Departmental Plan 2020-2021

Table of Contents

Minister's Message

Plans at a Glance

Core Responsibilities: Planned Results and Resources, and Key Risks

• Fisheries
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• Marine Navigation
• Marine Operations and Response

Internal Services: Planned Results

Spending and Human Resources

• Planned Spending
• Planned Human Resources
• Estimates by Vote
• Condensed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations

Corporate Information

• Organizational Profile
• Raison d’être, Mandate and Role: who we are and what we do
• Operating Context
• Reporting Framework

Supporting Information on the Program Inventory

Supplementary Information Tables

Organizational Contact Information

Appendix: Definitions

Minister’s Message

It is a privilege to serve Canadians as the newly appointed federal Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. I am honoured to represent the dedicated employees of this Department who work diligently with Indigenous peoples and other partners to keep our waters safe, secure and accessible, while protecting our oceans, fisheries, ecosystems and waterways.

I am pleased to present the 2020-21 Departmental Plan for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard. This Plan provides Canadians and Parliamentarians with information on the vital work we do and the key objectives we seek to achieve in the next fiscal year.

Our four core responsibilities are:

• Fisheries – managing Canada’s fisheries, Indigenous fisheries programs and aquaculture activities, and providing support for commercial fishing harbours while applying relevant legislation;
• Aquatic Ecosystems – managing, conserving and protecting Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems and species from human impacts and invasive species;
• Marine Navigation – providing information and services to facilitate navigation in Canadian waters; and,
• Marine Operations and Response – providing marine response services and operating Canada’s civilian maritime fleet.

As Minister, I am responsible for meeting the Government of Canada’s priorities and our departmental mandate commitments, including:

• developing a comprehensive blue economy strategy to help guide future government actions and investments that enable Canada to grow its oceans economy and create good middle-class jobs and opportunities for coastal communities while advancing our conservation objectives;
• implementing the recently modernized Fisheries Act and further developing the Oceans Protection Plan;
• Increasing investments in small craft harbours and working with communities to develop local economic development plans so that harbours better serve the needs of the fishing industry and local residents;
• continuing the revitalization of the shipbuilding industry and ensuring Canada’s marine services have the modern ships that they need, with the renewal of Canada’s Coast Guard fleet;
• enhancing marine conservation in Canada by conserving 25 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2025, working toward 30 per cent by 2030;
• work with the province of British Columbia and Indigenous communities to create a responsible plan to transition from open net-pen salmon farming in coastal British Columbia waters by 2025 and begin work to introduce Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act;
• developing a boat-to-plate traceability program to help Canadian fishers better market their high-quality products;
• using science and traditional Indigenous knowledge to make decisions that affect fish stocks and ecosystem management; and,
• implementing the Ocean Plastics Charter and the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities.

In 2020-21, the Department plans to:

• ensure that Indigenous Peoples are empowered to make decisions about their communities;
• strengthen the middle class by creating more opportunities to deliver Canadian fish and seafood products to new markets; and
• enhance international partnerships in the fight against climate change and for environmental protection.

I am proud to serve Canadians and commit to fulfilling our vision of healthy oceans and a sustainably sourced and well-managed fish and seafood sector. My goal, on behalf of all Canadians, is to ensure economic prosperity for communities across Canada that rely upon these vital resources for their livelihoods.

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Plans at a Glance

In 2020-21, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will continue to: safeguard Canada’s waters; manage its fisheries; protect its oceans and freshwater resources; support robust economic growth in marine and fisheries sectors; and, foster innovation.

The following highlights are key initiatives the Department will advance this year in support of Government of Canada priorities and the Minister’s mandate commitments.

In support of continued economic growth and the creation of economic opportunities, the Department will begin to develop a comprehensive blue economy strategy, which will provide the framework for the sustainable use of ocean resources to improve the livelihood of coastal communities while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. In parallel, continued investment in Canada’s small craft harbours will reinvigorate local infrastructure, ensuring that harbours continue to meet the needs of local residents and the fishing industry.

Recognizing the crucial importance of healthy ecosystems and the sustainability of our ocean resources, the Department will build on its successful efforts to conserve 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2020, by developing a plan to conserve 25 per cent by 2025, working towards 30 per cent by 2030. As a key component of this strategy, new protection standards for federal marine protected areas and other effective conservation measures, including marine refuges, will be implemented, protecting biodiversity and strengthening ecosystems' abilities to resist, recover from, and adapt to disturbances, such as those caused by overexploitation or climate change. Working with Indigenous peoples, the Department will help establish collaborative governance systems to advance coordination and co-management of ocean activities.

In 2020-21, DFO will undertake the final year of the development and implementation of Canada’s Ocean Plastics and Ghost Gear Management Framework. Plastic marine debris and ghost fishing gear affect a broad swath of the Department’s mandate, including: aquatic ecosystems health; wildlife mortality (including species at risk); productivity of Canadian fisheries; and, safe navigation, among others. The Framework will set out guiding principles and critical components of a strategy to reduce plastic waste and minimize plastics in Canada’s oceans and waterways through prevention, mitigation, and leadership.

To ensure that negative impacts on Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems are minimized or avoided, DFO will continue to implement the recently modernized Fisheries Act, by restoring prohibitions against the destruction of fish and fish habitat. In support of the Act, the Department will continue to revitalize the Fish and Fish Habitat Program (FFHPP) through updates to the online public-facing registry, additional guidance for the regulatory reviews of proposed development projects near water, and promoting integrated planning and internal support activities. The FFHPP will also now provide funding through the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program ensuring Indigenous peoples can participate in the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat.

To keep Canadian waters safe, and to provide effective marine response services, the renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet will continue through the procurement of new vessels, and the revitalization of existing ships. In 2020-21, the third and final Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel is expected to be delivered, completing the first large shipbuilding project under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The CCGS John Cabot will help perform fisheries research, help improve our understanding of climate change, and help the Department meet mandate commitments related to scientific research. To bolster the search and rescue program, four more search and rescue lifeboats are planned for delivery in 2020-21, providing critical search and rescue capability to mariners in need.

Keeping with the Government’s continued commitment to reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous people, DFO will implement the Action Plan for the Renewal and Expansion of DFO’s Indigenous Programs, through ongoing cooperative-development, cooperative-design, and cooperative-delivery with Indigenous organizations and communities. The Action Plan lays out a multi-year plan in response to the recommendations of the Indigenous Program Review by strengthening DFO’s commercial and collaborative Indigenous programs and better aligning them with the Indigenous definitions of success. DFO will also work with other federal departments to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and continue efforts to integrate traditional Indigenous knowledge into the management of fish stocks and ecosystems.

Finally, the Department will develop an Aquaculture Act for Canada. In pursuit of greater national consistency, the new Act will adopt a holistic and environmentally sustainable approach in support of better aquaculture management in Canada. The new Act will also help enhanced legislative and regulatory rigour in protection of fish habitats and of consumers of the products of aquaculture. Providing clarity and certainty for stakeholders, the Act will encourage investment and economic development. Further, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia and Indigenous partners, the Department will develop a responsible plan to transition from open net-pen salmon farming by 2025. These improvements will help drive the development of a thriving, competitive, and environmentally friendly aquaculture sector to the economic benefit of rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities.

For more information on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s plans, priorities, and planned results, see the Core Responsibilities: Planned Results and Resources, and Key Risks section of this report.

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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.

Fisheries

Description

Manage Canada’s fisheries, Indigenous fisheries programs, aquaculture activities and support commercial fishing harbours while applying relevant legislation.

Planning Highlights

Fisheries and Oceans Canada works to support a healthy and sustainable fishing sector. Programs in the fisheries core responsibility ensure that Indigenous interests are supported, that safe commercial harbours support the industry, and that fish are harvested in a sustainable manner. Key initiatives for 2020-21 include: the implementation of the Action Plan for the Renewal and Expansion of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Indigenous Programs, construction of two new harbours in the high Arctic, and building on the successes with the Atlantic Fisheries Fund, the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and supporting new proposals under the Quebec Fisheries Fund. More information on these and other initiatives can be found below.

DFO will continue to increase development of integrated fisheries management plans (IFMPs), precautionary approach reference points, and harvest control rules. IFMPs help to guide the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, support the management of sustainable fisheries, and combine science and traditional Indigenous knowledge on fish species with industry data to determine best practices for harvest. Precautionary approach reference points and harvest control rules also help achieve conservation and sustainable fisheries goals. These tools are applied to keep harvesting rates moderate when a stock’s status is healthy, to promote rebuilding a stock’s status is low, and to ensure a low risk of serious or irreversible harm to a stock. To support the sustaining and rebuilding fish stocks provisions of the new Fisheries Act, DFO will undertake science activities to enable the development of reference points for Canada’s major fish stocks, including new fisheries surveys, data collection, and monitoring, as well as enhanced fisheries science partnerships with external collaborators. DFO’s commitment to develop and apply these tools to all major stocks on a staggered basis was a key part of the Department’s response to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)’s October 2016 recommendations in the Sustaining Canada’s Major Fish Stocks report. With recent funds received to support implementation of the modernized Fisheries Act, DFO has begun accelerating the production of these tools to meet the requirements under the Act. Several projects funded through the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund bring together Indigenous partners, academia, and key stakeholders to build on current knowledge and provide valuable data to support informed decision-making and improved sustainability of regional fisheries. In addition, the Salmonid Enhancement program is committed to continuing work with First Nations through grants and contribution agreements on salmon enhancement projects that are focused on fish culture to create harvest and stewardship opportunities for Indigenous communities.

DFO is working towards implementation of the Fish Stocks provisions. The Fish Stocks provisions were introduced in the Fisheries Act (Section 6) which received Royal Assent in June 2019. The Fish Stocks provisions apply to “major” fish stocks prescribed in the regulation. Section 6 of the Fisheries Act will not come into force until the fish stock list is prescribed in regulation in Fall 2020. It was determined that the Sustainable Survey list was the most appropriate list of fish stocks. DFO committed to prescribing the majority of these 181 stocks over the next five years.

The global ocean or “blue” economy, driven by ocean-based industries and the responsible use of marine resources, is rapidly expanding and creating significant opportunities for growth. With access to three oceans, Canada is well positioned to capitalize on the blue economy, and the Government of Canada recognizes the ocean and its resources are often the main economic driver for Canada’s coastal communities, including many Indigenous communities. The concept of the blue economy is one that encourages better stewardship of our oceans through sustainable business practices, recognizing that the health of the ocean is directly linked to long-term economic growth and value creation. With a focus on enabling pathways for sustainable growth and high value job creation, a comprehensive blue economy strategy can capitalize on Canada’s strong position as a country rich in natural resources with unparalleled access to the ocean. In 2020-21, the Department will lead, with the support of the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and the Minister of Natural Resources, and in consultation with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and business stakeholders, in developing a comprehensive blue economy strategy to help guide future government actions and investments that enable Canada to grow its oceans economy to create good middle class jobs and opportunity for coastal communities while advancing our conservation objectives.

