Canada School of Public Service 2023–24 Departmental Results Report
- His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of the Treasury Board, 2024
From the Minister
The Honourable Anita Anand P.C., M.P., President of the Treasury Board of Canada
As the Minister responsible for the Canada School of Public Service, I am pleased to present the School’s 2023–24 Departmental Results Report.
Over the past year, the School remained committed to providing common learning to all employees of the core public administration to serve Canadians with excellence. It does this by offering a wide range of learning products across five key business lines that equip public service employees with knowledge, skills and competencies.
To keep pace with the Government of Canada’s evolving priorities, the School updated dozens of its existing products, and introduced new programs, courses and events under each of these business lines: Respectful and Inclusive Workplace, GC and Public Sector Skills, Indigenous Learning, Transferable Skills, and CSPS Digital Academy.
The School focused on such themes as innovation and digital enablement, developing and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion , the promotion of both official languages (OL), and working towards reconciliation with Indigenous people, not just in its learning product offerings, but in its operations as well. It also offered leadership learning products tailored to public service executives, on such key topics as innovation, collaboration, diversity and inclusion, public-private partnerships, and evidence-based decision-making.
To ensure it met the learning needs of public servants across all regions and of specific functional communities, the School continued to emphasize on collaboration and consultation with internal and external partners in developing learning offerings and fine-tuning its products using evaluation data and learner feedback.
I invite you to read this report for details about how the Canada School of Public Service continues to demonstrate its unique value in providing public service employees with the common skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their responsibilities in serving Canadians.
The Honourable Anita Anand, P.C., M.P.
President of the Treasury Board of Canada
Results – what we achieved
Core responsibility and internal services
Core responsibility 1: 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.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for common public service learning. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 1: Targets and results for common public service learning
Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under common public service learning.
Common learning is responsive to learning needs
| Departmental Result Indicators |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
Actual Results |
| Percent of learning priorities addressed annually |
80% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 89.5%
2022–23: 94.2%
2023–24: 82.5% |
| Percent of learning products updated in accordance with the product life-cycle plan |
80% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 100%
2022–23: 100%
2023–24: 100% |
Quality common learning is provided to the core public service
| Departmental Result Indicators |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
Actual Results |
| Percent of learners who report that their common learning needs were met |
90% to 93% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 83.2%
2022–23: 84.3%
2023–24: 86.4% |
| Percent of supervisors who report improved performance of employees, in particular for those employees in management and leadership development programs |
75% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 78.5%
2022–23: 71.5%
2023–24: 68.8% |
| Percent of learners who report that the facilitator/instructor was effective |
95% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 94.7%
2022–23: 95.2%
2023–24: 96.6% |
Common learning is accessible to all employees of the core public service
| Departmental Result Indicators |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
Actual Results |
| Percent of employees of the core public service who access common learning annually |
65% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 95.1%
2022–23: 75.5%
2023–24: 73.3% |
| Percent of employees of the core public service in the National Capital Region who access common learning annually |
65% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 84.9%
2022–23: 58.7%
2023–24: 58.6% |
| Percent of employees of the core public service outside of the National Capital Region who access common learning annually |
55% |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 99.3%
2022–23: 90.0%
2023–24: 86.5% |
Strengthened capacity across the core public service to use innovative approaches
| Departmental Result Indicators |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
Actual Results |
| Number of demonstrations and learning projects undertaken in collaboration with other departments and agencies each year |
23 |
March 31, 2024 |
2021–22: 47
2022–23: 83
2023–24: 33 |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance of the Canada School of Public Service's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for common public service learning in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in the School's departmental plan for the year.
Common learning is responsive to learning needs
Results achieved
In 2023‒24, the School delivered a common curriculum across five business lines to equip public service employees with knowledge, skills and competencies while responding to emerging and ongoing priorities.
- Government of Canada and Public Sector Skills (518,223 course registrations)
- In collaboration with community partners, the business line offered 104 courses, including 8 new courses, and held 13 events on topics such as procurement, human resources, grants and contributions, and information management. The most-attended event featured the Clerk of the Privy Council discussing the role of managers and employees in upholding the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector. The high level of participation in this event attests to the importance the Government of Canada places on values-based, ethical decision-making and behaviour in the federal public service.
