Highlights from the 2017–18 Departmental Results Reports

November 26, 2018

On November 20, 2018, Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board, tabled the 2017-18 Departmental Results Reports on behalf of government departments and agencies.

Departmental Results Reports replaced the former Departmental Performance Reports, which are part of the Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved.

Below are some highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies.

Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

GCdocs was implemented across internal services to effectively manage digital information resources. An Intranet Advisory Group was formed, comprised of members from internal service areas and tribunal secretariats, to provide advice and make recommendations to enhance the ATSSC’s intranet.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Information Management and Information Technology

Information is the cornerstone of a democratic, effective, and accountable government, and must be well managed throughout its life cycle. Stewardship of information and technology is critical in meeting client needs and expectations both internal and external to government. A responsive information management and technology environment is key to supporting the work at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and any compromise to this environment could impact the Department’s ability to deliver on its mandate.

In 2017–18, the Department continued to focus on the standardization and consolidation of information management services and technologies, as well as address aging systems that could impact resources and the Department’s ability to meet emerging requirements. The Department continued to improve the performance and capabilities of its critical services and prioritization of investments to address the emerging technological requirements.

Security of Sensitive Assets

As cyber security threats continue to rise, protecting the Department’s sensitive assets becomes increasingly important. The risk goes beyond cyber threats – it could include user error, inadequate controls, or even non-compliance with established procedures. If a breach of sensitive information occurs, it could damage the Department’s relationships or reputation, cause harm to its stakeholders, and have legal ramifications for the Department.

Improvements to the security of information have progressed, which include enhancing security policy instruments and increasing awareness for employees. The Department continued to work with its federal partners in a concerted effort to address evolving threats and ensure the implementation of appropriate measures to protect its sensitive assets.

Risk: Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT)

There is a risk that the progressive standardization and consolidation of information management and technology services and technologies, as well as the aging systems environment, may impede the delivery of programs and services, as well as further limit the Department’s influence and speed in delivering innovative solutions to meet emerging requirements for business efficiencies.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

The risk was determined to be tolerable given the response strategy being implemented. Progress was made in mitigating the risk by improving the identification and prioritization of IM/IT investments and enhancing and modernizing essential IM/IT systems, including through the following activities:

• Amended the approval process of the IM/IT Plan to improve governance in the prioritization and funding of IM/IT initiatives, especially for standardizing and consolidating IM/IT services and technologies; and
• Upgraded and modernized a number of workstations, applications, and network traffic to improve performance and capabilities.

As a result, computer performance issues due to aging equipment, insufficient capacity, and other factors have decreased. The Department will continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of the IM/IT systems, applications, and investment process to support the delivery of programs and services, as well as meet emerging requirements.

Risk: Security of Sensitive Assets

There is a risk that sensitive Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada assets (information, intellectual property, physical collections, etc.) could be compromised due to cyber threats, user error, inadequate capabilities/controls and/or non-compliance with established procedures.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness

The risk was determined to be tolerable given the response strategy being implemented. Progress was made in mitigating the risk by improving the security of information, enhancing security policy instruments, and increasing awareness for employees, including through the following activities:

• Implemented the Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s national headquarters;
• Issued secure devices during travel to protect sensitive information;
• Promoted awareness and monitored compliance with established security procedures; and
• Revised the Department’s Standard on Physical Security to include procedures for visitors and delegations and security sweeps.

As a result of the mitigation strategies, the majority of Departmental employees have completed security training, and there is a decrease in the number of security infractions and vulnerability of information and networks during travel. The Department will continue to secure its assets by ensuring compliance of security procedures, improving infrastructure, establishing protocols, and through awareness and training.

Results: what we achieved

Program 3.1: Internal Services

Results and delivery

In 2017–18, in line with the Government’s Policy on Results, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada established its Departmental Results Framework to improve the achievement of results and better measure and communicate those results. The Department also developed a five-year integrated audit and evaluation plan, and initiated a departmental data strategy to support the results agenda. Continued development and implementation of the data strategy will support maximizing the Department’s use of data for evidence-based decision-making, program and service delivery, as well as results measurement, reporting, and communication.

Information management and information technology

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continued to deliver on commitments for openness and transparency in government. Over 270 new datasets were contributed to the Open Government Portal in 2017–18. In addition, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada introduced new data harvesting tools and participated in the Canadian Open Data Summit. The Department continued to implement its information management and information technology strategic plans, including investments to enhance and modernize core information technology services, as well as focus on delivering services digitally, in alignment with the Government of Canada Strategic Plan for Information Management and Information Technology 2017 to 2021.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

ACOA continued to support the Government of Canada’s plan for an open and fair government by implementing Year 2 measures outlined in the Agency’s Open Government Implementation Plan, and by seeking employee engagement in effective information management practices.

Canada Economic Development Agency for Quebec Regions

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Maintaining a functional and secure technology infrastructure

Risk that the existing technology infrastructure, the security thereof, and available information and related systems will not provide appropriate support for operational requirements, thereby affecting CED’s operating capacity.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Analyze and develop options to maintain CED’s technological capacity and meet needs relating to infrastructure, technology and an information management system.

Canada Revenue Agency

Tax

Digital services

The Agency has developed a Digital Services Strategy to create a service experience for Canadians that is user-centric, secure, and digital from end-to-end.

During 2017-18, the Agency introduced several enhancements to our current digital services to make them even easier for Canadians to use. For example, ReFILE was launched in 2017. It allowed tax preparers to submit their T1 adjustments electronically through their tax software. In February 2018, Phase 2 of the ReFILE service was launched which expanded the service to allow individuals to submit online adjustments to previous year returns with certified NETFILE software; this is much simpler and faster compared to previous practices, where adjustments had to be submitted in paper format.

The Agency also launched a new service in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, where Canada Pension Plan recipients can update their direct deposit information with one organization, and their profile will be automatically updated with the other organization.

In October 2017, the CRA launched a new application called CRA BizApp. This mobile web app offers small Canadian business owners the option to check their recent transactions and balances owing from any mobile device at any time. They can also make payment arrangements knowing that the payment is secure.

Auto-fill my return service was also expanded for the 2018 tax filing season. The service now provides individuals and their authorized representatives with the ability, using certified tax software, to automatically fill in parts of a 2017, 2016, or 2015 income tax and benefit return with the information that the CRA has available. This reduces the time needed to prepare the return, reduces time spent searching for slips and reduces the possibility of transcription errors, making tax filing simpler for clients. As of July 31, 2018, Auto-fill my return service has been used over 9.9 million times during the 2018 filing season.

In 2017, the Agency introduced the Express NOA service to allow individuals and their authorized representatives to view the notice of assessment in their software. This service was enhanced for the 2018 season to deliver the Express NOA right after the return was received and processed by the CRA. As of July 31, 2018, there have been over 415,000 successful uses of the Express NOA service through EFILE by tax preparers and NETFILE by individuals.

In 2017-2018, the CRA increased the number of Canadians receiving their tax and benefit correspondence online by integrating the registration for online mail into tax preparation software. The Agency also invested in an online nudge that prompted visitors to the CRA portals to register for online mail. As a result, CRA’s online mail service has now delivered over 29 million pieces of correspondence to over 7.2 million individuals and businesses. This has resulted in Canadians getting access to their correspondence quickly and securely and it allows the CRA to offer the type of digital services that our clients expect. It has also allowed the CRA to reduce our paper usage and save on postage.

Recently, the CRA added new electronic options for taxpayers to easily pay their account balances, such as accepting Debit Mastercard when making a payment using CRA’s electronic payment service, or using PayPal through a third party service provider.

Key results: Digital services

• We implemented a strategy to modernize the Agency’s online presence and expand the use of social media
• 1.8 million individuals registered for online mail and over 13.8 million pieces of correspondence were issued online during 2017-18
• 150,732 businesses registered for online mail and over 934,000 correspondence items were issued online during 2017-18
• 87.6% of individual returns were filed online for the 2018 filing season; 90% of corporation income tax returns were filed online
• 89.2% of GST/HST returns were filed online and processed by the CRA
• 69% of refunds to individuals were made by direct deposit
• We processed nearly 39 million payments, totalling over $520 billion, and received 82.1% of payments electronically (including payments remitted at financial institutions)
• We received over 168 million visits to our webpages
• Although not a digital service, we also reviewed individual returns resulting in 263,551 individuals receiving beneficial taxpayer adjustments in the amount of $109 million

Business intelligence and data analytics

Business intelligence arises from using advanced analytical tools to transform data and information into something more meaningful, such as a better understanding of taxpayer behaviour that can help the CRA make improved strategic and operational decisions. The CRA’s use of advanced data analysis techniques to mine the business intelligence it has at its disposal has allowed the Agency to more precisely target non-compliance in a timely manner. By applying business intelligence and data mining techniques, the Agency has developed predictive models that lead to better identification of potential non-compliant taxpayers. This allows the Agency to direct resources toward resolving the highest risk accounts. The ultimate goal, of course, is to foster voluntary compliance and to focus Agency resources on auditing non-compliant taxpayers while allowing compliant taxpayers to carry on their business activity with the least amount of intervention from the CRA.

Using the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool, the Agency found that it undertakes comprehensive intelligence gathering and research to identify compliance risks in respect of its main tax obligations.

To maintain and improve voluntary compliance, the CRA also applies behavioural science techniques through outreach strategies and reinforcement messaging. The Agency’s Office Audit Letter Campaign and Industry Campaign Approach (ICA ) are good examples of the practical application of behavioural science. The Office Audit Letter Campaign provides business owners with information about tax requirements in areas of increased risk of non‐compliance. The ICA is engaging industry associations and using tailored information to help design customized tax compliance messaging for specific sectors of the economy to prevent future errors. So far, the ICA has sent customized letters to taxpayers in five different industry sectors (support services of the mining and oil and gas extraction industries, cattle ranching and dairy farming, child daycare services, graphic design services, and hardware stores) to inform and educate these groups on their tax responsibilities.

Key results: Business intelligence and data analytics

• We issued 32,500 letters through the Office Audit Letter Campaign and 21,000 letters through the Industry Campaign Approach to help taxpayers comply

Internal services

Integrity and security

The CRA takes its responsibility to maintain the trust of Canadians very seriously and continues to underline this commitment by focusing on integrity and security as an Agency priority. Our Agency Security Plan (ASP) 2016‑2019, clarifies how the Agency integrates its security activities into daily operations to manage security risks and protect employees, information, and assets to the highest standard. This fiscal year, we completed all activities identified in the ASP for 2017‑18, notably the final phase of the multi-year Identity and Access Management project.

The CRA is also increasing controls to prevent and detect internal fraud and misuse of information. Given continual advances in the methods and sophistication of fraudulent activities, the Agency must continue to update its internal fraud detection tools and identify weaknesses that could be exploited. This fiscal year, we established detailed business requirements for two new fraud detection capabilities.

Using the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool, the Agency found that it has robust internal audit and internal affairs units, and external oversight.

The Agency’s Data Security Initiative (DSI) will further enhance the protection of data and implement safeguards for the Agency’s databases and computing environments. In 2017‑18, we fully implemented 2 DSI deliverables, and are on schedule to complete the remaining 13 committed DSI phase 1 deliverables by June 2020.

