This survey collects financial data from the Canadian Level IV air carriers. This information is used to determine if a carrier has reached the revenue threshold required to qualify for reporting Level III. The data are also used by various government departments for statistical and research purposes.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
Data-sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Under Section 12 of the Statistics Act, respondents can object to the sharing of information with other organizations. However, respondents do not have the right of refusal with respect to sharing the data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect and use this information pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations.
Respondents may refuse to share their information with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, and mailing it to the following address. These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes.
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6
1. Verify or provide the business or organization’s legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.
Note: Legal name should only be modified to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name:
Operating name (if applicable):
2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Preferred language of communication:
English
French
Mailing address (number and street):
City:
Province, territory or state:
Postal code or ZIP code:
Country:
Canada
United States
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
No longer operating because of other reasons
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS , are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
This is the current main activity
This is not the current main activity
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity:
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
Main activity
5. You indicated that (activity) is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: (activity)?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date:
No
Reporting period information
1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?
For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022
June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022
July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022
August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022
September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022
October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022
December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022
January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023
March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023
April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
September 18, 2021 to September 15, 2022 ( e.g., floating year-end)
June 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 ( e.g., a newly opened business).
Fiscal year start date:
Fiscal year-end date:
2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?
Select all that apply.
Seasonal operations
New business
Change of ownership
Temporarily inactive
Change of fiscal year
Ceased operations
Other
Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year
Statement of Revenues, Annual - Statement 21 (IV)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD , what was the operating revenue earned by this business?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD , what was the operating revenue earned by this business?
CAN$ '000
Operating revenue
Include scheduled and charter services.
a. Fixed wing services
b. Helicopter services
Total operating revenue
Changes or events
7. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
Strike or lock-out
Exchange rate impact
Price changes in goods or services sold
Contracting out
Organizational change
Price changes in labour or raw materials
Natural disaster
Recession
Change in product line
Sold business or business units
Expansion
New or lost contract
Plant closures
Acquisition of business or business units
Other
Specify the other change or event
No changes or events
Contact person
8. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is ([Provided Given Names]) , ([Provided Family Name]) the best person to contact?
Yes
No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
9. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
10. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
National Level CVs by Characteristic
Table summary
This table displays the results of Monthly Survey of Manufacturing: National Level CVs by Characteristic. The information is grouped by Month (appearing as row headers), and Sales of goods manufactured, Raw materials and components inventories, Goods / work in process inventories, Finished goods manufactured inventories and Unfilled Orders, calculated in percentage (appearing as column headers).
Month
Sales of goods manufactured
Raw materials and components inventories
Goods / work in process inventories
Finished goods manufactured inventories
Unfilled Orders
%
March 2022
0.71
1.12
1.50
1.65
1.46
April 2022
0.70
1.15
1.52
1.63
1.54
May 2022
0.67
1.15
1.51
1.68
1.41
June 2022
0.68
1.16
1.52
1.76
1.44
July 2022
0.69
1.11
1.76
1.52
1.36
August 2022
0.68
1.14
1.76
1.58
1.36
September 2022
0.66
1.07
1.83
1.58
1.48
October 2022
0.66
1.10
1.82
1.55
1.48
November 2022
0.65
1.10
1.68
1.58
1.46
December 2022
0.61
1.08
2.32
1.58
1.47
January 2023
0.65
1.13
2.33
1.52
1.47
February 2023
0.68
1.15
2.06
1.44
1.53
March 2023
0.66
1.11
1.96
1.41
1.43
Why do we conduct this survey?
This survey collects financial and operational data from the Canadian Level lll air carriers needed to measure the growth, the performance and the long-term financial position of the airline industry. The information is also used by Statistics Canada as input to the Canadian System of National Accounts and by individual carriers for measuring company performance relative to groups of competitors.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
Data-sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Under Section 12 of the Statistics Act, respondents can object to the sharing of information with other organizations. However, respondents do not have the right of refusal with respect to sharing the data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect and use this information pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations.
Respondents may refuse to share their information with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, and mailing it to the following address. These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes.
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6
1. Verify or provide the business or organization’s legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.
Note: Legal name should only be modified to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name:
Operating name (if applicable):
2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Preferred language of communication:
English
French
Mailing address (number and street):
City:
Province, territory or state:
Postal code or ZIP code:
Country:
Canada
United States
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
No longer operating because of other reasons
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS , are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
This is the current main activity
This is not the current main activity
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity:
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
Main activity
5. You indicated that (activity) is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: (activity)?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date:
No
Reporting period information
1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?
