Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Natural Resource Science and Risk Mitigation

Description

Lead foundational science and share expertise for managing Canada’s natural resources, reducing the impacts of climate change and mitigating risks from natural disasters and explosives.

Planning highlights

NRCan is a science-based department. Across all of our Core Responsibilities combined, nearly half of our budget is devoted to science and close to 45% of our employees are scientists or technicians. We collaborate with other federal departments, provincial, territorial and local governments, Indigenous peoples, academic institutions, and industry to conduct research that generates knowledge, technologies and innovations which inform all of our Core Responsibilities. Our work delivers important benefits: it provides Canadians with cutting edge research to inform decisions on the management of natural resources; it gives communities the tools to protect Canadians from natural disasters and explosives; and, it provides communities and industries with the research they need to help them adapt to climate change.

Under our Core Responsibility for Natural Resource Science and Risk Mitigation, in 2018-19 NRCan’s science and technology will improve the management of natural and human-induced hazards and emergencies through several key initiatives.

To improve Canada’s ability to monitor for earthquakes nationwide and to issue faster, more robust notifications when earthquakes occur (thereby reducing earthquake damage and protecting lives and infrastructure), NRCan is completing enhancement of national earthquake monitoring infrastructure. Similarly, to help Canadians manage the risk of floods by predicting where they are most likely to occur, NRCan is developing and implementing new geospatial data techniques and technologies to address flood risks, and improving government emergency operational capabilities to support informed decision-making and investments to reduce the impacts of flooding in communities across Canada.

To prevent, mitigate, prepare for, and suppress the risk of wild fires, NRCan will work with provincial and territorial partners toward the implementation of the updated Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy. The department will build a science framework for the first comprehensive, national wildfire risk assessment. The department will also update and expand decision tools used by stakeholders to predict fire occurrence, behaviours and severity. To further ensure that the country’s forests remain healthy now and for generations to come, NRCan science will support forest managers’ efforts to slow the spread of Spruce Budworm, a pest with potentially devastating impacts.

Under the Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise program NRCan is working in partnership with the provinces to assist low capacity organisations to plan and deliver actions to adapt to climate change, and all funding will be fully committed in 2018-19. Project proponents will identify regional needs and establish targeted priorities for regional programming that may include support for internships, professional training, and opportunities for hand-on learning.

In the realm of human-induced hazards, NRCan will strengthen the security around the management and storage of explosives; specifically, awareness of and compliance with explosives regulations will be strengthened, explosives inspections and outreach will be increased, and the department will partner with the chemical industry and its distributors to mitigate risks due to explosives precursors.

NRCan has long been in the forefront of Arctic science, including the facilitation of logistics for Arctic researchers under the Polar Continental Shelf Program. In 2018-19, NRCan will complete Canada’s Arctic submission under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to delineate the limits of Canada’s extended continental shelf, the culmination of years of unprecedented collection and analysis of data and samples from the Arctic seabed. In addition, NRCan will collaborate with the Arctic Council of circumpolar nations and peoples on standards for Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure to help ensure accessible and reliable geographically-referenced data for monitoring, management, emergency preparedness and decision-making, including the integration of Indigenous science and knowledge. In an initiative which will encompass these, and other elements of NRCan’s current and historical research presence in the region, the department will ensure that its Arctic science informs and supports the Arctic Policy Framework to provide overarching direction to the Government of Canada's priorities, activities and investments in the Arctic, which is being co-developed in collaboration with Indigenous, territorial and provincial partners via Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Recent developments towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be a game changer for all economic sectors, including natural resources. In addition to helping develop AI-enabled solutions through its innovation programs, NRCan will engage with AI leaders in academia and industry to explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration.