The Agency also improved physical security controls by updating card access and intrusion detection systems at 15 sites this year. We developed a new Employee Threat and Violence Mitigation strategy, which will be implemented next fiscal year, and delivered 332 awareness sessions to employees to promote security at the CRA.

The CRA respects the government’s requirement for open and transparent government as part of its commitment to integrity. To this end, we reduced the backlog of access to information and privacy requests by 29%, and participated in consultations on legislative changes included in Bill C‑58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Innovation

Gathering business intelligence (BI ) gives the CRA better insight into taxpayer behaviour and non-compliance. The Agency continues to combine business intelligence with advanced data analysis techniques in order to take a targeted and risk-based approach to promoting, supporting, and enforcing compliance activities.

Recognizing its data holdings as a strategic asset, the CRA developed a Business Intelligence Vision, which determined the need for an integrated, horizontal approach to the way the Agency collects, uses, manages, publishes, and shares data. We appointed a Chief Data Officer to implement this approach over the next two years, establishing BI priorities to support the CRA’s objectives and drive innovation, and guiding a new CRA centre of expertise for BI.

The Agency recognized that innovation plays a key role in being world-class, and developed an innovation assessment tool, which was vetted by academics, external subject matter experts, and other government departments. The CRA will report on the extent to which it fosters innovation in 2018-19.

The CRA is renewing its BI computing platform, tools, and processes to allow an integrated view of taxpayer activities, support continuing research into business efficiency, and ensure informed decision-making and issues management. In 2017‑18, the CRA successfully implemented most of the foundational IT infrastructure and began migrating data to the new BI environment. The BI Renewal project will lay the groundwork for statistical and trend analysis to prepare for future needs, challenges, and opportunities, and is on track for completion in December 2018. Throughout 2017-18, the CRA continued to advance its data analytics capability by developing and testing predictive models to allow us to identify individual and business taxpayers with an increased risk of non-compliance, and determine what specific compliance actions to apply.

Our Accelerated Business Solutions Lab also continued to promote BI use at the Agency, using tools such as behavioural insights, ethnography, and advanced analytics to improve services and increase compliance. For example, a “nudge” experiment was conducted to determine if increasing taxpayers’ awareness of the working income tax benefit would encourage more paper filers to claim. (“Nudge” projects influence decisions and behaviours without restricting people’s choices. These projects test different interventions to measure their impact.) The experiment was extremely successful at increasing claims among low-income paper filers in New Brunswick in tax year 2016, and was rolled‑out nationwide for tax year 2017.

Encouraging innovation and new ideas is crucial to the ongoing growth and improvements of CRA’s compliance, collections, and verification approaches. One particularly successful collaborative agreement involved recruiting and supporting students from the Business Intelligence Systems Infrastructure co-op program from Algonquin College in Ottawa. This program has positive results for both students and the Agency. The program is specialized and selective, with only 25‑30 students admitted annually. Since the start of the agreement 3 years ago, 12 students have been recruited to the Agency and 26 have been assigned to a number of CRA-developed BI and analytics exploratory case studies, as part of their academic learning. This year, along with three other recipients, the CRA was awarded the first ever Algonquin College Co‑op Award of Excellence.

To improve access to federal and provincial benefits for vulnerable Canadians, the CRA completed an ethnographic research project in 2017 on the needs and experiences of people who are homeless and housing-insecure. The research focused whether they file tax returns and their life experience, and identified the barriers they face in accessing benefits to which they are entitled. The findings suggested ways for the CRA to improve its interactions with homeless and housing-insecure Canadians and be more responsive to their needs. In alignment with the commitment to open government, the research report is available on Canada.ca.

This year, the CRA collaborated with other government departments and consulted different tax administrations and companies on innovation. We also studied potential strategies for solutions, including distributed ledger (blockchain) technology and cloud computing, and practical applications of artificial intelligence.

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

The Agency implemented the second phase of its three-year Social Media Strategy, which consisted of exploring the possibility of launching new social media channels. Twitter has been designated as our main social media platform, and the Agency manages an English and a French account as well as the bilingual account of the President. Compared to 2016–17, the Agency’s presence on Twitter increased considerably as the Agency created and published more content and visuals. The number of followers has increased, likely due to the rise in activity, from 2,554 followers in 2016–17 to 3,450 followers in 2017–18 (English and French accounts combined). This represents a 35.1% growth rate over the year. This growth also facilitated 34.6% more engagement from the public, which means our content was interacted with via ‘re-tweeting, favouring, or commenting’ 850 more times than last year. The Agency also looked at how many impressions we received this year compared to last. Impressions are the number of unique views our content yields. Our French account had 179,600 impressions this year, while our English account boasted 1,121,100. We can conclude that some of these higher numbers are directly linked to our increased activity and engagement with the public on Twitter.

In addition, the Agency continued to expand the range of information related to EA available online, including videos, diagrams and infographics as part of the overall approach of being digital by default. The Agency made extensive use of online platforms to support public engagement on the review of environmental and regulatory processes, such as the LetsTalkEA.ca website that the Agency administered on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. More than 160 emails and correspondence, and over 1,150 comments from more than 500 registered users were received during the 30-day public comment period on the Expert Panel’s report.

The Agency migrated its legacy OpenText system to a new information management system server. The migration was completed in May 2017, enabling employees to begin using GCDOCS, the Government of Canada’s shared Information Management System.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Results: What we achieved

Internal Services

Information is the cornerstone of a democratic, effective and accountable government. The CFIA recognizes the necessity of accurate, timely and complete responses to public requests for information as an essential element of our democracy. In support of this, the Agency launched an initiative called Access to Information and Privacy Paperless that enables the electronic retrieval of records in their native digital format.

In 2017-18, the e-Retrieval pilot project, a component of the Access to Iinformation and Privacy Paperless Initiative, was completed. This initiative has streamlined the retrieval process, reduced the use of paper, and improved quality and delivery time for retrieval of records, reducing the time required for the retrieval, triage and importation of records by 40 percent (6.2 days). The pilot project was recognized for an award of excellence in Access to Information and Privacy services by the Conference Board of Canada’s Council of Chief Information Officers.

In 2017-18, the CFIA developed a new information classification structure in preparation for the shift towards the common Government of Canada documents management system. In support of this, the CFIA enhanced its current electronic document and records management system to improve the accessibility of information and increase performance and accessibility.

In June 2017, the CFIA replaced its legacy GroupWise email and calendar platform with Microsoft Outlook which aims to improve productivity and efficiency among Agency employees. Due to a change in the timing for the roll-out of the Canada.ca web renewal process, the CFIA did not migrate to the new Canada.ca web structure, but instead focused on preparing for the future implementation by aligning its web content with the Canada.ca format to make it easier for Canadians to find CFIA-related information and services.

Open Government is about making government more accessible to everyone. This means giving greater access to government data and information to the Canadian public and the businesses community. In 2017-18, in line with the Government of Canada’s Open Government Implementation Plan, the CFIA developed a framework to enhance openness and transparency and began preparations for the official launch of consultations with Canadians and stakeholders.

Additionally, the CFIA supported the Open Government Implementation Plan by maintaining a comprehensive data asset inventory and publishing 24 data sets in accessible and reusable formats on the Open Government Portal.

Canadian Heritage

Results at a glance

• Following the consultations on “Canadian Content in a Digital World”, and the Creative Canada announcement of September 28, 2017, the Department produced a detailed policy framework that sets a path for growing and strengthening Canada’s culture and creative industries in the digital world of the future.
• In March 2018, the Department co-hosted a successful working meeting of international experts, civil society, platforms, and governments in collaboration with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University.
• The University of Ottawa was selected as the independent third party administrator for the Court Challenges Program.
• Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations received supplemental funding under Budget 2017. This new investment helped the Young Canada Works Program create a total of more than 2,100 employment opportunities for youth in 2017–18.
• Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations provided funding to 30 Indigenous employers, and created 63 Indigenous job opportunities for youth. The Aboriginal Heritage Component of the Museums Assistance Program provided $1,337,201 to fund 23 projects that support the preservation, presentation, and management of Canada’s Indigenous cultural heritage.
• In 2017-18, the Department finalized and began to implement “A Plan for Experimentation at Canadian Heritage”, featuring planned experimentation projects for every funding program.

Results: what we achieved

Cultural Industries

The Cultural Industries Program recorded the following achievements:

• Approved additional funding to the Canada Book Fund that enabled Canadian publishers, directly or through collective initiatives, to break into new markets and to further develop their share of existing markets. These funds also allowed Canadian writers to increase their visibility, make professional contacts in international markets and reach new readers. For example, the funding helped a group of 45 Canadian French language publishing firms to increase their international sales and gain access to markets like Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. This approach will eventually consolidate the presence of Canadian books in the international market and stimulate exports, thereby supporting the Canada Book Fund’s mandate, which is to expand the global consumer reach of Canadian-authored books.
• In collaboration with Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, set in motion the Parliamentary review of the Copyright Act, and engaged stakeholders on a comprehensive reform of the Copyright Board of Canada;

Following the consultations on “Canadian Content in a Digital World,” the Department examined the Government of Canada’s current cultural policy toolkit and developed the Creative Canada Policy Framework announced by the Minister on September 28, 2017. Creative Canada is built on three pillars:

• Invest in our creators and cultural entrepreneurs: all of the professionals who contribute to the creation and production of work, from artists to writers, producers and directors and their stories.
• Promote discovery and distribution of Canadian content at home and abroad.
• Strengthen public broadcasting and support local news.

Heritage

The Heritage Program recorded the following achievements:

• In 2017–18, the Museums Assistance Program, gave priority to museums’ projects celebrating significant moments that have contributed to the history of our country. Two projects specifically related to Canada 150 were supported this year, in addition to 12 projects commemorating major events in Canadian history;
• In the lead-up to the Canada 150 celebrations, the Department’s Canadian Conservation Institute undertook:
  • The treatment or analysis of various objects which were at the heart of exhibitions marking the sesquicentennial year, including the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Hockey Jersey, from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, and the Victory Loan Campaign Honour Flag from the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in Brampton, Ontario;
  • The treatment of the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Pointe-à-Callière Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, which was exhibited as part of Montréal’s 375th anniversary events; and,
  • Support for Public Services and Procurement Canada in the rehabilitation of the Centre Block within the Parliamentary Precinct, by identifying and documenting original materials in heritage interior spaces in preparation for the move of heritage assets, and to the conservation treatments of significant collections (ex. furniture, upholstery, frescoes, carvings) to maintain and protect the heritage elements which have come to symbolize Canada’s parliamentary democracy.
• Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations provided funding to 30 Indigenous employers, and created 63 Indigenous-focused job opportunities for youth;
• Drawing on the lessons learned through two ambitious pilot projects, the Department’s Canadian Heritage Information Network began a multi-year project to modernize Artefacts Canada, Canada’s national inventory of museum objects. The modernization is based on a linked open data model, providing Canadians with the opportunity to discover new themes and relationships linking Canada’s treasures and the creators behind them. In the interim, the Canadian Heritage Information Network introduced a new contribution process to facilitate updates and the uploading of data and image files by partner museums; and,
• The Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program continued to implement the recommendations of its 2016-17 evaluation, including:
  • Improving the efficiency of the decision making process resulting in more timely decisions for applicants; and,
  • Developing and posting a self-assessment questionnaire to help potential applicants determine if their project is a good candidate for the Program prior to submitting their application.

