Core responsibilities

Statistical Information

Description

Statistics Canada produces objective, high-quality statistical information for the whole of Canada. The statistical information produced relates to the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic, environmental and general activities and conditions of the people of Canada.

Results

Canadians made it clear that relevant, timely and high-quality data are essential to the country's pandemic response and recovery. Statistics Canada responded to the urgent demand for relevant and trustworthy data by adapting its programs to deliver timely data-driven insights that tracked the social, economic and health impacts of COVID-19 on all population groups, particularly vulnerable groups. These data-driven insights guide leaders as they evaluate policy and program options to help Canada chart a path to recovery.

The modernization work the agency has achieved over the last few years has empowered the agency to transform with purpose. As Statistics Canada continued its modernization journey, the agency redoubled its attention to the following five modernization principles:

• delivering user-centric products and services
• using leading-edge methods
• collaborating and engaging with partners
• building statistical capacity and fostering data literacy
• building an agile workforce and culture.

Delivering user-centric products and services

To diversify the ways it reaches Canadians and to ensure that more Canadians have the information they need, when they need it and in the formats they need it, Statistics Canada developed innovative ways to ensure that data are easier for Canadians to find, share and use, by

• diversifying the formats of products and services
• expanding subject-matter portals and web data services
• enhancing the virtual platform for data scientists and researchers
• customizing client products and services
• strengthening data access for researchers
• redesigning the Trust Centre.

Diversifying formats of products and services

To ensure that statistical information reaches more Canadians and that they can better understand the data, the agency disseminates its products in various media.

• 
  The agency launched Eh Sayers, a new podcast series dedicated to meeting the people behind the data and exploring the stories behind the numbers. The first episode was shared in November 2021. Eh Sayers was the top government podcast in Canada on Apple Podcasts for its initial releases, was mentioned by Maclean's magazine and was lauded by CBC News reporter Peter Armstrong in his Mind Your Business newsletter.
• Statistics Canada launched a visually rich version of The Daily, its official release bulletin. Over 3.3 million visits were recorded in 2021‒22, surpassing the nearly 3 million visits registered in the first year of the pandemic.
• 
  The agency successfully launched its second official release vehicle, StatsCAN Plus, in November 2021 to keep up with today's fast-paced news world and to tell its data stories and communicate with Canadians throughout the day.
• The agency has also been working to better relate inflation measures to the personal inflation experiences of Canadians. For example, the Personal Inflation Calculator—an interactive web-based application that allows Canadians to create a personal inflation time series and compare inflation estimates over time in selected geographies—was launched in 2021.
• Statistics Canada introduced mobile applications to its line of products. In January 2022, the Vitali-T-Stat mobile application was launched to collect data for the Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being. This new application invited respondents to access the agency's secure survey collection infrastructure to complete the pilot study. This project helped determine that a mobile application could be used to collect data from, and connect with, Canadians on their mobile devices. Shortly after, the StatsCAN mobile application was launched. Focusing on data, the application allows Canadians to tap into expert analysis, fun facts, visuals, short stories and insight that bring together data, tools and articles.

Expanding subject-matter portals and web data services

To modernize its website, Statistics Canada created several portals to provide access to topic-specific data.

• The Accessibility Data Hub was launched in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in June 2021 to provide users with a single point of access for data tables, analytical articles and infographics related to accessibility.
• The new Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub was developed to monitor and report on indicators included in the Gender Results Framework, a framework that represents the Government of Canada's vision for gender equality in Canada. It includes data and analyses on gender and LGBTQ2+ communities.
• The Canadian Centre for Energy Information web portal currently provides links to over 750 energy information products from more than 100 governmental and non-governmental sources.
• The improved Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub, launched in December 2021, contains more information on diverse population groups in Canada. It also includes links to other relevant Statistics Canada hubs and data portals and is a designated space for information and releases related to Statistics Canada's Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP).

Statistics Canada continues to update its Housing Statistics Portal in response to the growing demand for consolidated housing information. With improved access to a variety of housing data, the portal facilitates collaboration between users and data providers and features links to over 700 data products. The Canadian Housing Statistics Program data tables currently contain 68 million estimates that are expanded and updated each year.

Enhancing the virtual platform for data scientists and researchers

Customizing client products and services

• To meet the information needs of Canadians in general, and policy makers in particular, Statistics Canada continued to publish high-quality, timely analysis on various issues that affect the lives of Canadians in Insights on Canadian Society (ICS). The publication disseminated 13 research articles in 2021‒22, including the first ICS "light" article on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian seniors.
• Statistics Canada continued to advance the transformation of its Client Relationship Management (CRM) Program, which supports the agency's commitment to become a more client-centric organization. The CRM Program places the client experience front and centre of the agency's business model, prioritizes the client experience at all touchpoints of the customer journey and helps provide seamless access to products and services through a consistent, cross-functional and horizontal approach.

Strengthening data access for researchers

Researchers and academics require access to microdata to conduct their work. All microdata are non-aggregated, carefully modified and reviewed to ensure no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified.

• The Virtual Data Lab was launched in October 2021 to strengthen Statistics Canada's continuum of access to microdata to meet the needs of researchers and academics while providing robust data protection. The platform allows researchers to access information remotely within a secure environment.
• Throughout the year, the agency strengthened the research ecosystem through its close partnerships with the Canadian Research Data Centres Network, member universities and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.
• The agency leveraged its infrastructure to expand its services to research communities through its research data centres and Federal Research Data Centre, reaching new records of monthly researchers in 2021‒22.

Redesigning the Trust Centre

• The agency redesigned its Trust Centre to provide a platform for ongoing dialogue and transparency with Canadians about how Statistics Canada collects and uses data for public benefit. By the end of 2021‒22, the site had already generated over 37,000 visits, marking a 25% year-over-year increase.

Using leading-edge methods: The impact of COVID-19

Canadians need timely and accurate data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision making, particularly in critical times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency responded to the increased demands created by the pandemic by providing more timely data and real-time analysis of trends. Data collection in the following areas is leading to greater insights on the impact of the pandemic on Canadians:

• disaggregated socioeconomic factors
• the economic impact of COVID-19 and the road to recovery
• gaps in public health
• the 2021 Census Program.

Disaggregated socioeconomic factors

• 

  Announced in Budget 2021, the Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP) will help achieve a more equitable Canada through more representative data collection methods, enhanced statistics on diverse populations that allow intersectional analyses, and support of government and societal efforts to address known inequalities. This initiative will bring considerations of fairness and inclusion into decision making.
  • Within the first year of the DDAP, key statistical programs such as the Labour Force Survey, the Canadian Community Health Survey, the General Social Survey and the new Canadian Survey on Business Conditions were improved and expanded to release new data disaggregated for racialized groups, Indigenous peoples and women. This resulted in improved statistics on labour market participation, health behaviours and outcomes, mental health status, vaccine hesitancy, social inclusion, civic participation, and homelessness. It also improved reporting on the evolving conditions of businesses owned by women, Indigenous people and members of racialized groups. All new data were made available to Canadians through the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub.
  • For many planned activities under the DDAP and other priority areas, Statistics Canada led comprehensive engagements and consultations with multiple stakeholders, including other government organizations, academics and equity-deserving organizations. This work is being done to determine and understand the diverse needs and perspectives of data users and those who are interested in disaggregated data.
• The agency leveraged the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to continue filling information gaps on gender equity, diversity and inclusion. It produced timely statistics disaggregated by gender, racialized group and disability status. Specifically, Statistics Canada
  • revised the LFS questionnaire to collect data on gender, in addition to sex at birth
  • implemented a new program of LFS supplements in January 2022, permitting monthly analyses of aspects of quality of employment, including for disaggregated groups
  • introduced a repository of labour market indicators for racialized groups and released LFS-based labour market indicators for Canadians with disabilities in March 2022.

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  To fulfill Canadians' demand for information on the unequal impacts of economic downturns, particularly in the context of COVID-19, Statistics Canada
  • continued to provide an insightful picture of the labour market impacts of COVID-19 across multiple societal segments, including sex, age and ethnocultural groups and other vulnerable populations, through The Daily
  • delivered a roadmap for labour market systems and indicators to ensure adaptability and flexibility in the measurement of Canada's labour market
  • integrated the impact of federal emergency income-support payments on Canadian households in its research and used it in income estimates
  • examined the economic participation and social inclusion of racialized groups as part of Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy
  • released a series of papers to examine important topics such as housing, unpaid work and the well-being of specific vulnerable groups
  • analyzed various social and economic factors and outcomes that particularly affect women, Indigenous people, people living with disabilities, and members of racialized groups and the LGBTQ2+ community.

The economic impact of COVID-19 and the road to recovery

The pandemic has affected many components of Canadian society and the Canadian economy, including employment. The LFS continued to provide important labour market data to help shed light on the impact of the pandemic, but other surveys and tools have been created to provide timely data to Canadians.

• Although child care availability affects the labour market participation of many Canadians and could influence the pace of Canada's post-pandemic recovery, little is known about the overall size and characteristics of the child care sector in Canada. To address this gap, Statistics Canada piloted, in January 2021, the Canadian Survey on the Provision of Child Care Services (which collected data from March to June 2022), developed a research program to highlight the role of early learning and child care in post-pandemic recovery, and developed a new Early Learning and Child Care Information Hub in collaboration with ESDC to create a central location for information on child care indicators and research.
• Statistics Canada continues to update the Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19, first introduced in March 2020, with monthly commentary pointing to current economic events and impacts on the Canadian economy. The dashboard provides data on many key monthly economic indicators, including real gross domestic product, consumer prices, employment and hours worked, international merchandise trade, retail, and manufacturing. It also provides data on aircraft movement statistics, railway car loadings, and international arrivals of non-residents and returning Canadians.
• The agency also continued to track the impact of COVID-19 on levels of business activity by sector; the financial positions of Canadian companies (and their associated effects on labour force participation); and the economic, social and health impacts on vulnerable populations.
• Statistics Canada provided insights and information to central agencies and federal deputy ministers on the ongoing impacts and structural changes relating to the pandemic. The agency prepared a series of insights on topics such as the social and economic conditions in Canada as it recovers from COVID-19; pandemic and recovery risks to equity, affordability and inclusion; innovation driving economic growth; the digital economy; and the social and economic impacts of climate change on Canadians.
• The agency launched nowcast estimates, scientifically based estimates of key economic indicators based on innovative models. These estimates of the impact of government pandemic relief benefits on low-income families provide evidence—disaggregated by employment equity group—for policy makers to make informed decisions.

