Departmental Plan 2020–2021

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• © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the
   President of the Treasury Board, 2020
  •  Catalogue No.: SC100-9E-PDF
  •  ISSN: 2371-8382

Table of contents

• Minister's message
• Plans at a glance
• Core responsibilities: planned results and resources
  • Common public service learning
• Internal Services: planned results
• Spending and human resources
  • Planned spending
  • Planned human resources
  • Estimates by vote
  • Condensed future-oriented statement of operations
• Corporate information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Operating context
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the program Inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

Minister's message

Plans at a glance

Established on April 1, 2004, under the Public Service Modernization Act, the School operates under the authority of the Canada School of Public Service Act (CSPS Act).

Under the CSPS Act, the School has the mandate to:

• encourage pride and excellence in the public service
• foster a common sense of purpose, values and traditions in the public service
• support deputy heads in meeting the learning needs of their organizations
• conduct research and encourage greater awareness of public management, administration, and innovation

The School plays a key role in helping public servants serve Canadians with excellence in a digital age, where Canadians expect their government to be effective, transparent, and open by default.

The School delivers a common curriculum to equip public servants with knowledge, skills, and competencies across five business lines:

• Government of Canada and Public Sector Skills
• Transferable Skills
• Digital Academy
• Indigenous Learning
• Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

For more information on the School's organizational commitments, see the Minister's mandate letter.

For more information on the Canada School of Public Service's plans, priorities and planned results, see the "Planned results and resources" section of this report.

Core responsibilities: planned results and resources

This section contains detailed information on the department's planned results and resources for each of its core responsibilities.

Common public service learning

Description

The Canada School of Public Service provides common learning to all employees of the core public service to serve Canadians with excellence.

Planning highlights

The School has four expected results under its core responsibility. It will deliver common learning that is responsive, of high quality and accessible, and it will strengthen the capacity for innovation across the core public service.

1. 1. Common learning is responsive to learning needs

   The Government of Canada and Public Sector Skills business line provides learning opportunities in areas such as financial management and career transitions. It is complemented by an area of focus on executive learning, which offers expertise on learning needs unique to public service executives. Through these channels, the School will continue to connect public servants with learning to strengthen financial stewardship, reporting, management of human resources and security. This will strengthen oversight of the expenditure of taxpayer dollars across government.

   The Transferable Skills business line helps public servants at all levels develop portable knowledge and skills of value. A renewed priority on project management capabilities across government will be supported at the School through its curriculum and learning opportunities.

   The Government of Canada is committed to creating a single online window for all government services. In support of this goal, the Digital Academy will provide public servants with learning opportunities to enhance digital service delivery. Specifically, the Digital Academy will work with partners and offer learning to improve transparency, reduce administrative burden, and promote the use of data to drive evidence-based decision making.

   Building on the progress of the Indigenous Learning Series, the Indigenous Learning business line will continue to create learning opportunities that are aligned with the Government of Canada's commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Under the four themes of Recognition, Respect, Relationships and Reconciliation, public servants have access to learning opportunities and events on the current realities, history, heritage, cultures, rights, and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and their relationship with the Crown.

   The Respectful and Inclusive Workplace business line will provide learning opportunities for dialogue across the public service to promote an inclusive workplace for all public servants of all sexual and gender identities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and other minority groups.

2. 2. Quality common learning is provided to the core public service

   The School will apply user-centred, agile methods to speed up the design, development, and delivery of learning and will continue to work with partners within, and outside of, government to develop learning offerings. Where suitable, this could include co‑creating new content, or acquiring existing learning products from third‑party providers.

   Learning will be developed and delivered to help public servants meet the unique needs of their organizations and regions across Canada, with ongoing emphasis on increasing digital capacity and services for Canadians.

   The School will engage in partnerships with academia and other stakeholders to enhance curriculum development, identify new learning opportunities and events, and to promote knowledge sharing. Learning will be informed by varied perspectives and backgrounds, as represented in bodies such as the External Advisory Committee, which is made up of eminent Canadians from the public, private, and academic sectors.

   The School will prioritize the use of data as an asset, and ensure that learning priorities are defined through evidence‑based decision making. Building on recent progress in measuring and understanding user behaviour, the School will use data, along with client‑service feedback, to improve the design, development, and delivery of learning and client services.

   The School will continue to systematically review learning products to ensure they are relevant and up to date. Learning and events developed by the School will be subject to internal processes that bring the user experience, as well as the principles of evaluation and measurement, to the forefront of their design.

3. 3. Common learning is accessible to all employees of the core public service

   The School will increase its digital capacity and use technology to ensure that all public servants, regardless of geographic location or abilities, can access learning. The School will work with client departments and Shared Services Canada to ensure that technology is compatible with learning delivery.

   Investments will be made to enhance online course delivery. These investments will improve the user experience and align with Government of Canada digital standards and accessibility standards. A modern learning platform will be selected based on data‑driven decisions and business requirements, as well as on our understanding of learning needs and user behaviours, while meeting or exceeding current accessibility standards.

   The School will standardize delivery of learning, offering a consistent learning experience in learning centres across Canada.

   A renewed School website, with a fully searchable, open course catalogue and new communications and social media initiatives, will help the School increase its ability to effectively reach learners across Canada.

4. 4. Strengthened capacity across the core public service to use innovative approaches

   The School will provide learning services to strengthen the core public service's capacity for innovation at the organizational level. This will principally be done by developing and sustaining collaborative partnerships across government, and identifying new and emerging learning needs.