In addition to these focused, 2018-19 science efforts, NRCan will also enhance sharing of the full breadth of its scientific knowledge, expertise and tools which inform sound decisions about the sustainable management of our natural resources. To protect the ability of NRCan scientists to publicly share their results, and in support of the mandate of Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, NRCan will develop a Science Integrity Policy.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results
Canadians have access to cutting-edge research to inform decisions on the management of natural resources	Number of times scientific products related to natural resources are accessed by Canadians	300,000 quarterly average	March 2019	286,276	329,008	349,171
	Percentage of environmental assessment processes for which NRCan provided scientific and technical expertise	100%	March 2019	99%	99%	95%
	Number of times stakeholders acknowledge using NRCan’s scientific and technical products in making their decisions	120 per year	March 2020	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of training and development initiatives that enable NRCan to incorporate Indigenous traditional knowledge in conjunction with NRCan science	Target to be determined by 2018-19 baseline*	March 2020	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Quality index of geographic and locational data on Canada’s land resources, water and infrastructure	Target to be determined by 2018-19 baseline*	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Communities and officials have the tools to safeguard Canadians from natural hazards and explosives	Percentage of hazardous natural events within Canada for which a notification was issued in a timely manner	75% (100% by March 2022)	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of enhanced wild fire monitoring tools using remotely sensed information	Target to be determined by 2018-19 baseline*	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Percentage of inspections of explosives rated safe **	70% (90% by March 2025)	March 2020	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Communities and industries are adapting to climate change	Percentage of Canadian communities and industries that have taken steps to adapt to climate change	60% for communities per year 40% for businesses per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of times NRCan products and expertise on adaptation are accessed by communities and industry	Target to be determined by 2018-19 baseline*	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*

*As per the Policy on Results, NRCan has established a new Departmental Results Framework to report its results starting in 2018-19. Under this new Framework, several indicators are new and historical information is not available.
** A rating of safe indicates no major or critical defects were found in the facility inspected. For all explosive inspections showing an imminent risk to safety, a follow-up on compliance is administered. Follow-up is done through ongoing communications with inspected facilities.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2018–19 Main Estimates	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending
$181,158,584	$181,158,584	$173,913,358	$156,496,673

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents
1,195	1,177	1,146

Innovative and Sustainable Natural Resources Development

Description

Lead the transformation to a low-carbon economy by improving the environmental performance of Canada’s natural resource sectors through innovation and sustainable development and use.

Planning highlights

Canada’s vast natural resource endowment creates billions of dollars in economic activity across the country. Competitive and low-carbon, environmentally sound development of our natural resources holds the potential for substantial economic growth and job creation in the coming years while reducing contributions to climate change .

Informed by 2017-18’s Generation Energy dialogue on Canada’s energy future and the Generation Energy Council’s advice and vision for the energy transition, which will be delivered to the Minister in the late spring of 2018, NRCan will pursue key activities in 2018-19 under the Canadian Energy Strategy - a key Minister of Natural Resources’ mandate letter commitment – and implement NRCan led initiatives under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This whole-of-government Framework – developed with the provinces and territories and through engagement with Indigenous peoples, for which the First Annual Report was delivered in late 2017 – aims to reduce emissions, build a thriving clean technology industry, and seize opportunities afforded by clean growth. With energy accounting for the majority of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, energy sector initiatives – including initiatives to improve energy efficiency across all resources sectors - will be key to meeting reduction targets.

Under the Green Infrastructure Program - which supports the Pan-Canadian Framework - NRCan will fund research, development, demonstration (RD&D) and deployment of clean energy infrastructure. This will include Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstrations of innovative charging infrastructure; Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment of chargers, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations; deployment of promising near-commercial Smart Grids; projects which support development of codes for retrofits and new net-zero Energy Efficient Buildings through Build Smart: Canada’s Buildings Strategy; projects to build the portfolio of Emerging Renewable Power; and, projects which support Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities by reducing reliance on diesel fuel.

Projects funded under NRCan’s Energy Innovation Program will also accelerate clean technology research and development, while the Clean Growth Program will fund RD&D projects in the energy, mining and forestry sectors, focused on reducing emissions of greenhouse gas and air-pollutants, minimizing landscape disturbances and improving waste management, as well as promoting the production and use of advanced materials and bioproducts, energy efficiency and productivity, and the reduction of water use and impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

The Clean Growth Hub, led jointly by NRCan and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, will support companies and stakeholders to navigate clean technology programming, coordinate programs to support a whole-of-government approach for clean technology projects, and advance efforts to report on the results of clean technology investments.

