Question Period Note: Optimizing the Office Portfolio

Public Services and Procurement Canada will continue to provide sufficient, functional office space to accommodate federal public service employees while it optimizes the space under its responsibility and reduces operating costs.

• Reducing the size of our office portfolio by 50% will allow Public Services and Procurement Canada to reduce operating costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions and dispose of surplus properties for housing and other community needs
  • The Government of Canada’s shift to a hybrid work environment, combined with the government-wide plan to apply unassigned seating as the default, permits a more effective use of space
  • Public Services and Procurement Canada continues to work with other departments and agencies to provide sufficient, functional office space ensuring the delivery of their respective mandates and services continues with no impact to Canadians

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) regularly reviews its use of public funds to provide efficient work environments for federal public servants The funding announced in Budget 2024 will enable PSPC to plan and undertake strategic workplace enhancements, support the transition to unassigned workstations, and facilitate decommissioning activities and client moves into existing or new office space.

PSPC is responsible for making decisions about quality, quantity, and location of space, while also providing accommodation solutions that respond to federal public service employee requirements and ensure best value for money. We have already identified ways to optimize our leased and owned space, including by using shareable spaces and co-locating federal departments and agencies, and accelerating the disposal of surplus assets.

PSPC is currently working with federal departments and agencies to establish their long-term office accommodation plans to inform future plans. There is about the same amount of space available now as there was pre-pandemic and while portfolio reductions are currently being planned, they will occur over a period of 10 years.

PSPC works with Shared Services Canada to ensure that office spaces are equipped with the necessary tools for employees, including internet connectivity.

• Public Services and Procurement Canada administers 6.1 million square metres of office facilities and parliamentary office facilities, representing together 22.2% of the total floor area occupied by the Government of Canada
  • Public Services and Procurement Canada’s office space serves as the workspace for more than 300,000 federal public servants from over 100 departments and agencies
  • Over 50% of Public Services and Procurement Canada’s office portfolio is within the National Capital Region, with the remaining distributed across all other regions of Canada
  • Budget 2024 proposed to provide Public Services and Procurement Canada with $1.1 billion over 10 years to reduce the office portfolio by 50% to convert underused federal offices into homes or community facilities