Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Fisheries and Oceans 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 Fisheries and Oceans 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:
Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conference fees incurred by federal departments and agencies are related to activities that support a departmental or agency mandate and the government’s priorities. In particular, for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, this includes playing the lead role in managing Canada’s fisheries and safeguarding its waters, ensuring safe, healthy, and productive waters and aquatic ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.
Fisheries and Oceans 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 |
$47,435.00 |
$40,502.00 |
$6,933.00 |
Non-public Servants |
$1,830.00 |
$1,501.00 |
$6,933.00 |
| A. Total travel | $49,265.00 |
$40,502.00 |
$329.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $281.00 |
$193.00 |
$88.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $314.00 |
$223.00 |
$91.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $49,860.00 |
$42,419.00 |
$7,441.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $32.00 |
$8.00 |
$24.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Public Servants: 47435 Compared to fiscal year 2015-2016, total departmental travel expenditures increased by $7,262,000 or 17% mainly due to increased core mandate activities in support of program delivery. The increase in travel expenditures can be explained by an expansion of activities and events in support of programs, such as participation by department’s officials at a number of consultation meetings and conferences regarding key departmental priorities, including Ocean Protection Plan (OPP), Marine Conservation Targets (MCT), National Fisheries Intelligence Service (NFIS) project, Science Renewal project, Fisheries Protection Program (FPP), and amendment to the Fisheries Act. In addition, there was a significant increase in department-wide training requiring travel, in particular, the Officer Cadet Training Program, the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) cyclical recertification, and the implementation of Information Management System GCDocs. Total travel expenditures as a percentage of department’s total budget was unchanged at 1.8% from 2015-2016 to 2016-2017. ;
Non-Public Servants: 1830
Hospitality:
Compared to fiscal year 2015-2016, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by $88,000 primarily due to more frequent consultation meetings resulted from a number of new projects, especially related to the Ocean and Freshwater Science Contribution Program (OFSCP), Science Renewal, the Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR); the hosting of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum; and, an increase in the number of public open houses.
Conference fees:
Compared to fiscal year 2015-2016, departmental conference fees expenditures increased by $91,000 mainly due to the hosting of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum; an increase in the number of new staff attending several events mainly related to Marine Conservation Target (MCT) to 2020, Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), and Marine Protected Areas (MPA); and an influx of new staff to deal with significant program changes and expansions as a reflection of the government’s reinvestment in science.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
In 2016-2017, international travel expenditures by Minister and Minister’s staff were $32,000 which is consistent with prior years, except in 2015-2016 where travel expenditures were slightly lower.