Gaps in public health

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted data gaps related to personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccine coverage, mental health and residential care.

In 2021‒22,

• Statistics Canada collaborated with Health Canada to address the need for rapid data integration to support public health decisions by visualizing the supply of and demand for PPE. It released nine iterations of data from June 2020 to January 2022, with an average turnaround time of three months. Each release included an analytical paper published in the StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada series.
• Statistics Canada conducted the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Survey to estimate and track coverage rates in accordance with national public health requirements. The survey was conducted several times to observe trends in coverage rates and respondent knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination.

• 

  The Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events was conducted to better understand how stressful events, particularly those related to COVID-19, can impact the mental health of Canadians. The data support other government organizations to inform the delivery of mental health services and support to Canadians.
• The crowdsourcing questionnaire Impacts of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers: Infection Prevention and Control is built on existing data and paints a more detailed picture of the pandemic's impact on the occupational health and safety, as well as the physical and mental health, of health care workers.
• As the agency continued releasing monthly provisional insights on excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new interactive dashboard and comprehensive information portal were released to facilitate user access and analysis. New linkages are providing more insights on the impact of the pandemic. For example, linking provisional data on deaths attributed to COVID-19 to data from the 2016 Census resulted in a release in he Daily on identifying the sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors linked to COVID-19 mortality rates. These resources support decision making and continued research related to COVID-19.
• Two significant data initiatives were launched as part of the health care access, experiences and related outcomes initiative: the Mental Health and Access to Care Survey and the Nursing and Residential Care Facility Survey, Cycle 2.
• Planning and development of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey began in 2021‒22. This survey captures data on race, household income and sexual orientation to help ensure that governments understand the challenges related to sexual and reproductive health and improve the support they provide.
• Statistics Canada provided timely releases of Canadian Community Health Survey data on Canadians' COVID-19 vaccination willingness, adherence to related public health measures and other related health outcomes.

The 2021 Census Program

2021 Census of Population

Statistics Canada took all necessary precautions and adapted its approach for the 2021 Census to protect the health and safety of its staff and Canadians while ensuring that information about all Canadians was collected.

To keep employees and Canadians safe, the agency implemented a no-contact approach, encouraged self-response and minimized travel as much as possible. These new approaches worked around forest fires, floods, travel restrictions and COVID-19 outbreaks—particularly in the 700 Indigenous, northern and remote communities—and the collected data were processed in a shortened timeframe. Despite these numerous challenges, field operations for the 2021 Census of Population were highly successful thanks to the 35,000 census employees (who comprised an unprecedented number of people of diverse ethnic origins, exceeding employment equity targets). The collection targets were thus met, with an overall collection response rate of 98%. The online response rate of 84% represents a new record for online responses and is the highest among global colleagues to date.

Census data are used daily by all levels of government, businesses and individuals to make important decisions, such as evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, planning community services (e.g., schools and emergency services), determining consumer and market demand, and making critical investment decisions. The first results of the 2021 Census were released in February 2022, and results will continue to be released throughout the year. These releases will provide a snapshot of Canada's increasing diversity, assist in measuring the country's recovery from the pandemic, and help bring the social and economic impacts on marginalized groups to the core of decision making.

2021 Census of Agriculture

Similarly, there were good response rates for the 2021 Census of Agriculture in terms of industry and regional representation, with a completion rate of 86% and an online response rate of 86% overall. The primary drivers were an extensive engagement strategy and working closely with industry partners to encourage their members to complete the questionnaire. Support from provincial partners and from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also proved to be very valuable throughout the entire 2021 Census cycle. Although response burden has historically been an issue for farmers, this was not expressed to the same degree in 2021, despite the pandemic and extreme weather events. This reflects the strong relations the agency has built with industry partners over the past few years and the strong messaging and support from partners demonstrating an understanding of the value of these data. The next steps are to complete the release of additional data products and studies with economic, social and environmental perspectives to maximize value for data users.

2021 Census communications campaign: New and innovative methods

To support the 2021 Census communications campaign, the agency built on partnerships forged during the census collection phase to create tools that respond to the needs of stakeholders, such as non-profit organizations, schools, universities, Indigenous organizations, various levels of government, social media influencers and businesses.

This innovative, award-winning campaign contributed to the success of the first census collection to be held during a pandemic. The 2021 Census's advertising exceeded benchmarks by drawing 503 million impressions and 70 million video views. Twelve thousand organizations were reached before and during the collection period to support recruitment and collection activities for the Census of Population. Census-related social media content was viewed over 326 million times, and there were 12.5 million interactions with content, such as likes, shares and comments. The agency's influencer strategy yielded endorsements from over 200 prominent Canadians, including astronauts, Olympians and Juno Award winners.

The first release of 2021 Census data that occurred in 2021‒22 generated 3,091 media citations. Over 1,000 stakeholders amplified Statistics Canada's social media content, and 28,296 visits were recorded to the Census of Population and dwelling counts article in The Daily.

Using leading-edge methods: Beyond COVID-19

Statistics Canada has continued to introduce new leading-edge tools and methods to scale up the use of data science in all its programs to produce sound statistics. The following initiatives demonstrate some of the ways Statistics Canada used a variety of state-of-the-art methods in 2021‒22.

Canadian Social Survey

The agency launched the first omnibus Canadian Social Survey (CSS) in April 2021, and the first release was published in September 2021. The CSS collects information on a variety of social topics such as health, well-being, impacts of COVID-19, activities, time use and emergency preparedness. This information will help inform the delivery of services and supports for Canadians during and after the pandemic and guide policy development on a range of social and economic issues.

Modernizing the Survey of Household Spending

The Survey of Household Spending (SHS) gathers information on the spending habits of Canadians and looks at how much households pay for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, health care and other items. In 2021, the SHS was transitioned to Statistics Canada's integrated data-collection platform, and an electronic questionnaire was added to its modes of data collection. The modernization of collection tools for the SHS brought increased flexibility for its data collection.

Global Environment for the Economic Statistics Ecosystem

The Global Environment for the Economic Statistics Ecosystem is a multi-year project that aims to improve the international framework for recognizing environmental accounting. It also aims to improve data sharing through harmonization and data system interoperability with international statistical organizations. It will harmonize the process flows, concepts and classifications used to produce the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (CSMA) while also strengthening and modernizing the information technology infrastructure required for current and future efforts.

The vision for this project is for all CSMA data to be produced in a flexible, reliable, traceable and reusable environment to provide data consumers with more easily comparable estimates, consistent metadata infrastructure and continued confidence in the data quality.

In 2021‒22, this initiative worked to bring standardization through the adoption of Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange, an international initiative that aims to improve the exchange of data between countries.

Open Science Action Plan

In December 2021, Statistics Canada released its Open Science Action Plan in response to the release of the Roadmap for Open Science in February 2020. The roadmap called on science-based departments and agencies to take the next steps in making federal science open to all, while respecting privacy, security, ethical considerations and appropriate intellectual property.

Census of Environment

Budget 2021 announced the new Census of Environment, and Statistics Canada released an initial study on human activity and the environment, which reported on the extent and condition of Canada's ecosystems and the goods and services derived from these ecosystems. By integrating these environmental data with social and economic information, the agency can paint a picture for Canadians that will help inform sustainable solutions. The Census of Environment will help track Canada's performance toward becoming a world leader in sustainable economic growth.

Justice Data Modernization Initiative

As part of ongoing efforts to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people and members of racialized groups in the justice system, Statistics Canada is working with Justice Canada to advance Budget 2021's Justice Data Modernization Initiative. This initiative aims to modernize Canada's justice system, support evidence-based policies and ensure accountability within the criminal justice system by improving the collection and use of disaggregated data. In 2021‒22, new data on admissions to correctional institutions among Indigenous people and members of racialized groups were collected and released, further demonstrating their overrepresentation in the justice system.

Modernizing data analytics initiative

The modernizing data analytics initiative takes an agency-wide approach to the transition to a new, more open way of working. It uses a thorough scientific experimentation approach to ensure that the standards, practices and procedures provide value to analysts.

In 2021‒22, clear guardrails were established to fill the gap in ensuring that proper data stewardship and security practices govern internal, analyst-developed solutions across the agency. A Citizen Development Fair was held in the fall of 2021 to showcase open source projects across the agency, promote collaboration and the reuse of solutions across statistical programs, and reinforce best practices for managing internal, analyst-developed solutions. Additionally, a Gamification of Documentation Hackathon took place in early 2022 to build capacity for employees to socialize and adopt the new standards for modern data analytics into their day-to-day work.

Geospatial tools for community safety and health

In its commitment to offering Canadians geo-enabled data down to the smallest level of detail available, the agency collaborated with the British Columbia Office of the Fire Commissioner to create the Community Fire Risk Reduction Dashboard. This pilot geospatial project visually shows the levels of fire risk at the neighbourhood level for the entire province of British Columbia. The aim is to refine the pilot product and advance the National Fire Information Database so that other provinces and territories will also be able to visualize their data.

Web panel surveys

Web panel surveys involve creating a pool of people who agree to complete a series of online surveys over a predetermined period. Statistics Canada continued to experiment and test this collection method by successfully launching its second web panel series, Portrait of Canadian Society, with two releases in September 2021. The first survey of the series focused on perceptions of life during the pandemic, and the second survey focused on experiences during the pandemic.

Administrative data

The agency is using links to tax and other administrative data sources to enhance the current suite of disability data, including information from government support programs such as the disability tax credit and the registered disability savings plan. Administrative data on landed immigrants (settlement data) were added to the Longitudinal Immigration Database.

The agency also worked with federal partners to see how a greater understanding can be gained on the scope of human trafficking, which disproportionately victimizes women. More specifically, Statistics Canada co-led a data working group on human trafficking with Public Safety Canada to explore how best to use the administrative datasets held by other government agencies.