DFO has been mandated to use good scientific evidence and traditional Indigenous knowledge when making decisions affecting fish stocks and ecosystem management. In support of reconciliation, DFO will respond to the recommendations of the Indigenous Program Review, which was performed in collaboration with the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute from 2017 to 2019. DFO will do so by strengthening commercial and collaborative Indigenous programs and bringing them into greater alignment with the Indigenous definitions of success.

The multi-year plan to respond to all of these recommendations is detailed in the Action Plan for the Renewal and Expansion of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Indigenous Programs, which DFO will implement through ongoing collaboration with Indigenous organizations and communities. The action plan also provides guidance for implementing elements of the DFO-Coast Guard Reconciliation Strategy. This initiative will support long-term capacity development in Indigenous communities and organizations to participate in the commercial fishery and in the management of aquatic resources and ecosystems.

Reconciliation is a long-term commitment for the Department, and in 2020-21, numerous new commitments will commence to build a future of enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous peoples. DFO will continue to fund the new Reconciliation Agreements Program in collaboration with various Indigenous Nations, supporting enhanced governance around fisheries, marine safety, and oceans management, and the economic interests of Nations through investments in fisheries and marine safety capacity. The overall goal of the program is to address rights issues and interests that are critical to achieving reconciliation. DFO will also implement the Fisheries Act amendments that support the consideration of Indigenous knowledge in habitat decision-making and continue the provision of funding under the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program to support participation of Indigenous peoples in the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat.

The Minister’s mandate letter highlights DFO’s commitment to “begin work to introduce Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act”. Federally, aquaculture in Canada is largely governed under the Fisheries Act. This legislation was originally designed for wild capture fisheries and does not reflect the specific needs of aquaculture. Aquaculture represents approximately a third of Canada’s total seafood value and 20 per cent of total production. The proposed Aquaculture Act would provide a nationally consistent and adaptable legislative framework that fosters investment, growth, and innovation, while upholding and enhancing strong environmental protections. In 2017-18, DFO conducted 34 sessions across Canada, including 18 meetings with Indigenous representation, to gauge interest in an Aquaculture Act. Additional feedback on aquaculture management was received through TBS’ Regulatory Review of the Agriculture and Agri-food Sector. In 2019, the Department held 23 sessions to engage stakeholders on the general concepts of the proposed Act authorities. These face-to-face sessions were supplemented by online engagement where interested parties could submit their views by e-mail to the Department until December 21, 2019. Further engagement is planned to continue in 2020. This work aligns with the Fall Economic Statement 2018 commitment to introduce General Aquaculture Regulations.

Ghost gear is any fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded (for example nets, line, rope, traps, pots, and floats). It is a form of marine pollution that can be fatal to fish, marine mammals, and other marine life, poses a navigation hazard, and also breaks down into other forms of pollution such as microplastics. As one of the many actions announced under the Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste to combat plastic waste in the environment, DFO will implement the new Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Support Contribution Program in 2020-21. This is a two-year, $8.3 million program to assist Indigenous groups, fish harvesters, the aquaculture industry, non-profits, and communities to take concrete actions to support ghost gear prevention, retrieval, and responsible disposal. It will also support fish harvesters in acquiring new gear technologies to reduce gear loss and support international areas of high risk of gear loss. The four pillars of the program include:

• Third party-led retrieval of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear;
• Gear acquisition and piloting of currently available innovative gear technology to prevent gear loss;
• Responsible disposal; and
• International leadership.

Implementation of this program reflects the Department’s commitment to strengthening our domestic and international responsibility to address the impacts of ghost gear, and contributes to the Department’s role in the implementation of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste [PDF 295 KB] and Canada’s participation in the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. It will also contribute to the mandate letter commitment to implement the Oceans Plastics Charter and the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities.

In December 2017, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced the creation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program (FACTAP). FACTAP is a $20 million, four-year initiative aimed at assisting wild fisheries and aquaculture operators and processors to adopt clean technologies into their existing operations without incurring the risks that are often associated with these technologies. Since the establishment of the Program, the Department has approved funding totaling $9.6 million for 76 projects across Canada and leveraged an additional $8.9 million from private sector and provincial partners. In 2020-21, DFO will focus on continuing to work with stakeholders to improve awareness of the program, establish new collaborative arrangements, and ensure the completion of ongoing projects through increased monitoring and reporting of project results. In all, this will improve the environmental performance and competitiveness of Canada’s fisheries and aquaculture operators.

In support of the new Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA), the Department will implement a comprehensive, national vessels of concern program. Vessels of concern are abandoned, derelict, and wrecked vessels that are either discharging or likely to discharge a pollutant, or are an obstruction or hazard to navigation. The Department will have one program that focuses on vessels in small craft harbours, and another that will include a national inventory of vessels of concern (see Core Responsibility 4: Marine Operations and Response for more on the second program). DFO will continue to improve safety and security and enhance operations at small craft harbours sites through the Small Craft Harbours Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program. Since 2017-18, SCH has already disposed of a total of 58 vessels, surpassing its 2022 Ocean Protection Plan (OPP) removal target of 50 boats. Over the next two years, DFO aims to remove a similar number of additional abandoned and wrecked vessels at small craft harbours sites, therefore continuing to improve safety and security for fish harvesters.

Building on significant investments in Canada’s small craft harbours, the Government of Canada and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association announced in August 2019 that four new harbours will be constructed in the High Arctic, two of which will be built by DFO’s Small Craft Harbours Program in Clyde River and Arctic Bay^Footnote1. These new harbours are expected to support new economic development of those communities and will join the network of over 1,000 small craft harbours from coast to coast to coast. The Small Craft Harbours Program keeps harbours critical to the commercial fishing industry open and in good repair. These small craft harbours provide critical support to the commercial fishing industry, which had landings valued at $3.9 billion in 2017, and provide economic growth opportunities for local Indigenous communities to help to close the Indigenous infrastructure gap. Operation of these small craft harbours support Indigenous groups as they look to establish and maintain the capacity to participate in both commercial fisheries, and food, social, and ceremonial fisheries. This work also supports the new mandate commitment to increase investments in small craft harbours and work with communities to develop local economic development plans so that harbours better serve the needs of the fishing industry and local residents, as well as the commitment to close the Indigenous infrastructure gap issues by 2030.

DFO’s Conservation and Protection Program (C&P) promotes and maintains compliance with legislation, regulations, policies, and management measures aimed at achieving the conservation and sustainable use of Canada’s aquatic resources and the protection of species at risk (including whales), fish habitat, and oceans, including marine protected areas. In 2020-21, C&P will continue its intelligence-led modernization strategy, including:

• expanding aerial surveillance capacity with a new contract as of September 2020;
• building capacity in digital forensics and major case investigations; and
• better equipping its National Fisheries Intelligence Service (NFIS) to direct enforcement efforts to the highest-risk areas and to target large-scale threats to Canada’s fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.

To support these efforts, C&P will continue to augment its workforce of fishery officers by training and equipping up to 100 new officers. Over the course of the next two years, the planned rollout of a radio modernization project will enable C&P fishery officers to work more safely and effectively in the field, while a revamped compliance enforcement system will more effectively track fisheries enforcement activities, including all occurrences and violations. This work will lead to better conservation of the fisheries resource, which promotes sustainable fisheries and the protection of valuable fish stocks and their habitat.

DFO has expanded on its successful Atlantic Fisheries Fund to include more initiatives throughout Canada.

The Atlantic Fisheries Fund, launched in 2017, is a federal-provincial-territorial funding partnership that encourages modern and innovative ways to harvest, process, and deliver high-quality, sustainably sourced fish and seafood from the region’s wild capture and aquaculture fisheries. This work ensures that Canada can meet the growing demand for sustainably and legally-sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products and maintain the substantial economic benefits that the fishing and aquaculture industries provide to the country. Under the science partnership pillar, the AFF will support investments to enhance the fish and seafood sector’s capacity to adapt to, and address, ecosystem shifts and their impacts, including climate change. These investments will include:

• research on the impacts of ecosystem shifts on fish stocks, distributions, and the commercial fishery;
• science activities in support of developing sustainable harvesting technologies; and
• initiatives in support of creating partnerships or networks to support scientific activities in the sector.

Under the AFF’s market access pillar, known as the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund (CFSOF), launched in December 2018, DFO will increase the recognition of Canadian fish and seafood products for its quality and sustainability. The Department will make investments in:

• the development and implementation of initiatives to meet consumer demands for product quality and sustainability, such as eco-certification, catch traceability, or eco-labelling;
• the development and implementation of initiatives to meet government certification requirements;
• carrying out or disseminating research focused on market access requirements, such as regulatory standards;
• the development and implementation of Canadian fish and seafood branding strategies focused on quality and sustainability;
• the promotion of branding and advertising through marketing strategies, promotions, or trade seminars to demonstrate the quality, sustainability, or other attributes of products; and
• supporting the industry to better access funding and support the development of markets and market access demands.

This fund aims to enable the sector to access new markets or enhance existing markets globally, which will support export growth and will help to ensure that Canada’s fish and seafood sector can continue to provide substantial economic benefits to the country’s economy and position Canada as a leader within the global fish and seafood sector. This work will contribute to the Department’s mandate commitment to support the Minister of Health who is the Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in developing a boat-to-plate traceability program to help Canadian fishers to better market their high-quality products.

Together with the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) and the Quebec Fisheries Fund, which launched in 2019, (QFF), the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) will support projects that drive a culture of innovation through modernized approaches and technologies to ensure the fish and seafood sector is resilient to the impacts of changing economic and environmental conditions, including climate change. The BCSRIF will also fund projects that support British Columbia’s iconic salmon species by helping to meet conservation and sustainability objectives, as well as science and research to fill important knowledge gaps around threats and challenges faced by local stocks. In 2020, results from a project led by the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute will provide BCSRIF with a list of Indigenous priorities, including a suite of projects that broadly represent Indigenous interests in B.C., for funding consideration under BCSRIF. This work will help to ensure that the fish and seafood sector in Canada is positioned for long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Investments in the BCSRIF will ensure B.C.’s wild fisheries are environmentally and economically sustainable for the long term and that jobs in the fishery are resilient to the challenges of climate change and evolving economic conditions. The fund will help protect and restore priority wild B.C. fish stocks, including Pacific salmon. As a result of these investments, consumers will also benefit from high-quality, sustainably sourced, Canadian fish and seafood products.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

In 2020-21, the Department will begin monitoring and reporting more completely and meaningfully about its work to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. New Departmental Results have been developed as part of the implementation of the Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard Reconciliation Strategy and will be reported on for the first time. A new common Departmental Result will be applied across all of the Department’s Core Responsibilities, focusing on “Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people.” The methodology for calculating success looks at agreements, training, and employment, and these changes will lead to more of the Department’s programs setting firm targets and monitoring their contributions to reconciliation.

