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 2015-16 Main Estimates (and as applicable – Supplementary Estimates and previous quarterly reports for the current year) as well as Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012 (Budget 2012).
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.
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 2015-16 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.
CICS’ authorities available for 2015-16 did not significantly vary from 2014-15.
Total budgetary expenditures to September 30, 2015 are similar to those recorded in the second quarter of 2014-15 with the exception made of the transition payment of some $63 thousand for implementing salary payment in arrears by the Government of Canada in 2014-15.
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 the level of services it provides to conferences to keep expenditures within the current funding level.
Like many other departments and agencies, CICS is facing a critical demographic issue as we enter a phase where a significant number of our personnel are or will be eligible for retirement. Sustained efforts will be exerted to keep our employees for a reasonable period of time by creating an environment conducive to career development and job satisfaction.
In response to the evolving needs of clients, the Conference Services Division, as in the previous fiscal period, continues to transform its service delivery model to encompass video-conferencing and other new technologies.
This section provides an overview of the savings measures announced in Budget 2012 that were implemented in order to refocus government and programs; make it easier for Canadians and business to deal with their government; and to modernize and reduce the back office operations.
In 2015-16, the final year of Budget 2012 implementation, the Secretariat has achieved and will continue to achieve ongoing savings of approximately of $0.7 million. This has been, and will continue to be, accomplished through efficiency measures and program reductions that align resources to the core mandate, scaling back where the need is reduced; transforming operations internally; and by consolidating and streamlining. With these changes the CICS will focus on supporting management excellence and accountability across government.
CICS has realigned its three year Strategic Plan with the Budget decisions and continues to develop and implement processes to support the necessary transformation of CICS. CICS has been striving to transform its corporate and service delivery model and recent events have emphasized the importance of continuing, even accelerating these efforts.
The paper version was approved and signed by:
(in dollars) | Total available for use for the year ending March 31, 2016* |
Used during the quarter ended September 30th, 2015 |
Year to date used at quarter-end |
---|---|---|---|
Vote 5 – Net Operating expenditures | 5,827,101 | 1,223,662 | 2,081,078 |
Budgetary Statuory authorities | 417,888 | 104,472 | 208,944 |
Total Budgetary authorities | 6,244,989 | 1,328,134 | 2,290,022 |
Total authorities | 6,244,989 | 1,328,134 | 2,290,022 |
(in dollars) | Total available for use for the year ending March 31, 2015* |
Used during the quarter ended September 30th, 2014 |
Year to date used at quarter-end |
---|---|---|---|
Vote 5 – Net Operating expenditures | 5,818,385 | 1,304,503 | 2,204,855 |
Budgetary Statuory authorities | 408,205 | 102,051 | 204,103 |
Total Budgetary authorities | 6,226,590 | 1,406,554 | 2,408,958 |
Total authorities | 6,226,590 | 1,406,554 | 2,408,958 |
* Includes only Authorities available for use and granted by Parliament at quarter end.
(in dollars) | Planned expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2016 |
Expended during the quarter ended September 30th, 2015 |
Year to date used at quarter-end |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures: | |||
Personnel | 2,905,315 | 717,743 | 1,329,289 |
Transportation and communications | 904,000 | 179,989 | 302,825 |
Information | 18,000 | 500 | 1,280 |
Professional and special services | 1,750,948 | 233,122 | 380,761 |
Rentals | 535,000 | 132,481 | 192,689 |
Repair and maintenance | 12,000 | 345 | 5,800 |
Utilities, materials and supplies | 39,500 | 390 | 9,087 |
Acquisition of machinery and equipment | 80,000 | 2,036 | 5,521 |
Other subsidies and payments | 226 | 61,528 | 62,770 |
Total net budgetary expenditures | 6,244,989 | 1,328,134 | 2,290,022 |
(in dollars) | Planned expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2015 |
Expended during the quarter ended Spetember 30th, 2014 |
Year to date used at quarter-end |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures: | |||
Personnel | 2,882,175 | 639,580 | 1,346,576 |
Transportation and communications | 1,115,000 | 274,741 | 335,486 |
Information | 45,000 | 1,719 | 1,719 |
Professional and special services | 1,495,915 | 295,252 | 418,342 |
Rentals | 410,000 | 129,827 | 170,667 |
Repair and maintenance | 11,000 | 535 | 535 |
Utilities, materials and supplies | 58,000 | 1,273 | 3,940 |
Acquisition of machinery and equipment | 209,000 | 101 | 781 |
Other subsidies and payments | 500 | 63,526 | 130,912 |
Total net budgetary expenditures | 6,226,590 | 1,406,554 | 2,408,958 |