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 2021-22 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 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 administrative 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 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 2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (as applicable). 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 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.

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2.Highlights of fiscal quarter and fiscal year to date (YTD) results

2.1Statement of Authorities

CICS’ authorities available for 2021-22 are approximately $1.48 million higher ($1.47 million voted, $10 thousand statutory) than the prior fiscal year due to reduced supply of the Main Estimates received in Q1 of 2020-21. This was a temporary measure attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic when the Standing Orders of the House of Commons were amended to extend the study period into the fall.

2.2Statement of Department Budgetary Expenditures by Standard Object

Year to date operating expenses to September 30, 2021 are approximately $465 thousand higher than for the same period in 2020-21. Approximately half of this increase is attributable to a project to digitize CICS records. Salary expenditures increased by $81 thousand compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year, as more positions have been staffed compared to the vacancies present in 2020-21.

3.Risks and Uncertainties

CICS program mandate is to provide administrative services for the planning and conduct of First Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers levels of federal-provincial-territorial and provincial-territorial conferences. There were 26 conferences and/or meetings in the second quarter of 2021-22, versus 39 in the same period of 2020-21. Although conference levels have declined, they still remain above pre-pandemic levels and are expected to remain at these higher levels moving forward. The COVID-19 pandemic lead to a significant increase in the number of virtual meetings and demand for new and effective solutions which could be challenging for CICS given its limited resources. Flexible approaches, processes and technologies were implemented and can be adapted as clients’ needs quickly evolved over time. CICS does not convene intergovernmental meetings. It is called upon to respond to decisions taken by governments to meet on key national or specific issues. Decisions concerning the location of such meetings, their number in a given fiscal year, their timing and duration, are all factors beyond the control of the Secretariat.

Similar to 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. Plans are in place to ensure as seamless a transition of knowledge as possible. CICS continues to target greater provincial/territorial representation amongst Conference Services staff to maintain a high level of neutrality and welcome diverse perspectives to its service delivery model.

4.Significant changes in relation to operations, personnel and program

In response to the evolving needs of clients, the Conference Services Division, as in the previous fiscal period, continues to identify, pilot and implement innovative solutions. Innovative solutions consist of new technologies and process efficiencies that improve service delivery, resulting in positive client feedback and efficiencies in operations. The key areas of innovative solutions are web-conferencing and teleconferencing with remote simultaneous interpretation, online registration and online document retrieval. In Q2, CICS served its first in-person conference since the commencement of the pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CICS had only serve conferences by videoconferencing and teleconferencing in the first quarter of 2021-22. Based on recommendations by public health agencies, the Conference Services Division is exploring the best conference formats moving forward, with a focus on hybrid formats.

Approval by Senior Officials

*Includes only Authorities available for use and granted by Parliament at quarter-end.

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