For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022
June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022
July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022
August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022
September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022
October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022
December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022
January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023
March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023
April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
September 18, 2021 to September 15, 2022 ( e.g., floating year-end)
June 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 ( e.g., a newly opened business).
Fiscal year start date:
Fiscal year-end date:
2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?
Select all that apply.
Seasonal operations
New business
Change of ownership
Temporarily inactive
Change of fiscal year
Ceased operations
Other
Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets – (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
CAN$ '000
Financial assets
a. Current assets
b. All other financial assets
Include investments and special funds.
Property and equipment
a. Operating - property and equipment
Include capital leases.
b. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
c. Non-operating property and equipment
Include capital leases.
d. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
e. All other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and capital
a. Current liabilities
b. Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
c. Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities
Include capital leases.
d. Deferred incomes taxes
e. All other liabilities
Shareholders' equity
a. Capital stock
b. Retained earnings
c. All other items
Total liabilities and capital
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating revenue
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
CAN$ '000
Operating revenue
a. Scheduled services - passenger revenue
Include revenue from fees such as baggage, fuel, seat selection, etc.
b. Scheduled services - goods revenue
c. Charter services - passenger revenue
d. Charter services - goods revenue
e. All other flight - related revenue
Include revenue from flying services such as flying training, recreational flying, etc.
f. All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources.
Total operating revenue
2. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating expenses
Maintenance - ground property and equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Aircraft operations
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation of aircraft or in the holding of aircraft and aircraft personnel in readiness for assignment to an in-flight status.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on);
expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil (including throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes);
airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada;
navigation fees remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services (air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services);
expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable;
expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements;
all other aircraft operation expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft.
Maintenance - flight equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
General administration
Expenses incurred for in-flight service, aircraft and traffic servicing, promotion and sales and general administration.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on), ground personnel, staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities and all other employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier);
expenses for in-flight service such as passenger food and supplies (in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers), passenger liability insurance (premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance) and all other in-flight service expenses (including passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit);
expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers, expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage;
all promotion and sales expenses such as passenger and cargo commission expenses (the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services), advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses;
general administration expenses such as those for financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are not included in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
staff reduction expenses.
Depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment);
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on property and equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
All other expenses
Include any and all miscellaneous operating expenses not reported elsewhere.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the previous six expense items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
CAN$ '000
Operating expenses
a. Maintenance - ground property and equipment
b. Aircraft operations
c. Maintenance - flight equipment
d. General administration
Include expenses incurred for in-flight service, aircraft and traffic servicing, promotion and sales and general administration.
e. Depreciation
Include provisions for the depreciation of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment), etc.
f. All other expenses
Total operating expenses
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
3. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses - calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes
Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
CAN$ '000
Operating income
a. Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Calculated from the previous questions as total operating revenue [$ amount] less total operating expenses [$ amount].
Non-operating income/expenses
a. Interest and discount income
b. Interest expenses
c. All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
d. Provision for income taxes
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
4. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.
Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Gasoline consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for gasoline consumed. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, it may be estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of gasoline consumed in litres.
Include gasoline consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for gasoline consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous three items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Quantity -
Litres (L)
Expenses CAN$ '000
Fuel and oil consumed
a. Turbo fuel consumed (litres)
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
b. Gasoline consumed (litres)
c. All other fuel and oil consumed (litres)
Total fuel and oil consumed (litres)
5. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Refers to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel.
Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Wages and salaries expenses CAN$ '000
Employment
a. Pilots and co-pilots
b. Other flight personnel
Include flight engineers, navigators, flight attendants, etc.
c. General management and administration employees
d. Maintenance personnel
e. Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel
Include flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff, aircraft fuelers, etc.
f. All other employees
Include air ambulance attendants, accountants, purchasing personnel, etc.
Total employees
6. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Revenue and expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries
Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
1. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation.
Scheduled services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns - domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight - that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1 Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
For the calendar year ending in December 2019, please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation.
Domestic
Transborder
(Canada-US)
Other
international
Total
Scheduled services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of hours flown
d. Enplaned goods (kilograms)
e. Goods tonne-kilometres
(tonne-kilometres)
2. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for scheduled services?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Scheduled services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for scheduled services?
Domestic CAN$ '000
Transborder
(Canada-US) CAN$ '000
Other
international CAN$ '000
Total CAN$ '000
Scheduled services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Passenger revenue
b. Goods revenue
Charter Services, Revenue Operating Statistics, Annual - Statement 12 (III)
1. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's charter services by sector of operation.
