Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Veterans Affairs 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 Veterans Affairs 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:
Veterans Affairs Canada exists to repay the nation's debt of gratitude toward those whose courageous efforts have given us this legacy, and have contributed to our growth as a nation. VAC's mandate stems from laws and regulations. Among the more significant is the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, which charges the Minister of Veterans Affairs with the following responsibilities: "...the care, treatment, or re-establishment in civil life of any person who served in the Canadian Forces or merchant navy or in the naval, army or air forces or merchant navies of Her Majesty, of any person who has otherwise engaged in pursuits relating to war, and of any other person designated ... and the care of the dependants or survivors of any person referred to ..." Further detailed information on VAC’s mandate, priorities, and program activities can be found in the Departmental Results Report and the Departmental Plan at: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-us/reports.
Veterans Affairs 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 |
$35,344.00 |
$35,153.00 |
$191.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$191.00 |
$195.00 |
-$4.00 |
Internal governance |
$212.00 |
$482.00 |
-$270.00 |
Training |
$3,749.00 |
$4,671.00 |
-$922.00 |
Other |
$21.00 |
$30.00 |
-$9.00 |
| A. Total travel | $39,517.00 |
$40,531.00 |
-$1,014.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $193.00 |
$153.00 |
$40.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $90.00 |
$103.00 |
-$13.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $39,800.00 |
$40,787.00 |
-$987.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $24.00 |
$66.00 |
-$42.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Ongoing management oversight in conjunction with control mechanisms are utilized to ensure the above-noted expenses are managed in an effective, efficient and economical manner. Although overall travel, hospitality, and conference expenditures have decreased by just over 2% for this fiscal year 2019-20, the Department continues to have significant expenditures that are primarily attributable to the legislative requirement to reimburse Veterans for their travel costs incurred to attend medical appointments or assessments in support of their benefits. These expenditures are in-line with the increased program expenditures for Veterans health-related services. Additionally, over the past two fiscal years, the Department has experienced an increased need for spending on travel, hospitality, and conferences in order to effectively operationalize the Department’s mandate, and to implement the Pension for Life suite of programs, which came into effect on April 1, 2019.
The Department’s travel is made up primarily of Veterans health related travel, as well as operational travel consisting of Veteran visits, supporting commemoration ceremonies, and attending job related training and meetings.
Compared to fiscal year 2018-19, total departmental travel expenditures decreased by almost 3% overall for 2019-20, with approximately $1.0M less in total travel expenditures. Operational travel comprised the only increase for the Department, as it increased by $191,000 over the previous fiscal year, primarily due to increased expenditures in airfare.
Aside from operational travel, all other aspects of travel decreased throughout the fiscal year. Most significantly, travel for training decreased by $922,000, related to Pension for Life training, which accounts for the majority of the $1.0M decrease in overall travel expenditures. 19-20 travel has returned to similar historical levels after an increased amount of travel in 18-19 related to Pension for Life training.
Hospitality:
In comparison to fiscal year 2018-19, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by $40,000 overall. The most significant increase to hospitality in 19-20 was expenditures of $25K for D-Day 75th Anniversary. In addition to commemorative events, over $7,000 in hospitality expenditures were attributable to events held across the country related to the implementation of the Pension for Life suite of programs. An additional $16,000 of hospitality expenditures were incurred as the result of stakeholder meetings.
Conference fees:
Compared to last year’s report, departmental conference fee expenditures decreased by $13,000 in 2019-20. The largest expenditures were professional development conferences for Health Professionals within the Department, totalling almost $38,000. These conference expenditures are primarily attributed to the number of Health Professionals in the Department who are pursuing their continuing education credits.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Compared to fiscal year 2018-19, departmental expenditures for international travel by the Minister and Minister’s Staff decreased by $42,000. International travel expenditures for the Minister and Minister’s Staff included attending the 75th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign Delegation, a mission to France and Rome, as well as attending government meetings that were held in Washington DC, United States.