Question Period Note: TBS’ Departmental Results Report 2024-25

What are the key takeaways from TBS’ Departmental results Report for the fiscal year 2024-25?

• The annual Department Results Reports outline the progress that departments and agencies have made on the objectives they set out in their Departmental Plans.
• As a central agency, TBS’ Departmental Results Report reflects activities and results from across government.
• In 2024-2025, The Departmental Results Report of 2024-25 for TBS shows where the department is making progress and where more work is needed, helping drive transparency and accountability across government.
• key targets were met in areas like performance measurement, diversity, and regulatory excellence.
• These are important foundations for a well-functioning public service.
• Where targets weren’t met, TBS is working with departments to improve service delivery; strengthen IT systems; support healthy, inclusive workplaces and enhance the regulatory system.
If pressed on the variance between planned spending and actual spending:
• The increase in actual spending compared to 2024-25 planned spending is largely due to higher public service insurance payments and statutory pension contributions.

The TBS 2024-2025 Departmental Plan outlined 6 departmental results with progress measured against those results through 12 performance indicators. All indicators have targets.
The 2024-2025 Departmental Results Report reports that:
• 5 of these indicators met their target:
o % of government programs that have suitable measures for tracking performance and informing decision-making
o % of employees who responded positively to “my department or agency implements activities and practices that support a diverse workforce”
o % of Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board outcomes that confirm that the Government of Canada is bargaining in good faith
o Ranking of Canada’s regulatory system by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for stakeholder engagement
o Ranking of Canada’s regulatory system by the OECD on Regulatory Impact Assessment

• 7 did not meet their target (for example, indicators related to service delivery and the health of government IT). TBS will work with departments to address these areas that are lagging – See Annex for details.
o % of high-volume Government of Canada services that meet service standards
o % of Government of Canada business applications assessed as healthy
o % of key financial management processes for which a system of internal controls has been established and that have reached the continuous monitoring stage
o % of employees who believe their workplace is psychologically healthy
o % of employees who indicate that their organization respects individual differences (for example, culture, workstyles and ideas)
o % of institutions where communications in designated bilingual offices nearly always occur in the official language chosen by the public
o Ranking of Canada’s regulatory system by the OECD for ex‑post evaluation
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) total actual spending was $11.036 billion and its total actual full-time equivalents was 2,442:
· $0.336 billion (3%) TBS Vote 1, Program expenditures
· $4.23 billion (38%) TBS Vote 20, Public Service Insurance, for which TBS is responsible as the employer of the core public administration
The variance between the 2024-25 planned spending of $9.344 billion and the actual spending of $11.036 billion is mainly attributable to a significant increase in spending on public service insurance payments. The increase also includes statutory payments for Public Service Pension Plan contributions to address an actuarial shortfall under the public service superannuation account.  

Annex – Details on Missed Targets
Administrative Leadership
Departmental Result: Government service delivery is digitally enabled and meets the needs of Canadians
Performance indicator: Percentage of high-volume Government of Canada services that meet service standards
Target: At least 80%
Date to Achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 60%
2023-2024 Actual Results: 55%
2024-2025 Actual results: 52%
Notes: Under the Policy on Service and Digital, reporting shifted from priority services to high volume services, defined as those with 45,000 or more transactions a year across all channels (e.g. passports, the Canada Child Benefit, various grants and benefits programs). This change, together with limitations in the current methodology, contributed to the decline in the percentage of services that meet service standards. However, across all services, individual service standards were met 73% of the time.

The target of 80% reflects Canadians’ expectations of simple, secure and efficient delivery of services and benefits. TBS is helping the government work toward meeting these expectations through the effective use of modern technology and data.
Departmental Result: Government service delivery is digitally enabled and meets the needs of Canadians
Performance indicator: Percentage of Government of Canada business applications assessed as healthy
Target: At least 40%
Date to Achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 38%
2023-2024 Actual Results: 35%
2024-2025 Actual results: 38%
Notes: The 2024-25 result shows that despite being below the target, the performance of this indicator improved by 3% from the previous year.

To continue to improve on this result, TBS will encourage departments to adopt good business management practices for information technology (IT). These practices include improving data collection and use to identify outdated technology and related costs, as well as continuing to validate all aspects of the digital landscape and different business needs in it.

Departmental Result: Government has good asset and financial management practices
Performance indicator: Percentage of key financial management processes for which a system of internal controls has been established and that have reached the continuous monitoring stage
Target: At least 100%
Date to Achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 65%
2023-2024 Actual Results: 93%
2024-2025 Actual results: 94%
Notes: In 2024–25, 94% of key financial management processes had a system of internal controls that was at the continuous monitoring stage, up from 93% in 2023–24.

Although the 100% target has not yet been reached, departments continue to strengthen and expand their control frameworks. They will need additional time to reach the ongoing monitoring stage. TBS will continue to support and track their progress.

Employer

Departmental Results: The public service has good people management practices
Performance Indicators: Percentage of employees who believe their workplace is psychologically healthy
Target: More than 68%
Date to achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 68%
2023-2024 Actual results: 68%
2024-2025 Actual results: 59%
Explanation if lower or not met: The 2024 survey result for this indicator declined to 59% from 68% in the 2022 survey. This decline underscores the need for sustained efforts by departments to implement practices and behaviours that lead to and maintain psychologically healthy and safe work environments. TBS is developing enterprise-wide guidance on effective practices and behaviours associated with psychologically healthy and safe work environments, which it plans to publish in 2026.

Departmental Results: The public service has good people management practices
Performance Indicators: Percentage of employees who indicate that their organization respects individual differences (for example, culture, work styles and ideas)
Target: At least 80%
Date to achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 75%
2023-2024 Actual results: 75%
2024-2025 Actual results: 69%
Explanation if lower or not met: The 2024 survey result for this indicator declined to 69% from 75% in the 2022 survey. This decline underscores the need for sustained efforts by departments to foster an inclusive culture that actively respects and values individual differences.

Departmental Results: The public service has good people management practices
Performance Indicators: Percentage of institutions where communications in designated bilingual offices nearly always occur in the official language chosen by the public
Target: At least 90%
Date to achieve target: March 2025
2022-2023 Actual results: 92%
2023-2024 Actual results: 87%
2024-2025 Actual results: 87%
Explanation if lower or not met: The decrease from 92% in 22-23 to 87% in 23-24 and 24-25 was reported after TBS, in accordance with its enhanced role in monitoring institutions under the modernized Official Languages Act, increased the level of scrutiny it applied to institutions by requiring more explanations or evidence, and some institutions’ assessments were below expectations.
To support a higher level of performance, TBS has coordinated information sessions with institutions that were required to submit a review of their official languages programs. These sessions took place early in the annual review exercise.

Regulatory Oversight

Departmental Results: The federal regulatory system protects and advances the public interest, including sustainable economic growth
Performance Indicators: Ranking of Canada’s regulatory system by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for ex‑post evaluation
Target: Rank in the top 5
Date to achieve target: December 2024
2022-2023 Actual results: 6th
2023-2024 Actual results: 6th
2024-2025 Actual results: 7th
Explanation if lower or not met: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Indicators of Regulatory Governance rank the ex-post evaluation practices of all 38 OECD member countries. Ex-post reviews support improved regulatory efficiency and is an important part of the regulatory lifecycle to ensure regulations continue to achieve their intended outcomes.
Although Canada did not meet its target of being in ranked in the top 5 for ex-post evaluation, it stayed in the top ten. The Government of Canada is taking proactive steps to improve its ranking and meet the target result by reviewing outdated or unnecessary rules to make sure all federal regulations continue to meet their intended goals while supporting the economy.