Charter services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns - domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight - that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1 Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's charter services by sector of operation.
Domestic
Transborder
(Canada-US)
Other
international
Total
Charter services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of hours flown
d. Enplaned goods (kilograms)
e. Goods tonne-kilometres
(tonne-kilometres)
2. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for charter services?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Charter services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for charter services?
Domestic CAN$ '000
Transborder
(Canada-US) CAN$ '000
Other
international CAN$ '000
Total CAN$ '000
Charter services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Passenger revenue
b. Goods revenue
Changes or events
7. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
Strike or lock-out
Exchange rate impact
Price changes in goods or services sold
Contracting out
Organizational change
Price changes in labour or raw materials
Natural disaster
Recession
Change in product line
Sold business or business units
Expansion
New or lost contract
Plant closures
Acquisition of business or business units
Other
Specify the other change or event
No changes or events
Contact person
8. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is ([Provided Given Names]), ([Provided Family Name]) the best person to contact?
Yes
No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
9. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
10. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
Statistics Canada launched its modernization agenda in 2017/2018, with the vision to enable the agency to deliver on its relentless commitment to increase relevance, build more efficient and effective operations, have a high performing workforce in a data-driven society and demonstrate sound stewardship of public resources. As part of its modernization efforts, the agency has implemented many large, complex initiatives aimed at transformation and innovation. Statistics Canada's investment plan lays out the agency's planned investments, which include an estimated $205.3 million in expenditures between 2022/2023 and 2026/2027 for 57 planned or in-flight projects. The successful delivery of these projects allows the agency to keep delivering high-quality data and fulfill its mandate and responsibility to ensure that Canadians have the information they need, while maintaining the high standard of trust that Canadians have come to expect.
Projects within the federal government are subject to the Treasury Board of Canada (TB) Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments and the Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes. Within Statistics Canada, projects are guided by the Departmental Project Management Framework (DPMF), which provides standard project management processes, guidelines, templates and tools that are used to initiate, plan, execute, control and close out a project. It also provides a structured process for project governance, gating and approval.
The DPMF is owned by the Departmental Project Management Office (DPMO), within the Business Planning and Performance Division, Corporate Strategy and Management Field. The mandate of the DPMO is to provide leadership through strategic advice, training and support in the development and implementation of common project management processes, as well as the tools to be used in all projects. These tools and processes aim to ensure timely delivery within cost and scope, in accordance with quality standards.
As per TB policy requirements, deputy heads are responsible for ensuring that their organizations are accurately assessed to determine the level of project management capacity for the purposes of project approval and related expenditure authority. In 2022, Statistics Canada successfully sought renewal of its Organizational Project Management Capacity Assessment rating of 3 (Evolutionary), indicating that the agency has the capacity to successfully deliver projects with a Project Complexity and Risk Assessment level of 3 or lower without the need for TB approval.
Why is this important?
Many projects are characterized by internal interdependencies and will have fundamental impacts on Statistics Canada operations and products. Concerns were raised that the agency may be at risk of not achieving desired outcomes in some cases. Interviews and research conducted during audit planning led to the identification of five focused elements that can help ensure successful project delivery: outcomes management, interdependencies management, change management, governance and oversight, and continuous improvement. To provide insight into these areas, the audit team selected three major in-flight projects under the responsibility of different fields within the agency to review as case studies.
Project outcomes are measurable improvements resulting from a project that contribute to one or more organizational objectives. They differ from project outputs, which are deliverables that a project produces, e.g., a new, enhanced or upgraded system. Project outcomes can be direct quantitative (labour or other direct savings), indirect or qualitative. While actual project outcomes should be specific, examples of possible types of outcomes (i.e., benefits) include eliminated duplication of effort, decreased information retrieval time, decreased temporary contract help, decreased need for training fees and time, lower absenteeism, increased client satisfaction, faster response time to service requests, increased availability of management information, increased level of data integrity, and more effective decision making. Outcomes should also link to longer-term organizational objectives, including strategic objectives, which ultimately lead to improved services and other benefits for Canadians. These outcomes should be defined and understood at the early onset of a project to ensure clear understanding of overall goals and a means of measuring success.
Most major projects often depend on other projects or initiatives to deliver enabling capabilities that are essential to their successful implementation. Often, these same major projects also contribute enabling capabilities to other projects or initiatives. Understanding, monitoring and coordinating project interdependencies are imperative for ensuring organizational-level optimization, minimizing delays and preventing duplication of efforts.