- Maintaining existing programming was also a priority. Throughout the year, the business line completed work on 109 requests for critical maintenance and updating of products based on feedback from learners and internal partners.
- Transferable Skills (233,781 course registrations)
- The business line offered more than 159 courses through the School's online learning catalogue, and added a total of 75 new learning opportunities, including 23 events, 10 new online courses, two cohorts of a 1-week program for senior executives, 2 virtual instructor-led courses, 2 learning paths, and 35 microlearning products. These projects covered topics such as project management, negotiation, risk, innovation and experimentation, leadership, change, team engagement, coaching, communications, briefing, policy, and facilitation.
- The business line delivered 2 cohorts of Project Management and the Senior Leader, a 5‑day program for senior executives focused on the delivery of major initiatives and complex project management across the Government of Canada.
- Digital Academy (71,028 course registrations)
- The business line delivered digital and data upskilling and service design excellence through 77 courses and other activities supporting the Government of Canada's Digital Ambition, the Policy on Service and Digital, 2023–2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service, and the Digital Talent Strategy. It offered a total of 67 new learning opportunities, including 19 events, 8 new online courses, 1 new virtual instructor-led course, 1 cohort of a 6-month program, and 39 microlearning products on topics such as digital government, digital leadership, cloud, cybersecurity, agile, service design, product management, data, and artificial intelligence. Registrations in courses and learning paths increased by 82% compared to the previous year.
- The CSPS Digital Academy delivered cycle 3 of the Digital Accelerator Program, a 6‑month experiential learning opportunity for established teams to learn about and practise collaborative, open, human-centred, and iterative ways to define problems and develop solutions through a service-design process. Using a mix of online self-paced and facilitated workshops, the 71 participants from 6 different Government of Canada departments worked together to apply the learning to business problems facing their organizations.
- Indigenous Learning (92,475 course registrations)
- The business line worked in collaboration with internal and external organizations to design Indigenous Learning products. In 2023‒24, 1 app, 2 in-person courses, 6 virtual courses, 6 online courses, 15 job aids/microlearning products, 11 events, 41 videos, and 1 audio series were delivered. In addition, Indigenous Learning aimed to tackle systemic changes from the top with a series of 3 new courses for executives: Reflecting on Canada's Colonial History (IRA170), Supporting Indigenous Talent (IRA171), and Building Meaningful Relationships with Indigenous Peoples (IRA172), which is a 4-day experiential course.
- The business line is continuing to develop a suite of products in support of Canada's endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the achievement of its objectives through the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the related Action Plan. This work is aligned with the December 2021 Mandate Letter requiring every Minister to implement the UN Declaration across their organizations via federal legislation.
- Respectful and Inclusive Workplace (350,360 course registrations)
- The business line continued to deliver learning products and events in support of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), notably the Clerk's Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada, and the 2SLGBTQI+ Federal Action Plan. It hosted 25 self-paced and 5 instructor-led learning opportunities, 77 job aids and videos, and 11 events on these topics.
- New courses were introduced, including Mental Health and the Workplace: Raising Awareness, Call It Out: Racism, Racial Discrimination and Human Rights, and Fostering an Inclusive Workplace.
- To complement these five business lines, the School offered programs, courses, events and personalized support tailored to executives in the public service. These learning opportunities equip executives with core leadership competencies and broaden their perspectives on opportunities for and challenges to Canada's economic growth, security and social cohesion. Some examples include:
- The launch of 26 cohorts in key transition-to-role programs, including the New Directors Program and Orientation for Directors General.
- Four pilots delivered: Executive Leadership Development Program, Aspiring Directors Program, Cercle des jeunes leaders federal-provincial program, and the Power of Taking Action podcast on equity, diversity and inclusion.
- A total of 24 mentoring circles, in partnership with the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX), supporting the successful transition-to-role of new executives.
- 35 events, including American and Canadian Leadership on Global Health Security, Examining the United States Constitution and the American Mindset, and Leadership Mindsets for the Digital Age.
- Support of 3 cohorts in the Executive Leadership Development Program for talent-managed executives at the EX-01 to EX-05 levels, including 9 study tours to provide access to diverse perspectives on leadership, challenges and opportunities facing different sectors, organizations and regions.
