among regional and municipal governments, school boards and other local agencies within provinces. The program also provides information on the socioeconomic conditions and well-being of Aboriginal peoples.

Priorities

Statistics Canada conducted extensive reviews of the processes within the Census Program following the 2006 Census. These reviews identified opportunities for streamlining operations for the 2011 Census and beyond. The introduction of an Internet response option in 2006 was extremely successful and Statistics Canada is taking measures to increase its use.

The data available for Aboriginal peoples are not timely and are incomplete compared with the data available for the general population. While the Census of Population paints a broad picture, more in-depth data from on-reserve Aboriginal surveys are needed to understand determinants and consequences of changes in areas such as early childhood development, work, education, health and housing.

In addition to efforts intended to increase Internet response rates for the 2011 Census, systems and processes are being developed to address issues encountered in 2006. Changes are also being implemented to improve data processing and system maintenance, with the goal of streamlining operations through integration with the ongoing collection infrastructure.

Filling the substantial data gaps that exist for the on-reserve Aboriginal population will require Statistics Canada to continue to work with other federal government departments and with the Aboriginal communities and organizations. Statistics Canada is working with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to develop a data strategy to address a number of gaps.

The Census, Demography and Aboriginal Statistics Program has identified the following four priorities.

Priority: Enhance the Aboriginal Statistics Program

The Aboriginal Statistics Program produces data from surveys, such as the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, on the socioeconomic, cultural and health conditions of Métis, Inuit and First Nations people.

For a number of years, Statistics Canada has been active in building ongoing relationships with Aboriginal organizations and communities. This has required investment in specific programs, such as the Aboriginal Statistics Training Program and the Aboriginal Liaison Program. This involves considerable liaison and capacity building, including training and workshops. However, significant data gaps persist for the on-reserve First Nations population, and Statistics Canada is working with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to develop strategies to address these deficiencies. In 2009/2010, two pilot surveys were initiated: the Survey of People Living in First Nations Communities, in Alberta and Northern Ontario; and a Labour Force Survey pilot, in the Siksika Nation in Alberta.

Priority: Prepare to conduct the 2011 Census of Population

The Constitution Act of 1867 requires that a Census of Population be held in Canada in 2011. The census collects population and dwelling counts as well as population information such as age, sex, common-law and marital status, first language learned in childhood, mobility, ethnocultural identity (including Aboriginal peoples and languages), labour, education, income, citizenship, immigration, transportation and housing.

The census produces a snapshot of the population and is the only source of coherent and detailed information for small geographic areas. Census counts are critical to the production of population estimates, which are calibrated after each census.

Census data are used widely by all levels of government for policy planning and program development and delivery. The federal government distributes billions of dollars annually (over $60 billion is planned for 2009/2010) in federal transfers to provinces and territories using population estimates. The key components of these distributions are the Canadian health and social transfers, the territorial formula financing, and the equalization payments. Census data are also used in determining the number and boundaries of federal electoral ridings for representation in the House of Commons.

The immediate priority is scaling up systems and operations in preparation for the 2011 Census collection.

Priority: Prepare to conduct the 2011 Census of Agriculture

The Census of Agriculture is conducted to develop a statistical portrait of Canada's farms and their operators. The data provide users with a comprehensive picture of the major commodities of the agriculture industry, while also supplying information on finances, use of technology, and new or less common crops and livestock. The next Census of Agriculture will be conducted in May 2011, concurrent with the Census of Population. Significant savings can be realized by sharing common processes and systems, such as printing, communications, collection, questionnaire scanning and capture. A full mail-out/mail-back collection methodology will be implemented for the Census of Agriculture in 2011, with all follow-ups to be conducted by a centralized telephone operation.

The immediate priority is to prepare for 2011 Census operations.

Priority: For future agricultural censuses, study the feasibility of using income tax data to replace the collection of financial data

In April 2008, Treasury Board approved funding for the full cycle of the 2011 Census of Agriculture, including a strategic investment project to assess the feasibility of using tax data to replace the financial data currently being collected from respondents. The assessment will link respondent-provided 2011 Census of Agriculture financial data with the data on their agricultural operations filed with the Canada Revenue Agency. Depending on the project's results, it is anticipated that the Census of Agriculture will remove the financial question from the 2016 Census of Agriculture questionnaire.

Benefits for Canadians

The Census of Population provides key data that are unique. For example, the census is essential for learning about populations that are important for government policy (e.g., recent immigrants; visible minorities; people with disabilities; Aboriginal peoples, including First Nations communities; ethnic, religious and language minorities; seniors; and youth). The census also supports provincial/territorial and local government planning and program delivery, as it is the only source of detailed small-area information to monitor progress on issues such as infrastructure-related investments by all levels of government and the changing makeup of neighbourhoods. It is used to design surveys that provide estimates of monthly employment, family incomes and expenditures, and other topics of concern to government, industry, labour and the general public. It is also used to analyse social and economic issues, such as skills shortage and the integration of immigrants, and it is essential to reviewing the effectiveness of current legislation.