The delivery and implementation of major projects frequently result in significant changes to systems and processes. For these changes to be successfully integrated and the benefits fully realized, employees must adapt. Change management is the practice of managing the humanistic aspects of change initiatives within organizations and is more than just communication. Employees need to be part of the change, rather than have the change be imposed on them. Implementing participative change management practices enables employees to contribute and feel involved, maximizes the benefits of future states, and feeds an organizational culture of belonging and trust.
A project steering committee is a governing body tasked with overseeing and supporting a project to ensure it stays on track to achieve its outcomes. Committee members represent various stakeholder groups impacted by the project and should have a vested interest in ensuring its success. To be effective, project steering committees require appropriate membership, clear responsibilities and an adequate line of sight into the overall project.
Continuous improvement involves regularly collecting and sharing lessons to avoid repeating mistakes and to replicate good practices. To improve the likelihood of successful project delivery, such information should be analyzed to find solutions to possible systemic issues or challenges beyond the scope of a single project.
Overall conclusion
Statistics Canada has processes and mechanisms in place to assist in the delivery of major projects and has successfully implemented many large, complex initiatives within its modernization agenda. Moving forward, the agency should explore opportunities to strengthen its management control framework for the delivery of major projects, specifically in the areas of identifying outcomes and interdependencies, change management, and governance and oversight. Doing so would help improve the likelihood of successful project delivery, including achieving desired outcomes, realizing anticipated benefits and measuring success.
Key findings
Outcomes management
Some opportunities to strengthen the project outcomes, key performance indicators and performance targets for the three major in-flight projects reviewed were observed. Opportunities also exist for project outcomes to be more actively monitored to ensure their continued relevance and attainability, and to consider outcomes as a means of assessing project health and measuring success.
Interdependencies management
While there are tools in place to help manage project interdependencies, some limitations were observed. The agency does not yet have a holistic organizational view of project interdependencies. Most of the identification, tracking and communication of project interdependencies for the three major in-flight projects reviewed was being done on an ad hoc basis and was reliant on the experience of certain individuals and their knowledge of the agency.
Change management
An organizational change management framework, offering a set of tools and techniques to provide a structured, disciplined and repeatable approach to change management, is not yet in place. Some change management activities were occurring within the three major in-flight projects reviewed, although the activities included low levels of engagement with internal stakeholders. These activities were also being planned, developed and implemented without following a structured approach.
Governance and oversight
The three steering committees responsible for overseeing and supporting the major in-flight projects reviewed—to ensure the projects stay on track to achieve their outcomes—had good representation from stakeholder groups across the agency and were meeting frequently. There also appeared to be active engagement and involvement by members in committee discussions. While responsible executives were receiving regular project updates through various means, it was not evident that the monthly project dashboards and the health indicators contained within (i.e., cost, schedule, scope, issues and risks) were being regularly discussed at steering committee meetings.
Continuous improvement
The DPMO maintains resources to support continuous improvement. Project teams are documenting lessons learned throughout project life cycles, not just at the end. Key takeaways from lessons learned are regularly shared with senior management. Information is being used to identify issues beyond the scope of any one project and to find solutions.
Conformance with professional standards
The audit was conducted in accordance with the Mandatory Procedures for Internal Auditing in the Government of Canada, which include the Institute of Internal Auditors' International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.
Sufficient and appropriate audit procedures have been conducted, and evidence has been gathered to support the accuracy of the findings and conclusions in this report, and to provide an audit level of assurance. The findings and conclusions are based on a comparison of the conditions, as they existed at the time, against pre-established audit criteria. The findings and conclusions are applicable to the entity examined, and for the scope and period covered by the audit.
Steven McRoberts
Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive
Introduction
Background
Statistics Canada produces a vast array of products and services that are designed to meet the information needs of data users. These outputs are the result of hundreds of surveys and other programs, coupled with the significant efforts of its employees. Statistics Canada's planned investments will ensure that all the agency's products and services are of the highest possible value to Canadians. Statistics Canada launched its modernization agenda in 2017/2018, with the vision to enable the agency to deliver on its relentless commitment to increase relevance, build more efficient and effective operations, have a high performing workforce in a data-driven society and demonstrate sound stewardship of public resources. As part of its modernization efforts, the agency has implemented many large, complex initiatives aimed at transformation and innovation. Statistics Canada's investment plan lays out the agency's planned investments, which include an estimated $205.3 million in expenditures between 2022/2023 and 2026/2027 for 57 planned or in-flight projects. Of those funds, $128.4 million was planned for expenditure in 2022/2023. The successful delivery of these projects allows the agency to keep delivering high-quality data and fulfill its mandate and responsibility to ensure that Canadians have the information they need, while maintaining the high standard of trust that Canadians have come to expect.