DFO will consider women and Indigenous peoples in implementing the AFF. The federal government’s policy agenda and the analysis of gender and other demographic factors influenced the design, and will continue to influence the ongoing delivery and implementation of the AFF, including, but not limited to Indigenous engagement, communications, and in being recipients of project funding. The Department will engage in efforts to take into account and accommodate the needs and objectives of women and Indigenous peoples.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Department is committed to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, the Department looks to support Goal 14: Life Below Water, and will ensure that Canada continues to conserve coastal and marine areas through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, as well as sustainably manage ocean fish stocks.

Canada has made significant progress in protecting the health and resilience of its oceans, and it will continue to pursue the conservation and responsible use of oceans and marine resources for sustainable development.

Experimentation

Through the AFF, a contribution of over $2.7 million over three years has been approved for the Association des Crabiers Acadiens Inc. to support the implementation of a series of activities that will explore and test technologies designed for reducing the risks of North Atlantic Right Whale entanglements in fishing gear. This project is increasing awareness and knowledge among snow crab harvesters regarding the impacts of their fishing gear in these whales’ environment, and lead to greater protections for the species. The experimentation has a budget, in grants and contributions, of $2,726,500 and runs until March 2021. In 2020-21, this project will test innovative ropes that will break if they encounter a North Atlantic Right Whale.

Key Risk(s)

Work under the Fisheries Core Responsibility touches on multiple areas of expertise within DFO. As a result, numerous areas of risk influence the plans and priorities within this Core Responsibility. For example, the risk that the department may not be able to develop and maintain relationships with its numerous Indigenous partners at a sufficient pace will impact the department’s ability to make progress towards fully implementing and achieving its plans and priorities in this area. In 2020-2021, DFO has developed plans that will position the department to achieve its desired results while simultaneously mitigating and managing related risks. Moreover, DFO will continue monitor this key risk as well as other strategic risks that impact the department’s ability to deliver on its priorities and plans.

Note: N/A indicates that the performance indicator was not in effect at that time, and therefore, historical data may not be available. In cases where historical data is available, past results are presented in the “Actual Results” column.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Aquatic Ecosystems

Description

Conserve and protect Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems and species from human impact and invasive species.

Planning Highlights

DFO has a significant responsibility to protect the health of Canada’s oceans and aquatic ecosystems. Programs in the Aquatic Ecosystems Core Responsibility work to protect species at risk, manage aquatic invasive species, and perform scientific research to support decision-making. Key initiatives for 2020-21 include: building on the Department’s success in conserving 13.81 per cent of Canada’s marine and coastal areas and beginning to implement the mandate commitment to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans, as well as implementing the new provisions of the modernized Fisheries Act and beginning work on introducing a new federal Aquaculture Act. More information on these and other initiatives can be found below.

The Aquatic Invasive Species National Core Program (AIS NCP) has been developing policies and tools to integrate the Aquatic Invasive species Regulations (AISR) into the Aquatic Ecosystems regulatory environment and will move to full implementation in 2020-21. DFO will take the necessary management actions to address recommendations of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, notably by presenting a process to identify and nominate species to add to the AISR for national endorsement under the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture ministers (CCFAM) by March 31, 2021, and by preparing and assessing options for the creation of a data platform by March 31, 2022. The program is working with partners to improve biosecurity at international borders and will implement in 2020-21 a pilot project to develop and test the procedures and tools necessary for border agents and fisheries officers using the AISR and other legislative tools. In 2020-21, the AIS NCP will continue to foster and to develop relationships with federal, provincial, and territorial partners through the National Aquatic Invasive Species Committee and coordinate nationally consistent training on the AISR and use of education and outreach materials.

In August 2019, DFO exceeded its commitment to protect 10 per cent of Canada’s marine and coastal areas with 13.81 per cent now conserved. In addition to enhancing the effective management of these existing areas, the Department will implement new protection standards for federal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), including marine refuges, to strengthen the conservation and protection of important marine ecosystems. Further, collaborative governance systems will be established to advance coordination and co-management of ocean activities with Indigenous peoples, provinces, and territories. Marine spatial planning processes are bringing together relevant authorities to better coordinate how we use and manage marine spaces to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives. These planning processes will incorporate existing and new activities aimed at identifying networks of sites suitable to advance conservation objectives. MPAs and OECMs, such as marine refuges, play an important role in the marine ecosystem by increasing biodiversity and strengthening ecosystems' abilities to resist, recover from, or adapt to disturbances, such as those caused by overexploitation or climate change. This can contribute to the economic and socio-cultural well-being of coastal communities, including supporting the subsistence and traditional harvesting of marine resources carried out by Indigenous peoples. Furthermore, the Department will work with Environment and Climate Change Canada to develop an ambitious plan to enhance marine conservation in Canada, supporting the new mandate commitment of conserving 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working towards 30 per cent by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives. Canada will also advocate internationally for countries to set a new goal of 30 per cent conservation by 2030.

The Coastal Restoration Fund (CRF), a program developed under the Ocean Protection Plan’s commitments to preserve and restore Canada’s marine ecosystem, is generating significant national interest. Thus far, the program supports 63 aquatic restoration projects on Canada’s three coasts. Over 37 per cent of CRF projects are led by Indigenous organizations, and almost 100 per cent of CRF projects involve Indigenous Peoples in their design, and/or implementation. Aquatic restoration is playing a significant role in providing greater connectivity within, and between, aquatic ecosystems, and can have benefits for natural recovery of degraded habitat and biodiversity, as well as mitigating threats such as aquatic invasive species and climate change.

DFO will continue to partner with Indigenous communities and organizations from coast to coast to coast through initiatives like the Ocean Protection Plan’s Coastal Environmental Baseline Program. This program enables the Department to partner with local and Indigenous communities to collect data that will help to inform management decisions and preserve coastal ecosystems for future generations.

As part of the Government of Canada’s unprecedented investment in Canada’s Nature Legacy, DFO launched the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR), a five-year contribution program to promote collaborative, multi-species, and ecosystem-based approaches to the recovery of aquatic species at risk. The objective of the CNFASAR is to slow the decline of aquatic species at risk and enable a leap forward in species recovery through the injection of targeted funding for recovery activities that address priority threats and places. DFO has invested $55 million to support species at risk recovery in seven freshwater priority places and by addressing two marine priority threats across Canada, and over 50 separate projects have been funded. In 2020-21, DFO will continue to work with our federal, provincial, and Indigenous partners, as well as key stakeholder and resource user groups, to support the implementation of CNFASAR projects.

The Government of Canada’s Whales Initiative covers a range of departmental activities related to the understanding and management of whales in Canadian waters, with a focus on endangered populations. This initiative focuses on three endangered species and populations, namely the Southern Resident killer whale in B.C., St. Lawrence Estuary beluga in Quebec, and the North Atlantic right whale in the Maritimes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but is designed to provide benefits across all whale species. The Initiative includes a range of new program elements to protect and recover whales as well as some elements originally identified in the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP). The joint initiative with TC, ECCC, and led by DFO includes a range of measures to reduce the impact of humans on marine habitat and ecosystems, including shipping and fishing, on these three important species. It also supports expertise, equipment, and capacity to respond to marine mammal incidents across the country, such as entanglements, stranding, and collisions with vessels, and the delivery of necropsies^Footnote4 to help determine the cause of death for endangered whale species. The Whales Initiative also supports monitoring of marine mammals, training for Fisheries Officers to support marine mammal incidents, and a national program with hubs in the east and west coasts to identify measures to reduce the impact of fishing on whales. The funding also supports the development of Integrated Marine Mammal Management Plans, outlining targeted fisheries management measures to protect whales, similar to Integrated Fisheries Management Plans.

Following on the coming into force of the amended Fisheries Act in June 2019, the Department will implement the new provisions of the modernized Fisheries Act to ensure that negative impacts on Canada’s aquatic ecosystems are minimized or avoided. Changes to the Act under Bill C-68; An Act to Amend the Fisheries Act and other Acts in Consequence include extending protections to all fish and fish habitats. The Department continues to develop new guidance and refine its existing policies to align with the modernized Fisheries Act. This work will respond to the new mandate commitment to implement the recently modernized Fisheries Act.

To support the implementation of the Fisheries Act changes, the Department will continue to revitalize the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP), formerly called the Fisheries Protection Program, through such work as maintaining and continuing development of the public-facing online Fisheries Act Registry and introducing more guidance for the regulatory reviews of proposed development projects near water (ensuring that new development doesn’t negatively impact fish habitats), and promoting integrated planning and internal support activities. The revitalized FFHPP will also increase emphasis on engaging with partners and stakeholders (e.g. Indigenous peoples, other levels of government, industry, and non-government organizations) to find ways to work collaboratively on the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat, including participating in integrated planning processes that seek to identify management objectives for fish and fish habitat and establishing collaborative plans to achieve those objectives. In addition, as part of the implementation of the modernized Fisheries Act, the FFHPP will provide funding through the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program to ensure Indigenous peoples have the opportunity to participate in the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat.

To ensure that DFO can fulfill all of these commitments, the FFHPP will continue to develop standardized training for staff across all regions in Canada, focusing on the delivery of accurate and consistent policy guidance, training on new regulatory processes, and familiarization with new or updated standards and codes of practice. Standardized training will ensure consistent, reliable, and timely program delivery, including engagements with partners, proponents and existing stakeholders. On the whole, these activities will improve Canada’s ability to effectively and efficiently regulate projects that take place on or near water as well as the Department’s ability to provide advice and guidance on these matters, both of which will enhance Canadians’ confidence in government oversight. They will also contribute to improved relationships with and outcomes for Indigenous people with regard to the management of aquatic ecosystems.

The Department will continue to implement the Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities and work to expand international adoption and implementation of the Ocean Plastics Charter, as per the Minister’s mandate letter. This will include investments in tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, taking a leadership role in the UN Decade of Ocean Science, and hosting appropriate side events during upcoming international meetings, such as the UN Ocean Conference, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from June 2-6, 2020.

In support of the implementation of the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities, the Government of Canada will continue its work in helping the international community prepare for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development that will run from 2021-2030. In 2020-21, DFO will work with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in creating a project office to contribute to the planning, promotion and coordination of activities related to the UN Decade of Ocean Science. This office will help build scientific capacity, as well as enhance cooperation and communication among stakeholders in marine affairs, in particular through ocean research and observations. More specifically, this coordinated approach to science and monitoring will help expand our collective knowledge of ocean conditions, assist us in predicting the consequences of ocean changes and how best to mitigate their impacts, and support the sustainable development of the ocean economy.