Internal Services

Internal Services recorded the following achievements:

• Canadian Heritage continued to establish a new business model for delivering grants and contributions that significantly reduces the administrative burden on Canadians and improves the speed at which they receive funding decisions. Testing select grants and contributions programs demonstrated savings in processing time of over 50%, as well as overall satisfaction among clients and departmental employees. The Department began implementing its role as a pathfinder for the Government of Canada in procuring protected cloud technology to provide applicants with a portal to transact on line.
• The Department built upon the established governance committee and dedicated team to support the Canada 150 information technology requirements for events, and developed new applications and systems to support key priorities with respect performance measurement, logo requests, and collaboration space.
• In consultation with the private sector, Canadian Heritage established a digital strategy and roadmap to adapt to new technologies and increase its agility in the provision of services to Canadians.
• Canadian Heritage initiated the development and implementation of a departmental data strategy as a foundational pillar of the departmental digital strategy. Investment and deployment of a powerful visualization tool publicly available to Canadians in order to visualize Grants and Contributions disbursements throughout Canada.
• As the Department drives to the goals of Open Government, it standardized dataset reporting to ensure that information on all grants and contributions is disclosed and available, resulting in Canadian Heritage being one of the leaders in the number of datafields that are published among government departments. Other initiatives included leveraging a digital engagement platform driven by artificial intelligence. These Open Government initiatives increase information available online to Canadians, especially about research and cultural and heritage collections.
• Over the last year, Canadian Heritage went from the awareness phase to action by instituting mandatory training for all employees, “The Working Mind”, demystifying mental health in the work place and introducing employees to the mental health continuum.

For the third year in a row, the Department benefited from the mental health awareness campaign called Not Myself Today. This campaign is paying off, according to the latest internal survey results, with 63% of respondents saying the campaign has sparked conversations about mental health in their work unit, compared to 51% in 2016-17 and 88% of respondents say that Canadian Heritage values mental health issues compared to 51% since the beginning of the campaign in 2015.

Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In the continuous effort to safeguard and preserve its vast collection of conference documents stored in both digital and paper based formats, CICS is undertaking a vast digitization project to have all of the Archives preserved in a digitally accessible format.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Results at a glance

Key results achieved in 2017–18:

• Strengthened its commitment to net neutrality by declaring that Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat data traffic equally to foster consumer choice, innovation and the free exchange of ideas

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: The CRTC may not be able to anticipate and effectively respond to Canadians’ privacy, security and safety needs within the communication system.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness

• The CRTC enhanced its collaborative efforts with key international and domestic organizations to strengthen its protection mechanisms.
• The CRTC focused its enforcement efforts using an intelligence-led approach and publicized high-impact cases to protect Canadians and promote compliance.
• The CRTC enhanced public awareness so that Canadians can protect themselves within the communication system.
• The CRTC proactively examined possible enhancements to 9-1-1 networks and evolved its regulations as a result.

Results: what we achieved

Connection to the Communication System

The 2017–18 Departmental Plan stated that the CRTC would continue to ensure that the Canadian communication system provides quality, affordable service options to Canadians. In fulfillment of these commitments, the CRTC:

• Strengthened its commitment to net neutrality, consumer choice and the free exchange of ideas online. It determined that “differential pricing”—a marketing strategy in which the same data is delivered to different customers at different prices—generally gives an unfair advantage or disadvantage to certain content providers and consumers. The CRTC therefore declared that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should treat all data traffic equally and, to that end, established a new framework for regulating differential pricing practices

Canadian Space Agency

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In order to ensure modern, efficient and relevant delivery of internal services, in 2017–18, the CSA continued the implementation of its various renewal initiatives to create an efficient organization that will allow the CSA to meet the challenges ahead:

• In 2017–18, the CSA developed its Information Technology (IT) Plan. The plan was approved by the CSA’s President and submitted to TBS in April 2018. The main actions outlined in the Information Management Strategy were completed in March 2018. Both plans aim to effectively and efficiently manage the information resources of business value and the IT applications according to their criticality and life cycle in order to support the CSA’s mandate.

Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Key results for this reporting period included:

• Completion of the final phase of the Commission’s IT transformation plan.
• Further refinement and integration of records management and case management systems and their application in all aspects of the complaint, review, and investigative processes.

Copyright Board of Canada

Results at a glance

Fair decision-making processes provide proper incentives for the creation and use of copyrighted works. In pursuit of this outcome, the Board completed the following activities:

• Two public hearings were held. The first, in May 2017, concerned the SOCAN and Re: Sound Tariffs for Pay Audio Services. The second, held in September 2017, was in respect of a SODRAC licence for the reproduction of musical works by CBC. Part of this hearing was the result of a Supreme Court of Canada decision remitting the matter to the Board for redetermination.
• Fourteen decisions were rendered. Among the decisions issued during the year, the Board set the royalties payable to SOCAN, CSI, and SODRAC by online music services that offer notably permanent downloads, limited downloads and webcasts of music and videos. The Board also certified the tariff for royalties to be paid by elementary and secondary educational institutions outside Quebec for the reproduction of literary works. This decision followed a Federal Court of Appeal decision remitting the matter to the Board.
• Collectives filed with the Board a total of fifty-one new proposed tariffs for the years 2019 and beyond, all of which were prepared for publication in the Canada Gazette.
• The Board initiated fourteen new processes dealing with a number of proposed tariffs that were previously filed with it. Among these are Online Music Services and Online Audiovisual Services – Music, for both of which hearings are scheduled to be held in 2019. For each of these new processes, the Board issued various rulings and orders following requests pertaining mostly to the status of participants or the nature of the issues to be examined
• The Board rendered seven decisions and issued four licences pursuant to the provisions of the Copyright Act that permit the use of published works when copyright owners cannot be located.

Correctional Service Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

CSC advanced major Information Management initiatives of its three-year IM/IT business plan. All National Records Service Centre holdings were transferred to private storage and the Exit project was completed on time and on budget. The GCDOCS implementation project is in full execution and CSC entered into a partnership with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada to find a Government of Canada solution to address network performance issues. CSC advanced its Enterprise Information Management Strategy by evolving data and information governance to better meet CSC’s future business needs and enhanced its Offender Management System in response to operational priorities, investigations, evaluation and audit action plans, policy/legislation and changing business needs.

Courts Administration Service

Results at a glance

In 2017–18, CAS achieved the following major results as part of the organization’s mission to provide timely and accurate judicial, registry, and corporate services to the federal courts and their clients.

• Leveraged technology to improve the reach and effectiveness of internal communications, including a new Intranet site, the roll-out of an email-based newsletter for members of the Courts and employees, and the finalization of a new Strategic Communications Plan.
• Opened the first e-courtroom in Toronto, equipped with the necessary information technology infrastructure to allow members of the Courts, litigants and legal counsel to conduct electronic proceedings.
• Modernized the organization’s approach for information and records management, by conducting a pilot project for a new electronic document and records management system to more efficiently manage and store the organization’s records.

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Information Management

There is a risk of loss of hard copy and digital records.

Factors driving this risk in 2017–18 included a changing and complex business environment; the need to improve the efficiency of business processes; the need to implement a modern document management system for CAS and the Courts; the demand for new technological services and solutions; and the growing volume of paper documents.

As part of its strategies to mitigate this risk, CAS conducted a pilot project using the Government of Canada standard electronic document and records management systems to identify the necessary considerations (i.e. training, data migration, metadata standards, etc.) for the roll-out of such a system across the organization. CAS also worked with the Courts to review document retention standards for court and judicial information and optimize storage space at the Court records storage facility to allow for the storage of two more years’ worth of archival records.

The mitigation strategies adopted were successful in decreasing the likelihood and impact of this risk by the end of the fiscal year.

Results: what we achieved

Program: Judicial Services

As part of the organization’s approach to refine its information and records management, Judicial Services continued to work with the Courts to clearly define what constitutes a “court record” to serve as a basis to develop approaches to manage such records. This is important for CAS as document storage requirements, for both electronic and paper-based records, continue to increase. To meet storage demands, CAS optimized space at the court records facility which is expected to facilitate two more years of court records storage. A protocol was also established with the FC on the disposal of certain court records older than 15 years.

Internal Services

New technological solutions were also implemented during the last fiscal year as part of the CAS IT infrastructure plan. This included completing necessary planned upgrades last fiscal year to fully address IT systems rust-out. Additionally, CAS conducted a pilot project for a new electronic document and records management system to identify the necessary considerations for roll-out for such a system across the organization to create, store and manage information resources of business value.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Information Management and Information Technology Services

The Department continues to move forward with the implementation of key initiatives, outlined in the 2016-19 Information Management Strategy, and has established an Information Management Transformation Office to support implementation of the Strategy. In support of the Government of Canada-led E-mail Transformation Initiative, the Department has completed onboarding efforts. In addition, GCDOCS implementation is progressing as planned, scheduled for completion in 2019–20. The Department also continues to support Shared Services Canada with Government of Canada-led Workload Migration work specific to operating system upgrades (Win2003) and other infrastructure-related initiatives. The overall number of corporate systems in the Department continues to be reduced through decommissioning and rationalization efforts. The Department continues to mature data management practices through the implementation of key governance, processes and tools.

Department of Finance Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017–18, many significant information management (IM) and information technology (IT) priorities and transformative projects were delivered to address the Department’s business needs, modernize information management, increase employee mobility, and improve IT security. These included the implementation of a new Information Management Strategy to increase IM capacity by leveraging the latest available technologies (notably, the rollout of the SharePoint document management and collaboration platform); the development of the IT Security Policy Framework to define roles and responsibilities related to the implementation of security controls; and a number of other projects aimed at fostering a modern, mobile and digital workplace. The Department also developed an IT security roadmap to strengthen the department’s IT security posture via the implementation of the Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure, Managed Secure File Transfer, and secure portable storage devices.

The Department continued to support the action plan on Open Government by making information on government finances available through Open.Canada.ca, including annual publications such as the Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada, the Fiscal Reference Tables, and the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. Starting with Budget 2017, the Department has made all data from budget charts and tables available in near real time to facilitate analysis by citizens and parliamentarians, and has increased the transparency of the pre-budget consultation process.

Department of Justice Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

The Department has advanced Blueprint 2020 public service renewal priorities by benefiting from communities of practice, interdepartmental networks and working groups. In support of the Clerk of Privy Council’s call to review the way the Public Service does its work, Justice continued to streamline and automate internal operations to improve efficiency and maximize productivity. Justice continues its transition toward a digital-by-design approach to deliver communication services more efficiently and effectively. More broadly, the Department now has the necessary foundation to initiate the development of a Digital Justice Strategy in support of Government of Canada directions and policies. While implementing measures to optimize the use of space, Justice has experimented with innovative activity-based designs that promote collaborative and flexible work environments. As well, the Department developed and implemented a new design considerations tool to enhance inclusiveness and accessibility in all work space projects.