- Two strategic leadership courses in the Geopolitics and National Security Series on the changing geopolitical and national security landscape and what it means for Canada. During various sessions, executives engaged with external experts, as well as current and retired senior government officials, in a series of moderated discussions, simulations and case studies. Topics include threats to Canada and its role in the world, emerging technologies, climate change, and securing Canada's prosperity in the digital age.
Quality common learning is provided to the core public service
Results achieved
- Engagement and consultation are essential to developing and delivering high-quality learning. In 2023‒24, the School collaborated across the public service, and with Indigenous Peoples, academia, policy centres, international organizations and communities, functional communities, horizontal organizations and other stakeholders to enhance curriculum development.
- Throughout, the School applied the "Nothing Without Us" principle. Under this approach, learning priorities and products are co-created with interdepartmental learning advisory committees that include people with lived experience. The School engaged with the following groups, among others:
- The Interdepartmental Committee on Indigenous Learning and the Indigenous Learning Sharing Network (external committee with universities, cities, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, among others) to connect with Indigenous voices in guiding and validating the Indigenous learning curriculum.
- Employee networks such as the Black Employee and Executive networks, the Muslim Federal Employee network, the Jewish Public Servants network, Public Service Pride network and the Network of Asian Federal Employees, to develop concepts for micro-learning videos.
- Functional community partners, through a structured annual engagement process seeking to improve the transparency and predictability of learning priorities.
- The School continued to prioritize data as an asset by implementing a Digital and Data Business Strategy harmonizing and integrating diverse datasets into self-serve tools. The School developed interactive data dashboards designed to leverage evidence-based decision-making.
- In fulfilling the commitments identified in the 2023‒26 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service, the School witnessed significant increases in demand for the data literacy activities offered by the CSPS GC Data Community and the CSPS Digital Academy. Registration for the 8th annual GC Data Conference in February 2024 increased 23% over the previous year, reaching almost 10,000 participants. The 5 learning events that made up the Data for Impact Series demonstrate the practical implementation of the Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service and how organizations across government are supporting its 4 missions for action.
Common learning is accessible to all employees of the core public service
Results achieved
- The School's efforts to enhance the accessibility of learning opportunities directly support its mandate to equip public service employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their roles. By continuously exploring and implementing innovative learning solutions, the School is setting the standard for inclusive and accessible professional development within the public service.
- In 2023‒24, the School explored innovations in accessibility, including vision and audio enhancements, to ensure that all employees, clients, and learners have full access to and training in the use of information and communications tools and technologies. For example, the School:
- Reviewed the accessibility of learning products launched during the fiscal year as part of the quality assurance process and sent a selection of products to users with disabilities for usability testing.
- Used AI-generated video transcripts to streamline the process of making learning products accessible.
- Piloted a new interactive virtual instructor-led course format that can accommodate large numbers of participants (as many as 700 registered learners compared to the normal registration cap of 34) to ensure highly relevant training is available to public servants in a timely manner.
- Created innovative learning content in new formats to increase learner engagement and retention, including microlearning articles that offer point-in-time learning on key topics, multi-modal programs that apply learning to real-work scenarios, and video-based content.
- Applied innovative design methods, such as gamification and neurolearning approaches and scenario-based learning, to improve learner experience and learning outcomes.
- Employed an agile design process to enhance value for learners, while frequently iterating products to integrate tester feedback.
- The School launched a program for onboarding new course designers. This program ensures that they understand and apply adult learning principles to course design, and it includes a module dedicated to digital accessibility. All associated tools were updated to account for advancements in learning and digital accessibility.
- The School launched the Digital Accessibility Toolkit, in partnership with Shared Services Canada's Accessibility, Accommodation, and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT). Led by the Access Working Group under AAACT, this collaborative initiative involved multiple federal departments in promoting digital accessibility across the Government of Canada.
- The School took concrete action to address barriers to accessibility in response to commitments made in its recently published Accessibility Plan 2023−25. In alignment with these commitments, the School:
- Conducted accessibility monitoring and responded promptly to learner requests.
- Provided support to learners with disabilities by offering tailored assistance such as meeting accommodations and CART captioning for courses.