The Census of Agriculture is critical for the development and evaluation of the underlying programs and policies related to food supply and safety, the environment, renewal, science and innovation, and business risk management. It contributes both directly, with data, and indirectly, with its support of the annual agriculture statistics program. The Census of Agriculture provides a comprehensive source of data that is the foundation for the analysis of the agriculture and agri-food industry for federal and provincial departments alike.

2.4  Internal Services

Table 9  Internal Services, planned spending and human resources

	2010/2011	2011/2012	2012/2013
Planned spending (thousands of dollars)	86,700	86,609	86,611
Human resources (full-time equivalents)	921	918	918
Notes: Planned spending amounts are presented net of respendable revenue. Totals may differ between tables because of rounding.

Program activity description

Internal Services comprises groups of activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of the organization: management and oversight services; communications services; legal services; human resource management services; financial management services; information management services; informatics technology services; real property services; materiel services; acquisition services; and travel and other administrative services.

Internal Services includes only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not those provided specifically to a program.

Priorities

Statistics Canada will continue to streamline and standardize its practices in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of program delivery and to meet the emerging requirements of the government-wide Expenditure Management System. With the goal of continuous improvement, the agency is pursuing two operational priorities and four enabling priorities.

Operational priority: Provide a more user-friendly website

Statistics Canada's external website is one of its most important tools in supporting its underlying objective of ensuring Canadians have access to a trusted source of statistics. The website attracts over 18 million visits per year and is the public face of Statistics Canada. Ongoing investments and improvements are being made to ensure the site is user-friendly and responds to evolving user demands and requirements.

Operational priority: Increase stakeholder engagement for improved relevance of Statistics Canada's programs

There needs to be a strong connection between Statistics Canada's statistical and analytical programs and the economy and society they seek to depict. The agency has developed an extensive stakeholder network, including the National Statistics Council, advisory committees, federal–provincial–territorial consultative committees, and various periodic and ad hoc bilateral meetings with national associations. While it does exist, Statistics Canada's engagement with federal policy departments and agencies can be strengthened. These federal institutions have the greatest direct impact on Statistics Canada's budget.

Enabling priority: Implement the new human resource management action plan

In 2009, Statistics Canada was chosen by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2010. Organizations chosen for this award are industry leaders in offering exceptional workplaces and in attracting and retaining quality employees.

Human resources (HR) is a very dynamic environment that needs constant adaptation. In keeping with this, a comprehensive review of HR systems and practices was conducted in the summer of 2009 to identify refinements that would enable Statistics Canada to better meet its needs and those of its employees. Four priority areas where further innovation is required were specifically identified: executive leadership and development; collective staffing; recruitment and development; and diversity. Activities related to these priority areas will be carried out with the engagement of employees and the aid of the agency's infrastructure of HR committees.

Enabling priority: Consolidate governance of informatics technology services

Statistics Canada's governance and management system is based on the objective that significant corporate issues are reviewed at the highest appropriate level, collectively, with final decisions rendered by the Chief Statistician.

Within this governance structure, a particular focus for 2010/2011 will be the consolidation of the informatics technology function. At Statistics Canada, this function involves about 1,000 employees, of which 450 are outside the central Informatics Technology Branch, working under the direction of local program managers throughout the agency. The objective is to move decision making from the local to the corporate level, in order to standardize the informatics resources, including computer hardware, software, telecommunications and systems development. Consolidating this workforce under a common management structure as per the governance model endorsed by the Treasury Board Secretariat requires a major organizational restructuring. The roadmap for this restructuring has been developed and approved. Its implementation has started and will be completed by the end of 2010/2011.

Enabling priority: Enhance and document the integrated risk management strategy

Integrated risk management is a systematic, organization-wide approach to managing strategic and operational risks. As mentioned in section 1.2, Statistics Canada currently has in place an effective, integrated risk management strategy. However, there are some gaps with respect to the tools used to assist in the identification and management of risks, namely a corporate risk register and profile. Developing and implementing these tools will help the agency better articulate the costs and benefits of mitigation strategies based on the combined analysis of likelihood and impact of risks. Statistics Canada also needs to better articulate and document its risk thresholds to help guide decision making.

Enabling priority: Strengthen the internal audit function

The strengthening of the internal audit function will renew and improve Statistics Canada's processes and activities in order to ensure good management practices. A key component of the renewal was the establishment in 2009 of the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC), chaired by a member external to the federal government. The role of the DAC is to provide the Chief Statistician with advice and guidance in the area of governance, risk management and systems of internal controls. This revitalization will place the internal audit function in a position to satisfy the expectations highlighted in the Treasury Board Secretariat's Policy on Internal Audit.

The independence of the Chief Audit Executive is secured with a direct reporting relationship to the Chief Statistician. Internal audit will continue to provide assurance services, expand services to include continuous auditing, introduce a robust follow-up procedure for audit recommendations and related management action plans, and develop a quality assurance and improvement plan. Professional development of staff will continue and compliance with the Institute of Internal Auditors' Professional Standards will be closely monitored.

The renewed multiyear risk-based audit plan addresses areas of high risk for Statistics Canada and provides it with adequate audit coverage.

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