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2013-14 Departmental Performance Report

Section I: Organizational Expenditure Overview

Organizational Profile

Appropriate Minister: The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch

Institutional Head: Meena Ballantyne, Head of Agency

Ministerial Portfolio: Employment and Social Development Canada

Enabling Instrument: Order in Council (1976-779)

Year of Incorporation / Commencement: 1976

Organizational Context

Raison d’être

The Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women, known as Status of Women Canada (SWC), is a federal government agency that promotes equality between women and men in all aspects of Canadian life. The mandate of SWC is “to coordinate policy with respect to the status of women and administer related programs” (1976).

SWC is responsible for exercising leadership and working in partnership to promote and advance equality by: supporting community-based action and innovation that will lead to equality by helping to create conditions for success for women and girls in Canada; providing expert advice on gender equality and Gender-based Analysis in the development of effective programs, policies and legislation for all Canadians; promoting commemorative dates relating to women and girls in Canada; and supporting Canada’s efforts to meet international obligations.

SWC works to promote and advance equality for women and girls, focusing its efforts in three areas: improving women’s and girls’ economic security and prosperity; ending violence against women and girls; and supporting the advancement and increased representation of women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles. While SWC focuses on these three areas, the agency is able to address specific issues such as engaging men and boys in ending violence, increasing women’s participation in non-traditional industries and assisting women in rural and remote communities.

Responsibilities

SWC is the primary federal agency responsible for supporting the government’s commitment to advancing equality for women and girls. In fulfilling its mandate, the agency works with a wide range of organizations, building synergies with key stakeholders, collaborating with different levels of government and engaging the private and voluntary sectors.

SWC functions in a complex environment where issues affecting women and girls are constantly evolving as a result of demographic changes, technology, globalization and socio-economic factors. To bring about concrete results and enduring benefits for Canadians, the agency carries out its mandate strategically, working in partnerships, and ensuring its policy interventions and program investments are aligned with Government of Canada priorities.

In its policy function, SWC works as a knowledge broker and facilitator of women’s issues, offering advice and support, conducting analysis, providing input and making targeted interventions at both domestic and international levels.

SWC leads in building capacity across government in the integration of Gender-based Analysis (GBA), as a core competency and analytical tool to develop policies, programs and legislation adapted to the circumstances of diverse groups of women and men.

Through the Women’s Program, SWC provides financial and professional assistance to organizations that carry out projects that promote equality between women and men. SWC supports community-based action and innovation by investing resources where there is a clear potential for making a sustained difference in the lives of women and girls in Canada.

To raise awareness, SWC marks commemorative dates such as: International Women’s Day (March 8), Women’s History Month (October), the International Day of the Girl (October 11), Persons Day (October 18), the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6) and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

SWC’s three regional offices are located in Montréal (serving Quebec), Moncton (serving New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and Edmonton (serving Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Yukon). The National office, located in the National Capital Region, also serves Nunavut and Ontario.

Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture

1. Strategic Outcome: Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada

1.1 Program: Leadership, Expertise and Advice

1.2 Program: Advancing Equality for Women

Internal Services

Organizational Priorities

This table lists SWC’s priorities, the types of priorities, and shows the links of those priorities to the strategic outcome and programs. Under Summary of Progress, it explains how priorities were met.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Addressing violence against women and girls	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Programs 1.1 and 1.2.
Summary of Progress
In 2013-14, SWC explored promising approaches on the emerging issues pertaining to cyberviolence and online sexual exploitation and collaborated with key stakeholders to share knowledge and perspectives on these issues. SWC also developed various knowledge products on violence against women and girls, including six fact sheets on key findings from Measuring violence against women: Statistical trends and two on sexual violence against women in Canada. These reports can be found on SWC’s website (cfc-swc.gc.ca/initiatives/vaw-vff/kf-pc-eng.html) and (cfc-swc.gc.ca/violence/res-eng.html).As well, an electronic postcard campaign was used to reach out to wider audiences on this subject. (cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/idg-jif/index-eng.html). Through the Women’s Program, a call for proposals was launched, soliciting applications under two themes: cyberviolence, and sexual violence against women and girls. SWC supported 40 new community-based projects to address diverse issues relating to gender-based violence. For example, a project will build collaboration between family violence shelters and the local police service to develop protocols to better respond to the needs of victims of sexual assault.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Increasing representation of women in leadership roles	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Programs 1.1 and 1.2.
Summary of Progress
In 2013-14, SWC organized a Knowledge Exchange event on women in skilled professional trades and technical professions to build awareness regarding the need to increase women’s representation in these sectors. Building on the 2012 Economic Action Plan commitment, the Minister of Status of Women re-invigorated the Advisory Council on Women on Boards to report to her on best practices to increase women’s representation on public and private sector boards. The Women’s Program’s targeted calls for proposals allow SWC to invest strategically by funding ongoing and emerging priorities, for example, advancing women in skilled professional trades and technical professions and increasing women’s involvement as decision-makers in community-based organizations. Tools and promising practices designed specifically for women and community organizations working with women are being developed and shared across the country to ensure a sustained and concrete impact.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Strengthening implementation of GBA	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Program 1.1
Summary of Progress
In 2013-14, SWC continued to support the implementation of Gender-based Analysis (GBA), providing support to federal organizations through training, tools and networking events. The agency continued to expand the use of GBA by building new partnerships (in science and security sectors), and by engaging a wide range of functional communities (e.g. regulatory, research, program, evaluation).
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Empowering girls to realize their potential	Previously committed	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Program 1.1
Summary of Progress
On October 11, 2013, SWC marked the second annual International Day of the Girl, using the opportunity to raise awareness about girls’ rights and potential both domestically and internationally. To ensure that the civil society informs discussions at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), six young women from across Canada were part of Canada’s official delegation to UNCSW.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Modernizing programs and services	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Program 1.2
Summary of Progress
In 2013-14, SWC continued to take measures to modernize its programs and services by implementing systems that enhanced efficiency of internal and external processes. A second phase of an automated Grants and Contributions system was implemented to enable more efficient project monitoring and management. SWC also launched an online automated application system for recipients including an assessment tool for reviewers. The new system has improved the procedures, reducing processing time by up to two weeks, depending on the region. SWC surveyed external clients on the online application tool and 88.5% of clients indicated that they are satisfied or very satisfied with this tool. SWC began implementation of its knowledge management and dissemination strategy to strengthen its organizational capacity to share knowledge. In 2013-14, the Women’s Program started offering sessions for funded projects, allowing funded recipients and other stakeholders to exchange knowledge and expertise. For instance, SWC facilitated a session between stakeholders and Public Safety Canada to discuss how communities can address the issue of human trafficking within their boundaries.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and Programs
Engaging Canadians through Communication activities	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada Program 1.1
Summary of Progress
Canadian public awareness of the issues affecting women comes in part from social media. To expand the reach of such commemorative events as Women’s History Month and The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, SWC has created Twitter and YouTube platforms enabling it to reach new audiences. SWC also encouraged Canadians to promote the commemorative dates with its enhanced web content, for example, by publishing inspiring portraits of Canadian women who are pioneers in their fields. Over the last year, an electronic newsletter has been introduced and is being published bi-monthly. SWC is working with Regional Development Agencies across the country to expand its reach, align programs for greater impact and communicate projects/events. Approximately 60% of SWC-led initiatives were reported by local, regional and national media, informing Canadians about ongoing efforts to advance equality between women and men

Risk Analysis

SWC has a broad mandate that requires engaging citizens, collaborating with communities and leveraging partnerships with stakeholders in the public, private and voluntary sectors. SWC’s strategic outcome is, therefore, interdependent on the actions of diverse players. As the agency strives to deliver its mandate, this interdependence represents a key risk to the achievement of its desired outcomes. Moreover, due to its limited capacity and the ongoing demand for SWC’s program funding, policy intervention and communication activities represents a potential risk in that SWC may, at times, be perceived as insufficiently responsive to the expectations of stakeholders. In 2013-14, SWC implemented its updated Corporate Risk Profile, identifying key risks with the greatest likelihood and impact and response strategies, sufficiently robust to mitigate potential consequences, as highlighted below:

This table lists SWC’s risks, the Risk Response Strategy, and links the risks with SWC’s Program Alignment Architecture.

Key Risks
Risk	Risk Response Strategy	Link to Program Alignment Architecture
SWC’s outcomes are interdependent on the actions of other stakeholders.	*SWC Messaging:* The focus of SWC’s communication strategy is to raise awareness of the barriers and opportunities facing women and of the shared responsibility to advance gender equality. Community Action and Engagement: SWC programming is focused on engaging communities to achieve concrete results that help advance gender equality in a sustained manner. *Knowledge Sharing:* SWC focuses on strategies that complement and leverage collaborative efforts and ensures that best practices are shared across the country.	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Given its broad mandate and the range of demand for its program and policy interventions, SWC may be perceived as not meeting/responding to stakeholder expectations	*Area of Focus:* To respond to stakeholder expectations and to bring about meaningful results, SWC has identified three areas of focus that are aligned with government priorities: improving women’s economic security and prosperity, ending violence against women and girls, and supporting the advancement and increased representation of women in leadership and decision-making roles. *Outreach Strategy:* SWC’s outreach efforts with communities and organizations are designed to communicate the agency’s strategic direction, areas of focus, current priorities and program guidelines. *Decision-Making Processes:* SWC has instituted processes and practices that maximize the efficiency of its programming, policy and communication levers. *Strategic Investment/Intervention:* To remain relevant, effective and efficient, SWC leverages partnerships and builds synergies with other organizations in developing and delivering its interventions.	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada

Actual Expenditures

This financial resources table summarizes, in dollars, SWC’s: total budgetary expenditures (as set out in the Main Estimates), planned spending, total authorities available for use, actual spending, and the difference between planned and actual spending for fiscal year 2013-14.