- Offered learning products in support of an accessibility-confident culture for all public servants, to raise awareness of barriers to accessibility and of how all employees benefit from inclusive and accessible workplaces and services.
- The School rigorously tested iterations of new courses among learners across the Government of Canada and shared the results of several of its pilot projects to communities of practice and external departments as relevant. The School continues to use insights gained from learner feedback and leverage its evolving data ecosystem to enhance and continuously improve course design.
- The School continues to evolve its digital learning environment via a user-centred approach that embeds digital accessibility at its core. Key deliverables include a new video-hosting solution that provides more playback options to users and improvements to its learning products in line with the adoption of the new Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- The School focused on modernizing its learning centres across Canada to enhance their accessibility and improve the in-person learning experience for public service employees, experimenting with new equipment and new learning methods such as hybrid learning.
Strengthened capacity across the core public service to use innovative approaches
Results achieved
- The School improved its operational efficiency by digitizing and automating back-office processes, integrating digital tools and streamlining operations to enhance service for employees and clients. The School also adopted a new virtual course-delivery model for instructor-led training.
- The School supported innovation and experimentation among public service employees through a suite of learning products covering the entire program, policy and service life cycle. Among other things, the School:
- Delivered a learning roadmap to direct learners to resources relevant to the policy life cycle and hosted the annual Policy Community Conference in November 2023.
- Launched a cloud-based portal that provides all public service employees with access to digital innovation experiments that they can explore and test. The portal allows users to share project resources such as prototypes, source code, datasets, dashboards, visuals, demonstration videos, reports, and results presentations.
- Delivered a variety of new learning products related to innovation, service design, evidence-informed decision-making, and human-centred design, among other topics.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 2: Snapshot of resources required for common public service learning
Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource |
Planned |
Actual |
| Spending |
59,560,910 |
68,650,218 |
| Full-time equivalents |
493 |
491 |
Complete financial and human resources information on the School's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government-wide priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
In partnership with Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the School has been developing and strengthening GBA Plus learning products, with the aim of increasing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in federal programs, services and policies.
The School collaborated with leading Canadian experts in developing content to advance GBA Plus through the enhanced application of intersectionality.
The School hosted two events as part of GBA Plus Awareness Week with over 2,200 participants, and continued to deliver targeted learning products such as the courses:
- Introduction to Gender-based Analysis Plus (17,209 registrations)
- Gender-based Analysis Plus: Applying Tools and Best Practices (277 registrations)
The School developed and delivered a virtual session, Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus): January 2024 Jumpstart Workshop, to the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto.
In 2023‒24, the School continued to apply the "Nothing Without Us" principle to the co-development of learning products and events. Intersectional analyses and other strategic and analytic lenses (climate lens, disability inclusion), including the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, were also considered in the development of learning products and events.
The School has developed policy tools for upholding and implementing the principles of GBA Plus and the "Nothing Without Us" approach through its participation in various initiatives. Among other things:
- One of the School's employees serves as its designated GBA Plus Focal Point by regularly participating in interdepartmental meetings
- Team members regularly take part in meetings of the interdepartmental community of practice on accessibility, to keep abreast of regulatory and policy changes in this area
While not directly linked to specific learning products, these activities contribute to creating policy tools that guide learning designers in their work and ensure that the principles inherent in these approaches are applied consistently.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
By offering learning material in support of climate action and sustainability in government operations, the School is contributing to the government's sustainable development priorities. This includes training for real property specialists on high-energy performance in federal buildings and courses to help achieve government operations that are net-zero, resilient and green.
More information on the School's contributions to Canada's Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Innovation
The School plays an important role in fostering a culture of innovation by promoting public management excellence, efficient business processes, and experimentation.
The launch of a chatbot in 2023‒24 marked a significant milestone in the School's commitment to exceptional client service. This innovative initiative challenged traditional approaches to managing client requests, while optimizing resource allocation and enhancing client satisfaction. Since its debut, the chatbot has successfully responded to 88.84% of inquiries without the assistance of a live agent.
The School took a number of other steps in 2023‒24 to promote innovation. For example, the School:
- Experimented with the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the delivery of learning products and events. The School explored the use of large language models (LLM) and prototyped an in-house LLM that functions as both chatbot and search engine.
