2020-21 Departmental Plan

Chair’s message

Over the next 12 months, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is undertaking a number of steps to improve the way we work, such as implementing new tools for employee recruitment and adopting a new document-management system, that will position the organization to address future challenges.

As of this writing, our involvement in the investigation of the tragic downing of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 is ongoing. However, given our currently limited official status as an Expert (in accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation), we do not yet know the full scope of our role in future months. We have already dedicated significant time and resources to this accident, and we remain committed to assisting the Iranian-led investigation team however we can.

At the same time, efforts are well underway to put together the next edition of our biennial Watchlist, which is due out this fall. It identifies the key safety issues that must be addressed to make Canada’s transportation system even safer. We have already surveyed a number of stakeholders about progress made on Watchlist 2018 issues and have had some constructive talks about which emerging safety issues stakeholders would like the Board to consider for inclusion on the next edition. Our analysis of this input will help inform which issues remain, which issues are removed, and which new concerns are added to Watchlist 2020.

We will also continue to explore options for modernizing TSB offices in Gatineau and our Engineering Laboratory near the Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. 

Finally, the TSB will devote considerable effort in the coming year to develop our next 5-year strategic plan. In mapping out our vision of how we will work from 2021-26, we will be placing a special focus on safety data: not just in terms of how it flows and to whom, but the way it is managed, and how we can make better use of analytics to identify issues for further investigation. Our shift to a digital way of working is ongoing and will influence everything from where we work and how we communicate, to how we manage records and documents.

As we move forward into the coming year, we will no doubt encounter new challenges—every year brings its share of the unexpected—but thanks to the efforts of the women and men who make up our dedicated team, we will face those challenges head-on. Our employees are our greatest resource, which is why we place a premium on their mental health and well-being.

And as we move into the new fiscal year, we remain focused and dedicated to the work we have always done: conducting independent investigations, identifying causal and contributing factors and underlying safety deficiencies, and reporting publicly—in other words, advancing transportation safety for all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast as well as internationally.

Kathleen Fox

Chair

Plans at a glance

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB's) five year Strategic Plan, which guides the TSB's efforts for the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21, has four strategic objectives. In 2020-21, the TSB will be developing its Strategic Plan for the next five-year cycle starting in 2021-22.

On an annual basis, the TSB develops its Departmental Plan and a Business Plan that describe the specific priorities and activities to be undertaken under each one of the four strategic objectives.

Strategic objective 1: Serving Canadians

The TSB will strive to continue serving Canadians, conduct thorough investigations and safety studies, identify risks, communicate lessons learned, share information openly, and advocate for changes that advance transportation safety by:

• Ensuring the timeliness and quality of investigations and safety communications
• Making more information available through the Open Data portal and our website, for publicly releasable information
• Modernizing our interaction with Indigenous Peoples.

These actions align with elements of the government-wide priorities of: delivering results, fair and open government, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Strategic objective 2: Improving core business processes and products

The TSB will improve its core business processes and products in order to ensure continued relevance, efficiency and effectiveness by:

• Adopting a new document-management system
• Improving management of safety data to make better use of analytics
• Analyzing feedback from stakeholder surveys on TSB products and processes and implementing meaningful changes.

These actions align with elements of the government-wide priorities of: delivering results, and government services and operations.

Strategic objective 3: Modernizing our workplace

The TSB will modernize its workplace to ensure that it complies with health and safety requirements, has the best people working together in teams, makes smart use of modern technologies, and achieves the best possible outcomes with efficient, interconnected and nimble processes at minimal cost by:

• Implementing a renewed in-house investigator training program
• Continuing the implementation of an evaluation and lessons learned program
• Implementing new digital tools for employee recruitment and document management
• Continuing to review our corporate policies and procedures
• Continuing to modernize and update our Head Office and Laboratory accommodations and equipment
• Updating our occupational health and safety, and employee wellbeing programs.

These actions align with elements of the government-wide priorities for the modernization of the public service, jobs and innovation, and sustainable infrastructure.

Strategic objective 4: Updating legislative and regulatory frameworks

The TSB will review its legislative and regulatory frameworks to ensure that they are appropriate in the context of the evolving transportation industry and expectations of Canadians by:

• Examining options and identifying opportunities for adjustments to existing frameworks as a result of recent jurisprudence.

This action align with the government-wide priority of safety and security.

For more information on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks” section of this report.

Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks

This section contains detailed information on the department’s planned results and resources for each of its core responsibilities. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.

Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system

Description

The TSB's sole objective is to advance air, marine, rail and pipeline transportation safety. This mandate is fulfilled by conducting independent investigations into selected transportation occurrences to identify the causes and contributing factors, and the safety deficiencies evidenced by these occurrences. The TSB makes recommendations to reduce or eliminate any such safety deficiencies and reports publicly on its investigations. The TSB then follows up with stakeholders to ensure that safety actions are taken to reduce risks and improve safety.

Planning highlights

The achievement of the TSB's mandate is measured through three types of departmental result indicators. First, some performance indicators aim at reporting upon the overall safety of the transportation system. However, many variables influence transportation safety and many organizations play a role in this ultimate outcome. There is no way to directly attribute overall safety improvements to any specific organization. Accident and fatality rates are used as the best available indicators. In recent years, these indicators have generally reflected positive advancements in transportation safety and we expect similar results again in 2020-21.

The TSB's departmental results are also measured through actions taken by its stakeholders in response to its safety communications, as well as through efficiency indicators.  The TSB must present compelling arguments that convince “agents of change” to take actions in response to identified safety deficiencies. The responses received, the actions taken and their timeliness are good indicators of the TSB's impact on transportation safety. The TSB actively engages with stakeholders in all modes. However, the established performance targets vary by mode to reflect the different base lines and the differing challenges from one mode to another. Currently, the greatest challenges are in the rail mode.

Serving Canadians

In 2020-21, the TSB will continue to focus on improving timeliness of investigation reports without compromising on quality. Looking forward, the TSB will continue to aim to complete most of its current and future investigations within the established timeliness targets but a number of high profile occurrences in 2019-2020 are likely to negatively impact this objective.

The TSB continues to release investigation updates in order to keep the public informed. Furthermore, in line with Government of Canada priorities, the TSB is improving its transparency by continuing to make releasable information more publicly accessible through the Open Data portal, as well as our TSB website.

With respect to responses to TSB recommendations, efforts will continue to be made in collaboration with Transport Canada to review and take appropriate actions to close some older recommendations that have been outstanding for much too long. A particular focus will continue to be placed on aviation recommendations given the larger number of outstanding recommendations in that mode. The TSB will also continue its outreach activities to engage stakeholders in proactive discussions and encourage them to initiate safety actions that can mitigate the risks identified.  The TSB will be issuing its Watchlist 2020 in the Fall.  This edition of the Watchlist will incorporate, among other inputs, the feedback received as part of a successful Watchlist mid-cycle consultation with industry stakeholders that took place in 2019-2020.

The TSB acknowledges the Government of Canada's commitment to a renewal of the nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples, as well as the commitment to make the recognition and implementation of rights the basis for all relations between Indigenous Peoples and the federal government. The TSB has committed to examining and updating its own interaction with Indigenous Peoples in keeping with the Principles respecting the Government of Canada's relationship with Indigenous Peoples. The TSB will continue to equip its employees with tools and training to improve awareness of ways to engage and interact with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in the delivery of its mandate.

Improving core business processes and products

In 2020-21, the TSB will continue to monitor and evaluate its new Occurrence Classification Policy, implemented in 2018-19, and make adjustments as necessary.  The review and modernization of tools for investigators will also continue to be a priority for the TSB, notably the Indigenous Awareness and Intercultural Competency Training in 2020-21. Over the past few years, the TSB has conducted surveys with stakeholders in order to collect meaningful feedback on improving its products and services.  In 2020-21, the department will be analyzing and recommending changes to the Board based on this feedback.

Modernizing

In 2020-21, the TSB will continue initiatives aimed at modernizing its workplace to facilitate teamwork, leverage the benefits of technology and achieve the best possible outcomes, focusing on efficient  processes, structures and systems. A more robust competency-based investigator training program has been developed and implemented in 2019-20. The TSB will continue to develop a framework for targeted evaluations and the sharing of lessons learned to support continuous improvement. Efforts and investments will continue to update our facilities, specialized equipment and tools, as well as to modernize our occupational health and safety and employee wellbeing programs. The TSB is also fully engaged in phase 1 of the Laboratories Canada Initiative and working to develop a collaborative science partnership with the National Research Council of Canada.

Updating legislative and regulatory frameworks

One of the long-standing safety issues in the rail mode is the implementation of locomotive voice and video recorders (LVVR). These recorders are expected to provide valuable information to assist TSB investigators in their work, and to help railways proactively manage safety within the context of their safety management system. In 2018-19, Bill C-49 received royal assent thereby establishing the legal foundation to move forward. In 2019-20, the TSB continued to work in close collaboration with Transport Canada to put in place the required regulatory documents for the implementation of LVVR. In light of the legislative changes and the anticipated new regulations, the TSB will be reviewing and updating its own procedures pertaining to the handling of on-board recordings during its investigations.