Experimentation

The Treasury Board Secretariat recognized Statistics Canada as the highest-scoring organization for experimentation in 2021 and singled out the agency's Research and Development Board as an enterprise-wide best practice for innovation governance as part of the Management Accountability Framework assessment process. The following are the notable examples for 2021‒22:

• The agency experimented with open source methods and tools for day-to-day statistical production activities. Through experimentation with a tool that automates repetitive data verification tasks, the agency demonstrated that the tool was more accurate and efficient at identifying inconsistencies in data tables than humans. The tool was implemented into production in nine program areas in 2021‒22 and continues to be scaled across the agency in 2022‒23.
• The agency also improved process flows and created new statistical indicators. For example, to create a prototype of weekly income, Statistics Canada enhanced the LFS sample with administrative data and estimated the amounts of benefits.
• The Real-time Local Business Conditions Index was launched in 2021 and expanded in March 2022 to provide experimental statistics on a weekly basis. This index provides a near real-time snapshot of business activities for 15 population centres accounting for approximately 65% of the Canadian population and about 60% of employer businesses.
• Text-to-speech was launched on selected Statistics Canada web pages to pilot the technology on different types of pages and determine the best approach for providing this enhanced service to Canadians. The goal is to ensure that the tool is relevant and user-friendly for all Canadians, particularly readers with visual or learning disabilities.
• The agency led an international project for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) High-level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics. This project, a hands-on guide, provides recommendations for developing and using synthetic data at national statistical offices and for measuring the quality of these data. Experimental approaches will be used to test the guide's recommendations with real-life synthetic data scenarios. The agency also provided guidance for the UNECE Task Force on Statistics on Children, Adolescents and Youth in the theme areas of violence against children and institutional care.

Collaborating and engaging with partners

In 2021‒22, the agency expanded its engagement with key partners to ensure that the data it collects from, and with, its partners add value that benefits and enriches a data ecosystem built on responsible use, trust, privacy and confidentiality. This collaboration included

• a wide range of national and international partners
• data strategies for the federal public service and Statistics Canada
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities
• contact tracing.

A wide range of national and international partners

• The agency partnered with provincial, federal and international partners and conducted a series of hackathons during 2021‒22, covering a wide range of topics. The past year's successful hackathons include the Ontario Public Service Data Visualization Challenge, the Department of National Defence workplace and employee wellness hackathon, the UNECE Synthetic Data Challenge, and the Gamification of Documentation Hackathon. These hackathons yield tangible results with prototypes and proofs of concepts that advance ideas and thinking on important horizontal questions and challenges.
• The Canadian Survey on Business Conditions continued to provide a timely portrait of business sentiment and outlook during the successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was foundational in establishing the Business Data Lab—a partnership between the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the agency—to provide timely business indicators. Its quarterly results are enabling data-driven decision making by providing comprehensive data by geography, industry type, employment size and majority ownership. The agency provided detailed analysis on businesses majority-owned by various subpopulation groups and a number of racialized groups, notably Black-owned and Indigenous-owned businesses.

• "Statistics Canada is proud to build on a solid foundation of working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and its members to help better understand the needs of communities from coast to coast to coast. As we all work to respond to the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we collectively pursue data-driven solutions that work for families, businesses and diverse communities."

  Anil Arora,
  Chief Statistician of Canada

  Statistics Canada strengthened its partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to enhance awareness for the data-driven insights in evidence-based decision making and to help the agency better understand the data needs of communities of all sizes. For example, the City of Vancouver Data Project is a pilot initiative whose key milestones included

  • the delivery of six webinars for municipalities and five data sessions with urban and rural or northern municipal representatives
  • the delivery of a series of custom tabulations to 10 cities on key socioeconomic indicators
  • the production of an experimental municipal financial dashboard.
• In 2021–22, with respect to partnerships, collaborations and engagement projects, Statistics Canada
  • completed consultative engagements with Indigenous and racialized communities across the country to develop options for appropriately collecting and disseminating data on interactions with the police as part of the efforts to respond to the demand for police-reported race-based statistics
  • hosted external events with organizations such as the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council and the Northern Policy Institute to showcase relevant regional data related to COVID-19 and economic recovery
  • created a Partnerships team to handle the ever-growing demand for the agency's engagement with Indigenous partners.

Data strategies for the federal public service and Statistics Canada

As part of its ongoing collaborations with federal departments, Statistics Canada continues to be a data stewardship leader, ensuring that the federal public service can effectively govern and manage its data assets to better serve Canadians.

Statistics Canada undertook many projects in 2021–22 to support federal departments in their efforts to use data as a strategic asset.

• In October 2021, Statistics Canada released the National Address Register, which is accessible to other federal departments, agencies and partners. This application programming interface provides users with an authoritative list of civic addresses in Canada, in a standardized structure, that allows users to search by unique identifier, address or geography. This tool is being leveraged by ESDC as it revamps its benefit delivery model to improve the accuracy of transfers (specifically for employment insurance and income relief programs) to prevent or reduce overpayments.
• 
  The agency is leading a whole-of-government approach through the Data Science Network for the Federal Public Service to share knowledge and best practices in data science among all federal public servants. In 2021, the network grew to more than 2,300 members from 70 departments, and 26 federal departments were represented at the directors' steering committee.
• In collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service, Statistics Canada led the planning and coordination of the 2022 Government of Canada Data Conference. The conference brought together the public and private sectors to focus on overcoming data challenges in high-impact areas for policy and program actions with socioeconomic implications. This year's theme supported the government's commitment to provide better data, insights and services for all Canadians. The Conference responded to the urgent need to fill data knowledge gaps in areas such as diversity and inclusion, the environment and economic recovery. Over 7,000 individuals attended the conference from across the public and private sectors.
• To ensure that the Statistics Canada Data Strategy is evergreen, the agency has partnered with ESDC and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to create joint data strategies. It also partnered with the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat to create a framework for the renewal of the Data Strategy Roadmap for the Federal Public Service.
• Statistics Canada played a key role in the cross-government and cross-jurisdictional effort to develop and subsequently implement a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. The agency contributed to the strategy's various working groups and committees and played an active role in preparing to implement the new strategy. The areas of population standards and health data literacy are particularly emphasized.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities

Statistics Canada is supporting Indigenous organizations and communities as they develop the skills and infrastructure to build and maintain their statistical programs based on their needs. In 2021‒22, the agency met with Indigenous organizations to discuss Indigenous data and research and facilitated the review of 18 research articles.

Statistics Canada also improved access to its existing data assets for Indigenous organizations and communities. In particular, Statistics Canada developed an Indigenous data portal on its website to enable users to easily find, use and share statistics about key topics and population projections for Indigenous people over the next several decades. The agency also provided release notifications of Indigenous content in published research and tables through a monthly newsletter to Indigenous organizations.

Contact tracing

Statistics Canada continued to provide support to the provinces and territories in their fight against COVID-19 by providing surge capacity for contact tracing and follow-up activities. It also conducted calls on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada to assist with travel monitoring and follow-up on government-approved accommodation stays. By the end of 2021‒22, the equivalent of 2.7 million 15-minute calls had been made to Canadians.

International cooperation, statistical capacity building and fostering data literacy

Through newly established partnerships, Statistics Canada supported initiatives to ensure that diverse communities can build and maintain statistical programs grounded in their unique needs. Examples of external engagement initiatives to build statistical capacity and data literacy ranged from international cooperation to training courses that helped users understand the use of data.

International cooperation

Statistics Canada adhered to international data standards to create, share and integrate data with partner data and other forms of publicly available data. By adopting new standards, the agency ensured that it promotes data interoperability, an important tenet of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data, and acts as a catalyst for integrative analyses. The agency continually adopted new versions of open standards, such as Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange, refining how it describes and exchanges data (including geospatial data) and information with its partners and user community.

Statistics Canada continued to play a leadership role in the UNECE Blue Skies Thinking Network (BSTN) and continued to build the BSTN synthetic data working group with more than 25 participants from nine national statistical offices (NSOs).

Statistics Canada became a member of the World Statistics Congress 2023 Steering Committee and is co-chairing the national advisory council for the event. In this respect, Statistics Canada's main activities will be to provide support to the organizers on sponsors, local and national marketing, and volunteers. The agency will also add a Canadian flavour to the event.

The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Since 2015, Statistics Canada has played a leadership role in the United Nations Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicators. The agency has continued to work closely with core federal partners on advancing the SDGs by sharing open code for progress measures for the SDGs as part of the Open SDG initiative. Statistics Canada has had a leading role in the establishment of the Canadian Indicator Framework to measure domestic progress. The agency also created an innovative data visualization hub to make SDG data more engaging and accessible to Canadians.

Capacity-building in developing countries

Countries with less robust statistical systems lack the data to make sound policy decisions, making it harder for them to withstand a crisis. This is why Statistics Canada provided training and support to enable developing countries to build, maintain and improve their national systems. For example, in 2021‒22, the agency supported Caribbean NSOs in creating and enhancing their websites and dissemination mechanisms.

Strengthening the statistical system

Statistics Canada has built a world-leading framework to protect and safely handle data without compromising confidentiality and the trust of Canadians. The agency's system balances internal governance and external advice from governance bodies, such as the Departmental Audit Committee and the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council (CSAC), to assure Canadians that privacy and confidentiality are embedded in everything the agency produces.

During 2021‒22, the CSAC released its second report—Strengthening the Foundation of Our National Statistical System. The report includes three core recommendations:

• adapt governance and data stewardship to a digital society
• adapt statistical legislation to reflect the needs of a modern digital national statistical system
• leverage opportunities for addressing critical data needs.

The agency started embedding the CSAC's advice in its actions and will continue to implement its recommendations. The agency will also continue to work closely with partners within and outside the federal government to make tangible progress on the recommendations.

Enhanced approaches to protecting privacy

The Necessity and Proportionality Framework was developed to ensure that Statistics Canada collects only the information that is necessary to produce timely, high-quality data, while fully protecting the privacy of Canadians and keeping the collected data safe.

During 2021‒22, this framework was improved to consider more explicitly the ethics, protocols and public engagement that govern the collection of sensitive data. The Necessity and Proportionality Framework 2.0 added more theoretical background to the original framework and is currently at the peer and institutional review stage. It provides more detailed guidance to Statistics Canada's program managers on data-gathering activities and is revised to remain consistent with Canadian privacy laws as they are updated.