As an ongoing commitment, the Department of Justice continued to improve the delivery of legal services by increasing the use of paralegals, using virtual teams, investing in new processes and technology (e.g., use of Artificial Intelligence to assist in document review), promoting effective legal risk management, and better aligning human resources with priorities. Business analytics have been used to track performance and trends to inform decision-making. Additionally, the Justice Legal Case Management solution (LEX) has been developed to provide a modern and agile system that will support core legal services delivery, while aligning with Government of Canada information technology standards.

The Department has supported the implementation of the Government of Canada Open Government commitments by appointing a Champion and developing an Open Government Implementation Plan. These activities actively promoted open shared information by default.

Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Management of electronic files through GCDOCs supports a paperless office and the use of multi-function devices by swiping security badges tracks/monitors individual use of printing documents.

We are leading the National Security and Defence theme on the Government of Canada’s website – Canada.ca – in collaboration with partner departments and agencies. In 2017-18, specific sections of the theme were tested with users, and improvements were made to help make it easier for users to find and access the Defence information and services they need on the Web.

Employment and Social Development Canada

Results at a glance

• There were 290 million visits to mobile friendly Canada.ca, where Canadians can locate detailed and general information on Government of Canada and ESDC programs and services. Employment and Social Development Canada is the principal publisher for Canada.ca.

Operating context and key risks

Key Risks

Risk: There is a risk that ESDC will not meet Canadians’ rising expectations of receiving government services in an easy-to-access, timely, accurate and efficient manner.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• To help meet Canadian’s expectations on service delivery, ESDC introduced the Service Strategy and Service Transformation Plan (STP). The STP is a multi-year plan to modernize and improve service delivery that will allow Canadians to digitally self-serve, access services seamlessly and receive high-quality, timely and accurate services.
• The STP is client-focused and continues to engage Canadians through surveys, focus groups and rapid proto-typing to improve client-experience and meet their expectations.
• ESDC has also developed and implemented Application Portfolio Management to manage the suite of Information Technology applications and platforms that support the delivery of services, which includes developing plans for decommissioning and replacement of solutions. This process determined whether the Department invested in or divested from particular IT applications based on the larger transformation objectives.

Risk: There is a risk that ESDC’s personal and sensitive information may be inadvertently or inappropriately accessed, used, disclosed and/or disposed of by employees or third parties.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• During 2017-2018, ESDC continued to strengthen the identification and assessment of privacy-related risks and improve mitigation processes to ensure compliance with privacy requirements and consideration of IM practices (retention periods, storage requirements, and security).
• ESDC reviewed processes related to the prioritization of Privacy Impact Assessment (PIAs) and Information Sharing Agreements; undertook regular reviews of departmental privacy priorities; provided ongoing privacy policy and risk advice for programs and projects; and reviewed information on its Programs and Information Holdings (Info Source). ESDC continued to proactively support Privacy Act legislative changes by participating in activities related to the Department of Justice’s Privacy Act reform.
• Results from a 2018 internal audit on the management and implementation of select PIAs are being used to ensure that the privacy practices comply with legal and policy requirements. As of March 31, 2018, a new Departmental Security Plan was in final development stages; a standardized Threat and Risk Assessment process was drafted, and an enhanced security incident tracking system was introduced in the Regional Security Offices.
• ESDC continued piloting a response and compliance management platform called ARCSight to determine whether it is effective to monitor logs and report on inappropriate access to the Social Insurance Number/Social Insurance Register application.
• In 2017-18, ESDC continued to routinely conduct the Data in Use component to monitor for adherence to directives and completed the implementation of network traffic monitoring (Data in Motion) to identify and enforce appropriate and secure use of the electronic network. In addition, ESDC undertook a review of its privacy governance framework whereby a new Data Privacy Committee was initiated to manage a balance between strategic data and privacy governance.

Risk: There is a risk that current information management and tools, procedures and practices do not keep pace with the growth of, and increased demand for, electronic information, resulting in difficulties finding and accessing information, incomplete or untimely intelligence, and duplication of work to support senior management decision-making.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• ESDC advanced the development and implementation of a records retention and disposition strategy to improve its information management practices and keep pace with the growth of and increased demand for electronic information. A proof-of-concept, comprised of testing workflows and onboarding methodology, was completed for GCdocs in 2017-18.
• As well, the first release of the Integrated Labour System was made available in January 2018 to develop and implement a single information technology system that can provide relevant data on operations and to enable interactions with clients using modern and accessible technology.

Results: what we achieved

Program 1.1: Service networking supporting other Government Departments

Employment and Social Development Canada is the Principal Publisher for the Government of Canada and is responsible for a number of enterprise tools, services, and processes that support the Government of Canada’s online web and social media presence. In this capacity ESDC provides training, support, and guidance to institutions leveraging the common services used to deliver Canada.ca and other services such as the centralized newsroom. As the Principal Publisher, the Department has been responsible for migrating priority web content to Canada.ca. This was completed in December 2017. The Government of Canada now has a single website where clients can locate information and services across the whole of Government. It includes priority content from many institutions, including: the Canada Revenue Agency, Health Canada, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Canada.ca provides greater security, and faster access in one enhanced, citizen-centred site. Common search functionality allows Canadians to locate information on general Government of Canada programs and services as well as detailed information on the programs and services offered through ESDC. Canada.ca has exceeded the Government of Canada Standard on Web Accessibility for persons with disabilities. New web analytics are being used by over 30 institutions to understand and optimize usage of the website. The search service now supports the internal search on Canada.ca and nearly all other government websites. Additionally, over 35 institutions have adopted the Canada.ca template for over 60 business applications. The department is also providing one social media management tool that supports over 3,000 social media accounts, making it easier to communicate with Canadians. Additionally, the web content representing about 70% of traffic to in-scope Government of Canada websites was migrated to Canada.ca.

Program 4.2: Social development

Enabling Accessibility Fund

Over 600 projects were funded across the country. The average value of projects was lower than anticipated ($26,000 vs $30,000), which allowed the program to fund a greater number of projects. Targeted actions to increase uptake from northern Canada were also conducted under the Small projects component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF). These actions included targeted promotional activities and adjustments to funding parameters. As a result, 15 projects from northern Canada were approved for funding in 2017-18, compared to 8 projects funded across the seven previous calls for proposals combined.

Also, the EAF experimented with a new approach to increase accessibility in communities through youth-driven projects. In 2017, the new Youth Innovation Component of the EAF launched as a pilot initiative to engage youth in working with community organizations to address accessibility barriers in their communities. As a result, nine youth-driven projects were funded, enabling youth to have a direct impact on the lives of people with disabilities.

Internal Service

Manage information and data to ensure their usability and accessibility. This included:

The Information Strategy which was approved in March 2018 included a first principle that stipulates that “Information is Open by Design”. This relates directly to Open Government, and has facilitated making it a priority in policies and programs relating to Information Management (IM).

A Proof-of-Concept which was comprised of testing workflows and onboarding methodology was completed for GCDOCS in fiscal year 2017-18. GCDOCS is the official Electronics Document Records Management System (EDRMS) to support organizations in their IM obligations for information lifecycle management. In fiscal year 2017-18 GCDOCS was incorporated in a high level roadmap which was a part of the Deputy Minister-approved Information Strategy.

ESDC has begun implementing the Department’s first enterprise-wide Data Strategy which will improve access to and security of the Department’s data. This strategy will better inform decision-making and enable ESDC employees and partners to perform analytics and research that will drive our policy and service mandates. The Department completed 15 pilot projects using analytic techniques to extract greater business value from data and enable increased use of the Department’s data assets. These projects successfully demonstrated the potential for longer-term benefits of including analytic techniques such as visualization, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence in the process. The Department has released over 100 data sets to the public in support of Open Government, enabling research and supporting data exploration.

ESDC has also been exploring other ways to share data and information more openly, including proactive publication and open information to leverage opportunities to apply “open by design” principles across departmental initiatives, as well as co-creation activities to support policy, program and service delivery improvements. As an example, ESDC partnered with Saint Mary’s University and completed a hackathon as a means of sharing data and bringing together social policy, service and data science experts to work collaboratively on broad issues such as improving the delivery of service to Canadians.

ESDC has struck an intradepartmental working group to ensure departmental readiness to comply with the proposed Access to Information Act (ATIA) legislative requirements. The working group is mandated, among other things, to review business processes with a view to enhancing the daily administration of the ATIA and to prepare for the new proactive disclosure requirements. Early engagement has been conducted across the Department at various levels and the implementation plan is well underway.

ESDC has been working closely with officials from the Department of Justice on its Privacy Act reform initiative given its significance to ESDC in both its day-to-day activities and its transformation agenda. As well, the Department undertook an extensive internal consultation to identify opportunities that could be addressed in an updated Privacy Act that would help improve the Department’s programs and services for Canadians.

ESDC continued to advance a proactive, risk-based approach to privacy management and to support the development of a culture of stewardship within the Department for personal information under ESDC’s control through mandatory employee training, awareness initiatives and governance processes that address privacy issues. The Department promoted the integration of privacy into program design and project planning, including into the architecture of programs, systems, technologies and business processes. This year, an enhanced focus was placed on integrating these approaches into ESDC’s Service Transformation activities. In addition, a review of the privacy governance architecture was launched with the objective of enhancing the use of data while protecting the personal information of Canadians and ensuring that the Department is positioned to respond to the evolving nature of, and risks to, the use of personal information. Finally, ESDC continued to strengthen privacy risk identification, risk assessment and risk management oversight processes for the Department’s programs, initiatives and information sharing arrangements.

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Operating context and key risks

In addition to these two risks, as with many other departments, ECCC has to manage ongoing operational issues. The department identified two specific management challenges that could have an impact on the attainment of its environmental objectives.

The second challenge concerns the department’s capacity to keep pace with technological advancements and meet departmental Information Management and Information Technology needs. To respond to this challenge and ensure risks associated with the delivery of its services were managed, the department continued to:

• Support Canada’s Open Government Agenda by ensuring that strong systems are in place to gather, collect, communicate, and disseminate information to Canadians.

Results: what we achieved

Internal services

The department developed a five-year plan for investment that identifies ECCC’s targeted investments in strategic priorities, including in real property, transportation to support the Government of Canada’s Greening Government Strategy, and Information Management in support of Canada’s Open Government Agenda.

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

FedDev Ontario relies on other departments for the provision of key information technology (IT) systems and infrastructure. This situation creates a risk that IT systems and infrastructure may be insufficiently integrated or adaptable to support client/user needs and program/business processes affecting the Agency’s ability to maximize its organizational efficiency, the quality of its decision-making and the effectiveness of stakeholder interventions. To mitigate this risk in 2017–18, FedDev Ontario undertook a number of measures, including managing Recordkeeping and Open Government Implementation plans to contribute to effective information management practices, collaborating with federal partners on the development of enterprise solutions and continuing to evaluate service delivery models to effectively support the Agency’s mandate.