In collaboration with federal partners, NRCan will also support the Pan-Canadian Framework by contributing to the development of the Clean Fuel Standard and working to implement the Government’s carbon pollution pricing (with Environment and Climate Change Canada), as well as by providing federal leadership on Greening Government (in collaboration with the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada) and developing a National Strategy for Zero Emission Vehicles (in collaboration with Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada).

For the mining sector, NRCan’s Green Mining Initiative investment in collaborative research and development will promote technologies that increase productivity and energy efficiency, and reduce emissions, waste and water use.

For the forestry sector, NRCan will continue important research on cumulative effects of natural resources development and climate change on Canada’s boreal forest, their peoples and wildlife (e.g. caribou), in order to reduce impacts and develop solutions.

NRCan will also be active on the international front, as a lead department on the G7 theme of Working Together on Climate Change, Oceans and Clean Energy, one of the five themes under Canada’s G7 Presidency. NRCan will work to advance long-standing energy priorities - such as energy security and clean energy innovation with the G7 Energy Ministers. To support the overarching priorities of mainstreaming gender equality and increasing stakeholder engagement during Canada’s G7 Presidency, NRCan will organize outreach events to engage energy stakeholders - particularly women and youth - in a constructive dialogue around the G7 energy agenda. NRCan will assume a leadership role in the Mission Innovation Steering Committee in 2018, working with international partners to promote clean energy innovation on a global scale, and to ensure that clean technologies are widely affordable and drive economic growth. The clean energy technology programs described above are contributing to progress on Canada’s international Mission Innovation pledge to double the federal investment in clean energy research and development over five years. NRCan is making other notable Mission Innovation contributions including co-leading the Sustainable Biofuels and the Clean Energy Materials challenges. Further in 2018-19, NRCan will advance the work of the Clean Energy Ministerial - a global forum to promote policies and share best practices to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy - by leading the Energy Management Working Group, as well as co-leading initiatives for Women in Clean Energy and Electric Vehicles, plus proposed new initiatives on Nuclear Innovation, and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage.

Looking ahead to 2019-20, NRCan will host both the 4^th Mission Innovation and the 10th Clean Energy Ministerial events. These events will provide a prime opportunity to showcase leading-edge Canadian clean energy technologies and solutions on a world stage. NRCan will use its role as host to demonstrate Canada’s global leadership in the transition to clean energy, accelerate a low-carbon future through strong multilateral collaboration, and advance Canadian clean growth and climate change priorities through strengthened partnerships (e.g., provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, women and youth).