In 2020-21, DFO will undertake the final year of the development and implementation of its new Ocean Plastics and Ghost Gear Management Framework for Canada. Plastic marine debris and ghost fishing gear^Footnote5 present a tremendous challenge in the context of the Department’s mandate, including aquatic ecosystems health, wildlife mortality (including Species at Risk), productivity of Canadian fisheries, and safe navigation, among others, and was targeted specifically in the speech from the throne for the 43^rd Parliament of Canada. World Animal Protection estimates that 640,000 tons of fishing gear is lost, abandoned, or otherwise discarded in our oceans every year, which account for ten per cent of the total amount of plastic in the oceans. Recent studies have shown that ghost fishing gear may make up even higher percentages of marine debris – between 46 per cent and 70 per cent of all macro plastic in our oceans when measured by weight. The Framework will outline the guiding principles and key elements of a departmental program to reduce plastic waste and minimize plastics in Canada’s oceans and waterways through three program pillars: prevention, mitigation, and leadership. This work will support the government’s plan to reduce 75 per cent of plastic waste from its own operations by 2030. It aligns and integrates Departmental activities into a coherent nation-wide strategy aimed at achieving meaningful and significant results to benefit Canadian aquatic ecosystems. In 2020-21, DFO will engage in activities that will include awareness campaigns and federal collaboration, looking at the procurement of single-use plastics, continuing to coordinate existing and new Innovative Solutions Canada domestic plastic challenges, piloting projects focusing on laboratory waste, and working on a business case to support recycling of fishing nets and other marine debris generated by the fishing and aquaculture industries. This work contributes to the Department’s role in the implementation of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Canada’s participation in the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and will contribute to the mandate letter commitment to implement the Oceans Plastics Charter and the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities.

Under the new mandate letter commitment to make new investments in marine science and fighting invasive species, the new investments will allow the development of species intervention plans, making it possible to limit, as soon as possible after their introduction, the spread of these species and the associated ecosystemic, social, and economic impacts. DFO is taking steps to build on its existing AIS activities and take stronger action to address invasive species in order to address the recommendations of the CESD auditor, as discussed above.

Reconciliation is a long-term commitment for the Department, and in 2020-21, numerous new commitments will be initiated towards building a future of enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

In 2020-21, DFO will enter into multi-year collaborative agreements on marine spatial planning and continue to work with Indigenous communities and aggregates to collaboratively develop, shape, and implement initiatives that support collective priorities.

Under the Species at Risk Act there are requirements for consultation and cooperation with Indigenous groups related to decision-making and management planning. DFO, along with other departments, engages with Indigenous groups through various advisory bodies on matters regarding Species at Risk Act implementation. Finally, DFO encourages Indigenous groups’ involvement in species at risk recovery through various grants and contribution programs including the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk.

In partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada, DFO will further increase Indigenous involvement in the conduct of research and survey activities through the Terrestrial Cumulative Effects Initiative and other accommodation measures under the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Ensuring gender equality in ocean sciences, as in all scientific fields, is a priority for Canada and many other countries and organizations around the world. Through the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, countries, including Canada, will have the opportunity to advance gender issues and support opportunities for women and youth to succeed in all disciplines, including science. In addition, the analysis of gender and other demographic factors have influenced the design, implementation, and delivery of Aquatic Ecosystems programs. Going forward, particular efforts will continue to be made to take into account and accommodate the needs and objectives of women and Indigenous peoples.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (HLP), made up of representatives from across the world, is committed to advancing solutions in support of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Agenda was signed by many countries in 2015, including Canada, and is a global framework of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. DFO is leading on supporting Canada’s Sherpa, Catherine Blewett, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, in her role as the Prime Minister’s official representative during discussion and negotiation of the proposed outcome document of the HLP, supporting Canada’s global leadership on oceans issues. The HLP supports the Sustainable Development Goals related to hunger, health, jobs, energy, sustainable communities, and global partnerships.

The HLP will release a final report at the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2020, which provides recommendations on the protection and sustainable use of the ocean. Canada’s active engagement in the HLP provides an opportunity to advance key Canadian priorities related to Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals, and to follow through on G7 commitments and support the United Nations Security Council campaign, where Canada is seeking a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2021-22 biennium. One area of Canadian leadership relates to the critical role of national accounting in achieving a sustainable ocean economy. The development of ocean accounts is important for ensuring, among other things, that future coastal development is based on a complete accounting of the value of natural and produced assets, and that the depletion of natural assets is mitigated and compensated. In 2020-21, DFO will work with Statistics Canada and the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership to support national, regional, and global efforts in ocean accounting and capacity building within Canada and in developing countries. This will inform evidence-based decision-making, establish new and adopt existing methods, definitions, classification systems, and metrics to measure and value ecosystem services and the economic activities of ocean-based industries. DFO also hopes to leverage the HLP to help promote Canadian approaches to climate change, innovation, the integration of environment and development objectives, and inclusion (e.g., women’s empowerment). This work will continue to advance DFO’s agenda related to oceans science, fisheries management, spatial planning, and area-based management.

Experimentation

DFO will continue to work with Indigenous and provincial partners and other stakeholders to explore the development of an area-based approach to the management of aquaculture. Area-based aquaculture management looks beyond potential impacts on a specific site and considers the wider ecosystem, such as a bay or estuary, in which aquaculture facilities would be located. Priorities will include ongoing discussions with partners to define the concept and develop spatial and governance structures that would be used to implement the approach. Pending the support of partners and the identification of financial resources, the process will move towards the launch of a pilot project in British Columbia that will:

• allow better understanding of, and response to, impacts and risks associated with aquaculture activities on scales that consider connectivity and cumulative impacts;
• plan for environmental protection and/or industry growth on the appropriate scale;
• set management objectives and measure performance at a scale that aligns with the interests of Indigenous groups / stakeholders;
• better involve First Nations in monitoring and data collection on farms / areas; and
• engage First Nations in communication about performance and management.

This work is intended to promote improved collaborative arrangements with provinces and Indigenous communities; management plans tailored to regional, environmental, and social capacities for different species; and improved involvement of Indigenous peoples in aquaculture planning and operations.

Key Risk(s)

As with the Fisheries Core Responsibility, work under the Aquatic Ecosystems Core Responsibility relies upon coordinated progress across multiple areas of expertise with the end result that overall results can be influenced and impacted by a number of risks. For example, a key risk the department faces in this area is the ability to meet heightened expectations around delivering results for numerous horizontal deliverables (i.e. Ocean Plastics and Ghost Gear Management Framework for Canada, the Government of Canada Whales Initiative, etc.). The department’s ability to deliver on results will be impacted by our partners’ progress within their own domains. Much of the work in this area supports the mitigation of these risks. DFO will continue to monitor this risk; and should the severity change, take action to reduce it.

Note: N/A indicates that the performance indicator was not in effect at that time, and therefore, historical data may not be available. In cases where historical data is available, past results are presented in the “Actual Results” column.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Marine Navigation

Description

Provide information and services to facilitate navigation in Canadian waters.

Planning Highlights

DFO and the Coast Guard are responsible for ensuring that Canada’s waters are safe and navigable for mariners. This includes the charting and managing of waterways, as well as the management of Marine Communications and Traffic (MCTS) services and icebreaking services. Key initiatives for 2020-21 include: implementing new and experimental lighted buoys and upgrading radar and management systems for better awareness on the water. More information on these and other initiatives can be found below.

To facilitate navigation in Canadian waters, the Department will provide improved navigational information. The Department will produce modern hydrography and charting for enhanced electronic navigational chart coverage of areas within the proposed Low Impact Shipping Corridors in the Arctic that have not yet been sufficiently surveyed. DFO will complete modern hydrographic surveys and continue to create up-to-date charts for 23 high-priority commercial ports, and conduct LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and multi-beam (a kind of sonar) surveys of near-shore areas identified as a priority or high risk on the British Columbia coast, in Newfoundland and Labrador, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in the Great Lakes Basin. Lastly, DFO will continue development of dynamic, real-time e-navigation products for six ports: Kitimat, Port Metro-Vancouver, Fraser River Port, Straits of Canso, Port of St. John as well as the St. Lawrence River, including national business model service delivery development.

The Four-season Lighted Buoy Implementation Project involves upgrading a seasonal two-buoy system in the St. Lawrence Seaway to a year-round, single-buoy system. This will reduce demands on the Coast Guard’s fleet and improve services, as the lighted “summer” buoys will no longer need to be manually replaced with non-lighted buoys for the winter months. In order for the new buoys to be able to withstand the severe ice, current, and tidal conditions that are present in the St. Lawrence River, new technology was combined with commercially-available, ice-resistant aid to navigation lanterns. The four-season lighted buoys are expected to significantly enhance the navigability of the Seaway during the winter. This will help ensure that mariners can safely navigate Canada’s waters and that our maritime economy is supported by navigable waters. To date, 122 of the 222 buoys required to service the 185 St. Lawrence river positions have been delivered. The procurement phase of this project is on track to be completed in 2020-21. The deployments of the four-season lighted buoys by the Canadian Coast Guard fleet will be completed shortly thereafter.

The Coast Guard will acquire Ice Hazard Detection Radar units for Coast Guard vessels to assist with icebreaking duties. These new radar units will facilitate icebreaking operations by enabling early recognition of dangerous ice formations, even in reduced visibility conditions. In addition, the radar units will be able to detect the proximity of multiple types of ice, some of which are hazardous to vessel hulls, such as glacial ice. This information will be available in real-time to mariners and is expected to increase the safety of vessels and fleet personnel. Moreover, these radars should allow the Coast Guard to safely extend seasonal periods of waterway operations and help increase our presence in the north.

The Coast Guard is replacing its Aids to Navigation Program Information System with a modernized information technology system that will meet our current and future program requirements, and international maritime data standards. This project will support the Coast Guard’s Marine Navigation program as well as the Department’s major partners and clients, facilitating improved access to accurate and up-to-date data, improved security, support for data exchanges, and other system enhancements. The new system will also meet current and future requirements for the cataloguing and tracking of electronic / digital / e-navigation components, such as virtual aids to navigation critical to support the protection of marine mammals and other new initiatives, including the Trans-Mountain Pipeline. As noted above, it will also be designed to allow the Coast Guard to conform to international standards (IHO S-100 Data Modelling standard, and the related IALA S-201 product specification) for aids to navigation. Moreover, the system will be designed to work with hydrographic and geographic data collection systems lead by the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

Reconciliation is a long-term commitment for the Department, and in 2020-21, numerous new commitments will be initiated towards building a future of enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous peoples. Under the OPP the Coast Guard, in collaboration with Transport Canada and the Canadian Hydrographic Service, will continue engagement with Inuit, Métis, and First Nation governments, provinces and territories, industry, and others on the Northern Low Impact Shipping Corridors that seek to enhance marine safety and minimize potential effects on environmentally and culturally sensitive areas. In 2020-21, Coast Guard and Transport Canada will seek to validate priority areas for investment and collaborative governance models to support the design and management of the Corridors.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

There is still much work to be done in supporting women striving to advance in the marine industries. Women in Governance is a not-for-profit organization that supports leadership development and career advancement for women. The Coast Guard will work with Women in Governance to perform a gender parity assessment to examine gender differences in the Coast Guard, as well as its commitment to activities supporting gender parity^Footnote8. This assessment will focus on the level of inclusivity in strategic direction and decision-making; the commitment to achieving and sustaining parity through policies and practices; the extent to which programs and practices are aimed at supporting an equitable representation of women at all levels of the organization; and reviewing the hiring, promotion, and salary practices of the organization. The Coast Guard aims to learn best practices and to have a workforce that is reflective of Canada’s gender diversity and provides opportunities for women at all levels of the organization. The Department also aims to foster the awareness needed at all levels in the organization to support this outcome. This assessment will take place from April to December 2020.

Experimentation

The Coast Guard will work on developing a new, smaller, and lighter version of the Four-season Buoy (4SB) in order to accommodate critical areas of the St. Lawrence River. The new 1.0 metre-diameter 4SB model (ELA 1.0m) is shorter in length, lighter, and is designed to offer equivalent or better operational performance to the previously developed models (ELA 1.3m and ELA 0.7m). The 4SB model can also be implemented in other geographical areas, such as the Great Lakes, as it is smaller in size and has improved operational performance. Notably, approximately 200 buoy positions in the Great Lakes have been identified as candidate sites for conversion using the ELA 1.0m buoy.

Key Risk(s)

A key risk for the Coast Guard is the failure to recruit and retain the highly skilled workforce required to deliver the programs that support safe and navigable waters. The Coast Guard is mitigating this risk by working on recruitment initiatives. More specifically, Coast Guard has put in a place the Force Generation initiative that has developed a people strategy to address elements of recruitment, training, career development, and wellness specific to Coast Guard’s needs. The Coast Guard College has also revamped their recruitment strategy and is working on a College modernization strategy to improve the facility, the curriculum, and teaching methods.

Note: N/A indicates that the performance indicator was not in effect at that time, and therefore, historical data may not be available. In cases where historical data is available, past results are presented in the “Actual Results” column.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Marine Operations and Response

Description

Provide marine response services and operate Canada’s civilian maritime fleet.

Planning Highlights

DFO and the Coast Guard are responsible for ensuring safety on Canadian waters by maintaining clear passages and responding to incidents that involve risks to mariners or substance spills on the water. To support this work, the Coast Guard will continue to work towards having the equipment needed to perform its duties. The Coast Guard also needs specialized staff to perform these important duties, and will continue to work to ensure that its people have the support and training needed for a strong fleet today and in the future. More information on these and other initiatives can be found below.

The Coast Guard will continue to receive new vessels to ensure its fleet can support the services it provides to Canadians and mariners, maintain commercial shipping routes, assert Canada’s sovereignty, and support scientific exploration. In 2020-21, the third and final Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel, CCGS John Cabot, is expected to be delivered, marking the completion of its first large shipbuilding project under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The new vessel will support departmental science work and help to meet obligations and mandate commitments related to scientific research, such as fisheries research that contributes to our understanding of climate change. In addition, four more search and rescue lifeboats are planned for delivery in 2020-21. This will help ensure that the Search and Rescue program has the lifeboats it needs to provide essential search and rescue capability to mariners in need. The second medium icebreaker is expected to enter into service in spring 2020. The CCGS Captain Molly Kool will then temporarily be removed from service to complete remaining conversion and refit work. A third medium icebreaker is expected to commence service later in 2020. Additionally, Canada plans to purchase one light icebreaker in 2020-21. These vessels will backfill for ships removed from the fleet for maintenance and vessel life extension work to maintain critical levels of service. Lastly, construction is expected to commence on the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel which is set to replace the aging CCGS Hudson.

The aforementioned work will support the Minister’s mandate commitment to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) on the full renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, continuing the revitalization of the shipbuilding industry, creating middle class jobs, and ensuring Canada’s marine services have the modern ships that they need. In addition, the Department will support the Minister of PSPC in bringing forward options and analyses for the creation of Defence Procurement Canada. Specifically, the Coast Guard will provide resources and contribute to the development of these options and analyses.

In support of the new Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA), the Coast Guard will implement a comprehensive, national vessels of concern program. Under WAHVA, vessels of concern are wrecked, abandoned, derelict, or hazardous vessels, which may pose a range of risks to the environment, public health and safety, and local industries. The implementation work will include completing a national inventory and risk assessment methodology in spring 2020, developing WAHVA enforcement and compliance policies, training and designating vessels of concern officers, and establishing long-term program funding. Collectively, these components will enable the Coast Guard to integrate this new program into ongoing operations while fulfilling its responsibilities under WAHVA to address hazardous vessels before they present environmental, social, and economic risks to communities across Canada. The work will support government departments, including Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Small Craft Harbours program, to take proactive action on hazardous vessels. It will also support the preservation and restoration of marine ecosystems. For more information on the program, see Core Responsibility 1: Fisheries.

The Coast Guard has begun work on implementing an Environmental Response Equipment Life Cycle Management Program that includes both preventive and corrective maintenance measures to keep environmental response vessels, equipment, and other assets in proper working order and ready to be deployed when required. Full implementation of the program is expected by early 2022-23. This will contribute significantly to the integrity and on-site readiness of the Environmental Response program and support Coast Guard’s capability to deploy new mobile command posts in order to respond to environmental threats. This work supports the existing Coast Guard initiatives and mandate commitment under the Oceans Protection Plan.

The Coast Guard will continue to work with the defence and security community to acquire timely and relevant information. This contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the Agency’s operating environment; supports interdepartmental maritime security partners; ensures the protection of agency assets; and, in the particular case of the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard’s broader national security responsibilities, supports their ability to contribute effectively as a member of the high-level governmental Deputy Ministers’ National Security Committee. Increased awareness provided through this activity will allow Coast Guard to make better-informed decisions regarding the safe employment of its personnel and assets, and support its security partners more effectively in keeping with the Oceans Act paragraph 41(1)(e), which calls for the support of departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada through the provision of ships, aircraft and other marine services.

As a member of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum (NPCGF), Canada is committed to host the next Multilateral Multi-mission Exercise (MMEX), which is an annual operational event that each member country hosts on a rotational basis. Canada is scheduled to host the MMEX in Vancouver, British Columbia in June 2020. The 2020 MMEX will be the first NPCGF live exercise hosted by Canada and will focus on search and rescue, maritime security, and environmental response. The MMEX will showcase Canada’s whole-of-government approach to dealing with maritime threats and events, as well as allow us to practice and exercise coordination and interoperability in the event of a major maritime incident.

Coast Guard will host the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group (EPPR) in December 2020. This four-day gathering is a significant event in the field of emergency management and the working group is one of six groups that support the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum for all Arctic states and peoples. The eight member states will send delegations including marine environmental response and search and rescue experts. EPPR meets twice a year to:

• discuss emerging environmental and search and rescue issues;
• advance the development of work plan deliverables; and
• plan future areas of study.

The Coast Guard is committed to becoming a training / learning organization that is better positioned to recruit, develop, support, and retain employees. To fully develop a training / learning culture within the organization, the Canadian Coast Guard College will take an active and intentional approach to identify training needs and develop training opportunities to ensure our people are fully capable of delivering the critical programs and services upon which Canadians depend. More specifically, in 2020-21, the College will implement a Student Information System. This system will develop a centralized repository to effectively, efficiently, and accurately track, maintain, and report student information and learning progress. The system will support a comprehensive transcript of student data and provide access to grade progress for students via a student Internet portal. The College will also implement the e-Learning platform, Moodle. Moodle will both support distance education and enhance traditional classroom delivery. Lastly, a governance structure will be established to effectively manage recruitment, Coast Guard operational training requirements, and career development based on the current and future needs of the organization.

The 2018-19 Evaluation to Support Canadian Coast Guard Force Generation was conducted to support the Workforce Generation project which was put in place to explore issues related to career development for operational personnel. Specifically, the evaluation assessed the crewing factor^Footnote10 methodology, gaps in competency certification, and the governance of personnel development. This evaluation also highlighted issues related to data quality in the MariTime system, as well as other factors that the Coast Guard will take into consideration as it revisits its current crewing factor. In 2020-21, the Coast Guard will improve its data integrity by updating the business rules related to entries into the MariTime system, developing standardized naming conventions for courses and certification requirements, and ensuring complete training records for personnel.

With respect to advancing reconciliation, DFO and the Coast Guard will continue to engage and collaborate with Inuit, Métis, and First Nations governments and organizations, provinces, and territories on the priorities of the Arctic Region. The Department will also work to enhance programs and services to meet the needs of Northern communities. Under the OPP’s Indigenous Relationship and Partnership initiative, the Coast Guard is providing grants and contributions to Inuit, Metis, and First Nations in the North to increase capacity in marine safety and participation in the implementation of the Arctic region. In addition, DFO and Coast Guard will provide new employment opportunities in the North. Community Engagement Coordinators (CECs) will be hired in Northern communities to enhance communication between DFO and Coast Guard and Northern communities. The CECs will support regional capacity building, the consideration of Indigenous and local knowledge in decision-making, and the enhancement of program and service delivery in the North. Moreover, the Coast Guard will continue to support Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) to expand the Inuit Marine Monitoring Program that seeks to enhance marine domain awareness in the Arctic.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

GBA+ considerations are being integrated in Coast Guard vessel designs to enable diversity in its workforce. This will lead to the Coast Guard becoming an increasingly inclusive and diverse workplace that fully represents the Canadians it serves.

Experimentation

The Coast Guard’s Innovation and Experimentation program and its participation in the Innovative Solutions Canada program is intended to drive culture change across the organization. As part of this program, the Coast Guard will fund a variety of innovative initiatives from human form^Footnote11 and wellness issues to technology and systems, and drive innovation throughout the Coast Guard, as well as within Canada’s innovation ecosystem^Footnote12. Specifically, the Coast Guard’s Innovation Hub will work with internal partners to fund experiments, fund new or existing initiatives relating directly to innovation, and track ongoing efforts in innovation. In addition, the Coast Guard will work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (the home Department for the Innovative Solutions program) to develop challenge statements based on internal consultation and external research for innovators / entrepreneurs to present for selection and funding. Coast Guard intends to launch a crowd-sourced challenge for which it will initiate a process where operators select the challenge that gets sent out to the Canadian industry.

Key Risk(s)

Significant efforts will also be spent to deliver on the Government’s commitment to fully renew the Canadian Coast Guard fleet in the years ahead. Risks for these types of large projects include:

• changes in schedules due to unforeseen issues that may arise in procurement processes;
• schedule or cost changes from contract negotiations;
• problems with the vessel construction itself; and
• challenges in resourcing qualified staff, particularly marine engineers.

In order to help offset these risks, the Coast Guard will work closely with Public Services and Procurement Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; and the Department of National Defence to ensure proper mitigation in a timely manner.

The age of the Coast Guard’s fleet is a key risk which may impact program / service delivery. The Coast Guard is presently mitigating this risk by extending the life of vessels through the Vessel Life Extension program. In support of this initiative, the government recently announced new funding that will allow the Coast Guard to continue extending the life of vessels and provide reliable services to Canadians until the fleet renewal is complete.

Planned Results for Marine Operations and Response

Departmental Result	Departmental Result Indicator	Target	Actual Results
Canadian Coast Guard has the capability to respond to on-water incidents	Percentage of responses to environmental incidents that meet established standards	100% by March 31, 2021	2016-17: 100% 2017-18: 100% 2018-19: 100%
	Percentage of search and rescue responses that meet the established standards	Greater than 99% by March 31, 2021	2016-17: N/A 2017-18: 97% 2018-19: 98%
Canada’s Civilian fleet has the capability to meet established service standards for clients	Operational days delivered vs. planned	Greater than or equal to 90% by March 31, 2021	2016-17: 93% 2017-18: 90% 2018-19: 87%
	Percentage of operational days lost due to crewing and other logistic issues	Less than or equal to 3% by March 31, 2021	2016-17: N/A 2017-18: N/A 2018-19: 0.7%
	Percentage of operational days lost due to unplanned maintenance	Less than or equal to 3% by March 31, 2021	2016-17: 3.4% 2017-18: 6.5% 2018-19: 3.4%
Enhanced relationships with, involvements of, and outcomes for Indigenous people	Number of agreements / arrangements involving Indigenous groups	TBD by 2021-22	2016-17: N/A 2017-18: N/A 2018-19: N/A
	Number of Indigenous people trained through agreements / arrangements	TBD by 2021-22	2016-17: N/A 2017-18: N/A 2018-19: N/A

Note: N/A indicates that the performance indicator was not in effect at that time, and therefore, historical data may not be available. In cases where historical data is available, past results are presented in the “Actual Results” column.

Planned Budgetary Financial Resources for Marine Operations and Response

2020-21 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2020-21 Planned Spending	2021-22 Planned Spending	2022-23 Planned Spending
1,195,835,743	1,195,835,743	922,621,216	757,542,831

Planned Human Resources for Marine Operations and Response

2020-21 Planned FTEs	2021-22 Planned FTEs	2022-23 Planned FTEs
4,170	4,130	4,030

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

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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 Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Planning Highlights

The Department’s Internal Services support all of DFO and the Coast Guard’s programs and activities, and ensure that they have the resources needed to provide effective services to all Canadians. The thousands of staff members require strong technical tools to support their work, and Internal Services will support this through improvements like the Digital Transformation Agenda. The Department also needs a complement of staff that is well-trained, whose mental and physical wellbeing are supported, and whose diversity is celebrated, and Internal Services will continue to focus on these priorities. Internal Services also ensure that the work that is done by the Department is done in a sustainable manner that supports Canada’s environment.

As a scientific, regulatory, and operational department, DFO acquires large volumes of data through program activities and exchanges with external organizations. Data is used constantly to manage resources, deliver programs, and make research, policy, regulatory, investment, and operational decisions in DFO. To improve the utilization of these invaluable and, in some cases, irreplaceable data assets, the Department is moving to begin implementation of the DFO Data Strategy. By improving the way that this data is collected, shared, used, and managed, the Department will also increase trust in decisions made by the Department through strengthened data-enabled models where high quality data is used in a consistent and transparent way to support advanced analytics to support evidence-based decision-making.

The Department also plans to improve the way it delivers services and information to Canadians and mariners through a Digital Transformation Agenda, which will provide the experiences our citizens and clients expect in the 21^st century. It will help the Department move towards full implementation of the Policy on Service and Digital’s requirement that client service experiences and government operations are improved through digital transformation approaches. This will align with the Government of Canada’s Digital Operations Strategic Plan: 2018-2022. In 2019-20, Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard initiated its digital journey by engaging with senior management across the Department, soliciting their perspectives and vision for Digital Transformation. Through these engagements, the Department is establishing a Digital Strategy that will contribute to shaping it as open and service-oriented, citizen-centric, integrated, connected, secure, trusted, simple, agile, and future-oriented. A key component of this success will be the Department’s Data Strategy. Data is a necessary and effective foundational element of digital program delivery, resulting in improved services to Canadians. While the Department will continue to evolve the Digital Strategy through 2020-21 and beyond, over this year the Department will put in place a high-level action plan and a funding strategy to begin implementing the transformation.

The Department is currently developing a new three-year (2020-2023) Departmental Security, Safety and Emergency Management Plan (DSSEMP), to be implemented in 2020-21. A requirement from the Policy on Government Security, the DSSEMP details decisions for managing security risks and outlines strategies, goals, objectives, priorities, and timelines for improving departmental security. It ensures the effective management of government security controls in support of the trusted delivery of the Department’s programs and services, and in support of the protection of information, individuals, and assets. The new DSSEMP will address emerging security risks while satisfying the requirements of the Policy on Government Security. The periodic review and update of the DSSEMP ensures that the plan remains appropriate to the needs of the Department and government as a whole, and that it reflects evolving risks, requirements, risk mitigation strategies and priorities.

Implementation of a digital strategy that includes a paper reduction initiative is underway by in order to modernize how requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (collectively referred to as ATIP) are processed within the Department. The initiative is envisioned to increase productivity and improve the overall process for treating ATIP requests across the Department including: increased efficiency when retrieving and transmitting records relating to ATIP requests, faster response times, and significant cost savings in both human resources and material costs. The expected outcome of this initiative also includes a significant reduction in the Department’s overall paper consumption, as well as key expenses incurred when processing ATIP requests.

Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard will be transforming its financial and materiel management business processes by implementing SAP S/4HANA in the cloud, bringing unprecedented innovations and simplifications to users. The Department will be paving the road for large Department by collaborating with Treasury Board Secretariat on the Financial Management Transformation Initiative, whose purpose is to provide a more modern approach to controllership and to strengthen the clarity and consistency of financial reporting. The transformation will also accelerate the Department’s action plan towards the Data Strategy Roadmap for the Federal Public Service, which is aimed at leveraging data to enable informed decision-making and to deliver greater value to the public from programs and services.

DFO will be the third department in the Government of Canada to implement a capital accrual budgeting framework. Accrual budgeting is based on the full lifecycle of assets. The Department will manage capital requirements by looking at the associated cost of an asset divided over each year of its useful life rather than the cash requirement at the time the asset is required. For instance, the value of a vessel will decrease over time as it is exposed to wear and tear, and in an accrual budget this decrease in value will be accounted for, whereas in a cash budget the focus would be only on the cost of a new vessel at the end of its life, meaning all of the cost would be accounted for only at the time a new vessel is bought. This change allows for better planning of capital and investment requirements and will provide a long-term, stable source of capital funding for the Department’s materiel. This is a new initiative for the Government of Canada and will cover the requirements of a 20+ year period, as some of the Department’s asset categories have useful lives beyond 20 years. The Department’s investment plan will also be restated accordingly, moving from its current five-year profile to a 20-year accrual-based profile. The SAP implementation project will be leveraged to plan, manage, and report on the Department’s management of its capital accrual budget.

In response to a government-wide mandated program to assess its portfolio of buildings and other property for asbestos-containing materials, Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard will undertake an asbestos assessment and will develop a management program to ensure the safety of all of the Department’s employees.

Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard is continuing efforts on a multi-year project to improve the accuracy of the Department’s inventory and valuation. With this objective, the Department has developed automated internal controls and enhanced business processes through the establishment of an electronic interface between the national asset management system and the Departmental Financial Management System. To date, eight large warehouses have been brought online and their inventory valuations captured within this electronic interface. In 2020-21, Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard will invest in:

• extending the interface to include over 200 additional storerooms that report $64 million in inventory holdings in the asset management system;
• performing physical verification of inventory to ensure that the valuation of inventory holdings is accurate;
• addressing operational challenges in fully adopting enhanced business processes as a mandatory function to improve the accuracy of the Department’s inventory and valuation.

With the renewal of the government-wide Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard will renew its National Contaminated Sites Environmental Management Plan for its current inventory of 2,588 sites requiring work, and align it with the renewed federal Action Plan. This is especially important for the fisheries that DFO manages, as they are important economic activities for many Canadian communities, as well as important sources of food for northern and Indigenous communities, and also for lighthouses and small craft harbours, as it can lead to them being sold or given to communities or put back into productive service. A contaminated site is one at which substances occur at concentrations: (1) above background levels and pose or are likely to pose an immediate or long-term hazard to human health or the environment, or (2) exceed levels specified in policies and regulations. The FCSAP is a government-wide cost sharing program with the objective of reducing human health and ecological risks and the financial liabilities associated with contaminated sites under federal responsibility, and, by 2035, to bring 95% of all sites to the point of closure or long-term monitoring. The assessment, remediation, and management of risks at contaminated sites provide positive impacts on the environment and health and safety of Canadian communities and wildlife populations and ecosystems. Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard’s new plan will also contribute to achieving the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goal of safe and healthy communities through the restoration of ecological integrity and the protection of the well-being of Canadian communities and the access to clean drinking water and sustainable food.

Reducing plastic waste and diverting it away from the oceans is a key priority of the Government of Canada and of Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard. The Department will complete its initial waste audits on priority sites to capture information about the waste generated by the workplace, including plastic waste and construction, renovation, and demolition waste, starting in the eastern regions. The Department will then develop an operational waste audit procedure, which will focus on developing set of standard guidelines for the effective management of waste that will allow for flexibility at both the regional and site level. These guidelines will be developed following the completion of a set of initial audits and will incorporate the results and lessons learned from the sites on the east coast. Additional waste audits will then be performed in other regions to develop specific recommendations for major sites across Canada. The procedure will have an ultimate goal of having an operational framework delivering waste audits for primary DFO assets, leading to efficient waste disposal programs that reduce air and water pollution, help to curb global warming, and conserve natural resources. Plans were adopted to reduce plastic waste at both the G7 and G20 and the government, along with Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard’s Minister, have championed and co-lead the Oceans Plastics Charter and the Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste [PDF 295 KB]. This work also supports the Greening Government Strategy and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. In addition, the Greening Government Strategy outlines the Government of Canada’s objective to transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient operations, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon. In line with this objective, the Department is exploring the development of a carbon neutral portfolio strategy to determine the most cost-effective pathway to achieving low-carbon operations and meet the government’s targets.

In support of its workforce, Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard’s Human Resources team is proceeding with the approved multi-year classification renewal initiative, which will involve a review and update of all positions within the Department, ensuring equal pay for equal work and maintaining overall careful management of public funds. This follows the direction set out in the Treasury Board Secretariat Classification Policy and supports the employees and the effective delivery of programs and services throughout the Department. The initiative includes a systematic review of the Department, one organization at a time, to address issues with outdated job descriptions, classification anomalies, governance issues, and inefficient organizational structures. The work will ensure that our organizational structures are maximized to attain results, support our departmental commitment to resolve outstanding classification issues, and improve the health of our classification program.

The Department will build on its ongoing experimentations with new enterprise staffing approaches, such as having the Human Resources team lead staffing processes on behalf of managers in order to provide management with talent available immediately. For example, staffing solutions include partnering with organizations / institutions / other government organization on initiatives to find alternative ways to promoting and recruiting for the Department. The expected outcome is to provide hiring managers with a minimum of five new staffing options for consideration, for example a Talent Mobility Program and Student Bridging Portal. The Talent Mobility Program is meant to facilitate the movement of talented employees both horizontally and vertically within the Department, resulting in increased retention of top talent, reduced time to staff, and a competitive advantage in the recruitment of new talent. The Student Bridging Portal will allow for former students of any federal department, agency, or crown corporation to apply for opportunities within the Department. All enterprise staffing approaches intend to reduce the administrative burden and decrease the level of effort required of hiring managers.

The Department will also continue to implement its Pay Stabilization Strategy, which aims at increasing the timeliness and accuracy of Human Resources data, increasing timely approvals by managers, and improving current systems and processes to prevent additional errors and stressors on the Phoenix pay system. To address these issues, various initiatives were implemented, such as the Trusted Source Function, the centralization of all HR data entry, the creation of department-specific guides and training, and the provision of training and engagement sessions for both employees and managers. Pay Support will be provided to employees to help resolve pay issues, answer pay questions, and liaise with the Government of Canada Pay Centre to ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time. Specifically, the Pay Operations Support Team will continue to work with the Public Service Pay Centre to resolve employee pay issues while the Life Events Team will continue to provide information and support to employees on various life events, such as parental leave, retirement, death in service, and many others. The Team will also leverage business intelligence tools to track progress on the resolution of pay and identify areas of concern or common issues.

In a continuing effort to foster a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, the Department will take measures to build a supportive work environment that promotes mental well-being. An emphasis will be placed on applying the 13 psychological risk factors related to mental health (which include workplace priorities like support, leadership, and recognition), the prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace, and conflict prevention. In 2020-21, the Department will develop and implement a Psychological Health and Safety Directive, Framework, and Action Plan, and implement the departmental mental health strategy. The goal of these initiatives is to support a healthy workplace with a strong, resilient, effective workforce, and ensure the Department’s employees feel valued and safe. It will also contribute to positioning the Department as an employer of choice in a competitive labour market, attracting the top talent to the organization, and supporting the delivery of quality services to Canadians. This will also ensure the Department meets the commitments made under the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy and addresses the recommendations made in the Joint Task Force on Mental Health’s three reports on mental health. In addition, it ensures the Department meets the legislative obligations in the context of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1. With an aim to ensuring early resolution of workplace issues, employees and managers will be encouraged to seek support and guidance from all available resources: union representatives, Ombudsman, Informal Conflict Resolution, Employee Assistance Program, Labour Relations, etc. Fostering open and transparent relationships between all these parties will allow for better success in achieving a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Reconciliation is a long-term commitment for the Department, and in 2020-21, numerous new commitments will be initiated towards building a future of enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

The Real Property and Environmental Management team has developed a Reconciliation Action Plan to identify the appropriate strategies and activities required to achieve the Real Property Reconciliation objectives, as well as to support the implementation of the departmental Reconciliation Strategy. The following Real Property-specific approaches will be pursued:

• enhance departmental internal governance and structures to prioritize Reconciliation;
• create an Indigenous Reconciliation Center of Expertise for Real Property;
• provide employee training on Reconciliation, Indigenous Rights, and the history of Indigenous-Crown Relations to Real Property employees;
• develop a Real Property Indigenous recruitment and retention strategy;
• implement an internal and external Indigenous communications strategy;
• develop a coordinated departmental approach to and tools for Indigenous engagement and consultations;
• apply an Indigenous lens to Real Property assets;
• as part of its project and procurement planning, Real Property will consider Indigenous participation through a variety of potential mechanisms with the goal of enhancing economic opportunities and capacity for First Nations; and
• develop relationships between Real Property staff and Aboriginal Negotiation Division regional negotiators to provide them with further context on some of Real Property’s business to continue to enhance their knowledge on the various potential issues that could come up during negotiations at Treaty and Reconciliation tables.

As the sector responsible for the overall coordination of the Department’s response to the federal reconciliation agenda, Strategic Policy has developed the DFO-Coast Guard Reconciliation Strategy and co-developed the associated Reconciliation Results Model with the Chief Financial Office. Every departmental business line has a role to play in advancing reconciliation.

For Strategic Policy reconciliation includes:

• Developing a coordinated departmental approach to and tools for Indigenous engagement and consultation;
• Involving Indigenous groups in the development and implementation of new policy, program, and operational initiatives in relation to fish and fish habitat conservation and protection;
• Considering Indigenous Traditional Knowledge in departmental decision making as per the new provisions of the Fisheries Act;
• Working collaboratively with Indigenous organizations on national oceans management policy development; and
• Building capacity to undertake ongoing socio-economic analysis of Indigenous issues.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Several teams in the Department will focus on applying GBA+ to a number of staffing initiatives, which will lead to an inclusive, diverse, and diversely talented workforce. The Security team will continue to focus efforts on diversifying its workforce by using the various resources available for supporting a representative workforce, such as the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program and the Youth Accessibility Summer Employment Opportunity for students. The Information Management and Technical Services teams will continue to use a variety of staffing resources, such as Advancing New Canadian Women in Technology and Women in Science Technology Engineering and Math. The Department will also continue to build on its new Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Strategy to increase the representation and development of Indigenous peoples in the Department through stronger employee awareness of Indigenous culture, values, and history.

The Department will also ensure that GBA+ resources, training, and awareness are available for all staff by working to identify key positions in different programs and teams that may require mandatory GBA+ training, which will lead to more GBA+ policy expertise throughout the organization. The Department will also promote its Diversity and Inclusion Framework through the development of progress reports and renewed action plans in those areas that promote diversity and inclusion, including an Official Languages Action Plan for 2020-2023, a Progress Report for the 2018-2021 Employment Equity and Diversity Action Plan, and a new Accessibility Action Plan 2020-2023, as well as supporting the establishment of employee networks for various groups to serve as advisory bodies, promote learning and a sense of community. These initiatives will lead to increased awareness, reduced under-representation of employment equity groups, and improved engagement and collaboration through the co-creation of initiatives.

Experimentation

The Department will continue to experiment with Real Property software options to improve its strategic information management capabilities by implementing new systems such as a Maintenance Management System and an Activity Based Management system, and by enhancing the capabilities of its current Real Property Information Management System. Improved information management capabilities are expected to greatly strengthen evidence-based approaches to solving problems and measuring the effectiveness of plans by supporting managerial decision making and by providing feedback through performance metrics. While other systems and options have been analyzed over the past two years, the Real Property team is in the process of investigating the feasibility of incorporating the Maintenance Management System into the Department’s SAP migration plan as there is an SAP software system that could meet Real Property’s requirements in this field.

The Department will also use collaborative tools to facilitate teamwork, maximize team productivity, and engage stakeholders in an agile environment, particularly in the implementation of the new SAP S/4HANA financial system. The initiative will experiment with new digital solutions that can accelerate transformation and engagement much more responsively. Fisheries and Oceans / Coast Guard will measure the effectiveness of leading virtual collaboration tools to maintain the needed level of input and interaction from widely dispersed teams and stakeholder experts. It is expected to minimizing the amount of travel and to drive quick, meaningful decision-making. This initiative has a budget of $100K and is intended to be completed in August 2021.

Through the Results Fund, the Department actively and substantially supports and promotes the use of experimentation throughout its programs. The fund provides departmental reserve funding to internal projects that are expected to enhance the achievement of results through experimental and/or innovative pilot projects to improve program delivery and internal support activities. The process for obtaining these funds is competitive and the criteria include points allocated specifically for experimental elements in the design of the project. In 2020-21, experimentation will become a core criteria for the selection process rather than a bonus criteria as it was in the first year of the fund, which will lead to more support for experimentation across the Department.

Planned Budgetary Financial Resources for Internal Services

2020-21 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2020-21 Planned Spending	2021-22 Planned Spending	2022-23 Planned Spending
477,586,102	477,586,102	490,333,199	468,473,628

Planned Human Resources for Internal Services

2020-21 Planned FTEs	2021-22 Planned FTEs	2022-23 Planned FTEs
2,120	2,100	2,040

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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.

Text Version

(in dollars)

	Actuals		Forecast	Planned
Fiscal Year	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Statutory	132,428,899	153,875,171	165,713,353	160,615,602	159,109,324	154,566,568
Voted	2,488,035,469	3,129,035,899	3,544,244,325	3,301,994,743	2,730,125,893	2,439,390,838
Total	2,620,464,368	3,282,911,070	3,709,957,678	3,462,610,345	2,889,235,217	2,593,957,406

The variance between the 2019-20 forecast spending and the 2020-21 through 2022-23 planned spending is mainly attributable to Supplementary Estimates and operating and capital budget carry forwards, which have been included in the 2019-20 forecast spending but are not yet known for the 2020-21 through 2022-23 fiscal years. The decreasing trend is also attributable to planned changes in the funding profile as projects near and meet their completion.

Budgetary Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

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

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2017-18 Expenditures	2018-19 Expenditures	2019-20 Forecast Spending	2020-21 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates)	2020-21 Planned Spending	2021-22 Planned Spending	2022-23 Planned Spending
Fisheries	693,291,563	681,775,648	1,133,430,434	1,133,485,845	1,133,485,845	862,147,780	798,660,372
Aquatic Ecosystems	206,486,345	239,288,497	299,326,023	331,009,945	331,009,945	292,919,416	274,575,407
Marine Navigation	308,053,064	345,802,442Footnote13	400,680,256	324,692,710	324,692,710	321,213,606	294,705,168
Marine Operations and Response	925,024,349	1,540,252,005Footnote13	1,420,552,491	1,195,835,743	1,195,835,743	922,621,216	757,542,831
Subtotal	2,132,855,321	2,807,118,592	3,253,989,204	2,985,024,243	2,985,024,243	2,398,902,018	2,125,483,778
Internal Services	487,609,047	475,792,478	455,968,474	477,586,102	477,471,302	490,333,199	468,473,628
Total	2,620,464,368	3,282,911,070	3,709,957,678	3,462,610,345	3,462,495,545	2,889,235,217	2,593,957,406

2020-21 Budgetary Planned Gross Spending Summary (dollars)

The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2020-21.

Budgetary Planned Gross Spending Summary (dollars)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2020-21 Planned Gross Spending	2020-21 Planned Revenues Netted Against Expenditures	2020-21 Planned Net Spending
Fisheries	1,133,485,845	0	1,133,485,845
Aquatic Ecosystems	331,009,945	0	331,009,945
Marine Navigation	348,077,052	-23,384,342	324,692,710
Marine Operations and Response	1,212,462,401	-16,626,658	1,195,835,743
Subtotal	3,025,035,243	-40,011,000	2,985,024,243
Internal Services	447,586,102	0	447,586,102
Grand Total	3,502,621,345	-40,011,000	3,462,610,345

Planned Human Resources

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

Human Resources Planning Summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2017-18 Actual FTEs	2018-19 Actual FTEs	2019-20 Forecast FTEs	2020-21 Planned FTEs	2021-22 Planned FTEs	2022-23 Planned FTEs
Fisheries	Because of changes in the reporting framework for DFO / Coast Guard, figures for full-time equivalents by Core Responsibility are not available prior to 2018-19.	2,871	3,070	3,020	3,000	2,930
Aquatic Ecosystems		1,289	1,612	1,460	1,450	1,420
Marine Navigation		1,761	1,838	1,830	1,820	1,780
Marine Operations and Response		4,104	3,973	4,170	4,130	4,030
Subtotal	9,233	10,026	10,493	10,480	10,400	10,160
Internal Services	1,877	1,968	2,194	2,120	2,100	2,040
Total	11,110	11,994	12,687	12,600	12,500	12,200

Note: Because of rounding, figures may not add to the totals shown.

Estimates by Vote

Information on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’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 Fisheries and Oceans Canada’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 Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website.

Condensed Future-Orientated Statement of Operations for the year ending March 31, 2021 (dollars)

Financial Information	2019-20 Forecast Results	2020-21 Planned Results	Difference (2020-21 Planned Results minus 2019-20 Forecast Results)
Total expenses	3,062,767,535	3,056,723,725	-6,043,810
Total revenues	40,011,000	40,011,000	0
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	3,022,756,535	3,016,712,725	-6,043,810

The Net Cost of Operations in 2020-21 is projected to be $3,016.7 million, a decrease of $6.0 million compared to $3,022.7 million in 2019-20. This decrease is mainly attributed to an overall increase in authorities available for spending (excluding Capital vote) of $117.2 million ($2,685.8 million in 2020-21 compared to $2,568.6 million in 2019-20) and a net decrease of about $123.3 million in the total estimates for items not affecting authorities, mainly attributed to a decrease in the estimated contingent liabilities, vacation pay and compensatory leave, employee future benefits and environmental liability, and an increase in an adjustment to tangible capital assets.

Authorities available for spending in 2020-21 do not include items such as Supplementary Estimates and carry forwards.

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Corporate Information

Organizational Profile

Appropriate Minister:

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan

Institutional Head:

Tim Sargent, Deputy Minister

Ministerial Portfolio:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard

Enabling Instruments:

• Oceans Act
• Fisheries Act
• Species at Risk Act
• Coastal Fisheries Protection Act
• Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Transport Canada-led)
• Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act

Year of Incorporation / Commencement:

1979

Raison d’être, Mandate and Role: who we are and what we do

Information on the Department’s raison d’être, mandate and role is available on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website.

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.

Operating Context

Information on the operating context is available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.

Reporting Framework

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s approved Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory for 2020-21 are as follows.

Departmental Results Framework

Fisheries

Canadian fisheries are sustainably managed

• Percentage of major fisheries that have limit reference points and harvest control rules
• Percentage of decisions for major fisheries where harvest control rules were followed
• Percentage of major stocks in the cautious and healthy zone

Canadian aquaculture is sustainably managed

• Percentage of aquaculture farms that are compliant with Fisheries Act regulations
• Level of Canadian aquaculture production

The commercial fishing industry has access to safe harbours

• Percentage of core harbours that are in fair or better condition

Fisheries, oceans and other aquatic ecosystems are protected from unlawful exploitation and interference

• Percentage of compliance per inspection activity within the DFO regulated community

Scientific information on fisheries resources is available to inform management decisions

• Percentage of scheduled fisheries science advisory processes that were completed
• Percentage of sustainable aquaculture research projects which provide information and/or advice to policy and decision-makers

Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people

• Number of agreements / arrangements involving Indigenous groups
• Number of Indigenous people trained through agreements / arrangements
• Number of Indigenous people employed through agreements / arrangements

Program Inventory

• Fisheries Management
• Aboriginal Programs and Treaties
• Aquaculture Management
• Salmonid Enhancement
• International Engagement
• Small Craft Harbours
• Conservation and Protection
• Fish and Seafood Sector
• Aquatic Animal Health
• Biotechnology and Genomics
• Aquaculture Science
• Fisheries Science
• Fisheries Economics and Statistics

Aquatic Ecosystems

Negative impacts on Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems are minimized or avoided

• Percentage of marine and coastal areas that are protected
• Percentage of development projects occurring in or near water that effectively avoid, mitigate or offset impacts to fish and fish habitat
• Percentage of aquatic species/populations at risk listed under the Species at Risk Act for which a recovery strategy/management plan is completed.
• Percentage of approved requests for science advice on aquatic invasive species that are completed

Scientific information on Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems is available to inform management decisions

• Number of science products related to aquatic ecosystems that are available
• Percentage of scheduled science advisory processes on aquatic ecosystems that were completed

Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people

• Number of agreements / arrangements involving Indigenous groups
• Number of Indigenous people trained through agreements / arrangements
• Number of Indigenous people employed through agreements / arrangements

Program Inventory

• Fish and Fish Habitat Protection
• Aquatic Invasive Species
• Species at Risk
• Marine Planning and Conservation
• Aquatic Ecosystem Science
• Oceans and Climate Change Science
• Aquatic Ecosystems Economics

Marine Navigation

Mariners safely navigate Canada’s waters

• Number of maritime incidents as a percentage of vessel movements
• Number of official navigational products created and/or updated from incorporation of new and/or archived modern hydrography per year in key areas

A Canadian maritime economy that is supported by navigable waters

• Number of maritime incidents as a percentage of vessel movements
• Percentage of ship ice escort requests that are delayed beyond level of service (response time) south of the 60th parallel north
• Average time beyond levels of service (response time) for ice escort requests south of the 60th parallel north

Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people

• Number of agreements / arrangements involving Indigenous groups
• Number of Indigenous people trained through agreements / arrangements
• Number of Indigenous people employed through agreements / arrangements

Program Inventory

• Icebreaking Services
• Aids to Navigation
• Waterways Management
• Marine Communications and Traffic Services
• Shore-based Asset Readiness
• Hydrographic Services, Data and Science

Marine Operations and Response

Canadian Coast Guard has the capability to respond to on-water incidents

• Percentage of responses to environmental incidents that meet established standards
• Percentage of search and rescue responses that meet established standards

Canada’s Civilian fleet has the capability to meet established service standards for clients

• Operational days delivered versus planned
• Number of operational days lost due to crewing and other logistic issues
• Number of operational days lost due to unplanned maintenance

Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people

• Number of agreements / arrangements involving Indigenous groups
• Number of Indigenous people trained through agreements / arrangements
• Number of Indigenous people employed through agreements / arrangements

Program Inventory

• Search and Rescue
• Environmental Response
• Maritime Security
• Fleet Operational Capability
• Fleet Maintenance
• Fleet Procurement
• Canadian Coast Guard College
• Marine Operations Economics

Changes to the approved reporting framework since 2019-20

Structure	2020-21	2019-20	Change	Rationale for change
CORE RESPONSIBILITY	FISHERIES	FISHERIES	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Fisheries Management	Fisheries Management	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Aboriginal Programs and Treaties	Aboriginal Programs and Treaties	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Aquaculture Management	Aquaculture Management	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Salmonid Enhancement	Salmonid Enhancement	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	International Engagement	International Engagement	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Small Craft Harbours	Small Craft Harbours	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Conservation and Protection	Conservation and Protection	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Fish and Seafood Sector	Not applicable	New program	Allows the Department to tell a results story that better reflects its priorities and activities related to a sustainable and competitive fish and seafood sector.
PROGRAM	Aquatic Animal Health	Aquatic Animal Health	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Biotechnology and Genomics	Biotechnology and Genomics	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Aquaculture Science	Aquaculture Science	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Fisheries Science	Fisheries Science	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Fisheries Economics and Statistics	Fisheries Economics and Statistics	No change	Not applicable
CORE RESPONSIBILITY	AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS	AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Fish and Fish Habitat Protection	Fisheries Protection	Title change	Allows the Department to tell a results story that better reflects its priorities and activities related to fish and fish habitat protection, conservation and restoration.
PROGRAM	Aquatic Invasive Species	Aquatic Invasive Species	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Species at Risk	Species at Risk	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Marine Planning and Conservation	Oceans Management	Title change	This change is required following organizational changes implemented in October 2019 and it allows the Department to better reflect the Department’s priorities and activities related to marine planning and conservation efforts.
PROGRAM	Aquatic Ecosystem Science	Aquatic Ecosystem Science	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Oceans and Climate Change Science	Oceans and Climate Change Science	No change	Not applicable
PROGRAM	Aquatic Ecosystems Economics	Aquatic Ecosystems Economics	No change	Not applicable

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Supporting Information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

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Supplementary Information Tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website.

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on Transfer Payment Programs
• Gender-Based Analysis Plus
• Horizontal Initiatives
• Status Report on Transformational and Major Crown Projects
• Up-Front Multi-Year Funding

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Federal Tax Expenditures

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures that relate to its planned results for 2020-21.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, and the Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis. The tax measures presented in this report are solely the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational Contact Information

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Communications Branch
200 Kent Street
13^th Floor, Station 13E228
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6

Telephone: 1-833-212-1438
Facsimile: 613-990-1866
TTY: 1-800-465-7735
Email: info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Web Address: http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/

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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.

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