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From the Institutional Head

Headshot of [Name of Minister]

Ruth Onyancha

Secretary

I am pleased to present the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s (CICS) 2023–24 Departmental Results Report (DRR).

This year, CICS has continued to excel as the key conference service provider for First Minister, Minister, and Deputy Minister-level intergovernmental meetings across Canada. We have made substantial progress in enhancing our services, including the initiation of a new Conference Policy in collaboration with provinces and territories, which remains in progress. Our IT infrastructure upgrades and continued efforts to enhance the Conference Management System (CMS) have improved videoconferencing capabilities and are addressing accessibility needs, ensuring our services remain inclusive and efficient.

CICS also focused on long-term sustainability, using the first installment of a supplemental budget to strengthen internal controls and evaluate costing structures. Additionally, our innovations in IT and communication have enhanced both security and accessibility, supporting the government’s broader objectives of transparency and inclusivity.

Despite challenges such as rising costs and the complexities of post-pandemic operations, CICS has demonstrated resilience, achieving a notable increase in Minister-level and Provincial-Territorial meetings. Our commitment to service excellence is reflected in the high satisfaction rates from both conference participants and organizers.

Looking ahead, CICS will continue to strengthen relationships with federal, provincial, and territorial government clients, ensure continuity of services in an ever-changing environment, optimize our technological tools, and build and maintain a strong workforce. These efforts will allow us to support intergovernmental collaboration through ongoing innovation and strategic engagement, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of our stakeholders.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our successes this year.

Results – what we achieved

Core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibility: Intergovernmental Conference Services

Description

The Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat provides continuity of planning and archival services, as well as impartial administrative support, for federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial conferences of First Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, throughout Canada.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for intergovernmental conference services. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 1: Targets and results for Intergovernmental Conference Services

Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Intergovernmental Conference Services.

Facilitate productive federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial discussions through centralized planning and professionally supported conferences
Departmental Result Indicators
Target
Date to achieve target
Actual results
Conference organizer satisfaction rate
> 90%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: 89.7%
  • 2022–23: 94.1%
  • 2023–24: 95%
Conference participant satisfaction rate
> 90%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: 94%
  • 2022–23: 95%
  • 2023–24: 93%

Continuous innovation in process and service delivery to meet evolving client needs
Departmental Result Indicators
Target
Date to achieve target
Actual results
Client satisfaction of key technologies and service delivery
> 75%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: Not Available
  • 2022–23: Not Available
  • 2023–24: 95%

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for Intergovernmental Conference Services in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s departmental plan for the year.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 2: Snapshot of resources required for Intergovernmental Conference Services

Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

Resource
Planned
Actual
Spending
$4,263,834
$5,741,708
Full-time equivalents
25
27

Complete financial and human resources information for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Program inventory

Intergovernmental Conference Services is supported by the following programs:

  • Conference Services

Additional information related to the program inventory for Intergovernmental Conference Services is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

  • management and oversight services
  • communications services
  • legal services
  • human resources management services
  • financial management services
  • information management services
  • information technology services
  • real property management services
  • materiel management services
  • acquisition management services

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

The Internal Services program is expected to support the Agency in meeting its mandate through sound management and careful stewardship of assets, financial and human resources, and information technology services. CICS aims to be an agile department with streamlined processes that are continuously reviewed and improved to meet current policy. In this context, CICS has recently revised its Sub-delegation of Human Resources Authorities and Financial Signing Authorities Delegation Instrument. 

During the 2023–24 fiscal year, the Secretariat received and utilized the first installment of its supplemental budget. CICS continued to enhance internal controls over travel, acquisition cards, and procurement functions, while also evaluating its costing structure and gathering conference data to inform future budget proposals and align resources for upcoming multi-year conferences. Additionally, the Secretariat committed to assessing the long-term operational sustainability of the CICS program and developing a new governance structure that better supports enduring organizational success. CICS is committed to support openness and transparency in government. In 2023–24, internal controls on contracting and payable at year-end were assessed, maintained, and improved to ensure compliance with Treasury Board Policies, Directives and Guidance. The Secretariat adhered to the spirit of the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB), which will become effective in 2024–25, and continued to integrate environmental performance considerations into its procurement decision-making process.

On the information technology front, CICS continued to modernize its endpoint equipment to provide better service to its staff and external clients. Since the Secretariat’s aging infrastructure presented a risk to the organization, the Information Services team began the comprehensive overhaul and replacement of Information Technology systems and equipment. This initiative was undertaken to ensure unparalleled efficiency in operations, enhanced security measures to protect sensitive data, and superior reliability to support uninterrupted service delivery. By integrating state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions, CICS aims to create a robust and future-proof IT environment that meets the evolving needs of its users while maintaining the highest standards of performance and safety.