The TSB will also examine options and identify opportunities for adjustments to its existing legislative framework as a result recent jurisprudence.

Experimentation

The TSB does not have any planned experimentation for 2020-21.

Key risk(s)

The TSB faces key strategic risks that represent a potential threat to the achievement of its mandate. These risks warrant particular vigilance from all levels of the organization.

There is a risk that the TSB's credibility and operational effectiveness could be impacted if it fails to keep pace with the technological changes in the transportation industry. The TSB operates within the context of a very large Canadian and international transportation system that is growing in complexity because of rapid technological changes. New designs, the increasing level of automation in operations and the introduction of remotely piloted devices into existing transportation systems are only some examples that highlight this challenging environment. Advances in technology are also leading to exponential growth in the data available for investigations and other safety analyses. The TSB must evolve to ensure new data sources are properly exploited, optimally managed and fully analyzed.

There is a risk that TSB employees do not have access to current workplace technology tools, systems, and applications to ensure that they can deliver their work in an efficient and effective manner. This includes having the appropriate IT infrastructure and applications in place, as well as the required Laboratory equipment. The TSB must make use of current versions of all IT operating systems/platforms and software applications in order to ensure the availability of maintenance and support from suppliers. There is also a need to ensure that these tools are not subject to business disruptions by third parties or events such as cyber attacks and floods.

Another challenge is the need to be vigilant with respect to managing employees and their wellbeing. Due to the nature of the work performed by the TSB, employees may be exposed to significant workplace stress and emotional trauma. TSB investigators are regularly exposed to accident sites involving injury and death, as well as to direct interaction with distraught survivors and families of victims. Vicarious trauma may also be experienced by other employees who are exposed to certain facets of investigations. Employees have also expressed concerns about harassment and having a respectful workplace. Without a healthy workforce, the TSB would not be able to deliver its mandate and achieve its strategic objectives.

There is an operational readiness risk that could impair the TSB's ability to deliver on its mandate in a continuous and on-going manner. There is a risk that the TSB may not be able to deploy in a timely manner, and to sustain operations, in the Arctic and remote regions due to the limited availability of transportation services and support infrastructure. There is also a risk that modal contingency plans will not be robust enough and sufficiently practiced to ensure a proper state of readiness. Further, there is a risk that our planning and logistic support may not be appropriate for Arctic deployments and to command and control events at a major disaster site. These risks are compounded by the fact that there are many instances where there is only one person responsible for a specific task or with a specific expertise; should this person be unavailable it could put the organization at greater risk. The TSB has also encountered challenges in the recruitment and retention of experienced and qualified personnel in certain operational areas due to higher private sector salaries, a shortage of skilled workers, and the on-going retirement of the baby-boomer cohort of employees. Furthermore, due to the small size of its workforce, the TSB may not be able to handle two major occurrences at the same time.

Managing workload and expectations is a significant challenge. The TSB's workload (volume of activities) is influenced by the number, severity and complexity of transportation occurrences, and the workload cannot be predicted effectively. This uncertainty poses certain challenges with respect to the planning and management of TSB resources which in turn can affect our ability to effectively deliver on our mandate. Over the past few years, the TSB's visibility has increased significantly as a result of high-profile occurrence investigations, the TSB's Outreach Program, and the increased use of social media to share safety information. Our solid reputation and enhanced visibility have generated higher stakeholder and public expectations, and these expectations are expected to continue to increase. Furthermore, government-wide imposed systems, policies and directives have increased significantly in recent years (including HR systems, information management, Open Government, Canada website, travel, security), resulting in additional work that is not directly related to the delivery of the TSB's mandate.

Another risk faced by the TSB is legal challenges to its business processes, powers of investigators and its legislation. As Canadian society becomes more litigious, people and organizations seek greater compensation for losses or damages. Litigants want timely information to file early lawsuits and seek resolution of their claims. This has resulted in an increase in the number of requests for TSB information not only through the Access to Information process but also through the Courts (Motions to disclose or to produce). These requests typically seek to obtain investigator notes, witness statements, draft documents, correspondence and other records for uses that are not necessarily consistent with the TSB mandate of advancing transportation safety. There has also been a greater push on the TSB to release privileged information such as on-board voice recordings and transcripts, as well as witness statements. Furthermore, organizations and individuals are more frequently challenging the TSB business processes, as well as the application of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (CTAISB) Act. If the TSB does not maintain robust investigation and IM processes which are applied consistently across the organization, as well as ensure the enforcement and compliance with its enabling legislation, there is a risk that the Courts could issue rulings that negatively impact on the way that the TSB conducts its work.

