Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Employment and Social Development Canada 2016 - 2017
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Employment and Social Development Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
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; Temporary Foreign Workers Program; Wage Earner 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.
Employment and Social Development Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2017
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2017 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2016 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Public Servants |
$22,572.00 |
$20,508.00 |
$2,064.00 |
Non-public Servants |
$2,253.00 |
$2,482.00 |
$2,064.00 |
| A. Total travel | $24,825.00 |
$20,508.00 |
-$229.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $336.00 |
$203.00 |
$133.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $126.00 |
$125.00 |
$1.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $25,287.00 |
$23,318.00 |
$1,969.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $135.00 |
$14.20 |
$120.80 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Public Servants: 22572 Compared to fiscal year 2015/2016, departmental travel expenditures by public servants increased by 10.06% mainly due to: Roundtables as part of our Ministers' mandates; The increase work and travel that were required for the Temporary Foreign Worker, the International Mobility Program and the Budget 2016 initiatives; The closure of Churchill's port and the Fort McMurray fires.;
Non-Public Servants: 2253 Compared to fiscal year 2015/2016, department travel expenditures by non-public servants decreased by 9.21% mainly due to: Travel expenses incurred in 2015-16 included those that were related to a number of projects, some of which did not continue in 2016-17.
Hospitality:
Compared to fiscal year 2015-2016, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by 65.21% mainly due to: 2015-2016 being an election year, many initiatives were postponed to the following fiscal year. 2016-2017 saw an increase in the number of consultation and engagement with stakeholders, provinces, and National Indigenous Organizations (NIO) to support current government priorities.
Conference fees:
Compared to fiscal year 2015-2016, there was no significant variance in the departmental conference fees.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Compared to fiscal 2015-2016, departmental international expenditures by the Ministers and their staff increased by 866.38% mainly due to: Fiscal year 2015-2016 being an election year, most of the international travels were postponed. International travels for 2016-2017 increased by $121K due to an increase in the number of overseas trips to support current government mandates.