Together, these key initiatives to accelerate the development and adoption of clean technologies in Canada’s natural resource sectors, are delivering on the Minister of Natural Resources’ mandate letter commitment to make strategic investments in our clean technology sector thereby growing the clean technology sector’s contribution to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, creating more good-paying, middle class jobs and increasing the number of high-growth companies in Canada.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results
Natural resource sectors are innovative	Percentage of NRCan-funded innovation projects that result in new intellectual property, standards or regulations	5% of projects will have IP or an impact on codes, standards and regulations by project completion (typically 2-4 years)	March 2022	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Percentage of NRCan-funded clean energy innovation projects advancing along the innovation scale	50% of RD&D projects advance one level on the technological readiness scale by project completion (typically 3-4 years)	March 2022	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of NRCan-funded green mining technologies, including waste and water management, proven through demonstrations	7 technologies	March 2022	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of new forestry products developed that are informed by NRCan tools and knowledge	2 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Clean technologies and energy efficienciesenhance economic performance	Success of NRCan-funded clean technology demonstrations in terms of economic performance	50% success rate measured by project completion (typically 3-4 years)	March 2022	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Ratio of leveraged investments in energy innovation projects funded by NRCan	1:1 ratio of industry investment to government investment	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Total annual energy savings resulting from adoption of energy efficiency codes, standards and practices	Annual savings of 600 petajoules (PJ)	December 2029	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Canada’s natural resources are sustainable	Percentage of Canadian electricity generated from non-GHG emitting sources	90%	March 2030	80.3%	79.9%	80.8%
	Number of renewable energy projects in remote communities and off-grid industrial operations	50	December 2022	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Amount of wood harvested compared to the sustainable supply	Harvest is less than sustainable supply	March 2019	155 million m 3 total harvest versus total wood supply of 227 million m 3	161 million m 3 total harvest versus total wood supply of 226 million m 3	Not available*
	Change in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from NRCan-funded clean technology demonstrations demonstration	Clean Growth: 0.3 to 0.7 megatonnes in direct annual GHG reduction, dependent on projects received, success of projects and on-going operation at full production capacity by 2026. Energy Innovation Program: 4.25 megatonnes of direct annual GHG reductions and a combined total 10-16 megatonnes GHG direct and indirect reductions per year by 2030.	March 2026 March 2030	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of low-carbon recharging and refueling stations under development or completed	900 electric vehicle recharging stations, 15 natural gas and 12 hydrogen refueling stations	March 2026	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of policies and initiatives developed collaboratively with Indigenous groups and communities	7 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*

*As per the Policy on Results, NRCan has established a new Departmental Results Framework to report its results starting in 2018-19. Under this new Framework, several indicators are new and historical information is not available.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2018–19 Main Estimates	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending
$564,281,850	$564,281,850	$542,886,900	$497,257,660

Human resources

2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents
1,461	1,453	1,456

Globally Competitive Natural Resource Sectors

Description

Advance and promote market access, inclusiveness and competitiveness for Canada’s natural resource sectors, in support of jobs and economic growth.

Planning highlights

Canada is one of the world’s most attractive countries for investment in sustainable natural resources development. At the same time, the global environment remains complex, underscoring the importance of NRCan’s continuous efforts to promote trade and to support the competitiveness of Canada’s energy, mining and forestry sectors. With a prospective eye, NRCan is engaging Canadians in the future of our resource economy, working more inclusively with provinces and territories, Indigenous communities, businesses, other stakeholders and all Canadians to achieve key benefits that include enhancing the competitiveness of our natural resource sectors and improving Canada’s access to new and priority markets for our natural resources.

In 2018-19, NRCan will work to enhance the global competitiveness of Canada’s natural resource sectors through several key initiatives.

To enable the advancement of key projects that support economic growth and jobs for Canadians by restoring public confidence in environmental assessment processes, NRCan will support the Bill C-69 legislative processes towards the establishment of a new Canadian Energy Regulator and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. These actions will fulfill the Minister of Natural Resources’ two mandate letter commitments to modernize the National Energy Board to ensure it is more representative of Canada’s regions and diversity and that it has greater expertise to undertake its responsibilities in considering environmental science, the knowledge and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, and community development; and, to review Canada’s environmental assessment processes to ensure that these processes are fair, rely on scientific evidence, respect the rights of Indigenous peoples and protect the environment for generations to come.

NRCan will work with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and other federal partners to ensure the timely implementation of a suite of new regulations to accompany the Impact Assessment Act under Bill C-69. The department will engage its Atlantic joint management partners and the two Offshore Petroleum Boards to modernize the offshore regulatory regime; for example, through the Frontier and Offshore Regulatory Renewal Initiative and the Atlantic Occupational Health and Safety Initiative. These initiatives will provide certainty for investors and improve the overall competitiveness of Canada’s offshore sector.

Also in support of Bill C-69, NRCan will co-lead with Environment and Climate Change Canada on the delivery of an online Open Science and Data Platform which will improve access to scientific evidence used in decision-making on major projects such as pipelines and mines.