Secure Infrastructure for Data Integration

Statistics Canada's new Secure Infrastructure for Data Integration is a set of methods, technologies and protocols developed to enhance the way Statistics Canada combines its existing data with data from other organizations while protecting privacy and confidentiality. By creating a safe environment to combine data, the agency is maximizing the information at its disposal. This can help build a more equitable Canada by bringing fairness and inclusivity to decision-making.

Information and data management

Statistics Canada is continually updating its policies to reflect the current statistical environment. For example, the agency adopted a new information resource management plan, enshrining how it protects the authenticity, reliability, integrity and usability of its information and data over time. Amendments made to policies enhance the agency's risk posture and further ensure the security of the information entrusted to it by Canadians.

The Enterprise Information and Data Management Project seeks to establish a modern framework that will significantly improve processes and governance of the agency's past, present and future data and information assets. The project continues to engage stakeholders to drive its visionary objectives.

Quality of life

Statistics Canada is leading the development of the indicators for the national Quality of Life Framework. Announced in Budget 2021, this framework aims to help modernize the system of national quality of life statistics and its associated conceptual framework and will help the Government of Canada consider all aspects of Canadians' quality of life in its decisions. The beta version of the Quality of Life Hub was released in March 2022 and features metadata, data and visualizations of the 20 headline indicators in the Quality of Life Framework.

Fostering data literacy

Statistics Canada continues to support data literacy among its many stakeholders through the Data Literacy Training Initiative, which continues to grow and includes 16 new training videos, covering eight new topics, released this fiscal year. All are available for free in the agency's learning catalogue, along with the updated Statistics: Power from Data! training tool, designed to assist secondary school students and teachers in getting the most from statistics. To date, the Data Literacy Training Initiative has recorded over 67,000 visitors and 150,000 page views.

The agency partnered with Apolitical to launch a data literacy boot camp, with a full rollout in October 2021. This course is the first of its kind. So far it has been taken by over 5,000 public servants from hundreds of government organizations, with 95% of learners agreeing that their data skills improved as a result. Statistics Canada received the 2021 Apolitical Global Public Service Team of the Year Award for Data and Digital Champions for its work on data literacy.

In support of data literacy, the Power from Data! module on the agency's website was updated to take into consideration changes in the data ecosystem. In 2021‒22, several seminars related to quality and data ethics were given to external stakeholders.

Building an agile workforce and culture

During the last year, the agency built on the success of its Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace initiative and pursued a hybrid model that will improve services and value to Canadians by

• leveraging a national presence and greater interaction with Canadians through regional offices and data service centres
• strengthening productivity through flexibility with a focus on results, empowerment and informed risk-taking
• recruiting and retaining talent in this highly competitive labour market through a national hiring strategy and diversifying the workforce
• reducing physical space requirements, resulting in cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint.

In its ongoing efforts to ensure that hybrid work arrangements are equitable for all employees, this past year the agency achieved progress on different fronts.

• The agency developed advanced employment and workplace accommodation projects and planning—all included in the agency's first multi-year accessibility plan (2022‒23 to 2024‒25).
• To enable its employees to continue working remotely, securely and safely during the pandemic and to protect Canadians' data, Statistics Canada expanded its network capacity and strengthened its secure digital infrastructure and information management practices. This included deploying new information technology equipment designed to improve the speed and capacity of the agency's network and enabling employees to access virtual desktops through cloud computing services.
• The agency continued its implementation of Microsoft 365, an enterprise-level, cloud-based, integrated suite of tools to promote communication and collaboration in support of Statistics Canada's hybrid work strategy.
• Statistics Canada's greatest asset is its dedicated and high-performing workforce. Thus, the agency continued to provide opportunities for its staff to upgrade their skills and ensured that they were equipped to use next-generation data analytics tools. For example, a partnership with the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat was developed to create a framework and roadmap for the federal public service renewal.
• In its commitment to have a workforce representative of the diversity of Canada, Statistics Canada launched its new 2021 to 2025 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan: Moving Forward Together. Progress has been made; over 25 commitments and actions have either started or been completed since its launch.
  
• For the second straight year, Statistics Canada organized and co-hosted a three-day virtual conference for federal public servants on diversity and inclusion, featuring a panel of experts from Statistics Canada, other government departments, academia and the private sector. This event showcased the results of some departments and agencies in response to the Clerk of the Privy Council's Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service.

Key risks

Statistics Canada continuously monitors its internal and external environment to develop risk mitigation strategies. The agency has identified risks relating to its core responsibility and has established strategies for the coming years. The agency will continue to adapt its governing instruments and oversight frameworks and engage with Canadians using clear, transparent and proactive communication. It will also continue to invest in robust infrastructure—technological and methodological—to ensure the reliability, timeliness, scalability and security of its statistics. The agency has identified six corporate risks and corresponding mitigation strategies.

Results achieved

The 2021‒2022 results were impacted by the release of the agency's premier product—the census. The first year of results consists of a much anticipated series of events in the form of data releases, which are extremely relevant to the Canadian population. The agency continued to respond to the demand for evidence-based information by producing numerous new and timely statistical products that were well received by Canadians. This year's focus centred on census data collection. The agency reached 7 of the 10 performance indicator targets for 2021‒22, 4 of which were highly exceeded.

Heading into the 2022–23 fiscal year, the agency continues to integrate performance information into its decision-making processes to ensure that Statistics Canada continues to provide valuable data and insights to Canadians, with resources that are aligned with government priorities.

The following table shows, for statistical information, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021–22 and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 actual results	2020–21 actual results	2021‒22 actual results
High-quality statistical information is available to Canadians	Number of post-release corrections due to accuracy	0	March 31, 2022	1	6	7Table note 1
	Percentage of international standards with which Statistics Canada conforms	90%Table note 2	March 31, 2022	88%	88%	88%
	Number of statistical products available on the website	41,800	March 31, 2022	37,254	40,738	43,184
	Number of Statistics Canada data tables available on the Open Data Portal	7,750	March 31, 2022	7,386	7,755	8,088
High-quality statistical information is accessed by Canadians	Number of visits to Statistics Canada website	37,500,000	March 31, 2022	20,285,269	28,193,955Table note 3	45,972,326Table note 4Table note 5
	Percentage of website visitors that found what they were looking for	78%	March 31, 2022	78%	77%	74%Table note 6
	Number of interactions on social media	2,900,000	March 31, 2022	521,441Table note 7	1,211,316Table note 3	13,174,481Table note 4Table note 5
High-quality statistical information is relevant to Canadians	Number of media citations on Statistics Canada data	74,000	March 31, 2022	56,921	253,171Table note 3	139,078Table note 5
	Number of journal citations	23,000	March 31, 2022	26,505	33,596Table note 3	40,248Table note 8
	Percentage of users satisfied with statistical information	80%	March 31, 2022	80%	80%	80%
Table note 1 Statistics Canada produces approximately 250 mission critical releases per year. Return to table note 1 referrer Table note 2 The target is set at 90% because not all international standards are relevant to Statistics Canada. Return to table note 2 referrer Table note 3 In 2020, the agency responded to the demand for an evidence-based response to COVID-19 by releasing and promoting numerous new and timely statistical products, which were well received by Canadians. This resulted in a significant increase in the number of visits to the website, interactions on social media, media citations and journal citations. Return to the first table note 3 referrer Table note 4 In early 2021, the agency experienced higher than expected interest in the 2021 Census awareness and recruitment campaigns. This resulted in an increase in the number of visits to the website and interactions on social media. Return to the first table note 4 referrer Table note 5 In February 2022, the agency published its first 2021 Census of Population release, which was much anticipated by the Canadian population. There was higher than anticipated interest from the public, resulting in a significantly higher number of visits to the website, interactions on social media and media citations. Return to the first table note 5 referrer Table note 6 The Web Evaluation Survey collection period overlapped with the 2021 Census communication strategy, increasing traffic to the website. The decrease in the number of people being successful in what they looked for may be attributable to visitors attempting to access 2021 Census data before their official release. Return to table note 6 referrer Table note 7 Statistics Canada had more interactions on social media as significant efforts were made during fiscal year 2019–20 to increase the agency's social media content visibility and to leverage partnerships with other government departments and key stakeholders for amplification. Return to table note 7 referrer Table note 8 Statistics Canada published many analytical papers related to the COVID-19 pandemic that were highly relevant to the public and gathered a high number of journal citations. Return to table note 8 referrer

Financial, human resources and performance information for Statistics Canada's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for statistical information, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

	2021–22 Main Estimates	2021–22 planned spending	2021–22 total authorities available for use	2021–22 actual spending (authorities used)	2021–22 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross expenditures	855,425,655	855,425,655	972,123,133	920,977,524	65,551,869
Respendable revenue	-120,000,000	-120,000,000	-127,583,773	-127,583,773	-7,583,773
Net expenditures	735,425,655	735,425,655	844,539,360	793,393,751	57,968,096

Financial, human resources and performance information for Statistics Canada's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021–22.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

	2021–22 planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 actual full-time equivalents	2021–22 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents)
Gross expenditures	6,026	7,186	1,160
Respendable revenue	-1,231	-1,542	-311
Net expenditures	4,795	5,644	849

The difference between planned spending and actual spending is the result of an increase in resources for several new initiatives from Budget 2021. These initiatives include better data for better outcomes, strengthening long-term care and supportive care, enhancing business condition data and better understanding our environment.

Funding was carried forward from 2020‒21, allowing the agency to meet the needs of its cyclical programs and invest in its integrated strategic plans. Additional salary price increases, retroactive pay and other payments from the ratification of collective agreements are included.

The increases are partially offset by budget carried forward to 2022–23.

Furthermore, full-time equivalents vary slightly because of differences between the actual salary rates paid and the estimated average salary rates used to forecast planned spending.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Statistics Canada's Program Inventory is available in 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:

• acquisition management services
• communication services
• financial management services
• human resources management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• legal services
• material management services
• management and oversight services
• real property management services

Results

Statistics Canada's internal services have been engaged in the agency's response to COVID-19. This entailed delivering mission-critical programs and adapting practices to support the 2021 Census, while maintaining the safety and health of employees, and included plans and activities, such as return-to-office plans and mental health and wellness training.