Risk: Managing Information

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Continued to work collaboratively across the Agency to ensure that business needs are adequately supported through existing IT infrastructure and systems. The Agency’s Open Government Working Group provided a cross-Agency forum to ensure dissemination of information and consistency in approach to dataset inventory and data publication approach.
• Further institutionalized related information management practices to ensure information for decision making is disseminated in a timely manner and is quickly accessible for all employees.
• Continued the partnership with regional development agencies across Canada on the shared development of the Grants and Contributions Program Management (GCPM) system as a modern system for managing grants and contributions (G&Cs). Continued internal work around data management and governance in preparation for the implementation of this new system in 2018–19.

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Security and Privacy Risk – There is a risk that the information entrusted to FINTRAC may be improperly accessed, used, obtained and/or compromised.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

FINTRAC employs a comprehensive suite of safeguards and controls to address security and privacy risk from both internal and external threats. Some of the most important of these include:

• FINTRAC’s Personnel Security Program ensures that all personnel and contractors are screened to appropriate levels;
• Information Management and Security programs that provide direction and guidance on the capture, storage, protection, access to, classification, dissemination and eventual disposition of all information;
• Business Continuity Plans are in place for all critical functions or services with strategies and action plans to mitigate the impact of any incident and resume operations in a reasonable amount of time; and
• A Privacy Management Framework is in place to ensure that privacy protection is reflected in all aspects of program operations.

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017–18, the Centre established a three-year Information Management/Information Technology Strategy focussing on the people, partnerships and services that are required to support FINTRAC’s transformation agenda while continuing to meet today’s operational demands. With this strategy, the Centre is concentrating its efforts on implementing a new, state-of-the-art analytics system, which will bring tremendous efficiency through the automation of manual work. The new analytics system is a major four year investment for FINTRAC that is expected to be in production in 2019. The new system will significantly strengthen FINTRAC’s analytics capabilities and will allow for the full and timely use of its data and knowledge.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Results: What We Achieved

Internal Services

In the area of Information Management and Information Technology, DFO worked towards aligning with Government of Canada transformation initiatives, such as implementing the Directive on Open Government, preparing for the implementation of the Electronic Document Records Management Enterprise Solution (GCDocs), and streamlining and consolidating the Department’s portfolio of applications. Implementation of the Directive on Open Government continues with the release of 48 datasets to the public, the addition to the internal and the public Data Inventories, and the planning for the next stage of Open Information. GCDocs is available to most DFO employees, and support documentation, such as business rules, has been developed. As of March 31, 2018, DFO had 8,365 user accounts created.

Global Affairs Canada

Results: What we achieved

Internal Services

Work on improving the prioritization of IM/IT needs and aligning resources has progressed well in the past year, and investments were made in key areas including overseas connectivity to address identified critical risks in the department. Global Affairs Canada also worked to address mobility, big data, social technologies and Open Government to align with new digital and mobile technologies which are changing how employees deliver services, engage with citizens, and collaborate within the department as well as across and outside the Government of Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Improving the client experience

IRCC is shifting its culture to be more client-centric. Based on the application of methodologies and expertise in user research, usability and service design, changes are being made to ensure programs and services work for clients. Using cross-departmental design teams, IRCC conducted “design challenges” on settlement and citizenship services to develop innovative solutions that improve the client experience. Over 300 interviews with newcomers during these design challenges underlined the importance of human behaviour in service quality and led to the development of client experience metrics such as “welcoming,” “assurance,” “trust,” “memorable,” “dignity” and “empathy.” IRCC is committed to improving the service experience of its clients and continues to explore how to better engage with clients on new or modified services and products before offering them broadly.

Experimenting with technology

IRCC has partnered with the Department of Justice to explore a pilot project using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to support various activities related to immigration litigation. More efforts will be under way in 2018–2019, including reaching out to private industry with a view to innovating and experimenting with this technology as an assistive tool in litigation. AI-powered tools are expected to generate new insights and efficiencies in litigation management and the delivery of legal services.

IRCC is also exploring the concept of a mobile app for smartphones that provides an intuitive, efficient and secure way to apply for IRCC programs, such as eTA. In 2017–2018, IRCC worked with stakeholders to test a prototype application in a simulated airport environment. Travellers were able to apply for a travel authorization, fly into a Canadian airport and move through the travel continuum. This successful test represents the first stage of a broader pilot project that will be undertaken ahead of full implementation.

IRCC has been exploring the use of computer analytics since 2014. In 2017–2018, the Department began to develop and implement analytics-based risk triage to help manage the constant increase in temporary resident application volumes. Computer analytics is a technology that can analyze data to recognize patterns in applications, make predictions and recommendations, and triage applications based on complexity. To establish a proof of concept that computer analytics could effectively support the risk triage of temporary resident applications, the China pre-pilot project launched in October 2017 and was conducted over a period of three weeks. The results of the pilot exceeded expectations, as the model met its accuracy target while exceeding the expected volume of approvals that did not require additional eligibility review by an officer.

IRCC will start using a computer analytics model in 2018 to help officers triage TRV e-applications from China. Another pilot is planned for India TRV e-applications in 2018.

Indigenous Services Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Information Management and Information Technology Services

The Department continues to move forward with the implementation of key initiatives as detailed in the three year (2016−19) Information Management Strategy, and has established an Information Management Transformation Office to support its implementation. In support of the Government of Canada led e-mail transformation initiative (ETI), the Department has completed onboarding efforts. In addition, GCDOCS’ implementation is progressing as planned, scheduled for completion in 2019−20. The Department also continues to support Shared Services Canada with the migration of specific operating system upgrades (Win2003) and other infrastructure related initiatives. The overall number of corporate systems in the Department continues to be reduced through decommissioning and rationalization efforts. The Department continues to mature data management practices through the implementation of key governance, processes and tools. In addition to the progress on these commitments, transition of FNIHB’s IM/IT environment from Health Canada is a new priority requiring significant time and resources.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Results: what we achieved

Spectrum, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy

In 2017–18, ISED continued to ensure Canadians benefitted from the digital economy, in part through the administration of policies and regulations governing the radiocommunication and telecommunications industries. The Department also continued to manage spectrum and radio licensing to the benefit of all Canadians and conduct research on advanced communications systems and technologies to inform public policy and further innovation.

ISED is committed to delivering on Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan by ensuring that Canada has a world-class telecommunications infrastructure and that Canadian consumers, businesses and public institutions continue to benefit from advanced wireless telecommunications services and applications.

With this goal in mind, ISED published the following consultations and decisions in 2017-18:

• the Consultation on Releasing Millimetre Wave Spectrum to Support 5G published in June 2017;
• the Consultation on the Spectrum Outlook 2018 to 2022, a multi-year spectrum release plan to support next generation services, published in October 2017;
• the Spectrum Licence Renewal Process for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-1) and Other Spectrum in the 2 GHz Range published in February 2018, and;
• the Technical, Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 600 MHz Band published in March 2018.

On May 8, 2017, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development opened the Communication Research Centre Canada’s (CRC) Big Data Analytics Centre. Using big data analytics, cloud computing, crowdsourced information, data fusion and state-of-the-art visualization, the Centre enables researchers to work with big data in ways that were previously not possible to support sustainable spectrum management.

ISED supported proposals to ensure the efficient operations of the International Telecommunications Union’s Telecommunications Standardization Sector, and facilitated private sector contributions to establish new international standards. As a result, Canadians will benefit from standards that support secure and reliable communication while protecting personal data and privacy, and enable the growth of Canadian companies looking to export their innovation in markets abroad.

The Connecting Families initiative connects low-income Canadian households with Internet service providers offering low-cost Internet solutions, and provides these households with free refurbished computers through the Computers for Schools program. In 2017–18, an agreement was signed with Computers for Success Canada to develop a web portal to connect households with participating Internet service providers. The program will provide hundreds of thousands of Canadian families with low-cost Internet and up to 50,000 computers for eligible households.

The Accessible Technology program supports the development of assistive and adaptive technology for people with disabilities. Projects are co-funded with for-profit, not-for-profit or academic organizations with the objective of enabling people with disabilities to fully engage with digital technology. The program launched in December 2017 and has received 30 applications to date.

As a companion to the CanCode and Accessible Technology programs, the Digital Literacy Exchange program launched on February 19, 2018 and 151 applications were received by the March 30, 2018 deadline. The Digital Literacy Exchange program supports fundamental digital literacy skills training with a focus on under-represented groups to promote participation in the digital economy.

The Digital Skills for Youth program is a component of the Government’s Youth Employment Strategy horizontal initiative. It provides under-employed youth with digital skills training, soft skills training and work-integrated learning experience using a third party delivery model that connects youth with Canadian not-for-profit organizations and small businesses. The program was announced on January 4, 2018, and 22 applications were received by the February 7, 2018 deadline.

On September 2, 2017, the Government of Canada published draft regulations that specify how organizations must notify individuals when they are victims of data breaches that pose a real risk of significant harm. Comments received on the draft regulations were addressed in the final regulations, which were published on April 18, 2018.

Community Economic Development

In 2017–18, ISED continued to deliver the Connecting Canadians program, which provides improved broadband coverage to rural and remote regions so that Canadians can participate in the digital economy no matter where they live. Of the 87 projects approved under the program as of March 31, 2018, 30 are complete, while the remainder are planned for completion by March 31, 2019. In total, the program is expected to provide high-speed broadband coverage to 300,000 households, exceeding the original target of 280,000.

Building on the success of Connecting Canadians, the Department also implemented the new Connect to Innovate (CTI) program, which will bring high-speed Internet to a further 900 rural and remote communities by 2021, an increase to the initial target of 300. Footnote 28 This program supports new backbone infrastructure to connect institutions like schools and hospitals with a portion of funding for upgrades and last-mile infrastructure to households and businesses. As of March 31, 2018, 138 CTI projects have been announced, totalling $300 million in funding.

In 2017–18, the Computers for Schools program refurbished 76,653 computers and distributed them to schools and not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous communities, eligible low-income families, seniors and new Canadians.

In the past 25 years, Computers for Schools has refurbished more than 1.5 million computers, reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste, and distributed them across all provinces and territories.

Budget 2018 provided ongoing funding for the program, which is refining its donation strategy and expanding its mandate to include newer technologies, such as tablets and smartphones.

The Technical Work Experience Program (TWEP) is a companion program to Computers for Schools. It provides students and recent graduates with paid, practical work experience in refurbishment centres across Canada. In 2017–18, 261 interns were hired through the program, which is considered a part of the Youth Employment Strategy. One challenge the program has faced is low female participation. TWEP partners are developing a strategy to encourage more female applicants and have set a hiring target of 20 percent female youth interns in 2018–19. In 2017-18, 16 percent of interns hired were female youth.

Internal Services

To give employees improved and more efficient access to the information they need to do their jobs, ISED continued to implement the GCDOCS file management system and more than 60 percent of departmental employees have access to the system.

In fall 2017, the Digital Office Transformation Program was initiated to leverage the Workplace 2.0 office environment by untethering employees through new digital tools and capabilities. The Digital Office is being implemented through five streams:

• Digital Lounge: A kiosk-style help desk for on-the-spot IT support.
• Smart Communication: Digital display screens located in lobby spaces to facilitate engagement and keep ISED employees informed.
• Collaboration Tools: Enabling ISED employees to connect and share with others, regardless of location, through improved meeting room technology, Skype for Business, digital whiteboards and instant messaging.
• Productivity Tools: Mobility and collaboration enabled through new portable device technology, Office 365, Enterprise Wi-Fi and remote access solutions.
• Engagement and Adoption: A Workplace Transformation supporting the adoption of the new digital workplace.