The Treasury Board of Canada (TB) defines a project as an activity, or series of activities, that has a beginning and an end. A project is required to produce defined outputs and realize specific outcomes in support of a public policy objective, within a clear schedule and resource plan. A project is undertaken within specific parameters for time, cost and performance. Projects within the federal government are subject to the TB Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments and the Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes. Within Statistics Canada, projects are guided by the Departmental Project Management Framework (DPMF), which provides standard project management processes, guidelines, templates and tools that are used to initiate, plan, execute, control and close out a project. It also provides a structured process for project governance, gating and approval.
The DPMF is owned by the Departmental Project Management Office (DPMO), within the Business Planning and Performance Division (BPPD), Corporate Strategy and Management Field. The mandate of the DPMO is to provide leadership through strategic advice, training and support in the development and implementation of common project management processes, as well as the tools to be used in all projects. These tools and processes aim to ensure timely delivery within cost and scope, in accordance with quality standards.
As per TB policy requirements, deputy heads are responsible for ensuring that their organizations are accurately assessed to determine the level of project management capacity for the purposes of project approval and related expenditure authority. A department's organizational project management capacity class is usually assessed every three years, normally in conjunction with its investment plan. In 2018, Statistics Canada received an Organizational Project Management Capacity Assessment rating of 3 (Evolutionary), indicating that the agency has the capacity to successfully deliver projects with a Project Complexity and Risk Assessment level of 3 or lower without the need for TB approval. In 2022, the agency successfully sought renewal of its delegated project authority (i.e., Class 3, Evolutionary).
Audit objective
The objective of this audit was to provide reasonable assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the processes and mechanisms in place for delivering major projects and ensuring integration and benefits realization.
Scope
The scope of the audit included an examination of selected components within the agency's management control framework for the delivery of major projects—outcomes management, interdependencies management, change management, governance and oversight, and continuous improvement.
Approach and methodology
Field work consisted of a review of applicable processes, activities and tools, and a selection of three major in-flight projects under the responsibility of different fields within the agency to review as case studies. The three projects were selected judgmentally from the agency's top 14 investments reported to the Departmental Audit Committee on June 14, 2022, with consideration given to size and complexity.
In addition to documentation review and analysis, interviews were conducted with various individuals, including project sponsors, project managers, field portfolio managers, key personnel within the BPPD, and members (at arm's length from the project teams) from three separate steering committees.
Authority
The audit was conducted under the authority of the approved Statistics Canada Integrated Risk-based Audit and Evaluation Plan 2022/2023 to 2026/2027.
Findings, recommendations and management response
Outcomes management
Some opportunities to strengthen the project outcomes, key performance indicators and performance targets for the three major in-flight projects reviewed were observed. Opportunities also exist for project outcomes to be more actively monitored to ensure their continued relevance and attainability, and to consider outcomes as a means of assessing project health and measuring success.
Project outcomes were not clearly defined prior to initial funding requests.
Project outcomes are measurable improvements resulting from a project that contribute to one or more organizational objectives. They differ from project outputs, which are tangible or intangible deliverables that a project produces, e.g., a new, enhanced or upgraded system. Project outcomes can be direct quantitative (labour or other direct savings), indirect or qualitative. While actual project outcomes should be specific, examples of possible types of outcomes (i.e., benefits) include eliminated duplication of effort, decreased information retrieval time, decreased temporary contract help, decreased need for training fees and time, lower absenteeism, increased client satisfaction, faster response time to service requests, increased availability of management information, increased level of data integrity, and more effective decision making. Outcomes should also link to longer-term organizational objectives, including strategic objectives, which ultimately lead to improved services and other benefits for Canadians. These outcomes should be defined early in a project's life cycle—before initial funding is requested via a business case or TB submission—to ensure clear understanding of overall goals and a means of measuring success.
Project outcomes management is an emerging approach that focuses on the alignment of project outcomes and business strategies to maximize the value resulting from organizational changes. This approach forms an important part of project management practices and provides the link between project delivery (outputs) and the achievement of change in the business environment. It involves having the same focus and discipline around aligning a project to achieving outcomes, as the domain of project management provides focus and discipline around delivering a capability or system in an on-time and on-budget manner. In fact, focusing on project management provides only the deliverables of the project, not the outcomes themselves, or the reason the initiative is being undertaken. In part, project outcomes management serves to ensure that project outcomes inform investment decision making, that the realization of forecasted project outcomes is maximized and that investments demonstrate business value.