The agency envisions a diverse, inclusive, respectful and healthy workplace that is agile and resilient to change. To support this vision, the agency has focused on implementing strategies and new initiatives in response to the results from employee pulse surveys and focus groups. The strategies relative to internal services touch the following areas:

• gender equity, diversity and inclusion
• skill sets and talent management
• data analytics for human resources purposes
• transformation of processes
• internal audit and evaluation
• governance
• digital solutions
• wellness.

Gender equity, diversity and inclusion

The agency updated its 2021 to 2024 Integrated Business and Human Resources Plan to reflect its commitments to strengthen diversity and inclusion, to spotlight areas where human resources programs and services must continue to evolve based on emergent needs that arose because of the disruption and pace of change stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and to keep step with contemporary business goals, opportunities, and challenges. Statistics Canada set strategic objectives to continue developing an agile and equipped workforce to

• develop and maintain skills for a high-performing workforce
• execute data-driven performance and talent management
• equip managers through strategic human resources management
• support the shaping the agency's workplace of the future.

Other areas of focus include building a diverse workforce, fostering an inclusive workplace and promoting and nurturing a physically and psychologically healthy and safe workplace. This is why Statistics Canada also launched its new 2021 to 2025 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan: Moving Forward Together.

As a result of the plan, representation of equity talent in each of the designated groups has improved across the agency, including at the executive level. The agency has made efforts to eliminate barriers to career progression experienced by equity-deserving talent by taking actions such as prioritizing diversity in language training, launching targeted selection processes and building partnerships with external organizations to improve the recruitment of equity talent. Promotion rates for racialized groups have increased, and retention of talent has improved. Among promoted employees in 2020‒2021, 16% identified as members of a racialized group; this figure rose to 23% in 2021‒22. This heightened focus on retention resulted in a 24% increase in the retention of racialized employees.

The development of an Accessibility Measurement Framework led to significant achievements in accessibility. This framework, which focuses on built environments, services, technology, culture, employment and workplace accommodations, identifies barriers and measures progress toward achieving a fully accessible workplace and an inclusive workforce that supports the participation of all employees. The agency also launched the Engaging DisAbility Innovation Study, an innovative, mixed-method research project designed to identify and highlight barriers in employment systems and accommodation processes.

Skill sets and talent management

Statistics Canada's Talent Development Advisory Panel was created in June 2021 and the framework is currently being drafted. A review of the agency's core Recruitment and Development Programs was launched to keep the agency competitive and to better reflect its evolving needs, as well as those of its recruits, and its business lines.

The agency also approved a renewed leadership strategy that aligns with current and future initiatives (culture, values, onboarding, talent management, recognition, diversity, official languages and future of work) and focuses on employee ownership and empowerment where all employees, from recruits to executives, have opportunities to develop as leaders.

Data analytics

In 2021‒22, various data analytics tools were leveraged for human resources purposes. Data from the Employee Wellness Survey were collected then linked to administrative human resources databases to examine the relationships between factors and behaviours. Additionally, to plan the optimal configuration of work arrangements post-pandemic, the Pulse Survey on COVID‑19 and its Impacts on Statistics Canada Employees was conducted in April 2021 to understand employee desires to return to the workplace or work remotely.

The agency approved a new data-driven approach to executive performance in January 2022, whereby informed indicators and data sources provide the foundation of executive performance assessments to remove bias in the evaluation process and to promote consistency across the department. To support this new approach, a performance scorecard was established to yield and depict ratings.

Transformation of processes

Over the course of 2021‒22, Statistics Canada built upon its business planning framework to support the setting of strategies and investment planning. In recognition of the significant progress the agency has made toward its modernization agenda, Statistics Canada established strategies to deepen partnerships, strengthen trust with Canadians and focus on producing integrated data and actionable insights.

Internal audit and evaluation

The agency benefitted from the trusted, neutral and objective information provided by the Audit and Evaluation Branch to inform decision making. In 2021‒2022, the agency received feedback through audit and evaluation projects that used an increasingly agile and focused approach. This timely insight and advice, which was provided at critical times in the early planning and implementation stages of new program strategies and initiatives, such as the modernization for a hybrid workplace, supported the agency's top priorities.

Governance

The governance structure ensures timely, relevant, actionable and integrated enterprise data to support risk-based decision making. Accomplishments in 2021‒22 include the creation of the Integrated Risk Management Framework and the Integrated Risk Management Policy. These act as the agency's foundation for risk management and promote a dynamic and agile risk culture.

Digital solutions

In our digitally focused and evolving context, digital solutions have been key to the success of many of the initiatives discussed in this report, putting in place the foundational technologies and infrastructure for these initiatives. For example, the agency's Digital Solutions Field enabled the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture and initialized the Census of Environment. It provided the equipment and support for all employees working from home in the hybrid model and ensured that the new COVID-related data products were available to support data-driven insights and evidence-based decision-making.

As the lead on one of the Government of Canada's cloud pathfinder projects, Statistics Canada is uniquely positioned to explore, develop and adopt new technologies. Adopting cloud services and technologies is a crucial part of the agency's modernization efforts, allowing the agency to achieve measurable results in its daily work.

The Cloud Services Enablement Project and the workload migration project are key pillars that allow the agency to evolve its applications and services that support its mandate for a more scalable, modern infrastructure model. This continues to be put in place in 2022‒23. Within this environment, the data analytics platform and services have provided key partners and Canadians with many new products and services, greatly aiding in data-informed decision making during the pandemic and continuing to support the agency's modernization agenda moving forward. With the platform and services that the agency has put in place, employees are empowered to move forward successfully on key digitalization initiatives such as the modernizing data analytics initiative.

Wellness

The agency partnered with the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health to offer online workshops to all employees. In 2021‒22, 2,263 participants attended approximately 75 workshops and sessions that centred on topics including mental health, future of work and diversity and inclusion. This year's focus on wellness was an opportunity to provide managers with mental health resources and training that included mental health first aid training, The Working Mind training for managers, in-house information sessions that covered specific topics tailored to the needs of each division and guest speakers from various forums, including the Federal Speakers' Bureau on Healthy Workplaces.

To support the psychological health of its employees, Statistics Canada's Organizational Health Team launched the first iteration of the Employee Wellness Survey in November 2021. The survey provided a comprehensive overview of employee psychological health and the key drivers that can inform evidence-based actions across the organization.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as spending for that year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2021–22 Main Estimates	2021–22 planned spending	2021–22 total authorities available for use	2021–22 actual spending (authorities used)	2021–22 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
66,905,037	66,905,037	100,209,616	89,989,424	23,084,387

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2021–22.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2021–22 planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 actual full-time equivalents	2021–22 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents)
563	713	150

The difference between planned spending and actual spending is mainly related to an increase in resources for an initiative, approved in 2018–19, to migrate the agency's infrastructure to the cloud and additional spending related to internal information technology support.

Also contributing to the increase are internal investments approved through the agency's Integrated Strategic Planning Process. In past years, investments were reported centrally under the Statistical information core responsibility, more specifically the Centres of Expertise program.

Total actual spending and total actual full-time equivalents for 2021–22

	Total actual spending for 2021–22	Total actual full-time equivalents for 2021–22
Total gross expenditures	1,010,966,948	7,899
Respendable revenues	-127,583,773	-1,542
Total net expenditures	883,383,175	6,357

Delivering user-centric products and services

True to its client-focused commitment, Statistics Canada developed digital solutions to increase Canadians' on-demand access to high-quality data in user-friendly formats. The agency also continued to deliver clearer and more accessible communications to all Canadians and found innovative ways to present and share data, thus making them easier to access and use. Examples of these innovations include

• a user-friendly mobile application that provides more frequent releases of information
• novel data story telling, such as a new podcast series and increased social media content, to connect more data to more people
• text-to-speech and sign language videos to make information more accessible
• learning modules for those who want to increase their data knowledge and literacy
• more self-serve tools, online data hubs and data visualization products to improve the user experience.

Using leading-edge methods

This past year, Statistics Canada implemented world-leading methods and tools for integrating data from multiple sources, such as administrative data and other non-traditional data. The agency leveraged its expertise to meet Canadians' and businesses' increasing needs for detailed, high-quality and more timely statistical information.

• Statistics Canada provided more timely data and analysis of trends, including more disaggregated data on socioeconomic factors.
• Statistics Canada used innovative approaches, such as crowdsourcing, omnibus and web panel surveys, and integrated more administrative data (non-survey-based information from a variety of sources) with data science approaches—while strictly preserving data confidentiality and security.
• Statistics Canada made considerable progress on its Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP) to enhance statistics on diverse populations and support efforts by the government and society to address systemic racism and gender gaps and to bring fairness and inclusion considerations into decision making and policy development.
• Statistics Canada led the Census of Environment, which will help inform sustainable solutions and help track Canada's performance toward becoming a world leader in sustainable economic growth.
• The agency launched the Virtual Data Lab to allow researchers from federal departments to remotely access the information they need within a secure environment.

Collaborating and engaging with partners

In 2021‒22, the agency identified further opportunities to collaborate with new and existing partners to ensure that additional data are integrated from a variety of sources and that more end users have the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.

• The agency strengthened its partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to improve the level of data available to cities and municipalities and to better understand the data needs of communities of all sizes.
• In collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the agency leveraged the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions and established a Business Data Lab to provide critical data and insights for companies of all sizes and for sectors and regions of the country to help them make better decisions and improve their performance.
• The agency expanded its services to research communities through its close partnerships with the Canadian Research Data Centres Network, member universities and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.
• The agency continued its engagement with Indigenous partners to support Indigenous organizations and communities as they develop the skills and infrastructure to build and maintain statistical programs.
• The agency continued to be a data stewardship leader, thus ensuring that the federal public service can effectively govern and manage its data assets to better serve Canadians.

Building statistical capacity and fostering data literacy

In its commitment to building statistical capacity with its partners and fostering data literacy among Canadians, the agency maintained a proactive approach to drive the use of data as a strategic asset, with a focus on increasing users' capacity and ability to make data-driven decisions, while providing national and international leadership.

• The agency is leading the development of the indicators for the national Quality of Life Framework to help the Government of Canada consider all aspects of Canadians' quality of life in its decisions.
• The agency supported data literacy among its many stakeholders through the Data Literacy Training Initiative and partnered with Apolitical to launch a data literacy boot camp to support the work of public servants at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels.
• In partnership with the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation, and other national statistical offices, Statistics Canada continued to provide technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of developing countries so they can build and maintain statistical programs.

