Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Natural Resources Canada 2019 - 2020
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 Natural Resources Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020.
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:
NRCan works to improve the quality of life of Canadians by ensuring that our natural resources are developed sustainably, providing a source of jobs, prosperity and opportunity, while preserving our environment and respecting our communities and Indigenous peoples.
The Minister of Natural Resources has responsibilities in relation to more than 30 acts of Parliament. The Minister’s core powers, duties and functions are set forth in the Department of Natural Resources Act, the Resources and Technical Surveys Act, the Forestry Act, the Energy Efficiency Act and the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act. The Department also works in areas of shared responsibilities with provinces, which includes the environment, public safety, economic development, science and technology, and consultations with Indigenous peoples. To fulfil its responsibilities, the Department relies on a number of instruments (e.g. policy, regulation, statutory transfers, grants and contributions) and key activities (e.g. science and technology, partnerships and communications).
NRCan has offices and laboratories across the country. About one-third of our employees are located in the National Capital Region, with the remainder working in regional offices: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Western and Pacific Regions and Northern Canada.
For more information on the Department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.
Natural Resources Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2020
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2020 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2019 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$8,767.00 |
$9,438.00 |
-$671.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$2,606.00 |
$2,684.00 |
-$78.00 |
Internal governance |
$428.00 |
$382.00 |
$46.00 |
Training |
$965.00 |
$595.00 |
$370.00 |
Other |
$403.00 |
$728.00 |
-$325.00 |
| A. Total travel | $13,169.00 |
$13,827.00 |
-$658.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $503.00 |
$347.00 |
$156.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $485.00 |
$715.00 |
-$230.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $14,157.00 |
$14,889.00 |
-$732.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $19.00 |
$105.00 |
-$86.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental travel expenditures decreased by $658K. This decrease is mainly attributable to the scheduled conclusion of the Department’s flagship S&T Geoscience Programs, the Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Program – Phase 2, and the Targeted Geoscience Initiative – Phase 5 at the end of FY 2019-20. Consistent with normal program close-out, during FY 2019-20 the programs’ focus shifted away from the completion of travel-intensive, field-based data collection activities towards less travel-intensive, office-based data compilation and the production of synthesis scientific/outreach products.
The decrease is also attributable to the preparatory activities for the Clean Energy Ministerial event which occurred in 2018-19; to trips for auditing purposes in relation to the Hibernia Project, which were significantly reduced in 2019-20 given the transfer of responsibilities from NRCan to the Canada Development Investment Corporation; and to the completion of the Federal Infrastructure Initiative which did not require travel in 2019-20.
Furthermore, multiple domestic and international trips were cancelled due to the Covid-19 global pandemic resulting in the closure of the Polar Continental Shelf Program Resolute facility, the cancellation of the National Indigenous Forum and Hackathon, the WorldSummit Conference, and the China Mining Conference.
These decreases in travel were offset by an increase in spending mainly for the first full year of implementation of the In-Community capacity development program under the First Nation Land Management, and the commencement of the consultation process for the Nova Gas Transmission Limited 2021 Pipeline Project.
Hospitality:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by $156 thousand, mainly due to the hosting of the 2019-20 Clean Energy Ministerial program, for which NRCan was the secretariat and was responsible for the event costs, and the battery initiative events under the Impact Canada Initiative, which were intended to accelerate made-in-Canada battery innovation.
Conference fees:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental conference fee expenditures decreased by $230 thousand. This decrease is mainly due to the reclassification of expenditures related to the Department's Designated Science Conferences to "Training" during FY 2019-20, which were formerly reported as "Conferences" during FY 2018-19; this reclassification is consistent with direction provided by Treasury Board Secretariat. The decrease also results from conferences attended in 2018-19, such as E-Lecture conference series hosted by the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the Indigenous Workshop, that were not attended in 2019-20 as well as conferences cancelled due to COVID 19 in late 2019-20, such as Small Modular Reactors, Solar Canada 2019, Independent Electricity System Operator Summit, Smart Grid Canada, and Innovative Smart Grid Technologies. There was also decreased participation at the World Gas Conference.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental international travel expenditures by the Minister and his staff decreased by $86 thousand, due to the caretaker convention period which called for restraint in travel and other matters.