ESDC - Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences
2014-2015
As required by the Treasury Board (TB) Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. It also provides the variance explanations from the previous fiscal year of these areas.
This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.
Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are directly related to supporting departmental mandates and the government's priorities.
ESDC's mission is to build a stronger and more competitive Canada, to support Canadians in making choices that help them live productive and rewarding lives and to improve Canadians' quality of life. The Department delivers a range of programs and services that affect Canadians throughout their lives through three business lines:
- Employment and Social Development;
- Labour Program; and
- Service Canada.
Included in its core roles are responsibilities for the design and delivery of some of the Government of Canada's most well-known programs and services, such as: Old Age Security; Canada Pension Plan; Employment Insurance; Canada Student Loans and Grants; the Canada Education Savings Program; National Child Benefit; Wage Earners Protection Program; and Passport Services.
The Labour Program is responsible for overseeing federal labour regulatory responsibilities, including facilitating compliance with occupational health and safety, labour standards and employment equity legislation, as well as assisting trade unions and employers in the negotiation of collective agreements and their renewal in federally regulated workplaces. The Labour Program also represents Canada in international labour organizations and negotiates and implements labour provisions in the context of trade liberalization initiatives.
Through Service Canada, the Department helps Canadians access departmental programs as well as other Government of Canada programs and services.
Finally, through grants and contributions, the Department provides funding to other levels of government and organizations within the voluntary and private sectors, educators and community organizations to support projects that meet the labour market and social development needs of Canadians.
For more information, please refer to the Report on Plans and Priorities 2014-2015 and the Departmental Performance Report 2014-2015.
Total annual expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences of ESDC are summarized below:
| Expenditure Category |
Expenditures for the year |
Expenditures for the previous year ending March 31, 2014 (in thousands of dollars) | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Travel - Public Servants |
$20,458 |
$22,334 |
($1,876) |
|
Travel - Non-Public Servants |
$2,061 |
$1,696 |
$365 |
|
Total Travel |
$22,519 |
$24,030 |
($1,511) |
|
Hospitality |
$218 |
$197 |
$21 |
|
Conference Fees |
$59 |
$42 |
$17 |
|
TOTAL |
$22,796 |
$24,269 |
($1,473) |
|
International Travel by Ministers and Ministers' Staff (also included in Travel - Non-Public Servant) 1 |
|
|
|
|
Minister of Employment and Social Development - Hon P. Poilievre (Feb 10, 2015 - Mar 31, 2015) |
$0.5 |
|
$0.5 |
|
Minister of Employment and Social Development - Hon J. Kenney (Jul 15, 2013 - Feb 9, 2015) |
$47.5 |
$55 |
($7.5) |
|
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development - Hon D. Finley (Apr 1, 2013 - Jul 14, 2013) |
|
$1 |
($1) |
|
Minister of Labour - Hon K. Leitch (Jul 15, 2013 - Mar 31, 2015) |
$53 |
$15 |
$38 |
|
Minister of Labour - Hon L. Raitt (Apr 1, 2013 - Jul 14, 2013) |
|
$17 |
($17) |
|
Ministers of State (Seniors) - Hon A. Wong (Apr 1, 2013 - Mar 31, 2015) |
$7 |
$58 |
($51) |
|
Minister of State (Social Development) - Hon C. Bergen (Jul 15, 2013 - Mar 31, 2015) |
$24 |
$8 |
$16 |
|
Total International Travel by Ministers and Ministers' Staff |
$132 |
$154 |
($22) |
|
1 Includes international travel that is part of a department's program. |
Significant variances compared to the previous fiscal year
The department is focussed on effective cost control and maximum value for money, as per the TB Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures.
TRAVEL:
A. Public Servants: Compared to fiscal year 2013-2014, departmental travel expenditures by public servants decreased 8% mainly due to:
- Using suitable alternatives and leveraging available technology, such as net meetings, video and teleconferencing, and on-line or other training tools to reduce and/or minimize travel costs.
B. Non-Public Servants: Compared to fiscal year 2013-2014, departmental travel expenditures by non-public servants increased 22% mainly due to:
- Increased consultation and engagement activities with non-public servants to help develop better, more informed and more effective policies and programs for Canadians.
- Changes to the Receiver General coding requirements that now isolate travel costs of contractors.
C. Minister and Minister’s Staff: Compared to fiscal 2013-2014, departmental international expenditures by the ministers and their staff decreased overall by 14% as a result of:
- Fewer travel requirements during fiscal year 2014-2015 compared to the previous fiscal year.
HOSPITALITY:
Compared to fiscal year 2013-2014, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by 11% due to:
- Increased costs in support of consultation and engagement activities.
CONFERENCE FEES:
Compared to fiscal year 2013-2014, departmental conference fees expenditures increased by 40% due to:
- An increase in conference participation.
In summary, by focussing on cost-effective measures and strengthening controls to increase accountability, the department has decreased its expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences by 6% overall.