Building an agile workforce and culture

Before the pandemic, Statistics Canada had begun a significant transformation to modernize the agency to improve its data services to Canadians. This included leveraging tools, such as the cloud, data visualizations and analytical tools, to improve the quality and usability of data and equipment to support an agile and mobile workforce. This enabled the agency to mobilize its labour force in March 2020 so it could continue providing Canadians with critical data to inform decisions during a national crisis. As the country shifts into the next phase of the pandemic response and recovery, Statistics Canada remains committed to continuing its modernization journey by investing in modern data tools and a hybrid work environment to improve employee experience, operations, business processes and productivity.

Furthermore, the agency made significant progress on its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to help ensure that Statistics Canada truly reflects the diverse populations it serves.

For more information on Statistics Canada's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the Results: what we achieved section of this report.

It is a pleasure to outline Statistics Canada's accomplishments over the 2021–22 fiscal year in this Departmental Results Report.

As the country continued to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, Statistics Canada accelerated its delivery of data-driven insights to Canadians to inform an inclusive and sustainable recovery.

Specifically, the agency has delivered results for Canadians on the following priorities for 2021–22:

• Carry out the 2021 Census: The agency's flagship statistical program, the Census of Population, was a virtually contact-free operation. We are grateful for the participation of Canadians and the contribution of our census employees who enable us to achieve a record-high response rate of 98%, with an online response rate of 84%. The first results were released in February 2022, and results will continue to be released throughout the year, providing a snapshot of Canada's increasing diversity and assisting in measuring the country's recovery from the pandemic. The 2021 Census of Agriculture achieved an even higher online response rate despite numerous challenges, reflecting the strong relations the agency has built with industry partners in recent years. The agency also released an initial study from its new Census of Environment. This will help track Canada's performance toward becoming a world leader in sustainable economic growth.
• Deliver user-centric products and services: To ensure that statistical information reaches more Canadians in ways that allow them to better understand the data, Statistics Canada is making its products available in a variety of user-friendly, technology-based formats. This year, the agency launched a new official release vehicle to tell data stories and communicate with Canadians more frequently; a mobile app that provides easy access to insights, expert analysis and fun facts; and a podcast series that puts the people behind statistics in the spotlight.
• Use leading-edge methods during the pandemic: The agency responded to the increased demands for health-related information to support urgent public health decisions and developed economic programs to provide key labour market data and business conditions by launching new surveys, dashboards and portals and rapidly integrating data from different sources. It also provided more timely data and real-time analysis of trends, including more disaggregated data on socioeconomic factors that the agency is collecting as part of its Disaggregated Data Action Plan. Additionally, Statistics Canada began releasing nowcast estimates while continuing to provide key monthly economic indicators in its Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19.
• Use leading-edge methods beyond COVID-19: Statistics Canada has scaled up its use of data science and open science to deliver sound statistics more efficiently, effectively and accessibly than ever. Modernized survey tools have brought increased flexibility to data collection, while a new, multi-year initiative aims to improve the international framework for recognizing environmental accounting. Text-to-speech was also piloted on selected Statistics Canada web pages to determine the best approach to providing this enhanced service to Canadians.
• Collaborate and engage with Canadians: In 2021‒22, Statistics Canada expanded its engagement with key partners to ensure that the data collected from, and with, them serve their needs while helping to enrich the data ecosystem in this country. Collaborations included encouraging citizen development, launching new data labs, partnering with research groups and universities, and sharing information and building statistical capacity with Indigenous groups across the land, municipalities, and chambers of commerce. Moreover, the agency continues to be a data stewardship leader in the federal public service, ensuring that departments can effectively govern and manage their data assets to better serve all Canadians.
• Collaborate and lead internationally and foster data literacy: Statistics Canada is leading international data standards to make it easier to create, share and integrate partner data and other forms of publicly available data. The agency collaborated with Apolitical and was awarded the Public Service Team of the Year 2021: Data and Digital Champions for the Data Literacy Training Initiative. Statistics Canada continues to play a leadership role in various United Nations expert groups and networks and is preparing to welcome data leaders to the World Statistics Congress 2023, which will be held in Ottawa, Ontario.
• Build an agile workforce and culture: Against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada built on its Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace initiative to create a Statistics Canada hybrid workplace model for shaping our future together. The hybrid model leverages the benefits of on-site work and telework, allowing for a broader, national presence and giving more flexibility for employees to work where they are most effective. This new, modernized way of working will improve employee experience, operations, business processes and productivity, which will enhance the agency's already strong delivery of high-quality statistical information.

In addition to its high-velocity communications and the dissemination of its high-quality statistical information, Statistics Canada's commitment to privacy and transparency continues to be strengthened through ethical frameworks and its Trust Centre. I invite Canadians to provide feedback using the Trust Centre and to learn more about how Statistics Canada responsibly collects and uses their data to provide them with the evidence they need to make informed decisions.

The level of success we experienced this year could not have been completed without the strong collaboration efforts of many different groups who provided advice and support for the work undertaken by this agency. I would like to thank the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council, all the advisory committees, partners in all levels of government and the private, academic and not-for-profit sectors who played a key role in this past year's accomplishments.

The need for timely and accurate data has never been greater in revealing whether Canada is on the right track as the nation—and its economy and society—gradually recovers from the pandemic.

Anil Arora
Chief Statistician of Canada

It is our pleasure to present the 2021–22 Departmental Results Report for Statistics Canada.

Over the past year, the various organizations in the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Portfolio have together worked hard to make Canada a global innovation leader and build an economy that works for everyone.

As part of ISED's portfolio, Statistics Canada continued to be a data stewardship leader in the federal public service, ensuring that departments can effectively govern and manage their data assets to better serve all Canadians. We are pleased to see how the agency innovated and leveraged its modernization plans to strengthen statistical capacity and frameworks.

In 2021-22, the agency accelerated its delivery of data-driven insights to respond to Canadians' evolving information and decision-making needs for a greener and more inclusive recovery. Statistics Canada also successfully completed the 2021 Census, the results of which will fill data needs of Canadians and inform policy decisions for years to come. The agency's work to improve the quality and availability of disaggregated data will help to ensure that policy decisions benefit all communities.

We invite you to read this report to learn more about how Statistics Canada, like ISED and other portfolio partners, are working with and for Canadians to position Canada as a leader in the global economy.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Mandate Letter

Information for respondents

Authority to publish

I hereby authorize Statistics Canada to disclose any or all portions of the data supplied on this questionnaire that could identify this department after the tabling of the forecast year Main Estimates.

• Yes
• No

Respondent Information:

• Name of person authorized to sign
• Signature
• Official position
• Program
• Department or agency
• E-mail address
• Telephone number

Enquiries to be directed to:

• Name
• Date
• Position title
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Fax number

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Additional information

The data collected are used by federal and provincial science policy analysts, and are also part of the gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD). Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Authority

Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Completion of this questionnaire is a legal requirement under this Act.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

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For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Industry Canada.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Record linkage

To enhance the data from this survey and to minimize the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Security of emails and faxes

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Return procedures

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FSEP - Introduction

This introduction is intended to provide an overview of the process of collecting science expenditure data; definitions of and explanatory notes on natural sciences and engineering, social sciences, humanities and the arts, scientific and technological activities, performance sectors, and other terms used are given in subsequent sections.

The collection of science expenditure data is organized by the Investment, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) of Statistics Canada. This exercise was formerly conducted under the aegis of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat but is now solely a Statistics Canada survey.

Collection is undertaken to gather essential data describing the recent, current and proposed state of the federal resources allocated to science. Federal science expenditures data are provided to Industry Canada who in turn use the data in the development of advice to the Assistant Deputy Ministers' Steering Committee on the Management of S&T, their Minister and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as well as in policy development and in monitoring the implementation of science policies. Statistics Canada maintains historical expenditure series in natural sciences and engineering dating back to 1963 and to 1971 in the social sciences, humanities and the arts. These data are available through the Investment, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) or through special requests.

The basic reporting unit is the budgetary program of a department or agency. Each budgetary program forms the subject of separate scientific expenditure reports for the natural and for the social science activities within it. Both the program and the program activities within it may be scientific in whole or in part only. Only expenditures on the scientific components of a program or its activity are reported. In some programs it will be difficult to distinguish between the natural and social sciences. However, some allocation must be made and in determining this allocation, the dominant orientation of the projects and the area of expertise of the personnel involved must be considered. Detailed definitions are given on the following pages.

On the questionnaires, the identified expenditures are looked at from several different viewpoints and in various subdivisions. Expenditures on research and development (R&D) and related scientific activities (RSA) are subdivided to provide an indication of the "what" of a department's scientific effort. Expenditures in each category of scientific activity are further subdivided into "current" and "capital" segments. Current expenditures are additionally subdivided by sector, to indicate the "where" and "by whom" the activity is performed (e.g., in business enterprise, in higher education).

The human resources allocated to scientific activities are summarized in terms of the involved categories of personnel (scientific and professional, technical, etc.) and the principal focus of their efforts (R&D, RSA and, administration of extramural programs).

When completed, checked for consistency with previous reports, entered into the database and totaled along the various dimensions, these data provide snapshots of the federal resources allocated to science, supporting not only the work of central agencies but also the submissions of departments and agencies requesting resources.

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Question 1: Expenditures by activity and performer

General

The social sciences, humanities and the arts consist of disciplines involving the study of human actions and conditions and the social, economic and institutional mechanisms affecting humans. Included are such disciplines as arts, economics and business, education, history and archaeology, law, language and linguistics, media and communications, philosophy, ethics and religion, psychology and cognitive sciences, social and economic geography, and sociology.

Expenditures by activity and performer

Scientific and technological (S&T) activities can be defined as all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technology knowledge in all fields of science and technology, that is the natural sciences and engineering, and the social sciences, humanities and the arts.

The central activity is scientific research and experimental development (R&D). In addition there are a number of activities closely related to R&D, and are termed related scientific activities (RSA). Those identified as being appropriate for the federal government in the social sciences, humanities and the arts are: general purpose data collection, information services, special services and studies and education support.