Furthermore, the organization continued to promote and encourage learning opportunities in order to foster a healthy workplace, promote mental health and wellbeing as well as a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. The Secretariat placed a strong emphasis on developing a skilled workforce by focusing on strategic recruitment and the implementation of new mandatory training programs tailored to each employee’s role and position within the organization Finally, CICS explored new inclusive and innovative staffing strategies to focus on services-oriented individuals that are capable, talented and high-performing and who embrace new ways of working and the use of new technologies to serve clients’ evolving needs. CICS is committed to building and maintaining an engaged and diverse workforce by devoting time and effort to implement inclusive human resources practices, as well as to address key barriers identified in the 2023–25 Accessibility Plan.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 3: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year

Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

Resource
Planned
Actual
Spending
$1,827,357
$2,180,959
Full-time equivalents
7
8

The complete financial and human resources information for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Spending and human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 4 Actual three-year spending on core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

Table 4 presents how much money the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibility and for internal services.

Core responsibility and internal services
2023–24 Main Estimates
2023–24 planned spending
2024–25 planned spending
2025–26 planned spending
2023–24 total authorities available for use
2021–22 actual spending (authorities used)
2022–23 actual spending (authorities used)
2023–24 actual spending (authorities used)
Intergovernmental Conference Services
4,263,834
4,263,834
5,478,579
2,352,970
5,790,179
3,252,061
4,759,874
5,741,708
Internal services
1,827,357
1,827,357
2,347,963
2,352,970
2,397,128
1,641,714
1,539,943
2,180,959
Total
6,091,191
6,091,191
7,826,542
7,843,232
8,187,307
4,893,775
6,299,818
7,922,667
Core responsibility and internal services
2024–25 planned spending
2025–26 planned spending
2026–27 planned spending
Intergovernmental Conference Services
$5,869,907
$5,882,424
$4,745,234
Internal services
$1,956,636
$1,960,808
$1,581,745
Total
$7,826,543
$7,826,543
$6,326,979

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department’s voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.  

Graph 1: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

Graph 1 summarizes the department’s approved voted and statutory funding from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Text version below:

For further information on the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Financial statement highlights

The Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s complete financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.

Tables 6 and 7 Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 6 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
Financial information
2023–24 actual results
2023–24 planned results
Difference (actual results minus planned)
Total expenses
8,364,014
6,734,697
1,629,317
Total revenues
0
0
0
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
8,364,014
6,734,697
1,629,317

The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.

Table 7 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
Financial information
2023–24 actual results
2022–23 actual results
Difference (2023–24 minus 2022–23)
Total expenses
8,364,014
6,703,330
1,660,684
Total revenues
0
0
0
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
8,364,014
6,703,330
1,660,684

The variance between planned results and actual results relate to an increase in Salaries and Benefits and an increase in non-salary expenditures related to the expansion in serving senior-level intergovernmental conferences, including videoconferences and in-person conference. The total expenses were approximately $8.4 million, roughly $1.7 million higher than the previous year. The increase was mainly due to an increase by $1.2 million in salaries and employee benefits, $318 thousand in professional and special services, and $78 thousand in utilities, materials and supplies.

Table 8 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 8 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.

Financial information
Actual fiscal year (2023–24)
Previous fiscal year (2022–23)
Difference (2023–24 minus 2022–23)
Total net liabilities
1,220,960
994,143
226,817
Total net financial assets
1,014,082
1,901,785
(887,703)
Departmental net debt
206,878
(907,642)
(700,764)
Total non-financial assets
510,621
147,953
362,668
Departmental net financial position
303,743
1,055,595
(751,852)

Total liabilities amounted to approximately $1,221 thousand, reflecting an increase of around $227 thousand (23%) from the previous year. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities comprised 69% of the total, while vacation pay and compensatory leave represented an additional 24%. The overall rise is primarily attributed to a $99 thousand increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and a $71 thousand increase in vacation pay and compensatory leave liabilities.

Total net financial assets were approximately $1,014 thousand as of March 31, 2024, a decrease of $888 thousand (47%) over the previous year. The overall reduction is mainly attributable to a decrease in account receivable for external parties.

Total non-financial assets were approximately $511 thousand as of March 31, 2024, an increase of some $363 thousand over the previous year. The increase is mainly due to the acquisitions of tangible capital assets.

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Table 9: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 9 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.

Core responsibilities and internal services
2021–22 actual FTEs
2022–23 actual FTEs
2023–24 actual FTEs
[Insert name of core responsibility 1]
20
22
27
Internal services
8
8
8
Total
28
30
35

Table 10: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 10 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s core responsibility and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Core responsibilities and internal services
2024–25 planned FTEs
2025–26 planned FTEs
2026–27 planned FTEs
Intergovernmental Conference Services
30
30
25
Internal services
10
10
7
Total
40
40
32

Corporate information

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s website:

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Definitions