Departmental Plan 2017-2018

View as: The Honourable Karina Gould President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada Minister of Democratic Institutions ISSN 2371-8234 CE31-6E-PDF Table of Contents Minister’s Message Plans at a glance Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do Raison d’être Mandate and role Benefits for Canadians Operating context: conditions affecting our work Key risks: things that could affect our ability to achieve our plans and results Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond Program: Conference Services Internal Services Spending and human resources Planned spending Planned human resources Estimates by vote Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations Supplementary information Corporate information Federal tax expenditures Organizational contact information Appendix[A]: Definitions Endnotes Minister’s Message  Our 2017–18 Departmental Plan provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve during the upcoming year. To improve reporting to Canadians, we are introducing a new, simplified report to replace the Report on Plans and Priorities. The title of the report has been changed to reflect its purpose: to communicate our annual performance goals and the financial and human resources forecast to deliver those results. The report has also been restructured to tell a clearer, more straightforward and balanced story of the actual results we are trying to achieve, while continuing to provide transparency on how tax payers’ dollars will be spent. We describe our programs and services for Canadians, our priorities for 2017–18, and how our work will fulfill our departmental mandate commitments and the government’s priorities. As President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, I am pleased to table the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s (CICS) 2017-18 Departmental Plan. The Secretariat’s mandate is to provide the administrative support services required for the planning and conduct of federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial conferences of First Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers across Canada. Our government made a commitment to Canadians to pursue our goals with a renewed sense of collaboration. Improved partnerships with provincial and territorial governments are essential to deliver the real, positive change that we promised Canadians. The multilateral intergovernmental conference is a key instrument for open communication, consultation and collaboration among federal, provincial and territorial governments. Along with the added benefits of confidentiality, impartiality and expertise in service delivery, CICS offers governments increasingly important cost efficiencies when organizing these intergovernmental meetings. During fiscal year 2017-18, the agency will continue to enhance and expand strategic partnerships, improve its service delivery model, use resources effectively and efficiently and cultivate a continuous learning environment for its employees. Plans at a glance The Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) is fully committed to delivering quality, cost-effective conference services to federal, provincial and territorial governments. Our impartiality, commitment to official languages, expertise in service delivery and our close to 45 year history make us the conference service provider of choice for senior level intergovernmental conferences. We are focused on maintaining this unique status. Over the next year, the Secretariat’s priorities will focus on: enhancing and expanding strategic […]


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Unaudited Future-Oriented Statement of Operations 2017-2018

Statement of Management Responsibility Responsibility for the compilation, content and presentation of the accompanying future-oriented financial information for the years ended March 31, 2017 and 2018 rests with the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat’s (CICS) management.  The future-oriented financial information has been prepared by management in accordance with Treasury Board accounting policies which are consistent with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector.  The future-oriented financial information is submitted for Part III of Estimates (Departmental Plan), and will be used in the department’s Departmental Results Report to compare with actual results. These statements are based on the best information available and the appropriateness of the assumptions adopted as at December 31st, 2016 and reflect the plans described in the Departmental Plan. Management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of the information contained in future-oriented financial information and for the process of developing assumptions.  Assumptions and estimates are based upon information available and known to management at the time of development, reflect current business and economic conditions, and assume a continuation of current governmental priorities and consistency in departmental mandate and strategic objectives.  Much of the future-oriented financial information is based on these assumptions, best estimates, and judgment and gives due consideration to materiality.  At the time of preparation of these statements, management believes the estimates and assumptions to be reasonable.  However, as with all such assumptions, there is a measure of uncertainty surrounding them.  This uncertainty increases as the forecast horizon extends. The actual results achieved for the fiscal years covered in the accompanying future-oriented financial information will vary from the information presented and the variations may be material. The Future-oriented Financial Statements for CICS have not been audited. The paper version was approved and signed by: André M. McArdle Secretary, Ottawa, Canada Brian J. Berry, FCPA, FCMA Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer Ottawa, Canada  Date: February 13, 2017 Date: February 14, 2017 CANADIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT Future-Oriented Statement of Operations (unaudited) For the Year ending March 31 Estimated Results Planned Results 2016-17 2017-18 (in dollars) Expenses Conference Services $ 4,008,819 $ 4,601,585 Internal services 2,257,501 1,823,128 Total expenses 6,266,320 6,424,713 Revenues Sharing cost agreement – Transfers received from the provincial governments 1,100,000 1,100,000 Revenues earned on behalf of government (1,100,000) (1,100,000) Total revenues – – Net cost of operations $ 6,266,320 $ 6,424,713 The accompanying notes form an integral part of these future-oriented Statement of Operations. Notes to the Future-Oriented Statements of Operations 1. Methodology and Significant Assumptions The future-oriented statement of operations has been prepared on the basis of government priorities as described in Departmental Plan. The information in the estimated results for fiscal year 2016–17 is based on actual results as at December 31, 2016 and on forecasts for the remainder of the fiscal year.  Forecasts have been made for the planned results for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The main assumptions underlying the forecasts are as follows: The department’s activities will remain substantially the same as for the previous year for the current year. The Secretariat expects conference activities […]


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Quarterly Financial Report for the quarter ended December 31, 2016

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 Accounting Standard 1.3.  This report should be read in conjunction with the 2016-17 Main Estimates (and as applicable – Supplementary Estimates and previous quarterly reports for the current year). The mandate of the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) is to support federal, provincial and territorial governments by providing conference support services for the planning and conduct of senior level intergovernmental conferences held across Canada. The primary objective of CICS is to relieve client departments in virtually every major sector of intergovernmental activity of the numerous technical and administrative tasks associated with multilateral conferences, thereby enabling conference participants to concentrate on the substantive policy issues. CICS provides continuous, effective, impartial administrative services to these meetings. This 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 2016-17 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates.  This quarterly report has been prepared using a special purpose financial framework designed to meet financial information needs with respect to the use of spending authorities. The authority of Parliament is required before moneys 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 2.1 Statement of Authorities CICS’ authorities available for 2016-17 did not significantly vary from 2015-16. 2.2 Statement of Department Budgetary Expenditures by Standard Object Total budgetary expenditures to December 31, 2016 are some $344 thousand higher to those recorded in the third quarter of 2015-16. This can be explained by the First Ministers meeting held at the beginning of December and by the overall increase of supported conferences. As of December 31, 2016, we provided our services to 119 conferences this fiscal year, compared with 81 for the same period in 2015-2016. This difference represent a 47% increase. 3. Risks and Uncertainties Our program mandate is to provide administrative services for the planning and conduct of First Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers level federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial conferences. There has been an increase in the number of conferences and meetings over the last three fiscal periods. If this trend continues, the Secretariat may have to adjust […]


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