The performer is equivalent to the sector in which the scientific activity is conducted. The basic distinction is between intramural and extramural performance. Extramural payments are classified on the basis of the performance sectors to which they are made. The appropriate extramural performers are business enterprise, higher education, Canadian non-profit institutions, foreign performers, provincial and municipal governments, and other performers.

I. Performers

lntramural activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the related gross fixed capital expenditures (acquisition of land, buildings, machinery and equipment for scientific activities); the administration of scientific activities by program employees; and, the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, the lease of capital goods (machinery and equipment, etc.) and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year).

The intramural expenditures reported for scientific activities are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The costs should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. The summation of intramural R&D activity is synonymous with the performance of R&D for the entire economy (GERD).

Extramural performers are groups being funded by the federal government sector for S&T activities. In this survey the extramural performers include:

• Business enterprise – business and government enterprises including public utilities and government-owned firms. Both financial and non-financial corporations are included. Incorporated consultants or unincorporated individuals providing scientific and engineering services are also included. Industrial research institutes located at Canadian universities are considered to be in the higher education sector.
• Higher education – comprises all universities, colleges of technology and other institutes of post-secondary education, whatever their source of finance or legal status. It also includes teaching hospitals (non-teaching hospitals are in the Canadian non-profit sector) all research institutes, centers, experimental stations and clinics that have their scientific activities under the direct control of, or administered by, or associated with, the higher education establishments.
• Canadian non-profit institutions – charitable foundations, voluntary health organizations, scientific and professional societies, non-teaching hospitals (teaching hospitals are in the higher education sector) and other organizations not established to earn profits. Non-profit institutions primarily serving or controlled by another sector should be included in the controlling sector.
• Provincial and municipal governments – departments and agencies of these governments as well as provincial research organizations. Government enterprises, such as provincial utilities are included in the business enterprise sector, and non-teaching hospitals in the Canadian non-profit institutions sector.
• Foreign performers – all foreign government agencies, foreign companies (including foreign subsidiaries of Canadian firms), international organizations, non-resident foreign nationals and Canadians studying or teaching abroad.

II. Research and experimental development (R&D)

Research and experimental development - comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

R&D activities may be aimed at achieving either specific or general objectives. R&D is always aimed at new findings, based on original concepts (and their interpretation) or hypotheses. It is largely uncertain about its final outcome (or at least about the quantity of time and resources needed to achieve it), it is planned for and budgeted (even when carried out by individuals), and it is aimed at producing results that could be either freely transferred or traded in a marketplace.

For an activity to be an R&D activity, it must satisfy five core criteria:

• To be aimed at new findings (novel);
• To be based on original, not obvious, concepts and hypothesis (creative);
• To be uncertain about the final outcome (uncertainty);
• To be planned and budgeted (systematic);
• To lead to results that could be possibly reproduced (transferable/or reproducible).

Examples of R&D:

• A review of theories on the factors determining regional disparities in economic growth.
• Understanding the fundamental dynamics of spatial interactions.
• Comparative evaluations of national education programs aimed at reducing the learning gap experienced by disadvantaged communities.
• Research studies analyzing the spatial-temporal patterns in the transmission and diffusion of an infectious disease outbreak.

Both "research" and "development" are often used with different meanings in the government. For example, it is increasingly common to hear that a person is "researching" something (i.e. the person is looking for information about something). Similarly, there are many units with either "research" or "development" or both terms in their titles which are concerned primarily with information gathering, speech writing, and preparation of position papers. These should be excluded from the scientific activity of R&D. On the other hand, a case study on unemployment in a specific region, if applying original techniques in interviewing survey respondents could include such data collection in its R&D effort. From a broad perspective, to the extent that the social sciences are using empirical data, the same guidelines have to be applied as for the natural sciences (although excluding the testing of their results on an experimental basis).

Many social scientists perform work in which they bring the established methodologies and facts of the social sciences to bear upon a particular problem, but which cannot be classified as research. The following are examples of work which might be included in this category and are not R&D: interpretative commentary on the probable economic effects of a change in the tax structure using existing economic data; forecasting future changes in the pattern of the demand for social services within a given area arising from an altered demographic structure; operations research as a contribution to decision-making, e.g. planning the optimal distribution system for a factory; the use of standard techniques in applied psychology to select and classify industrial and military personnel, students, etc., and to test children with reading or other disabilities.

1. In-house R&D – R&D performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include R&D carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

2. R&D contracts – R&D contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund R&D performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the R&D contract as in-house (intramural) R&D that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an R&D contract. If no, and the funding is to provide goods and services necessary to support the in-house R&D of the federal government it should be reported as In-house R&D.

3. R&D grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of R&D and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to R&D activities.

4. Research fellowships – awards to individuals for advanced research training and experience. Awards intended primarily to support the education of the recipients should be reported as "education support".

5. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

6. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property products

III. Related scientific activities (RSA)

Related scientific activities (RSA) are all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technological knowledge. The types of related scientific activities for the social sciences, humanities and the arts are described below.

7. In-house RSA – RSA performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include RSA carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

In-house RSA activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year). Also include expenses of persons who provide ancillary services such as security, cleaning and maintenance work, finance and administration that are proportional to the RSA being conducted. However, the personnel providing these services are not to be included in the in-house personnel counts (see Section 2. Personnel).

The intramural expenditures reported to RSA are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The cost should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. Also include the costs of self-employed individuals, consultants and researchers who are working on-site on the departments' RSA projects.

8. RSA contracts – contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund RSA performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the RSA contract as in-house (intramural) RSA that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an RSA contract. If no, and the funding is for the purchase goods and services to support the in-house RSA of the federal government department, it should be reported as In-house RSA (Item 7).

Contracts to other federal government departments should be reported as a transfer of funds in question 3A (i) and 3A (ii) of the questionnaire.

9. RSA grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of RSA and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to RSA.

In-house RSA, RSA Contracts and RSA grants and contributions can include the following items:

• General purpose data collection – the routine gathering, processing, collating and analyzing and publication of information on human phenomena using survey, regular and special investigations and compilations of existing records. It excludes data collected primarily for internal administrative purpose (e.g. departmental personnel statistics) as well as the collection of data as part of an R&D project.
  Data collected as part of an existing or proposed research project are charged to research. Similarly, the costs of analyzing existing data as part of a research project are R&D costs, even when the data were originally collected for some other purpose. The institution involved are generally the statistical bureaus of Canadian governments and the statistical sections of departments and agencies. If there are units whose principal activity is R&D, their costs and personnel should be assigned to R&D; specialized libraries with separate budgets should be assigned to information services.
• Information services – all work directed to collecting, coding, analyzing, evaluating, recording, classifying, translating and disseminating scientific and technological information as well as museum services. Included are the operations of scientific and technical libraries, S&T consulting and advisory services, the Patent Office, the publication of scientific journals and monographs, and the organizing of scientific conferences. Grants for the publication of scholarly works are also included.
  General purpose information services or information services directed primarily towards the general public are excluded, as are general departmental and public libraries. When individual budgets exist, the costs of libraries which belong to institutions otherwise entirely classified to another activity, such as R&D, should be assigned to information services. The costs of printing and distributing reports from another activity, such as R&D, are normally attributed to that activity.
• Sub category under Information services:
  • Museum services – the collecting, cataloguing and displaying of specimens and representations relating to human history, social organization and creations. The activity involves a systematic attempt to preserve and display the works of human beings and to provide information on their works, history, and nature. The scientific activities of historical museums, archeological displays, and art galleries are included. In all cases the costs of providing entertainment and recreation to visitors should be excluded (e.g. restaurants, children's gardens and museums).
    When a museum also covers aspects of natural history, the museum's operations should be divided between the social and natural sciences. However, museums of science and technology, war, etc., which display synthetic or artificial objects and may also illustrate the operations of certain technologies, should be considered as engaged in museum services in social sciences.
  • Special services and studies - systematic investigations carried out in order to provide information needed for planning or policy formulation. Demonstration projects are also included.
    The work is usually carried out by specialized units in some government departments, by consultants, by royal commissions, and by task forces. The activity is similar to R&D since it may require innovative analyses and a high degree of scientific ability. However, such studies are not intended to acquire new knowledge but to provide specific answers to specific problems (generally immediate, localized and perhaps temporary). The day-to-day operations of units concerned with departmental planning, organization or management are not normally included (i.e. administrative records kept by departments of education) but special projects may be relevant.
• Sub categories under Special services and studies include:
  • Economic and feasibility studies – the investigation of the socio-economic characteristics and implications of specific situations (e.g. a study of the variability of a petrochemical complex in a certain region). Note that feasibility studies on research projects are part of R&D.
  • Operations and policy-related studies – covers a range of activities, such as the analysis and assessment of the existing programs, policies and operations of government departments and other institutions; the work of units concerned with the continuing analysis and monitoring of external phenomena (e.g. defence and security analysis); and the work of legislative commissions of inquiry concerned with general government or departmental policy or operations.
    Any activity aimed at providing close support to policy actions, as well as to legislative activity, should be included as a related scientific activity (RSA). This includes policy advice and relations with the media, legal advice, public relations or even technical support for the administrative activity (e.g. accounting).
    Research activities aimed at providing the decision makers with a thorough knowledge of social, economic or natural phenomena have to be included in R&D. These R&D activities are usually performed by skilled personnel - researchers - in small teams of experts and consultants and meet the standard academic criteria for scientific work (in addition to the R&D criteria).
  • Education support – grants to individuals or institutions on behalf of individuals which are intended to support the post-secondary education of students in technology and the social sciences. General purpose grants to educational institutions are excluded. The activity includes the support of foreign students in their studies of the social sciences at Canadian or foreign institutions. Grants intended primarily to support the research of individuals at universities are either R&D grants or research fellowships.

10. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

11. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property product

Question 2: Personnel

Full-time equivalent (FTE) – the ratio of working hours actually spent on scientific activities during a specific reference period divided by the total number of hours conventionally worked in the same period by an individual or a group. For example, an employee who is engaged in scientific activities for half a year has a full-time equivalence of 0.5. Personnel data reported should be consistent with expenditures data.

Scientific and professional – researchers and professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. They require at least one academic degree or a nationally recognized professional qualification, as well as those with equivalent experience.