- Continued to facilitate knowledge sharing through the Innovation Hubs and Labs network. In addition to showcasing best practices in government innovation labs, the School worked with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to provide feedback on a draft direction on innovation. The network was migrated to GC exchange, which increased its reach across the Government of Canada, and launched a living library, where innovators across the Government of Canada can connect to share experiences and best practices.
- Organized and held the first GC INNOVEX conference, attended by over 1,000 registrants. This half-day hybrid event included a workshop to showcase digital innovation projects across the federal public service and featured the Government of Canada Data Community (GCDC) Data Ecosystem Resource Directory (DERD).
Program inventory
Common public service learning is supported by the following program:
Additional information related to the program inventory for common public service learning is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
In this section
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- management and oversight services
- communications 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
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.
The School continued to transform its internal services. Work in 2023–24 focused on leveraging new technologies with the intention of making the majority of services available through new interactive client portals. For example, a new portal facilitates duty to accommodate requests by allowing employees to electronically request ergonomic assessments and specialized equipment. In addition to improving efficiency and transparency, this new client portal enables employees to monitor the status of their request in real-time.
The School continues to support a culture of inclusion by increasing efforts to recruit and retain persons with disabilities. Some of the steps taken in 2023–24 include:
- Ensuring that hiring practices are purposefully designed to eliminate barriers. The School introduced a new tool for mitigating biases and barriers in assessments and provided targeted training to all subdelegated hiring managers
- Incorporating the guidance and best practices of subject-matter experts on reducing barriers in the screening criteria identified on job posters
- Ensuring that selection committees are diverse and include board members who self-identify as persons with disabilities
The School continues to support the promotion of both official languages (OL). The CSPS OL Action Plan 2022–2025, published in the fall of 2022, highlights 12 actions that the School will undertake over 3 years to promote linguistic diversity in the workplace. A 13th action on the design and delivery of high‑quality learning products to support public servants in meeting their OL obligations was added to the plan in 2023.
The CSPS OL Action Plan is reviewed annually following consultations with key stakeholders. The first progress report, completed in September 2023, confirmed that actions were on track. Some key highlights for 2023‒24 include:
- Establishing an OL working group to identify key obstacles to creating French-language learning products, and to find ways of eliminating, or at least mitigating, these obstacles to ensure both official languages are considered equivalent
- Redesigning and updating learning products to support public servants following the modernization of the Official Languages Act (OLA)
- Offering second-language training and second-language maintenance activities to the School employees to support the acquisition and maintenance of both official languages
- Organizing and promoting various official languages activities such as an information session on the changes to the OLA, International Day of La Francophonie 2024, and Official Languages Day 2023
Resources required to achieve results
Table 3: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year
Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
Strengthened capacity across the core public service to use innovative approaches
| Resource |
Planned |
Actual |
| Spending |
19,853,637 |
26,126,943 |
| Full-time equivalents |
176 |
189 |
The complete financial and human resources information on the School's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.
Canada School of Public Service result for 2023‒24:
Table 4: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses¹
As shown in the Table 4, the School awarded 8.06% of the total value of all contracts to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year.
Contracting performance indicators 2023‒24 Results
| Contracting performance indicators |
2023‒24 Results |
| Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses² (A) |
$787,902 |
| Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non‑Indigenous businesses³ (B) |
$16,950,403 |
| Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C) |
$7,179,285 |
| Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [A / (B−C) × 100] |
8.06% |
-
¹ For the purposes of measuring performance against the minimum 5% target for FY 2023–24, the data in this table is based on how Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) defines "Indigenous business," which is one that is owned and operated by Elders, band and tribal councils; registered in the Indigenous Business Directory, or registered on a modern treaty beneficiary business list.
² Includes contract amendments with Indigenous businesses and contracts that were entered into with Indigenous businesses by means of acquisition cards above $10,000.00 ($10K) and may include subcontracts with Indigenous businesses. ³ Includes contract amendments and contracts that were entered into by means of acquisition cards above $10K.
The School manages an overarching procurement contract to support its learning delivery platform and to enable federal partners to leverage this contract for their learning platform needs. This multi-tenancy approach delivers important efficiencies for organizations onboarding to the by cutting down on procurement cycles, avoiding duplication of compliance work for cybersecurity, accessibility and official languages, and sharing best practices for configuration and deployment.