To help Canada’s natural resources reach new markets, and to promote economic growth and job creation, NRCan will provide robust support for moving forward on approved major projects, such as the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Trans Mountain Expansion projects, as well as recently approved projects such as the NGTL Towerbirch Expansion Project, Scotian Basin Exploration Drilling Project, Kemess Underground Gold/Copper Mine, Sisson Tungsten and Molybdenum Mine, and Murray River Coal. Further to a commitment made at Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference last year, NRCan has been working with the British Columbia Government and LNG sector to examine, and identify options to overcome, potential barriers to LNG development in Canada. LNG will play a key role in the global energy transition and offers significant opportunities to Indigenous peoples and local communities. Canada has the potential to produce and export the cleanest LNG in the world, which could grow the Canadian economy by over $7 billion per year.

Additionally, to create a business environment that fosters innovation, productivity and investment, and that responds to changing global market conditions, NRCan will work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous groups and industry to examine and address competitiveness issues in Canada’s natural resource sectors. For example, as a follow up to August 2017 discussions at the Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference, NRCan will work with stakeholders to examine competitiveness issues that impact Canada’s oil and gas sector to ensure Canada seizes opportunities for economic growth, clean technology innovation, and emissions reductions.

NRCan will provide key support to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for the Economic Strategy Tables initiative, a new model for industry-government collaboration, focused on turning Canadian economic strengths into global advantages. In particular, NRCan will engage closely with the Clean Technology and the Resources of the Future tables.

In forestry, the federal, provincial and territorial governments, and Indigenous partners will move into the implementation phase of the Forest Bioeconomy Framework for Canada, to move Canada towards global leadership in the use of forest bio-mass for advanced bioproducts and innovative energy solutions, recognizing that biomass is the only renewable source that can substitute the carbon from fossil fuels found in chemicals, plastics, and composites.

To help establish Canada as the world leader in sustainable mineral development and lay the foundation for lasting success at home and abroad, NRCan will lead the creation of a shared vision among federal, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples, industry and other partners through the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan. The shared vision of the Plan will be focused on ensuring the mining industry remains a significant contributor to prosperity for Canadians – providing jobs, supporting communities, and attracting investment.

To advance shared energy objectives in North America NRCan will work bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States and Mexico to promote energy trade and investment by facilitating cross-border infrastructure projects and improving transparency with additional energy data; to develop and diversify energy resources in a responsible manner, including in the areas of renewable energy and nuclear power; and, to enhance energy security, affordability, grid resiliency and reliability, including by focusing on cyber security. NRCan will also enhance cybersecurity of our critical energy infrastructure by working collaboratively with North American partners, other federal departments, and industry. These actions are contributing to the delivery of the Minister of Natural Resources’ mandate letter commitment to develop a North American clean energy and environment agreement.

Throughout 2017-2018, NRCan has been actively participating in NAFTA negotiations to ensure that the interests of its stakeholders are represented at the table and that trade continues to flow freely between our natural resources sectors. To date, negotiators have been successful at advancing our positions in several chapters and have reached a tentative agreement on an Energy Efficiency Performance Standards Annex. As we look forward to 2018-2019, NRCan will continue to advocate our positions during the renegotiation of NAFTA to support the integration and competitiveness of our North American energy sector and free trade of natural resources across our borders.

In 2018-19, NRCan will also work to enhance access to priority markets in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China and India: advancing the interests of Canada’s natural resource sectors, promoting commercial partnerships, and reinforcing the mutual benefits of natural resources trade. For example, NRCan will chair the Canada-China Ministerial Dialogue on Clean Energy, which will provide a forum to facilitate clean energy solutions and to expand our energy trade with China.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2014–15 Actual results	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results
Access to new and priority markets for Canada’s natural resources is enhanced	Canada’s share of U.S. and global imports of natural resources	Canada’s market share in the US = 24.4% of total US imports (in value) Canada’s market share in the World (non-US) = 1.2% of the total World imports (in value)	December 2018	26.2% (U.S) 1.2% (global imports)	25.1% (U.S) 1.3% (global imports)	23.8% (U.S) 1.4% (global imports)
	Number of Canadian-owned resource companies operating abroad	904 per year	December 2018	Not available*	904	Not available*
	Number of NRCan-led trade and promotion missions supporting the development or expansion of market access for natural resources	26 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Average number of companies, provinces/territories and Indigenous leaders participating in trade and promotion missions	Companies: 10 per year Provinces/ Territories: 2 per year Indigenous communities: 1 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Canadians are engaged in the future of the new and inclusive resource economy	Percentage of policy, regulatory and legislative changes with formal mechanisms for broad public engagement	70% per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of joint analytical products with provinces and territories	8 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
	Number of Indigenous groups and communities implicated in economic development projects	15 per year	March 2019	Not available*	Not available*	Not available*
Enhanced competitiveness of Canada’s natural resource sectors	Percentage of resource development project decisions on target as per timelines	100% per year	March 2019	100 %	100%	100%
	Number of times NRCan’s economic and investment data are accessed	32,000 quarterly average	March 2019	31,797	34,746	31,247