In April 2019, the new TB Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes came into effect, replacing the previous Policy on the Management of Projects. Under this directive, the agency must ensure that a project's expected benefits (outcomes) are clearly defined and measurable as an input into the business case. Even so, having clearly defined project outcomes is not a new idea. Indeed, the 2015 Audit of Project Management recommended that "managers, project sponsors and oversight committees review the expected business outcomes to ensure that they provide a comprehensive explanation of the benefits of the project and that they are measurable before the business case is approved."
The audit team examined the approved business cases (or equivalent) for the three projects reviewed and observed that two did not include any project outcomes—the appropriate section was left blank. For the third project, outcomes were included within the business case; however, these were simply high-level outcomes from the agency's logic model (e.g., "statistical information is available and accessed") and were not specific to the project itself.
Opportunities to strengthen project outcomes, performance measures and targets were observed.
The 2019 TB directive also introduced the requirement for projects to have an outcomes realization plan in place at the time of project approval, and for this plan to be monitored and updated throughout the project's life cycle. In response, the DPMO developed project outcomes management guidelines (two parts) along with a Project Outcomes Realization Plan (PORP) template and guide—all now part of the DPMF. Projects must define their outcomes within the PORP template during project assessment (stage 2), when the business case is developed. During project planning (stage 4), projects are required to add key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance targets for each project outcome within the PORP.
The DPMO began rolling out these changes for new and in-flight projects in 2020. Because of the timing of the new TB directive and its implementation within the agency, all three projects reviewed had developed a PORP with outcomes, though this was done retroactively. With assistance from the Evaluation Division, the audit team examined the PORPs for the three projects selected for review to assess the adequacy and measurability of the identified project outcomes and KPIs.
For one project reviewed, outcomes in an initial 2020 PORP were assessed as vague and not addressing the problems identified. In July 2022, the project team began working to update this initial 2020 PORP. The revised outcomes (still a draft) are considerably different and align to different, high-level agency outcomes. The revised PORP also identifies different drivers, problems or opportunities that triggered the need to invest in the project in the first place (i.e., the business need). A second project had developed its own logic model (a notable good practice), though there were no KPIs to measure the medium- and long-term outcomes identified in this logic model. For the third project, some key activities within the project's scope (e.g., implementation of a new framework) were not reflected in the outcomes. Further, some KPIs were not well defined, and the performance targets listed for most KPIs were "TBD" (to be determined).
Interviews revealed that defining project outcomes and KPIs can be challenging. As such, the Performance Measurement Team (PMT) in the Corporate Strategy and Management Field offers assistance to project teams in the development of their PORPs. While the PMT tries to support and guide project teams, there is no prioritization for major projects. Not all project teams necessarily reach out to the PMT for help, and while PORP guidelines state that PMT approval of the PORP is required, this is not enforced.
Outcomes were not being considered as a means of assessing project health or measuring success.
As per PORP guidelines, a project's intended outcomes should be regularly reviewed in response to changes in project scope, schedule, budget, etc. Further, "project outcomes health assessments" are to be conducted throughout project execution—quarterly (for major projects) and with every change request—to ensure that (1) project outcomes are still achievable and have not changed in scope or value, (2) project outcomes remain aligned to strategic priorities, and (3) senior management and stakeholders are informed of progress in achieving project outcomes. These health assessments are intended to enable project governance to make informed decisions on whether to continue the project, continue the project with conditions or stop the project. Interviews confirmed that no project outcomes health assessments have been completed by any project since PORP guidelines were published in 2020.
Tracking outcomes can allow for issues to be detected earlier—rather than waiting until the end to determine a project's success (or failure)—and provides information to adjust along the way, though project teams were not using their PORPs for this purpose. The PORP process was generally seen as cumbersome. Multiple interviewees did not see the value of articulating outcomes and identifying KPIs via the PORP. Project teams also expressed that PORPs are overly focused on corporate outcomes and are not helpful at measuring the operational success of a project, as they do not contain any operational outcomes or KPIs. Overall, the PORP process appears to be primarily a checkbox exercise.
Beginning in 2021, the PMT has been requesting annual results for the previous fiscal year to further the understanding of baseline performance information. Results are being captured by the PMT in the Performance Measurement Data Analysis Portal, though the data are not being used for decision making. The audit team also observed that all three projects reviewed are identified as commitments within their respective field mandate letters for 2021/2022, though the associated KPIs and performance targets do not align with the PORPs for two projects. The PMT noted having made some efforts to align PORPs with mandate letters, but this team is mostly not involved when mandate letter KPIs and performance targets are established, nor is it privy to the mandate letter results that are reported.