The total value of this procurement contract increases annually, based on the rate of onboarding of new partner organizations. For fiscal year 2023‒24, the total value was $7.1M, which included both the School’s learning platform requirements and those federal government organizations participating in the multi-tenancy program. Therefore, this contract has been excluded from the School’s total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses given that it includes values for services provided to other organizations.
A failure to exclude this contract from reporting would misrepresent the School’s departmental procurement activity and commitment to meeting its established Indigenous procurement target.
|
Spending and human resources
In this section
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.
Analysis of actual spending by core responsibility
For the core responsibility of common public service learning since 2022–23, the authorities used increased by $3.7 million or 5.8%. Of this increase, $7.4 million was related to retroactive salary payments following the signing of collective agreements, $1.7 million was for the acquisition of licenses for online learning products, $0.2 million for travel, and $0.1 million for the acquisition of machinery and equipment. This increase was offset by a decrease in spending of $2.0 million in professional services and a $3.7 million increase in the recovery of expenditures from other federal government organizations.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 5: Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 5 presents how much money the School spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibility and internal services |
2023–24 Main Estimates |
2023–24 total authorities available for use |
Actual spending over three years (authorities used) |
| Common public service learning |
59,560,910 |
79,277,143 |
• 2021–22: 59,595,861
• 2022–23: 64,915,499
• 2023–24: 68,650,218
|
| Subtotal |
59,560,910 |
79,277,143 |
• 2021–22: 59,595,861
• 2022–23: 64,915,499
• 2023–24: 68,650,218
|
| Internal services |
19,853,637 |
26,435,934 |
• 2021–22: 21,740,560
• 2022–23: 23,947,240
• 2023–24: 26,126,943
|
| Total |
79,414,547 |
105,713,077 |
• 2021–22: 81,336,421
• 2022–23: 88,862,739
• 2023–24: 94,777,161
|
Analysis of the past three years of spending
Compared to 2022‒23, the authorities used increased by $5.9 million or 6.7%. Of this increase, $9.3 million was related to retroactive salary payments following the signing of collective agreements and $2.9 million was for the acquisition of licenses for online learning products offset by a decrease in spending of $1.2 million in professional services, a $4.6 million increase in the recovery of expenditures from other federal government organizations, and a $0.5 million decrease in the acquisition of machinery and equipment.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 6: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 6 presents how much money the School plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibility and internal services |
2024‒25 planned spending |
2025‒26 planned spending |
2026‒27 planned spending |
| Common public service learning |
64,839,102 |
64,803,880 |
61,834,790 |
| Subtotal |
64,839,102 |
64,803,880 |
61,834,790 |
| Internal services |
23,981,585 |
23,968,558 |
22,870,402 |
| Total |
88,820,687 |
88,772,438 |
84,705,192 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
Planned spending will decrease by $1.5 million over the next three years due to the Refocusing Government Spending initiative and drop by a further $3.3 million related to the sunsetting of the Advanced Learning Program. The School will invest in its digital learning platform to ensure it remains modern, meets the needs and expectations of public service employees, and reflects governmental priorities.
More detailed financial information from previous years is available in the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department’s voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period
Graph 1 summarizes the department’s approved voted and statutory funding from 2021‒22 to 2026‒27.
Graph 1
Departmental spending broken down by statutory programs, voted and total amounts, is presented in a bar graph for fiscal years 2021–22 to 2026–27. The amounts are as follows:
| Fiscal year |
Total |
Voted |
Statutory |
| 2021‒22 |
$81,336,421 |
$64,740,705 |
$16,595,716 |
| 2022‒23 |
$88,862,739 |
$65,558,125 |
$23,304,614 |
| 2023‒24 |
$94,777,161 |
$73,086,025 |
$21,691,137 |
| 2024‒25 |
$88,820,687 |
$72,079,894 |
$16,740,793 |
| 2025‒26 |
$88,772,438 |
$72,047,867 |
$16,724,571 |
| 2026‒27 |
$84,705,192 |
$68,133,527 |
$16,571,665 |
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
The authorities used in fiscal year 2023‒24 amount to $94.8 million, which corresponds to $73.1 million in voted appropriations and $21.7 million in statutory funding. Spending under the statutory authorities consists of $10.8 million in revenue and $10.9 million for employee benefit plans. Of the $10.8 million in revenue, $3.2 million came from the current year and $7.6 million was carried forward from the previous fiscal year, under the provisions of section 18(2) of the Canada School of Public Service Act.
