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Departmental Plan 2019-20

The Honourable Karina Gould
Minister of Democratic Institutions

The Right Honourable David Johnston
Debates Commissioner

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (2019)
All rights reserved
All requests for permission to reproduce this document or any part thereof shall be addressed to the Leaders’ Debates Commission.
Cette publication est également disponible en français : Plan ministériel 2019-2020
CP1-27E-PDF
ISSN : 2562-4962

Table of contents

Debates Commissioner’s message

I am pleased to submit the Leaders’ Debates Commission’s Departmental Plan for 2019–2020. This Plan provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve.

The core of the mandate of the Commission is twofold.  First, to organize two leaders’ debates for the 2019 federal general election – one in each official language.  Second, to prepare a report to Parliament, following the 2019 debates, outlining findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to inform the potential creation of a more permanent Commission going forward.

In order to accomplish this mandate, we will focus on three key objectives: standing up the Commission; promoting awareness of and access to the debates that we organize; and preparing reports and analysis for future decision-making.  In so doing, we will be working to make these debates a more predictable, reliable, and stable element of federal election campaigns.

Our team is committed to the work we do and is excited to undertake the tasks ahead in the upcoming year.  We will be working to establish an open and transparent dialogue with political parties, stakeholders and media organizations to deliver the debates Canada deserves.  We recognize the essential role they play in exposing Canadians to a diversity of political views, including positions that do not always align with their own.

As Debates Commissioner, I firmly believe that the success of the 2019 leaders’ debates will rest on the ability of the Leaders’ Debates Commission to keep the public interest paramount, while remaining independent and non-partisan.  I invite you to read our Departmental Plan to learn more about how we will focus our energies and resources during the coming fiscal year.

Plans at a glance and operating context

Debates play an essential role in Canada’s democracy as one of the most important events in electoral campaigns.  They provide a unique opportunity for voters to observe, together on the same stage, the character, temperament, and unscripted approaches of leaders seeking to be Canada’s Prime Minister.

On October 30, 2018, the Government of Canada announced that it will establish an independent commission to organize leaders’ debatesEndnote i to be known as the Leaders’ Debates Commission (Commission), consisting of a:

  • Debates Commissioner: the director of the Commission who, in that capacity, conducts the ordinary business of the Commission, appoints the members of the Secretariat, and will provide a report to Parliament after the 2019 debates containing thorough advice with regards to the future of a Commission;
  • Advisory Board: selected by the Debates Commissioner, the Board will provide advice with the goal of ensuring that the organization of the leaders’ debates benefits from the expertise and experience of its members and that the leaders’ debates reflect the public interest;
  • Secretariat: responsible for all administrative support, financial monitoring, issues management, research and analysis, and parliamentary reporting.     

In making this announcement, the Minister of Democratic Institutions is fulfilling one of her mandate letter commitmentsEndnote ii by advancing the public interest and promoting the principles of independence, impartiality, credibility, democratic citizenship, civic education, inclusion and cost-effectiveness.

Throughout 2019–20, the Commission will work with other federal departments and stakeholders to leverage a variety of media so that leaders’ debates are broadcast or otherwise made available to Canadians,

including those with disabilities, those living in remote communities and those living in official language minority communities.

To accomplish its mandate in 2019–20, the Commission will focus on the following three key objectives:

Standing up the Leaders’ Debates Commission

Activities that will support this objective include:

  • selecting and establishing a seven-member Advisory Board to the Debates Commissioner;  
  • hiring employees to manage and implement Commission deliverables;  
  • engaging political parties, media, and civil society organizations; and
  • entering into contract for the production of the debates.

Promoting awareness of and access to the leaders’ debates

Activities that will support this objective include:

  • engaging with Canadians to raise awareness about when, where and how to access debates; and
  • providing the feed for the debates to Canadians, free of charge.