Without clearly defined project outcomes or the sufficient measuring and monitoring of such outcomes, project teams may focus disproportionately on delivering outputs and miss the mark with respect to realizing benefits. Projects may also continue even if they are at risk of not achieving their outcomes, or if the outcomes are no longer strategically important or achievable.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Assistant Chief Statistician, Corporate Strategy and Management, in collaboration with all Assistant Chief Statisticians, ensure that
all future investment proposals, including Treasury Board submissions, are supported by a rigorous business case that clearly defines the intended investment-specific outcomes, and that these outcomes are presented to senior management for review and challenge when investment proposals are considered for approval.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
In the past, the business case template only contained a hyperlink to the PORP template. At times, this led to confusion about when the project outcomes should be identified. Therefore, the PORP has been integrated within the business case document to streamline the process and ensure that project outcomes are defined as part of Stage 2 of the DPMF. This reinforces that the outcomes are critical to the development of the business case. That is, project outcomes and the business case need to be undertaken in tandem. By making this change, project outcomes will be available for review at gate 2 (submission of business case). The business case template, including the identification of project outcomes, applies for all investment proposals, regardless of the source of funds.
An Investment Review Board will be formed—comprising executives from across Statistics Canada with knowledge and expertise in the agency's statistical programs, as well as its enabling infrastructure—to review, challenge and recommend proposals to the Strategic Management Committee as part of gate 2 approval. Specifically, the following elements of investment proposal business cases will be scrutinized:
problem or opportunity statement
project outcomes
dependencies
scope
options
risks for chosen option.
To advance to the Strategic Management Committee for approval, endorsement of the business case, including project outcomes, by the Investment Review Board will be required. Note: it is not expected that all investment proposals received by the Investment Review Board will obtain endorsement.
Once endorsed, Investment Review Board investment proposals will be presented to the Strategic Management Committee for approval. The following elements, at minimum, will be highlighted:
problem or opportunity statement
project outcomes
chosen option and risks.
The Investment Review Board will also be leveraged to review budget proposals and TB submissions prior to submission to central agencies. In the case of TB submissions, this includes a review of outcomes.
Investment proposal sponsors will be responsible for providing a rigorous costed business case that includes clear outcomes to measure the success of the project. A sign-off by the sponsoring director general on the business case and project outcomes (i.e., the PORP) will be required. Sponsors will also be required to address feedback and recommendations provided by the Investment Review Board before their project can receive endorsement and proceed to Tier 1 (i.e., Strategic Management Committee for gate 2 approval).
Deliverables and timeline
The Director General, Finance, Planning and Procurement Branch, will
ensure that the PORP has been integrated in the business case document
draft and seek approval from the Strategic Management Committee on the terms of reference and membership for the Investment Review Board by January 16, 2023
implement mandatory training on the DPMF, including project outcomes and their role in effective project management, to all new project sponsor executives by July 31, 2023
update DPMF documentation and guidance to reflect the role of the Investment Review Board and the release of project funding being tied to the completion of gate 3 of the DPMF by March 31, 2023.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Assistant Chief Statistician, Corporate Strategy and Management, ensure that
advice and guidance services delivered by the Performance Measurement Team are prioritized for major projects—for the development of project outcomes, key performance indicators and performance targets, and the regular assessment of project outcomes to ensure their continued relevance and attainability.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
There is also an acknowledgement that this recommendation, in concert with the other four recommendations, requires a shift in culture to truly effect the change needed for this newer concept. By understanding the value and purpose of project outcomes, and leveraging these outcomes to inform discussions and decisions, senior leaders across the agency can help shift how the project management community views outcomes management. This would also help in dispelling the narrative that identification of project outcomes is only a check-box exercise, and instead demonstrate to employees how this information can be used.
Currently, as part of the envisioning and seed money process, investment sponsors are advised of the services offered by the PMT, which include providing guidance and support with the development and review of project outcomes, identification and documentation of indicators, as well as the monitoring of results until targets are achieved. This service, including sign-off by the performance measurement advisor, will now be mandatory for all major projects (with the definition of major projects to be formalized in the DPMF).
Further DPMF improvements for the management of major projects will include
attendance by the performance measurement advisor at the project governance committee when the PORP is presented for approval. The role of the performance measurement advisor will be to provide subject matter expertise and to advise on the quality of the outcome statements.