Planned results for Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary financial resources for Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services: planned results

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Planning highlights

The Internal Services program will continue to identify and implement ways to deliver its services more efficiently and effectively in support of the TSB’s investigation programs by ensuring that all its policies and procedures are reviewed periodically. This includes moving towards paperless processes where feasible.  A key priority remains to support the recruitment through modern staffing tools as the TSB continues to face a period of high turnover due to employee retirements. Additionally, Internal Services personnel will support initiatives that affect employee wellbeing such as: the implementation of a mental health strategy, the OHS program, as well as on-going efforts to create a respectful and diverse workplace. Other priorities include the modernization of the IT infrastructure and operating platforms to move towards cloud computing, the implementation of a new document-management system (GCDocs), implementation of a new project tracking system, supporting the management of safety data as well as the modernization of our office and Lab facilities and equipment.

Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department’s planned spending and human resources for the next three consecutive fiscal years, and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years’ actual spending.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2017–18 to 2022–23

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory) spending over time.

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Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned spending for each of TSB’s core responsibilities and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

The 2017-18 and 2018-19 expenditures presented are actual results as published in the Public Accounts of Canada.  These results have remained consistent over the past two years; however, it is important to note that the TSB had large carry forward amounts in both these years, with the remaining unspent funds at the end of 2018-19 being included in the 2019-20 forecast spending.

The main reason for those carry forward amounts in 2017-18 and 2018-19 are mainly due to receiving the funding at the end of the fiscal year. In both years, substantial new funding was allocated to the TSB for the purpose of addressing program integrity issues, however, these funds were only received in the last four months of the fiscal year. This made it challenging to fully utilize the funds within the fiscal year, particularly since the additional funding was mainly dedicated to planned staffing. Furthermore, in 2018-19, the TSB used additional unspent funds to set up a frozen allotment at year-end of approximately $0.54M, reserved for mandatory vacation and compensation payouts in future years, which also contributed the variance between 2018-19 and 2019-20 figures.

Carry forward amounts are expected to reduce starting in 2019-20, as it is the first year that the TSB has almost all its annual funding available for use at the start of the fiscal year. Vacant positions have gradually been filled and more rigorous budget management processes have been established in 2019-20 to ensure continued financial stewardship.   

In accordance with the definition of planned spending, amounts for 2020-21 and ongoing fiscal years consist of Main Estimates and Annual Reference Level amounts only. The minor decrease after 2020-21 is mainly explained by the conclusion of the MOU between the TSB and Laboratories Canada for which the TSB received approximately $0.29M and $0.16M in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.

Planned human resources

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for each core responsibility in TSB’s departmental results framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

In 2017-18 and 2018-19, the TSB was not able to fill planned staffing positions as explained in Spending and Human Resources which is the reason for the lower than anticipated FTEs. In 2019-20, the TSB is forecasting to reach its full FTE complement of 222 FTEs as many of the previously vacant positions were staffed. Furthermore, in 2019-20, the TSB reviewed its allocation of budgets and FTEs and as a result, the TSB has established a new revised forecast of 227 FTEs effective 2020-21.

Estimates by vote

Information on the TSB’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2020–21 Main Estimates.

Condensed future-oriented statement of operations

The condensed future‑oriented statement of operations provides an overview of the TSB’s operations for 2019–20 to 2020–21.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future‑oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on the TSB's website.

The TSB disposed of several Crown vehicles in 2019-20 that were past their useful life, which is the main contributor to the variance in revenues between 2019-20 forecast results and 2020-21 planned results.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister(s): The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc

Institutional head: Kathleen Fox

Ministerial portfolio: Privy Council

Enabling instrument(s):Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, S.C. 1989, c. 3

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1990

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on the TSB's website.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on the TSB's website.

Reporting framework

The TSB approved departmental results framework and program inventory for 2020–21 are as follows.

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Supporting information on the program inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the TSB’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the TSB’s website

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Gender-based analysis plus

Organizational contact information

Mailing address

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Place du Centre

200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor

Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1K8

Telephone: 1-800-387-3557

Email: communications@bst-tsb.gc.ca

Website: http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of a department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité ministérielle)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Departmental priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare, the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works and what doesn’t. Experimentation is related to, but distinct form innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. Full‑time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2020–21 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence‑based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision-making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

strategic outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.