Preparing reports and analysis for decision-making

Activities that will support this objective include:

  • providing a report to Parliament outlining findings and lessons learned;  and
  • preparing a recommendation for the potential creation, in statute, of a more permanent Leaders’ Debates Commission, going forward.

For more information on the Commission’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.

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

Core Responsibilities

Organize Leaders’ Debates for Federal General Elections

Description

In 2019–20, the Commission will organize two leaders’ debates for the 2019 federal general election – one in each official language.  In order to execute its core responsibility, the Commission will apply mandated criteria to confirm the participation of eligible party leaders in leaders’ debates during general election periods, issue a call for proposals for debate production, that seeks to ensure that Canadians have access to these broadcasts, and communicate with Canadians to raise awareness of when, where and how debates can be accessed.

To that end, the Commission will work to make the debates a more predictable, reliable, and stable element of federal election campaigns.  The desired result is an open and transparent organization of leaders’ debates that reaches a broad cross-section of Canadians.

Planning highlights

Ensuring the leaders’ debates are available to all Canadians

The Commission will undertake an awareness raising campaign and outreach activities to ensure that Canadians know when, where and how to access the leaders’ debates.   Following the debates, the Commission will conduct an evidence-based assessment of the leaders’ debates that it has organized, including with respect to the number of persons to whom the debates were accessible and the number of persons who actually accessed them.

The Commission will ensure that the leaders’ debates are broadcast free of charge and otherwise made available in an accessible way to persons with disabilities.

The Commission will seek to ensure that the debates reach as many Canadians as possible, including those living in remote areas and those living in official language minority communities, through a variety of media and other fora.

Maintaining the highest standards for the leaders’ debates

The Commission will conduct any necessary research or rely on any applicable research to ensure that the leaders’ debates are of high quality.

The Commission will ensure that any reproduction of the leaders’ debates is subject to only the terms and conditions that are necessary to preserve the integrity of the debates.

The Commission will also provide advice and support in respect of other political debates related to the general election, including candidates’ debates, as the Debates Commissioner considers appropriate.

Risks

The Commission may find itself unable to execute its mandate in the time available prior to the 2019 election.  To mitigate this risk, the Government has provided research and background information to the Commission to allow it to begin its work immediately upon appointment of the Commissioner.  The Commission is also exploring options including working with existing departments for the provision of back office support (e.g., administration, finance, legal, procurement, security, and information technology) to allow the Commission to benefit from the targeted expertise of an existing department for specific services.

Planned results

The Commission is still in the process of finalizing its Departmental Results Framework. Therefore, there are no previous year’s actual results.  Indicators will be made available on the GC InfoBase website in the coming year.

Departmental Results Departmental Result Indicators Target Date to achieve target 2015–16 Actual results 2016–17 Actual results 2017–18 Actual results
Canadians are aware of and have access to debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission Number of Canadians who have access to debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission. The proportion of Canadians having access to debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission exceeds comparable figures from the previous election*. March 2020 N/A N/A N/A
Number of Canadians who view debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission The proportion of Canadians viewing the debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission exceeds comparable figures from the previous election*. March 2020 N/A N/A N/A

(*) Comparable figures to be determined and included in the Commission’s report to Parliament.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates 2019–20 Planned spending 2020–21 Planned spending 2021–22 Planned spending
4,629,699 4,629,699 0 0

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents 2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents 2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
6.1 0 0

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Commission’s Program Inventory will be made available on the GC InfoBase website in the coming year.

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 services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

  • Management and Oversight Services
  • Communications Services
  • Legal Services
  • Human Resources Management Services
  • Financial Management Services
  • Information Management Services
  • Information Technology Services
  • Real Property Management Services
  • Materiel Management Services
  • Acquisition Management Services

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates 2019–20 Planned spending 2020–21 Planned spending 2021–22 Planned spending
0 0 0 0

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents 2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents 2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
0 0 0
Planning highlights

Internal Services functions to be provided to the Commission by the Privy Council Office (PCO) through a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties covering the 2019–20 fiscal year.