Technical – technicians and equivalent staff are persons whose main tasks require technical knowledge and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences, humanities and the arts. They perform scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts and operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers.

Other – other supporting staff includes skilled and unskilled craftsmen, and administrative, secretarial and clerical staff participating in science and technology projects or directly associated with such projects.

Gender – refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents.

Personnel in full time equivalent for intramural scientific and technological activities:

• Column A: Personnel engaged in Research and experimental development (R&D)
• Column B: Personnel engaged in Related scientific activities (RSA)
• Column C: Personnel engaged in the administration of extramural R&D programs
• Column D: Personnel engaged in the administration of extramural RSA programs
• Column E: Total personnel

Question 3: Sources of funds

Question 3A (i). Transfers for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities

Include payments and recipients for contracts, transfers and joint programs from/to other federal government departments. Please identify the amount and names of the origination and recipient programs.

Question 3A (ii). Sources of funds for total scientific and technological activities

This question identifies the sources of funds for expenditures on scientific activities reported for all three years. It will help to ensure that work funded from outside the department is not overlooked.

• Departmental S&T budget – that portion of the total departmental budget which was spent on social sciences, humanities and the arts activities.
• Revenues to / from other federal departments – money transferred from this program to another federal department or money transferred into this program from another federal department for activities in the social sciences, humanities and the arts.
• Provincial government departments – all funds from the provincial government used for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities. The funds are referred to as payments, contributions, transfers, etc. Also include provincial portions of federal-provincial cost sharing programs performed by the department program.
• Business enterprises – all funds from business enterprises used for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities performed by the department.
• Other – all funds for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities from sources not specified above.

Question 4: Socio-economic objectives

Intramural and extramural scientific and technological expenditures by socio-economic objective for the reporting year by activity (research and experimental development, related scientific activities, and total).

• 1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth
• 2. Infrastructure and general planning of land use:
  • 2.1: Transport
  • 2.2: Telecommunications
  • 2.3: Other
• 3. Control and care of the environment
• 4. Protection and improvement of human health
• 5. Production, distribution and rational utilization of energy
• 6. Agricultural production and technology:
  • 6.1: Agriculture
  • 6.2: Fishing
  • 6.3: Forestry
• 7. Industrial production and technology
• 8. Social structures and relationships
• 9. Exploration and exploitation of space
• 10. Non-oriented research
• 11. Other civil research
• 12. Defence

1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth – scientific activities with objectives related to the exploration of the Earth's crust and mantle, seas, oceans and atmosphere, as well as on their exploitation. It also includes climatic and meteorological research, polar exploration (under various headings, as appropriate) and hydrology.

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Mineral, oil and natural gas prospecting
• Exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed
• Earth's crust and mantle excluding sea-bed and studies of soil for agriculture (objective 6)
• Hydrology - excludes scientific activities on: water supplied and disposal (objective 2) and water pollution (objective 3)
• Sea and oceans
• Atmosphere
• Other scientific activities on the exploration and exploitation of the earth

Excludes: scientific activities on pollution (objective 3), soil improvement (objective 2), land-use and fishing (objective 6).

2. Infrastructure and general planning of land use – scientific activities on infrastructure and land development, including research on the construction of buildings. More generally, it covers all scientific activities relating to the general planning of land use. This includes scientific activities into protection against harmful effects in town and country planning but not scientific activities into other types of pollution (objective 3).

2.1 Transport systems – covers scientific activities on transport systems, including road accident prevention and ancillary services such as electronic traffic aids and radar stations. Also included is general scientific activities on transport systems, road and rail traffic, inland waterway and sea transport, air traffic, pipeline transport systems, works transport systems, combined transport systems and scientific activities on the potential effects on the environment of the planning and operation of transport systems. Scientific activities on transport equipment is included only when it forms part of the co-ordinated programmes for the development of improved and safer transport systems, otherwise, such research is classified in objective 7.

2.2 Telecommunications system – covers scientific activities on telecommunications services and the planning and organization of telecommunications networks. It includes, in particular, general scientific activities on telecommunications systems, telephones, telex, data transmission, radio and television (including cable TV).

2.3 Other scientific activities – covers scientific activities on the infrastructure and general planning of land-use.

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• General planning of land-use
• Construction and planning of buildings
• Civil engineering - excludes scientific activities on building materials and industrial processes (objective 7)
• Water supply

3. Control and care of the environment – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the control of pollution, including the identification and analysis of the sources of pollution and their causes, and all pollutants, including their dispersal in the environment and the effects on humans, species (fauna, flora, microorganisms) and the biosphere. The development of monitoring facilities for the measurement of all kinds of pollution is included. The same is valid for the elimination and prevention of all forms of pollution in all types of environment.

Examples:

• General scientific activities on the environment
• Protection of atmosphere and climate
• Protection of ambient air
• Solid waste
• Protection of ambient water
• Protection of soil and groundwater
• Noise and vibration
• Protection of species and habitats
• Protection against natural hazards
• Radioactive pollution
• Other scientific activities on the environment

4. Protection and improvement of human health – scientific activities aimed at protecting, promoting and restoring human health, broadly interpreted to include health aspects of nutrition and food hygiene. It ranges from preventative medicine, including all aspects of medical and surgical treatment, both for individuals and groups, and the provision of hospital and home care, to social medicine and paediatric and geriatric research.

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Medical scientific activities, hospital treatment, surgery
• Preventive medicine
• Biomedical engineering and medicines
• Occupational medicine
• Nutrition and food hygiene
• Drug abuse and addition
• Social medicine
• Hospital structure and organization of medical care
• Other medical scientific activities

5. Production, distribution and rational utilization of energy – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the production, storage, transportation, distribution and rational use of all forms of energy. It also includes scientific activities on processes designed to increase the efficiency of energy production and distribution, and the study of energy conservation.

Examples:

• Fossil fuels and their derivatives
• Nuclear fission
• Radioactive waste management including decommissioning with regard to fuel/energy
• Nuclear fusion
• Renewable energy sources
• Rational utilization of energy

6. Agricultural production and technology – covers all scientific activities on the promotion of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and foodstuff production, or further knowledge on chemical fertilizers, biocides, biological pest control and the mechanization of agriculture, as well as concerning the impact of agricultural and forestry activities on the environment. Also covers scientific activities on improving food productivity and technology.

6.1 Agriculture – covers scientific activities on animal products, veterinary medicine, crops, food technology and other scientific activities on agricultural production and technology.

6.2 Fishing – covers scientific activities on fishing, salting, drying, and initial freezing of products (but not on preparation and canning (objective 7)), scientific activities on fish-farming, exploration of new fishing grounds, exploration and development of new and unconventional sources of seafood.

6.3 Forestry – covers scientific activities into the ecological and economic aspects of forestry and timber production.

7. Industrial production and technology – covers scientific activities on the improvement of industrial production and technology. It includes scientific activities on industrial products and their manufacturing processes except where they form an integral part of the pursuit of other objectives (e.g. defence, space, energy, agriculture).

Examples:

• Increasing economic efficiency and competitiveness
• Manufacturing and processing techniques
• Petrochemical and coal by-products
• Pharmaceutical products
• Manufacture of motor vehicles and other means of transport
• Aerospace equipment manufacturing and repairing
• Electronic and related industries
• Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus
• Manufacture of non-electronic and non-electronical machinery
• Manufacture of medical and surgical equipment and orthopaedic appliances
• Manufacture of food products and beverages
• Manufacture of clothing and textiles and leather goods
• Recycling

8. Social structures and relationships – scientific activities on social objectives, as analyzed in particular by social and human sciences, which have no obvious connection with other objectives. This analysis includes quantitative, qualitative, organizational and forecasting aspects of social problems.

Examples:

• Education – covers scientific activities aimed at supporting general or special education, including training, pedagogy, didactics, and targeted methods for specially gifted persons or those with learning disabilities. Applied to all levels of education as well as to subsidiary services to education.
• Culture, recreation, religion and mass media – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding of social phenomena related to culture activities, religion and leisure activities so as to define their impact on life in society, as well as to racial and cultural integration and on socio-cultural changes in these areas. The concept of "culture" covers sociology of science, religion, art, sport and leisure, and also comprises inter alia R&D on the media, the mastery of language and social integration, libraries, archives and external cultural policy.
• Political and social system, structures and processes – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding and supporting the political structure of society, public administration issues and economic policy, regional studies and multi-level governance, social change, social processes and social conflicts, the development of social security and social assistance systems, and the social aspects of the organization of work.

9. Exploration and exploitation of space – all civil space scientific activities relating to the scientific exploration of space, space laboratories, space travel and launch systems. Although civil space research is not in general concerned with particular objectives, it frequently has a specific goal, such as the advancement of knowledge (e.g. astronomy) or relates to particular applications (e.g. telecommunications satellites or earth observation).

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Scientific exploration of space
• Applied research programs
• Launch systems
• Space laboratories and space travel
• Other research on the exploration and exploitation of space

10. Non-oriented research – basic activities motivated by scientific curiosity with the objective of increasing scientific knowledge. It also includes funding used to support postgraduate studies and fellowships.

Examples:

• Mathematics and Computer Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Chemical Sciences
• Biological Sciences
• Earth and Related (Environmental) Sciences
• Engineering Sciences
• Medical Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences
• Social Sciences
• Humanities

11. Other civil research – civil scientific activities which cannot (yet) be classified to a particular objective.

12. Defence – covers scientific activities for military purposes. It also includes basic research and nuclear and space research financed by the Department of National defence. Civil scientific activities financed by ministries of defence, for example, in the fields of meteorology, telecommunications and health, should be classified in the relevant objectives.

Question 5: Expenditures and personnel by region

Scientific and technological expenditures and personnel of federal organizations for the reference year, including current and capital expenditures for intramural R&D and RSA and by scientific and professional and total personnel for R&D and RSA.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec (excluding NRC - Quebec)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Quebec
• Ontario (excluding NRC - Ontario)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
• Canada Total

Table of contents

• From the Minister
• From the Chief Statistician
• Results at a glance
• Results: what we achieved
  • Core responsibilities
  • Internal services
• Spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Human resources
  • Expenditures by vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
• Corporate information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Operating context
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the program inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions