Operating Context 2025–26
Mandate and client environment The Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) is an impartial agency whose mandate is to provide administrative support and planning services for federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) and provincial-territorial (PT) conferences of first ministers, ministers and deputy ministers, throughout Canada. Through these services, CICS supports intergovernmental collaboration and dialogue among governments from coast to coast. Demand for intergovernmental conference services Demand for intergovernmental conference services remained strong during 2025–26. FPT conferences continued to represent the majority of conference activity, while ministerial and deputy minister-level meetings accounted for most conferences supported by the Secretariat. Governments continued to rely on intergovernmental collaboration to address a range of economic, trade, digital and public policy priorities. Demand also remained diverse, spanning numerous sectors and requiring support for both virtual and in-person conference formats. Virtual conference delivery continued to play an important role in supporting intergovernmental discussions, providing governments with flexible and efficient options for collaboration while complementing in-person meetings. Organizational capacity and resource pressures The Secretariat continued to operate in an environment characterized by strong demand for conference services and ongoing resource pressures. Temporary funding enabled CICS to increase organizational capacity, allowing the Secretariat to respond to a greater volume of conference requests. As a result, the number of conference requests declined due to resource constraints decreased significantly over recent years. The temporary funding concluded on March 31, 2026. CICS may face challenges balancing future demand for conference services with reduced resources and organizational capacity. Workforce environment As a micro-organization providing specialized conference services, CICS operates in a workforce environment where knowledge retention, operational flexibility and employee development are important considerations. Maintaining organizational capacity requires cross-training, knowledge transfer and workforce adaptability to ensure continuity of service and respond to changing operational requirements. Recruitment, retention and succession considerations continue to influence workforce planning and long-term organizational sustainability. Accessibility, technology and security expectations Governments expects conference services to be accessible, secure and supported by modern technologies. Accessibility requirements continue to evolve, requiring organizations to identify and remove barriers while ensuring inclusive participation in conferences and events. At the same time, digital modernization, information management, privacy and cybersecurity considerations continue to shape expectations for conference technologies and service delivery. These factors require ongoing investment in processes, tools and systems that support secure and effective intergovernmental collaboration. Looking ahead Demand for intergovernmental collaboration is expected to remain strong. At the same time, organizations face growing expectation to deliver accessible, secure and technology-enabled services while operating in a fiscal constrained environment. To respond to these pressures, CICS will continue to focus on long-term sustainability, operational efficiency, workforce resilience and service modernization to support the evolving needs of governments across Canada.
by Aaron Lampole
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Gender-based Analysis Plus
Section 1: institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity Governance CICS continued to integrate GBA Plus considerations into planning, reporting and service delivery activities during 2025–26. Accessibility considerations remained a key component of organizational planning and conference service delivery. Accessibility-related activities were coordinated through existing organizational functions, including the Accessibility Officer role, which supported accessibility planning, consultations, awareness activities and implementation efforts across the organization. Capacity CICS continued to strengthen organizational capacity to support accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility training focused on conference and event accessibility was completed by approximately 96% of Conference Services employees. Accessibility guidance and support were provided to employees responsible for conference planning and delivery. Accessibility consultations with employees and stakeholders also informed planning activities and the development of the 2026–2028 Accessibility Plan. Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus 0.25 FTE Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program Core responsibility: Intergovernmental Conference Services Program name: Conference Services Program goals: The program provides impartial logistical and planning services for intergovernmental conferences, enabling federal, provincial, and territorial governments to focus on policy discussions. While the program does not directly deliver services to the public, it integrates accessibility and inclusivity measures into conference planning and support. Target population: Indirectly, all Canadians benefit from effective intergovernmental dialogue. Directly, the program serves federal, provincial, and territorial governments and their first ministers, ministers, and deputy ministers who participate in conferences supported by CICS, including individuals who may require accessibility accommodations or accessible participation options. Specific demographic group(s) to be monitored CICS does not collect demographic information through conference registration processes. However, accessibility consultations, feedback mechanisms and client satisfaction surveys provide information on the experiences of: persons with disabilities; conference organizers and participants requiring accessibility accommodations; conference organizers and participants requiring accessible participation options, including virtual participation; and official language minority communities. Key program impacts* on gender and diversity Key program impact statistics Statistic Observed results* Data source Comment (Maximum 25 words per statistic) Conference organizers reporting accessibility barriers when working with CICS 0% Conference Organizer Satisfaction Survey No respondents reported experiencing accessibility barriers when working with CICS. Conference organizers agreeing that CICS materials, tools and platforms were accessible and usable 93% Conference Organizer Satisfaction Survey Indicates strong accessibility performance in conference planning and delivery tools. Satisfaction with services provided in the official language of participants’ choice (virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferences) 98% Conference Participant Satisfaction Surveys Supports equitable participation in conferences for official language selected. Satisfaction with simultaneous interpretation services (virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferences) 98% Conference Participant Satisfaction Surveys Demonstrates effective support for bilingual participation in conferences. *2025–26 or most recent Other key program impacts Conference organizers and participants experienced accessible and inclusive conference services during 2025–26. Survey results indicated that conference organizers did not report accessibility barriers when working with CICS and reported high levels of satisfaction with the accessibility and usability of conference planning tools and platforms. Participants also reported high level of satisfaction with services in official languages and simultaneous interpretation. These results contributed to equitable participation […]
by Aaron Lampole
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Quarterly Financial Report for the quarter ended December 31st, 2025
ISSN 2817-3473 Statement outlining results, risks and significant changes in operations, personnel and program 1. Introduction This quarterly report has been prepared by management as required by section 65.1 of the Financial Administration Act and in the form and manner prescribed by the Treasury Board Directive on Accounting Standards. This report should be read in conjunction with the 2025-26 Main Estimates. The mandate of the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) is to support federal, provincial and territorial governments in the planning and conduct of senior level intergovernmental conferences held across Canada. The primary objective of CICS is to relieve client departments of the numerous technical and logistical tasks associated with the planning and conduct of multilateral conferences, thereby enabling participants to concentrate on substantive intergovernmental policy issues. CICS provides continuous, effective and impartial logistical support to these meetings. The quarterly report has not been subject to an external audit or review. Basis of Presentation This quarterly report has been prepared by management using an expenditure basis of accounting. The accompanying Statement of Authorities includes the department’s spending authorities granted by Parliament and those used by the department consistent with the 2025-26 Main Estimates. This quarterly report has been prepared using a special purpose financial reporting framework designed to meet financial information needs with respect to the use of spending authorities. The authority of Parliament is required before money can be spent by the Government. Approvals are given in the form of annually approved limits through appropriation acts or through legislation in the form of statutory spending authority for specific purposes. As part of the departmental performance reporting process, CICS prepares its annual departmental financial statements on a full accrual basis in accordance with Treasury Board accounting policies, which are based on Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for the public sector. However, the spending authorities voted by Parliament remain on an expenditure basis. 2. Highlights of fiscal quarter and fiscal year to date (YTD) results Operating expenditures from October 1 to December 31, 2025, increased slightly by $172,000 in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2024-25. This increase is mainly attributable to transportation and communication costs as well as rental services for Conference Services. To date, CICS has supported 43 in-person conferences and 77 videoconferences, compared with 36 in-person conferences and 56 videoconferences during the same period in 2024-25. 2.1 Statement of Authorities CICS’ authorities for 2025-26 as of the third quarter are approximately $164,000 lower than last year (a decrease of $224,000 in voted authorities and an increase of $60,000 in statutory authorities). This variance is mainly due to the fact that the operating budget carry-forward for the current fiscal year is significantly lower than in the previous year. 2.2 Statement of Department Budgetary Expenditures by Standard Object Year to date operating expenses to December 31, 2025, are $5.6 million, approximately $307,000 lower than for the same period in 2024-25. The observed decrease is largely attributable to the following factors: Personnel: a decrease of $45,000 primarily attributable […]
by Aaron Lampole
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