Library and Archives Canada

Military Police Complaints Commission

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

The MPCC will continue focussing on its Recordkeeping policies and practices in order to better transition into its Open Government Implementation Plan. The MPCC was informed by Treasury Board Secretariat that its departmental website is no longer required to on-board to Canada.ca. However, the MPCC will continue to update the internal layout of its website in accordance with all Government of Canada requirements and standards.

National Battlefields Commission

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Limited human resources and coordination of these new projects have resulted in the finalization of the database for the park’s archaeological collection being deferred to next year. Similarly, the implementation of the Directive on Recordkeeping, issued by the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Disposition Authorization, issued by Library and Archives Canada, could not be completed in 2017.

National Energy Board

Operating context and key risks

Key Risks

Risk: Incomplete data and information
Incomplete data and information due to differing and/or outdated business systems, business rules and processes, which could result in a compromised ability to conduct analysis, deliver on regulatory initiatives, or provide accurate information to the public.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Developed and implemented a comprehensive Data Management Framework.
• Designated a Data Management Committee and associated roles and responsibilities.
• Created project plans for data management system enhancements.
• Developed a road map for identifying, drafting and prioritizing various information systems projects.
• Established a dedicated Business Unit for Data and Information Management.

Risk: Disclosure of sensitive information
Accidental or intentional disclosure of sensitive information that could impact financial markets, pose a breach of the Government of Canada Policy on Government Security, or lead to a loss of public trust.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Maintained use of physical security controls (e.g., access controls, locks, barriers, safes)
• Implementation of IT security controls (e.g., firewalls, passwords) and adhered to Shared Services Canada guidelines.
• Provided staff with training on aspects of information security.
• Implemented guidelines, manuals and testing of staff.
• Made IT security improvements based on audit of IT security.

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

A key part of our organizational transformation has been ensuring we use data as a critical asset to inform and guide our results. In 2017–18, the NEB developed a comprehensive data management program including policies, principles, strategies, standards and governance, and completed all of the Year One activities in our data management program strategy, including identifying required critical skill sets and competencies, and filling these gaps in resources. The NEB also demonstrated in the 2017–18 Management Accountability Framework assessment that it has the foundational elements of Open Government in place. The NEB will continue to move further towards digital program and service delivery and develop an integrated data strategy aligned to offer a consistent view of data across the organization.

National Film Board

Results: what we achieved

Program 1.2: Accessibility and Audience Engagement

Conservation and preservation

The NFB’s digitization and conservation activities are crucial to its mandate to produce and distribute high-quality, innovative Canadian content and to engage with its audiences. The NFB’s concerted efforts in digitization and conservation increase the accessibility of audiovisual works and ensure they remain available for future generations.

The organization implemented the second year of its 2016–2020 Technology Plan, the goal of which is to maintain the NFB’s role as a frontline player in the global media landscape. In keeping with targets set in its digitization plan, 90% of the works in the NFB’s active collection now have a Mezzanine file,⁶ guaranteeing just-in-time accessibility in a variety of digital formats.

As part of its new approach to preserving its works, the NFB renewed a technology partnership with software vendor Atempo to develop and implement an automated process for digital archiving. In 2017–2018, it also completed the indexing of digital-audio source files for more than 4,500 works on a second preservation technology, the Optical Disc Archive (ODA), in addition to the currently used Linear Tape-Open (LTO) system, to reduce the risk of data loss due to corruption or obsolescence.

In addition to the move of the NFB’s head office, the conservation room that houses the NFB’s visual archives—as well as its digitization and conservation activities—will have to be relocated. To this end, the NFB worked with Public Services and Procurement Canada to finalize the Functional/Technical Program and select possible locations. Given the smaller size of the future conservation centre, in September 2017 the conservation team began the intensive process of poring over the various shooting elements in the archives, identifying material that has become unusable due to obsolete formats or deterioration. During the first phase of this process, the NFB analyzed and verified—piece by piece—more than 24,500 elements of video footage and 29,000 audio recordings. In addition, it analyzed 1,400 16- and 35-mm film elements, along with 600 festival copies in the collection. The NFB conserved the best-quality copies and transferred them to the conservation collection.

Internal Services

Managing records

The NFB has completed the second phase of the Eureka project, the objective of which is to improve information management by implementing a recordkeeping system. Over the past year, the NFB identified its information resources of business value (IRBV) through an analysis of the organization’s operational processes. It also created a plan for managing its documents, a migration plan to GCDocs, and a new directive on the archiving of electronic documents.

In addition, in 2017–2018 the NFB’s Business Affairs and Legal Services unit completed the digitization and archiving of all its contracts and other documents. The integration of these digital documents into the rights-management system and the archiving of paper records is well underway and expected to be completed by 2018–2019.

National Research Council of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

In addition, IRAP experimented with the use of public blockchain technology in proactive disclosure of IRAP’s contract agreements, with a longer-term view of applying this technology to other applications at NRC and facilitating its adoption across the Government of Canada as a means of presenting secure, unalterable public records. As a first step in the experiment, IRAP began publishing information on new and amended contribution agreements on the Ethereum blockchain.

Natural Resources Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Open Government and Public Engagement

As part of its Open Government agenda, NRCan continued its transition to a digital–first model for communications and engagement in 2017–18 by designing and developing several key communications and outreach products and implementing major digital engagement initiatives, nationwide, such as the Generation Energy and Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan. These initiatives allow the Department to reach more Canadians and engage with them on issues that matter most.

NRCan continued to work with federal partners to support the dissemination of scientific information through the Federal Science Library (FSL), which was accessed by over 22,000 Canadians last year. To continue to contribute to this important tool, NRCan submitted the second annual update of its dataset inventory, bringing the Department’s total datasets published to date to 69,000.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Modernize information management and information technology

In 2017-18, NSERC, in partnership with SSHRC, approved and implemented a new Information Management Strategy. It has also implemented a formal Enterprise Architecture Review Board, which it is leveraging for current needs and is working on finalizing the entire Enterprise Architecture program in 2018-19. In 2017-18, an agile methodology for better understanding requirements and the development of a strong software development methodology to track, manage and develop user and technical requirements was implemented for a flagship project.

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Results: What we achieved

Internal Services

Over the reporting period, Elections Canada implemented additional measures to improve its cyber-security posture. As part of these efforts, the design and supply chain integrity assessment for major IT transformative projects was completed in consultation with the Communications Security Establishment (CSE).

By March 31, 2018, a new data-hosting service with a range of additional protections had been procured and the transition to this new service was in progress. Elections Canada’s Security Assessment and Authorization Process had also been renewed, and activities to acquire cyber defence services from CSE and Shared Services Canada (SSC) were well underway and on track to be in place for the 43rd general election.

Over the reporting period, Elections Canada also progressed with the renewal of its information technology infrastructure towards a secure, flexible, and sustainable network that meets current business and technical requirements.

In order to ensure a sound decision-making process and program service delivery based on relevant and reliable information, Elections Canada also progressed with the implementation of GCdocs, the Government of Canada’s solution for managing and sharing electronic information.

Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Security and privacy of personal and business information

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Mitigation measures included assessing security threats and risks, communication with the Privy Council Office Crisis Management group, developing and implementing recommendations to improve Information Technology (IT) Security, implementing the IT Security framework, preparing business continuity plans, developing and enforcing IM policies, and directing Internet and e-mail traffic through the PSPC provided Secure Channel network.

Results: what we achieved

Federal Judicial Affairs

The Federal Courts Reports (FCR) were published in a timely and accurate fashion in both official languages. Of particular note, all volumes and individual decisions going back to 1971 have been digitized and will be made available in both PDF and HTML formats on the FJA Web site. The online publication of this collection will promote access to justice and ensure timely access to decisions of precedential value.

Internal Services

Information Management: FJA continued its forward progress on its Information Management program through on-going clean-up exercises, decommissioning of legacy information repositories, and greater adoption of GCdocs as the office’s electronic content management system.

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Breaches of secure information
This is critical in the context of disclosures, investigations and the need for preserving confidentiality and maintaining trust in the Office. Sensitive or private information must be protected from potential loss or inappropriate access in order to avoid potential litigation, damaged reputation and further reluctance in coming forward.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:
The Office has ongoing practices aimed at ensuring the security of information, which include security briefings and confidentiality agreements, random information security checks within the premises, and controlled access for the storage of sensitive information.

Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Research capacity is compromised
Lack of enterprise search between information repositories limits knowledge sharing and transfer. Escalating costs of maintaining access to published legal information. Library Management Software requires renewal to allow for interoperability and more transparent search between print and electronic resources.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Knowledge management applications being developed to support consistency and comprehensiveness of internal information
• Ongoing review of library collection and usage
• Library Management Software renewal is ongoing

The Office identified a new risk in its 2017-18 Departmental Plan, i.e. the risk of compromised research capacity. Escalating costs in published legal information, the lack of interoperability between the Office’s internal information repositories, searching challenges, and an aging Library Management System, all contribute to this risk. These pressures are mitigated by investing in information management applications to support the consistency and comprehensiveness of internal information, renewing the Library Management Software and reviewing the library collection development policy (including all subscriptions and usage monitoring).

Results: what we achieved

Program name: 1.1 Court Operations

The Court has a consistent record of meeting its objectives in processing cases without delay, providing effective access to Court services and programs, including reference information, and providing reliable courtroom services.  At the same time, the Office strives continuously to maintain stakeholder satisfaction and high standards of service quality.

To meet the challenges of continuing to provide excellent services to the Court and litigants in an environment of escalating costs and added pressures such as physical and IT security, the focus on business transformation will continue.  In the upcoming year, the Business Transformation Program will continue to direct resources to the implementation of digital recordkeeping, workflow enhancements and the development of policies and new software applications in support of recent amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada, along with operational guidelines to support efficient Court processes and to further clarify internal business processes.

With respect to access to Court services and information, the target of 95% as the level of lawyers and unrepresented litigants in appeals in the Supreme Court of Canada that were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the overall services provided by the Registry Branch was 93%, just short of the target of 95%.  As the Court changed the survey software used to capture the feedback regarding client satisfaction with the services of the Registry, it was not possible to produce a report for the entire year.

In regard to access to reference information, the targets of 95% set for responding to: (a) requests for factual/bibliographic requests for assistance within the service standard of one working day; (b) complex/substantive requests for reference assistance by the date required by the client; and (c) the percentage of users that were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with library services, have consistently been met over the past three years.

Internal Services

The Library and Information Management Branch supports the information management needs of the organization. Accomplishments for 2017-18 included:

• various branches across the organization were onboarded to GCDocs, being a system to better manage the Court’s administrative information and closed case files; the implementation of GCDocs across the organization will continue;
• work to enhance the capacity of information management employees to support business units, modernize processes, and maximize the use of implemented technologies was realized and will continue; and
• ensuring that the Office is able to meet its obligations under the Treasury Board Secretariat’s information management policies.