Budgetary Financial Resources (dollars)
2013–14 Main Estimates	2013–14 Planned Spending	2013–14 Total Authorities Available for Use	2013–14 Actual Spending (authorities used)	Difference (actual minus planned)
29,617,167*	29,617,167	31,986,921	31,422,283	1,805,116

*The total Main Estimates for 2013-14 includes a total of $19,033,333 of program funding (Grants and Contribution).

This human resources table summarizes, in Full Time Equivalents, SWC’s planned and actual staffing, and the difference between them, for the year 2013-14.

Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents [FTEs])
2013–14 Planned	2013–14 Actual	2013–14 Difference (actual minus planned)
96	96	0

The Performance Summary Table provides budgetary information, in dollars, for the whole agency. Information is provided for the two programs under Strategic Outcome 1, as well as for Internal Services, and is presented as follows: Main estimates for 2013-14, planned spending for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, total authorities available for use for 2013-14, and actual spending (authorities used) for 2013-14, 2012-13 and 2011-12.

Budgetary Performance Summary for Strategic Outcome and Programs (dollars)
Strategic Outcome, Programs and Internal Services	2013–14 Main Estimates	2013–14 Planned Spending	2014–15 Planned Spending	2015–16 Planned Spending	2013–14 Total Authorities Available for Use	2013–14 Actual Spending (authorities used)	2012–13 Actual Spending (authorities used)	2011–12 Actual Spending (authorities used)
Strategic Outcome 1: Equality between Women and Men is Promoted and Advanced in Canada
Leadership, Expertise and Advice	2,135,462	2,135,462	2,150,208	2,150,208	2,177,213	2,189,159
Advancing Equality for Women	24,286,364	24,286,364	24,300,153	24,216,820	24,369,664	22,750,591
Subtotal	26,421,826	26,421,826	26,450,361	26,367,028	26,546,877	24,939,750	24,607,197	23,558,815
Internal Services Subtotal	3,195,341	3,195,341	3,207,353	3,207,353	5,440,044	6,482,533	5,120,989	5,876,011
Total	29,617,167	29,617,167	29,657,714	29,574,381	31,986,921	31,422,283	29,728,186	29,434,826

In 2013-14, the total authorities allocated to SWC by Parliament were $31,986,921 and Actual Spending was $31,422,283, $564,638 less than the total Authorities. Of the total authorities allocated to SWC, $29,617,167 was received through the Main Estimates and $2,369,754 through Supplementary Estimates. SWC received funds for the headquarters’ relocation ($1,600,000), the reduction in accommodation ($208,350) and various transfers ($561,404) from Treasury Board Secretarial Central Votes, such as carry-forward of the previous operating budget.

SWC received $1,600,000 through the Supplementary Estimates (B) exercise to fund the majority of costs associated with the relocation. The funding is a multi-year loan to be repaid over the next eight years at $200,000 per year, starting 2014-15. The reduced costs of office space and the resulting increase to SWC’s base budget by $208,350 will offset the cost of repaying the loan over the next eight years.

Alignment of Spending With the Whole-of-Government Framework

The alignment of spending with the Whole of Government Framework is presented in two tables.

The first table shows, in dollars, the alignment of 2013-14 actual spending with the Whole of Government Framework. The table links the two programs under Strategic Outcome 1 with the corresponding spending area, Government of Canada outcome, and actual spending on the program in 2013-14.

The second table shows the total spending by spending area in dollars. It provides the total planned and actual spending for each spending area in dollars (i.e. economic affairs and government affairs).

Alignment of 2013-14 Actual Spending With the Whole-of-Government Framework^{Endnote i} (dollars)
Strategic Outcome	Program	Spending Area	Government of Canada Outcome	2013-14 Actual Spending
1. Equality between Women and Men is Promoted and Advanced in Canada	1.1 Leadership Expertise and Advice	Government Affairs	A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government	2,189,159
	1.2 Advancing Equality for Women	Economic Affairs	Income security and employment for Canadians	22,750,591

Total Spending by Spending Area (dollars)
Spending Area	Total Planned Spending	Total Actual Spending
Economic Affairs	24,286,364	22,750,591
Government Affairs	2,135,462	2,189,159

Departmental Spending Trend

This graph shows, in dollars, the departmental spending trend.

Departmental Spending Trend Graph
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Total Spending	29434826	29728186	31422283	29657714	29574381	29520397

	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Sunset Programs	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total Spending	29,434,826	29,728,186	31,422,283	29,657,714	29,574,381	29,520,397

In 2013-14, SWC spent a total of $31,422,283 ($19,033,333 in grants and contributions) to carry out its programs, achieve expected results and advance its strategic outcome. The increase in spending for 2013-14 is mainly due to the relocation of the headquarters.

The amount shown for the period 2011-12 to 2013-14 represents SWC’s actual spending and that for 2014-15 to 2016-17 is SWC’s planned spending.

Estimates by Vote

For information on SWC’s organizational Votes and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2014 on the Public Works and Government Services Canada website.