   The School will support innovation communities of practice, across government and with external partners, by providing learning opportunities and encouraging innovative solutions for core government functions, including in the areas of digital enablement, accessibility, and data sharing.

   "Learning through doing," such as demonstration projects, will continue to be a key experimentation tool that will allow learners to evaluate the outcomes of new initiatives and use the results to make innovative decisions based on data‑driven evidence.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)

The School is developing a framework to ensure that GBA+ will be integrated into departmental decision‑making processes. Appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms for GBA+ will be identified as part of the framework.

As a provider of learning to public servants, the School will ensure that learners are equipped to uphold the goals, objectives, and indicators of the Gender Results Framework. Courses specific to GBA+ will continue to provide foundational knowledge to help public servants apply GBA+ in their daily work to build policies, programs and services that work for everyone.

Experimentation

In 2020–21, the School will develop its maturity and capacity to undertake experiments. Based on existing capacity, areas of focus in which experimentation may occur include:

• approaches to improve user-centricity and self‑service tools;
• learning and communication mediums to evaluate the efficacy of new and existing approaches and how they resonate with learners;
• use of predictive analytics, and testing its application in supporting decision making.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Canada School of Public Service's program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the School's inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the School's program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services: planned results

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications, Marketing and Linguistics 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

Planning highlights

Effective Internal Services support the School's delivery of learning for the public service. They are underpinned by a commitment to raise the bar on openness, effectiveness, and transparency.

The School will continue to build upon recently streamlined Internal Services and continue to enhance key human resources functions to improve support for its workforce. This will include improvements to merit-based appointments and to help ensure that people of all gender identities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and minority groups are reflected in positions of leadership.

To create a more mobile and digitally enabled environment, the School will continue to invest in and modernize its Information Management and Information Technology Services. It will also enhance access to Wi‑Fi for learners at its learning sites across Canada.

Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department's planned spending and human resources for the next three consecutive fiscal years, and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years' actual spending.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2017–18 to 2022–23

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory) spending over time.

Statutory spending is comprised of employee benefit plans, forecasted respendable revenue and unspent revenues carried forward from the previous fiscal year in accordance with subsection 18(2) of the Canada School of Public Service Act.

Increased spending in 2019–20 and 2018–19 compared with 2017–18 was mainly due to new investments in the development of innovative services and new learning programs designed to meet public servants' need for deeper, more targeted learning.

• The increase in overall spending through 2019–20 is mainly due to the creation of a new branch and the launch of initiatives related to digital activities, innovation services, artificial intelligence, and research in policy and public service administration.
• Over the next three-year planning period, the School will continue to invest in the modernization of its digital learning platform, the development of its new branch, and the review and update of its curriculum to meet the learning needs of public servants and reflect governmental priorities.
• Innovative learning initiatives, including artificial intelligence demonstration projects and tailored learning products, will be undertaken or reinforced through partnership with other government departments.
• The School will also host pan-governmental initiatives dedicated to the promotion and advancement of public service innovation and policy development.

Planned human resources

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for the core responsibility in the School's departmental results framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

As a result of the implementation of the initiatives and projects listed above and the creation of a new branch, the number of the full‑time equivalents grew since 2017–18. This number is expected to stabilize as of 2020–21.

Estimates by vote

Information on the School's organizational appropriations is available in the 2020–21 Main Estimates.

Condensed future-oriented statement of operations

The condensed future oriented statement of operations provides an overview of the School's operations for 2019–20 to 2020–21.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future‑oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on the School's website.

The financial information in the table is prepared on an accrual basis. Total expenses include amortization costs and costs related to services received without charge for accommodations and the employer's contribution to employee benefit plans. Total expenses exclude those related to the acquisition of capital assets.

The reduction in the net cost of operations before government funding and transfers is mainly due to higher revenues in 2019–20, which will be reinvested towards the School's activities. The increased revenues in 2019–20 are due to unspent revenues carried forward from 2018–19. The School is not projecting to carry forward unspent revenues from 2019–20 to 2020–21.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, President of the Treasury Board

Institutional head: Taki Sarantakis, President

Ministerial portfolio: Treasury Board

Enabling instrument: Canada School of Public Service Act, S.C. 1991, c. 16

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2004

Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

"Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do" is available on the Canada School of Public Service's website.

For more information on the department's organizational mandate letter commitments, see the "Minister's mandate letter."

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on the School's website

Reporting framework

The Canada School of Public Service's approved departmental results framework and program inventory for 2020–21 are as follows.

Changes to the approved reporting framework since 2019–20

One indicator was removed (% of learning products delivered using innovative methods and technologies). Innovative methods and technologies are addressed through the Result 4 indicator. Minor wording changes were introduced since 2019–20 to bring greater clarity to both the results and the indicators.

Supporting information on the program inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the School's program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information table is available on the School's website:

• Gender-based analysis plus

Federal tax expenditures

The School's Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures that relate to its planned results for 2020–21.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, and the Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government‑wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender‑based analysis. The tax measures presented in this report are solely the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address

Telephone: 1-866-703-9598
Fax: 1-866-944-0454
Email: csps.registrar-registraire.efpc@canada.ca
Website: www.myschool-monecole.gc.ca Home Page

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of appropriated departments over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

Any change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.

departmental priority (priorité ministérielle)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Departmental priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program‑level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that consists of the department's core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department's actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare, the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence‑based decision‑making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works and what doesn't. Experimentation is related to, but distinct form innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender‑diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2020–21 Departmental Plan, government‑wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization's influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

statutory outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization's mandate, vision and core functions.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

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