2012-2013 Part III - Departmental Performance Report (DPR) - Privy Council Office

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Annex II

Performance Summary Details – Variance by Program and Sub-Program

Program 1.1: Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice

The Planned Spending for this Program in fiscal year 2012–13 was lower than Actual Spending by $2.7 million, which was primarily explained by:

  • $2.8 million in additional spending for corporate items related to payments for severance pay, and other salary-related items such as parental leave, separation pay, and employee benefit plans (all five Sub-Programs under Program 1.1);
  • $2.8 million in additional spending related to temporary or new initiatives for which no funding had been included in Planned Spending for the 2012–13 fiscal year, since at the time of the preparation of the 2012–13 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), this funding had not been secured. These initiatives are: the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat (Sub-Program 1.1.1: Issues, policies, machinery and appointments), the coordination of government-wide communications for Canada’s Economic Action Plan (Sub-Program 1.1.1: Issues, policies, machinery and appointments), the coordination of the Canada-U.S. Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan (Beyond the Border Action Plan) (Sub-Program 1.1.2:  International affairs and national security) and the Canadian Secretariat to the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council (Sub-Programs 1.1.1: Issues, policies, machinery and appointments, and 1.1.2: International affairs and national security);
  • $0.8 million for the transfer of communications operations expenditures which were reallocated from Program 1.2 (Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support) to Program 1.1 (Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice – Sub-Program 1.1.1: Issues, policies, machinery and appointments) during the year to better align their activities within PCO’s Program Alignment Architecture (PAA); and
  • $0.2 million for the transfer of the Public Service Renewal Secretariat which had most of its activities reallocated from Program 1.3 (Public service leadership and direction) to Program 1.1 (Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice – Sub-Program 1.1.1: Issues, policies, machinery and appointments) and Program 1.2 (Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support) following the merging of its activities with the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat. The two secretariats did not have similar alignments to PCO’s PAA, due to the difference in a specific aspect of their respective operations.

These increases in actual spending were partially offset by the following decreases:

  • $2.4 million as a result of financial prudence prompted by the deficit reduction measures announced in EAP 2012, as well as the impacts of other cost-saving exercises (e.g., cost-containment measures and PCO’s 2010 Strategic Review). In addition, a number of other factors contributed to decreased spending, including: savings resulting from delays in various projects; lower than anticipated costs for travel, hospitality and conferences; and delays in procurement (all five Sub-Programs under Program 1.1); and
  • $1.5 million in the day-to-day operations of the Prime Minister’s Office and the offices of portfolio ministers (Sub-Program 1.1.5: Prime Minister’s and portfolio ministers’ offices).

Program 1.2: Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support

The Planned Spending for this Program in fiscal year 2012–13 was $0.6 million higher than Actual Spending, which was primarily explained by:

  • $2.0 million in decreased spending as a result of financial prudence prompted by the deficit reduction measures announced in EAP 2012, as well as the impacts of other cost-saving exercises (e.g., cost-containment measures and PCO’s 2010 Strategic Review). In addition, a number of other factors contributed to this decreased spending, including: savings resulting from delays in various projects; lower than anticipated costs for travel, hospitality and conferences; and delays in procurement (both Sub-Programs under Program 1.2); and
  • $0.8 million for the transfer of communications operations expenditures which were reallocated from Program 1.2 (Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support – Sub-Program 1.2.1: Operation of Cabinet committees) to Program 1.1 (Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice) during the year to better align their activities within PCO’s PAA.

These decreases in actual spending were partially offset by:

  • $0.5 million in additional spending for corporate items related to payments for severance pay and other salary-related items such as parental leave, separation pay, and employee benefit plans (both Sub-Programs under Program 1.2);
  • $0.9 million in additional spending related to temporary or new initiatives for which no funding had been included in Planned Spending for the 2012–13 fiscal year, since at the time of the preparation of the 2012–13 RPP, the funding had not been secured. These initiatives are the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat and the Beyond the Border Action Plan (both initiatives fall within the two Sub-Programs under Program 1.2); and
  • $0.8 million for the transfer of the Public Service Renewal Secretariat which had most of its activities reallocated from Program 1.3 (Public service leadership and direction) to Program 1.1 (Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice) and Program 1.2 (Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support – both Sub-Programs under Program 1.2) following the merging of its activities with the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat. The two secretariats did not have similar alignments to PCO’s PAA, due to the difference in a specific aspect of their respective operations.

Program 1.3: Public service leadership and direction

The Planned Spending for this Program in fiscal year 2012–13 was $1.3 million higher than Actual Spending, which was primarily explained by:

  • $1.0 million for the transfer of the Public Service Renewal Secretariat which had most of its activities reallocated from Program 1.3 (Public service leadership and direction – Sub-Program 1.3.1: Renewal and human resources management of the public service) to Program 1.1 (Prime Minister and portfolio ministers’ support and advice) and Program 1.2 (Cabinet and Cabinet committees’ advice and support) following the merging of its activities with the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat. The two secretariats did not have similar alignments to PCO’s PAA, due to the difference in a specific aspect of their respective operations; and
  • $0.3 million in decreased spending related to the elimination of funding for the Canada-Australia Exchange Program. Accordingly, PCO is no longer transferring funds to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to support this program’s costs (Sub-Program 1.3.2: Management of senior leaders).

These decreases in actual spending were partially offset by:

  • $0.1 million in additional spending related to the Business Transformation and Renewal Secretariat (Sub-Program 1.3.1: Renewal and human resources management of the Public Service), for which no funding had been included in Planned Spending for the 2012–13 fiscal year, since at the time of the preparation of the 2012–13 RPP, the funding had not been secured.

Program 1.4: Commissions of inquiry

The Planned Spending for this Program in fiscal year 2012–13 was lower than Actual Spending by $1.3 million, which was explained by an increase in actual spending related to the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. Funding was not included in the 2012–13 RPP, since it was not secured at that time.

Program 1.5: Internal services

The Planned Spending for this Program in fiscal year 2012–13 was $1.3 million lower than Actual Spending, which was primarily explained by:

  • $2.6 million in additional spending for corporate items related to payments for severance pay and other salary-related items such as parental leave, separation pay, and employee benefit plans.

This increase in actual spending was partially offset by:

  • $1.4 million in decreased spending as a result of financial prudence prompted by the deficit reduction measures announced in EAP 2012, as well as the impacts of other cost-saving exercises (e.g., cost-containment measures and PCO’s 2010 Strategic Review). In addition, a number of other factors contributed to this decreased spending, including: savings resulting from delays in various projects; lower than anticipated costs for travel, hospitality and conferences; and delays in procurement.