Compared to 2022‒23, the authorities used increased by $5.9 million or 6.7%, mostly due to an increase of $7.5 million in voted authorities related to collective agreement funds received, offset by a decrease of $1.6 million in statutory authorities, mainly attributable to a decrease in the use of the respendable revenues carried forward from the previous fiscal year.
For further information on the School's departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Financial statement highlights
The School's complete financial statements (unaudited or audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.
Table 7 Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited or audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)
Table 7 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
| Financial information |
Actual fiscal year (2023–24) |
Planned fiscal year (2023–24) |
Difference (actual minus planned) |
| Total expenses |
121,478,663 |
92,597,208 |
28,881,455 |
| Total revenues |
21,616,691 |
6,723,332 |
14,893,359 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
99,871,972 |
85,873,876 |
13,998,096 |
The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the School's Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.
Table 8 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
| Financial information |
Actual fiscal year (2023–24) |
Previous fiscal year (2022–23) |
Difference (2023‒24 minus 2022‒23) |
| Total expenses |
121,478,663 |
104,167,373 |
17,311,290 |
| Total revenues |
21,616,691 |
11,010,361 |
10,606,331 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
99,871,972 |
93,157,012 |
6,714,960 |
Table 9 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited or audited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars).
Table 9 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.
| Financial information |
Actual fiscal year (2023–24) |
Previous fiscal year (2022–23) |
Difference (2023–24 minus 2022–23) |
| Total net liabilities |
17,666,866 |
15,468,783 |
2,198,083 |
| Total net financial assets |
12,413,014 |
8,160,268 |
4,252,746 |
| Departmental net debt |
5,253,852 |
7,308,515 |
(2,054,663) |
| Total non-financial assets |
8,929,461 |
9,465,305 |
(535,844) |
| Departmental net financial position |
3,675,609 |
2,156,790 |
1,518,819 |
Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.
Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 10 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the School’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services |
2021–22 actual FTEs |
2022–23 actual FTEs |
2023–24 actual FTEs |
| Common public service learning |
493 |
512 |
491 |
| Subtotal |
493 |
512 |
491 |
| Internal services |
176 |
194 |
189 |
| Total |
669 |
706 |
680 |
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
The number of FTEs at the School increased in the period from 2021‒22 to 2022‒23 due to increased activities related to the School's learning curriculum, courses and new initiatives. However, starting in 2023‒24, the number of FTEs decreased due to the Refocusing Government Spending initiative.
Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 11 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the School’s core responsibility and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
| Core responsibilities and internal services |
2024–25 planned FTEs |
2025–26 planned FTEs |
2026–27 planned FTEs |
| Common public service learning |
497 |
495 |
487 |
| Subtotal |
497 |
495 |
487 |
| Internal services |
184 |
183 |
180 |
| Total |
681 |
678 |
667 |
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
As a result of the Refocusing Government Spending initiative and the accomplishment of operational efficiencies, the number of FTEs is expected to decrease between 2024‒25 and 2026‒27, and stabilize thereafter.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Appropriate minister: The Honourable Anita Anand, P.C., M.P., 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
Organizational contact information
Mailing address
Canada School of Public Service
373 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z2
Canada
Telephone: 1-866-703-9598
Fax: 1-866-944-0454
Email: https://www.csps-efpc.gc.ca/contact_us/inquiries-eng.aspx
Website: www.csps-efpc.gc.ca
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information table is available on the School's website:
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Definitions
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, departments 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 an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority (priorité)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. 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 quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its 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.
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. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of the number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to assess how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2022–23 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighting harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal departments 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 a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department 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 a department, program, policy, or initiative respecting expected results.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department 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 to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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 the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
result (résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program, or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the department’s influence.
Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)
For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
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.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that a department, 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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