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

OSFI’s IM/IT achievements in 2017-18 included the completion of a multi-year project to deliver a new electronic document and records management system (EDRMS). The new system ensures that information is better managed and has led to greater efficiency. In addition, a project to automate and support supervisory activities moved into the procurement phase and OSFI made enhancements to its privacy and information management program. The organization upgraded to the latest Microsoft operating system and Office suite to provide a modern and secure computing platform. As well, OSFI strengthened its cyber security posture through the implementation of a new cyber security policy, which advances best practices in cyber risk mitigation and guides continuous improvements to our cyber security controls.

Parks Canada Agency

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Parks Canada began deploying an enterprise collaboration tool to help team members create, share, save, and access information. The Agency’s IM Team continued to promote sound information management practices to help ensure that information resources of business value can be retrieved and used as needed.

At the same time, Parks Canada continued its project to include its paper-based information resources of business value on GCDOCS.

The Agency continued to expand its commitment to the Action Plan on Open Government. Moving forward, Parks Canada plans to share more digital data records than ever before.

Parole Board of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

The PBC continued to work towards meeting the Treasury Board Secretariat’s (TBS) Directive on Open Government by implementing its five-year Open Government Implementation Plan (OGIP). In 2017-18, the PBC released 115 data sets as part of its commitment to sharing information and data in an open and transparent manner. The PBC also created a Performance Framework and Governance Structures for Open Government, as part of its OGIP.

Patented Medicine Prices Review Board Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017-18, the PMPRB secured Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) services to perform digitization of PMPRB collections. By the end of the fiscal year, PSPC had provided a draft business requirements document to facilitate digitization services. The PMPRB also started physical clean-up efforts to divest itself of materials not required and to identify additional material for digitization.

The PMPRB also enhanced its electronic document management system (RIMS) to provide increased user flexibility for document uploading, as well as improved reporting and data extraction functionality. In addition, upgrades were made to the stability of the application and the content type model was simplified to accommodate filing metadata in the SharePoint interface. Work on enhancements to RIMS will continue into 2018-19.

Polar Knowledge Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

During fiscal year 2017-18, POLAR performed the following internal services delivery and management initiatives:

• Adopt and enhance information management and information technology solutions to advance collection, management, reporting, and safeguarding of business information within POLAR and with its partners.
• Build a solid foundation for internal services through the ongoing development of corporate management programs, notably in the area of planning and performance measurement, occupational health and safety, information technology and information management, and project management.
• Assess options to support POLAR’s corporate process management, in particular, human resources, business intelligence, and financial information systems (for example onboarding to SAP).

Privy Council Office

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risks to Information Technology Infrastructure

Description:

• Aging systems and tools could threaten the required level of service delivery, accessibility to information and security for business practices at PCO.
• Accidental or intentional dissemination of sensitive material may negatively impact Canada’s interests.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Through the IM/IT Modernization initiative, PCO upgraded workplace technology devices and reviewed its security architecture. Information Management Services provided expertise, advice and guidance in support of modernization objectives.
• PCO collaborated and leveraged government-wide initiatives and expertise, such as the implementation of the Government of Canada Remote Access Service, which increased the availability of service for PCO employees.
• PCO provided information management awareness training and coaching on existing tools.

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017–18, PCO completed the following internal initiatives:

• Digitized Cabinet documents (E-Cabinet) used by all ministers, which reduced the environmental footprint associated with Cabinet papers; and
• Improved IM/IT governance, project management, operational procedures, business processes and security practices related to departmental information.

Public Health Agency of Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk 2: Access to Timely and Accurate Data

Risk Statement:

There is a risk that, as the volume of and need for public health data increases both domestically and internationally, PHAC may not have access to timely, reliable and accurate information and/or data, nor the ability to undertake necessary data analysis, which could reduce effective evidence-based decision-making pertaining to public health matters.

Risk Drivers:

• Information security;
• Information sharing legislation;
• Consistency and availability of Federal/Provincial/Territorial (F/P/T) data;
• Data to support effective performance measurement and monitoring;
• Aging infrastructure, including Information Technology, mission-critical applications and procurement mechanisms; and
• Access to timely information (e.g., Vital Statistics; and data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Statistics Canada).

Risk Response Strategies:

Work with provincial and territorial (P/T) stakeholders to support timely information sharing and continued technology implementation (e.g., PulseNet Canada, the Canadian Public Health Lab network, and Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System, and the Electronic Canadian Hospital Injuries Reporting and Prevention Program).

Progress Against Risk Response Strategy

• Provided timely and accurate surveillance data by posting the following reports online:
  • FluWatch (weekly; monthly in summer);
  • Measles and rubella surveillance (weekly);
  • Respiratory Virus Detection Surveillance System (weekly);
  • Vaccine Safety [annually in the Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR)]; and
  • Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance (every 2 years).
• Collaborated on the planning of a pilot project with P/T stakeholders that will present selected health care acquired infections’ surveillance data on the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s user-friendly website.
• Worked with P/T stakeholders in exploring new data sources, including the assessment of expanding the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program to include a self-inflicted injury form, which helps address an important gap in intentional injury data.
• Launched Data Tools as part of the Public Health Infobase platform to help users visualize public health data from the Chronic Disease Surveillance System with geographic comparisons, trends, age distributions, and other perspectives.

Collaborate with P/Ts to implement the Action Plan of the Blueprint for a Federated System for Public Health Surveillance in Canada with a focus on strengthening the infrastructure that supports public health surveillance.

Progress Against Risk Response Strategy

• Collaborated with P/Ts to begin the implementation of the Action Plan. This effort included developing a Pan-Canadian Public Health Surveillance Ethics Framework which identifies common ethical values and principles regarding the use and dissemination of shared data and public health information.

Conduct assessments to improve the way PHAC uses, disseminates, and shares information in terms of the availability, usability, and uptake of PHAC reports and publications (e.g., CCDR, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada journal, surveillance reports, and guidance materials).

Progress Against Risk Response Strategy

• Collected information from P/Ts and key stakeholders as part of a process to develop infection prevention and control guidelines to:
  • Identify information needs; and
  • Explore ways to improve uptake of recommendations to improve the health of Canadians.
• Improved the international reach of The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada Journal to full science content through new membership and indexing in the Directory of Open Access Journals – a platform for open access scholarly journals. PHAC continues to monitor the number of users of its information disseminated via all available platforms (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Canada.ca).
• Collaborated with F/P/T partners to provide Canadians with information about the state of community water fluoridation within their province/territory, as well as nationally, by publishing the national report, “The State of Community Water Fluoridation across Canada 2017” and a map, Community Water Fluoridation in Canada, 2017.

Public Prosecution Service of Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Information Management
There is a risk that the PPSC IM operational requirements and obligations will not be met.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• The PPSC continued alignment of its enterprise IM Program with the requirements of the Directive on Recordkeeping in support of the business requirements and obligations, and to ensure on-going compliance with the Directive.

Given the nature of the PPSC’s core mandate, employees receive and handle a high volume of records containing sensitive information. This, in turn, increases the risk that sensitive information could be inadvertently disclosed or lost, resulting in a potential privacy breach, a threat to the security and safety of individuals, and/or the public questioning the ability of the organization to adequately protect the information under its control. Accordingly, the PPSC continued to move ahead with several awareness initiatives that rose awareness on information security within the organization. Additionally, the organization continued with a review and refresh of several key intranet security resources and the development of several other security products for employees, such as a quick reference paper flip guide and an online security course. Furthermore, the PPSC continued to investigate in the event of a reported breach and established internal procedures in order to ensure that all privacy and/or security breaches were reported to all relevant parties.

Finally, the PPSC does not currently have any mechanisms in place that would assist the organization in meeting its obligations to dispose of records that have reached the end of their lifecycle. Therefore, there is a risk that the organization will be unable to respond to Central Agency requirements. During the fiscal year, the PPSC worked on assessing gaps in the existing IM practices and procedures for the information resources lifecycle management, together with addressing the Directive on Recordkeeping requirements, including the retention and disposition of the records that have reached the end of their lifecycle. To ensure comprehensive and disciplined approach to the management of its information assets, the PPSC continued with the development and implementation of the corporate IM Program, a plan and implementation roadmap for on-going compliance with the Directive on Recordkeeping.

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Additionally, the PPSC continued to work collaboratively with the Department of Justice, Shared Services Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada in developing its new legal case management system (LCMS). In particular, the LCMS project team has developed migration strategies to transfer file information from iCase, current legal case management system, to the new system. Work on this project is ongoing.

Public Safety Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017-18, the Department strengthened its relationship with Information Technology (IT) Services partners by participating in ongoing government-wide Information Management (IM) and IT initiatives. Through these collective initiatives, Public Safety Canada improved and updated the reliability as well as the availability of its IM and IT networks in order to strengthen efficiencies within a common information platform. To effectively manage the Department’s security program and enhance risk-based security decision-making, Public Safety Canada completed multiple assessments of its security posture required to inform the 2017-20 Departmental Security Plan and has successfully achieved its planned security activities and deliverables for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Public Service Commission of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

In 2017−18, we provided our employees with several technological solutions to help them work smarter, and more efficiently:

• we migrated all records to the new electronic document and records management system to provide our employees with a central location to store and work on their documents

We strengthened our communications services in order to improve the dissemination of information to employees and stakeholders. For example, we modernized our communications tools, including the internal website, which was revamped and organized by function, making it easier for employees to find information.

Public Services and Procurement Canada

Results: what we achieved

Program 1.7: Specialized programs and services

PSPC continued to support TBS and other government departments to facilitate and support the government’s administrative optimization. For example, for GCdocs, the department expanded its reach in the context of onboarding additional client departments and services.

In its role in supporting Government of Canada communications to Canadians, PSPC:

• continued to promote e-services offered by the Canada Gazette, such as the option to receive new and relevant information by an email notification system

In 2017 to 2018, PSPC added 64,544 Government of Canada publications to the Government of Canada publications website. The collection includes records for more than 437,000 publications, of which 316,000 are downloadable for free. In 2017 to 2018, there were over 1.5 million downloads of publications from the website (compared to 1.2 million the previous year). PSPC also began including links to HTML versions of departmental publications in order to increase access to alternate formats.

Happy 90th anniversary to the Depository Services Program

The Depository Services Program was created in 1927 and tasked with distributing print copies of Federal Government publications to parliamentarians and depositories (for example, libraries). Canadian Government publishing has since evolved from print to electronic. The Government of Canada publications website is now the central access point for Government of Canada publications.

The department undertook independent research on media consumption patterns of minority language communities to learn about the level of satisfaction with current approaches used by the government to communicate its programs and services. The results were shared with media representing official language minority communities and departments to ensure effective communication with Canadians in the official language of their choice, regardless of where they reside.

PSPC also provided quality and efficient document imaging and data-capture services, a cost-recovery service to federal organizations, leveraging internal and private-sector solutions. The department provided image processing, indexing and secure archiving of electronic records in support of the government’s modernization and process automation initiative. In 2017 to 2018 the service imaged 31 million pages.

Internal services

Internal service 1: Management and oversight services

PSPC takes very seriously the protection of all personal information that it holds, and recognizes that there is a risk relating to privacy and safeguarding personal information with the programs it administers. In support of its commitment to safeguarding personal information and reducing any privacy risks, PSPC’s Access to Information and Privacy Directorate elaborated a comprehensive Privacy Breach Protocol, which has been shared with employees. The protocol outlines a rigorous process to manage, contain, investigate and mitigate breaches to avoid recurrence. The protocol is reinforced through training, which is available online to all PSPC employees.

Internal service 6: Information management services

PSPC has established the necessary governance to support the implementation of the “open by default” principles and oversee the delivery of the departmental Open Government Program. We also continued to develop a data strategy for PSPC, which further enhanced data management and analytic capabilities at PSPC.

PSPC implemented phase 1 of improvements to the access to information regime in fiscal year 2017 to 2018 with the proactive disclosure of briefing note titles and the disclosure of summaries of completed requests made under the Access to Information Act.

In addition, the Access to Information and Privacy Directorate of PSPC is preparing an action plan to implement the proposed changes to the acts and will develop awareness material in line with proposed amendments to the act.

Internal service 7: Information technology services

PSPC managed its portfolio of IT applications, ensuring that mission critical applications were adequately sustained, aging IT issues were identified and remediation plans were put in place to address the health of its portfolio of applications. PSPC reported a 95% availability on its mission critical applications in the 2017 to 2018 Management Accountability Framework exercise.

PSPC worked with partners to lead and deliver its GC common applications suite to support the GC IT modernization agenda. The department continued its development of My Human Resources Management System (MyGCHR ), GC shared management system (case management and client relationship management) and GCdocs (document and records management), with the focus on stabilizing ongoing operations for the Phoenix pay system.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Open and Transparent Government

In 2017-18, the RCMP’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Branch addressed over 10,200 requests. Due to this significant workload, the ATIP Branch undertook several initiatives to improve internal processes and client services, including: holding a national conference with all business lines and divisional liaison officers to streamline and improve process delivery, while clarifying roles and responsibilities for all RCMP employees; providing guidance and support to improve service delivery; and presenting training sessions in multiple divisions and business lines. Moreover, in support of the government’s commitment on openness and transparency, the RCMP worked closely with other departments and agencies to update business practices in preparation for Bill C-58, which will amend the Access to Information Act to provide for the proactive publication of certain identified information.

In addition, National Communication Services (NCS) worked on several public awareness campaigns related to: impaired driving and road safety; fraud awareness; missing children; human trafficking; counterfeit and unlicensed pharmaceuticals; and police officer recruitment. Internally, NCS supported significant campaigns related to harassment prevention and mental health awareness. Social media platforms were used to increase the reach of communication activities, and a new national Instagram account was launched. These efforts were front and centre in 2017-18 to support continued connection, interaction, and open communication with the public, partners, and stakeholders, as well as RCMP employees.

Security Intelligence Review Committee

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

SIRC relies heavily on its information resources to effectively fulfill its mandate. This last fiscal year, SIRC continued putting a strong emphasis on changing business processes to include the management of electronic documents as part of day-to-day operations. SIRC also continued with the digitalization of paper documents and has been meeting its planned goal.

Shared Services Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Availability and Quality of Information

There is a risk a lack of availability and integrity of information will impede effective planning and decision making, impacting SSC’s ability to improve the delivery of services to partner organizations.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• increase the timeliness, integration and availability of high‑quality information, research and business analytics (status: in development)
• develop formal documented disposition process for SSC electronic information holdings and input into GCdocs (status: in development)
• create an inventory of applications in support of mission‑critical and essential services (status: completed).
• operationalize the benefits realization framework leading to effective IT Infrastructure Transformation Plan performance measurements (status: completed)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: Information management
SSHRC’s information infrastructure may not be optimal to meet the needs of the organization to track and report on results.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• In 2017–18, SSHRC, in partnership with NSERC, developed an IM strategy. SSHRC also strengthened its record-keeping management, identifying areas of need to move toward IM maturity.

In 2017–18, in partnership with NSERC, SSHRC approved and implemented a new information management (IM) strategy. It also implemented a formal Enterprise Architecture Review Board, laid the foundation for an Enterprise Architecture practice and adopted a more agile methodology to deliver IT system changes. These changes strengthened the governance of security management, IM and application development practices, leading to higher-quality system changes. Moving forward, the Enterprise Architecture practice and more modern processes will help define the desired target state architecture, guide decisions on IM-IT investments required to reach the future state, as well as govern the execution and benefits realization for these investments.

Results: what we achieved

Insight: new knowledge in the social sciences and humanities

SSHRC, on behalf of Canada’s three research funding agencies, developed a draft tri-agency research data management policy and conducted preconsultation meetings with stakeholders. The online consultation on the draft policy was launched in June 2018. SSHRC also led the research funding agencies’ engagement internationally on this issue, through the Research Data Alliance meetings in Montréal in fall 2017 and in Berlin in spring 2018. SSHRC continues to monitor the Government of Canada’s Open Science activities, including the anticipated renewal of its Open Science Commitment in June 2018.

Internal Services

SSHRC and NSERC approved and implemented a new IM strategy. They also put in place bi‑agency data governance processes that serve to describe, organize and assess the quality of corporate data in order to support decision-making and reporting.

Statistics Canada

Operating context and key risks

Key risks

Risk: A material breach of confidential or sensitive information occurs

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness:

• Data confidentiality is fundamental at Statistics Canada. The agency continued to effectively mitigate this risk by continuously reviewing dissemination release procedures and processes, diligently applying stringent protection measures defined in the Policy on Official Release, regularly assessing the IT Security posture, and providing regular training and raising awareness on matters related to security of classified and designated information.
• The impact of the risk did not materialize during the reporting period; mitigation activities are updated annually.

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

The agency mainly improved through business optimization reviews and the use of data analytics; internal services also embraced data analytics. By using its own internal data (such as financial, procurement, human resources and other metrics related to internal services), Statistics Canada has embedded data analytics at the heart of its evidence-based decision making process. For example, the agency is using data analytics to analyze, prioritize and resolve issues with accounts payable, including employee pay. Human resources data analytics also support and drive evidence-based decision making. Statistics Canada created a simple user-centric visualization tool on cloud technology that allows management to quickly make sense of data that might otherwise take significant time to analyze. The tool included data from the last four cycles of the Public Service Employee Survey and allowed for trend analysis and targeted review in areas of interest, as well as a detailed breakdown by demographics.

Statistics Canada continued to collaborate closely with Shared Services Canada to address capacity requirements and minimize infrastructure capacity-related risks, such as protecting critical informatics technology from cyber threats. In alignment with the Government of Canada’s Information Management and Information Technology Strategy, Statistics Canada has embraced a cloud-first strategy as the basis of a modern, secure, scalable and efficient information technology infrastructure. The agency continues, in close collaboration with Shared Services Canada, to migrate away from legacy data centres. The transition towards software-defined infrastructure has been initiated, leveraging modern deployment models and cloud delivery models such as by piloting cloud-based visualization and analytics. In addition, Statistics Canada is creating powerful data analytics services with key components like a data management hub and data ingestion services, using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques and high-performance data processing. Statistics Canada is well positioned to play a leadership role in defining and shaping digital government, influencing digital policy, and building the Canadian digital strategy.

Another major project that progressed in 2017–18 was Statistics Canada’s implementation of GCdocs, which is a government-wide initiative to manage business-related, non-statistical information. GCdocs includes and automates many information and record management tasks that are critical for supporting the agency’s business and programs and are required for the agency to comply with Government of Canada information legislation and policies. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the fiscal year 2018–19.

Transport Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

To support this program, the Minister’s mandate letter and Transport Canada and government-wide priorities, we have:

• created a Data Governance Framework, where we developed a plan for classifying, organizing and communicating enterprise information, and have:
  • begun integrating data governance into our corporate governance structure
  • established reporting and analytics support to help manage and use the information for evidence-based policy development and decision-making

• supported the Open Government initiative to make information available to the public on the Open Government portal, by:
  • publishing information, including proactive disclosure information related to:
    • travel and hospitality expenses
    • contracting
    • grants and contributions
    • position reclassifications
    • founded wrongdoings
  • putting Canadians and Parliament in a better position to hold Transport Canada officials accountable for expenditures
  • added over 140 new datasets to the departmental data inventory to further openness and transparency

• enabled digital services by:
  • completing an artificial intelligence proof-of-concept by partnering with local Canadian technology companies
    • This work will allow for the possibility of an increase in efficiency and effectiveness in risk-based oversight of aviation security
  • putting in place a process to support moving to digital solutions
    • We adopted a design thinking framework that puts user needs first through user experience research and user-centric service design, and leverages digital research and experimentation/innovation to ensure solutions solve real problems in a smart and strategic way

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

Work continued on implementation of the Open Government initiative and additional data elements were added to datasets available on the web. Continuous improvement measures were implemented with respect to Information Management. Work with Library and Archives Canada to finalize the review and update of retention and disposal schedules for TSB records of enduring business value is almost completed.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Results: what we achieved

Administrative Leadership

Departmental result 1: Canadians have timely access to government information

Context: TBS works with departments to provide Canadians with timely access to government information. This work supports the President in fulfilling his mandate letter commitments to:

• enhance the openness of government
• make government data available digitally

Results for 2017–18: In 2017–18, TBS supported departments in releasing 1,807 new datasets on open.canada.ca. It also helped departments publish a total of 456,136 proactive disclosures, a 240% increase from 2016–17. However, the targets for timely responses to access to information requests and personal information requests were not met.

In 2017–18, the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government proposed amendments to modernize the Access to Information Act. A number of these amendments are intended to improve the functioning of access to information and personal information request services. TBS is also exploring other measures that could help institutions improve the timeliness of responses.

Veterans Affairs Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

• We managed information better.
  • We maintained a functional direction on managing email and instant messages.
  • We set a maximum storage limit of 2GB.
• We used Government of Canada (GOC) standard solutions such as GCcase and GCdocs, which are hosted by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). These solutions aligned our internal services.

Veterans Review and Appeal Board

Results at a glance

Reducing paper to improve efficiency
Over the past fiscal year, the Board reduced its reliance on paper documents to improve efficiency by implementing a paperless hearing process. This service improvement project represents a major change in the way the Board operates. Moving less paper will make the Board’s processes more efficient and reliable by reducing hand-offs and eliminating mailing time.

Western Economic Diversification Canada

Results: what we achieved

Internal Services

WD also participates in the Government of Canada’s Open Government initiative by making relevant data accessible to the Canadian public and the businesses community through the Government of Canada’s Open Data Inventory portal. The portal provides one-stop access to the Government of Canada’s searchable open data and open information and supports the ministerial mandate letter commitments. It increases transparency and accountability, as well as strengthens the foundation for collaboration between government and citizens, which ultimately contributes to better outcomes for Canadians.

Digital Business Processes

• 90 percent of WD employees have tablets or laptops and all workplaces have Wi-Fi access. Documents are signed electronically and the central registry no longer accepts paper records.
• The digital approach has resulted in reduced paper use by 60 percent annually as well as increased information accessibility and use.