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

  2016-17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Statutory 0$ 0$ 29,181$ 108,924$ 0$ 0$
Voted 0$ 0$ 257,949$ 108,924$ 0$ 0$
Total 0$ 0$ 287,130$ 4,629,699$ 0$ 0$

 

The Commission will be funded through existing resources approved under Budget 2018, which announced the Government’s intention to provide $5.5 million over two years, to be repeated every pre-election and election year, to support a new process that would ensure that federal leaders’ debates are organized in the public interest and improve Canadians’ knowledge of the parties, their leaders and their policy positions. 

Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services 2016–17 Expenditures 2017–18 Expenditures 2018–19 Forecast spending 2019–20 Main Estimates 2019–20 Planned spending 2020–21 Planned spending 2021–22 Planned spending
Organize Leaders’ Debates for Federal General Elections 0 0 287,130 4,629,699 4,629,699 0 0
Subtotal 0 0 287,130 4,629,699 4,629,699 0 0
Internal Services 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 287,130 4,629,699 4,629,699 0 0

Planned human resources

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services 2016–17 Actual full-time equivalents 2017–18 Actual full-time equivalent 2018–19 Forecast full-time equivalents 2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents 2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents 2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
Organize Leaders’ Debates for Federal General Elections 0 0 1 6 0 0
Subtotal 0 0 1 6 0 0
Internal Services 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 1 6 0 0

Estimates by vote

Information on the Commission’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2019–20 Main EstimatesEndnote iii.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Commission’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management. The forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis; as a result, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, will be available on the Commission’s website in the coming year.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the year ending March 31, 2020 (dollars)

Financial information 2018–19 Forecast results 2019–20 Planned results Difference (2019–20 Planned results minus 2018–19 Forecast results)
Total expenses 335,265 4,849,613 4,514,348
Total revenues (0) (0) (0)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 335,265 4,849,613 4,514,348

The net cost of operations before government funding and transfers for the 2019–20 Planned results is expected to increase by $4,514,348 when compared to the net cost of operations before government funding and transfers for the 2018–19 Forecast results.

This increase is mostly because the Commission becomes fully operational in 2019–20 compared to 2018–19.

Additional information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Karina Gould
Institutional head: The Right Honourable David Johnston, Debates Commissioner
Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Democratic Institutions
Enabling instrument: Order in Council 2018-1322
Year of incorporation / commencement: 2018

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” will be made available on the Commission’s website in the coming year.

Reporting framework

The Commission’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2019–20 are shown below.

Structure 2019–20 2018–19 Change Rationale for change
Core responsibility Organize Leaders’ Debates for federal general elections Organize Leaders’ Debates for federal general elections No change Not applicable
Program Leaders’ Debates Leaders’ Debates No change Not applicable

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the Commission’s Program Inventory will be made available on the GC InfoBase website in the coming year.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information table will be available on the Commission’s website in the coming year:

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax ExpendituresEndnote v. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

General Enquiries

As presented in the Government Electronic Directory Services.

Leaders’ Debates Commission
155 Queen Street
3rd floor – Suite 301
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A3
E-Mail: info@debates-debats.ca

Leaders’ Debates Commission website: www.debates-debats.ca 

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)
Any change that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.
Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.
Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
The department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
evaluation (évaluation)
In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.
experimentation (expérimentation)
Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.
full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
An analytical process used to help identify the potential impacts of policies, Programs and services on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. The “plus” acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2019–20 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, Program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
Performance Information Profile (profil de l’information sur le rendement)
The document that identifies the performance information for each Program from the Program Inventory.
performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)
The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

priority (priorité)
A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Departmental Results.
Program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
Program Inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s Core Responsibilities and Results.
result (résultat)
An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, Program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, Program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
sunset program (programme temporisé)
A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, Program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

Date modified: July 22, 2019

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