*As per the Policy on Results, NRCan has established a new Departmental Results Framework to report its results starting in 2018-19. Under this new Framework, several indicators are new and historical information is not available.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2018–19 Main Estimates	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending
$569,046,044	$569,046,044	$687,164,440	$524,385,298

Human resources (full-time equivalents )

2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents
343	324	255

Financial, human resources and performance information for NRCan’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2018–19 Main Estimates	2018–19 Planned spending	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending
$138,137,439	$138,137,439	$125,869,690	$123,668,933

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2018–19 Planned full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents
933	938	937

Planning highlights

NRCan’s Internal Services will continue efforts undertaken in 2017-18 to support the Department in advancing the Minister’s Mandate Letter commitments and Government of Canada priorities by supporting the delivery of the operational requirements. In addition to its core services to sectors, Corporate Services will enhance its monitoring and reporting capacity to equip Senior Management with better tools to delivery results to Canadians.

By providing corporate support, through internal monitoring and reporting, and using artificial intelligence and experimentation to make a link between strategy and operations, NRCan’s corporate services will ensure that programs are equipped with the tools required to deliver results to Canadians.

Open Government and Public Engagement

Information Management & Technology Transformation

NRCan, in partnership with Shared Services Canada is innovating its business practices to stay current in the fast-paced technology ecosystem. Stronger planning to develop information management and technology solutions will improve the way IMT services are delivered to support the Department.

Emergency Management & Cybersecurity

NRCan supports the Government of Canada’s national security agenda by providing scientific advice, guidance, and leadership to inform and protect Canadians when emergencies such as wildfires, flooding, and energy supply disruptions occur. NRCan is an active member of the security and emergency management community (in collaboration with Public Safety, Treasury Board Secretariat and other Federal partners). The Department consistently seeks to improve enhance its readiness to respond to natural disasters, therefore in 2018-19, NRCan will revisit its Emergency Procedures and implement a 3-year exercise schedule, testing and validation of its support functions.

NRCan will continue implementation of the Cyber Security Action Plan into 2018-19 which will prevent compromises to our system; detect areas of vulnerability; and respond to cyberattacks.

Federal Infrastructure Initiative

In 2018-19, NRCan will complete delivery of the 2016 Federal Infrastructure Initiative (FII). The purpose of this initiative was to modernize science and research facilities across various locations in Canada. Investments has focused on the residual capital betterments (e.g. deferred maintenance) and laboratory modernizations to recapitalize the Department’s long-term real property holdings and extend the useful life of assets. Through FII, we have invested in laboratory and facility space renovations; fume hoods and exhaust fans, and water systems; and site access and road improvements at fifteen facilities across Canada.

Workforce and Workplace

In 2018-19, NRCan will continue to foster a culture where mental health and wellness are supported in all aspects of the workplace through training, communication and engagement by continuing to implement its multi-year strategy and action plan on mental health and wellness in the workplace.

In addition, NRCan will enhance the Indigenous character of the department by supporting current Indigenous employees, actively promoting NRCan as an employer of choice for Indigenous peoples and advancing Indigenous priorities within the department through employee awareness and training.