PORP quality checks on major projects to be conducted by the PMT; should the necessary documentation not be completed by the agreed deadline, a report would be sent to the project-sponsoring director general with a recommendation that the project be stopped, and funding could be revoked. In addition, major projects will be required to present their PORPs on an annual basis, at minimum, to their project governance committee to ensure continued project outcome relevance and attainability.
Deliverables and timeline
The Director General, Finance, Planning and Procurement Branch, will
update DPMF documentation and guidance to reflect updated processes and requirements by March 31, 2023, to allow for implementation as part of the 2023/2024 investment planning cycle
review and update the terms of reference template for project steering committees to ensure it reflects (1) the project governance role as related to project outcomes and the PORP, including annual discussions, at minimum, and (2) the role of the Performance Measurement Advisor, by March 31, 2023.
Interdependencies management
While there are tools in place to help manage project interdependencies, some limitations were observed. The agency does not yet have a holistic organizational view of project interdependencies. Most of the identification, tracking and communication of project interdependencies for the three major in-flight projects reviewed was being done on an ad hoc basis and was reliant on the experience of certain individuals and their knowledge of the agency.
While there are tools in place to help manage interdependencies, limitations were observed. Most of the identification, tracking and communication of project interdependencies is done on an ad hoc basis.
A project interdependency exists when two or more projects are related to each other in one or several ways. Most major projects often depend on other projects or initiatives to deliver enabling capabilities that are essential to their successful implementation. Often, these same major projects also contribute enabling capabilities to other projects or initiatives. Interdependencies can also exist with ongoing day-to-day operations, including people, processes, strategies and priorities. Understanding, monitoring and coordinating project interdependencies are imperative for ensuring organizational-level optimization, minimizing delays and preventing duplication of efforts.
Running from 2010 to 2017, the Corporate Business Architecture (CBA) initiative was a comprehensive review of the way Statistics Canada conducted business, including the processes used, enabling computer systems, planning systems and organizational structure. Under the CBA banner, various internal projects were completed to boost efficiency in program delivery. During this time, a process was put in place to monitor and ensure a structured governance around the review of CBA project interdependencies. This process was documented within the DPMF and included involvement from various stakeholders, such as the CBA Management Committee (CBAMC), whose monthly meetings were to include a review of all project interdependencies and discuss yellow and red status for action and follow-up. The CBAMC was dissolved in 2017, and its responsibilities were placed under the Strategic Management Committee and the Operations Committee.
At some point between 2017 and 2019, the CBA interdependencies process was removed from the DPMF. The existing Executive Dashboard Capture Tool (EDCT) was updated to provide a mechanism for project managers to maintain their own project-specific registry of interdependencies. In turn, the EDCT feeds the "Interdependencies" tab within each project's monthly executive project dashboard. The information within the "Interdependencies" tab is intended to allow project managers and project governance to monitor the progress of activities or deliverables from other projects on which their project is dependent.
The audit team examined the contents of the "Interdependencies" tab within the monthly dashboards for the three projects reviewed and compared this with the dependencies of other internal projects identified in the project planning documents. Gaps were observed for all three projects. Through interviews, the audit team learned that most of the identification, tracking and communication of project interdependencies is done on an ad hoc basis or is heavily reliant on the experience of certain individuals and their knowledge of the agency. It was shared that the EDCT is not actually used to manage project dependencies, as the tool is not helpful in this regard, in its current state.
Interviews confirmed several limitations with the existing EDCT. First, dependencies in the EDCT can only be tagged to other internal projects that are currently listed within the tool itself, and this list appears to be out of date. As a result, it was indicated that some internal project dependencies have to be coded to "Other." The use of "Other" was observed for all three projects reviewed. Second, the EDCT and dashboards only capture one-way dependencies—project staff can only add entries to capture the projects they are dependent on, not the projects that depend on them. Lastly, there is no automation within the EDCT (or dashboard) with respect to interdependencies, and none of the entries are tied together across dependent projects.
In theory, if dependency entries were systematically and uniformly created in the EDCT for all projects, all the necessary data would be available to connect the various projects together. However, as noted, not all dependencies are being added in the EDCT, and project staff cannot easily see which other projects depend on them. Further, the EDCT data are not presently being used this way—no one within the agency is connecting the various projects together.
There is no holistic organizational view of project interdependencies, and minimal governance oversight, to ensure that interdependencies within the agency's portfolio of projects are identified and managed effectively.
All reviewed projects revealed interdependency management as one of the key challenges or risk areas, as well as for project delivery in general, and most interviewees stated that this is a challenge for the agency.
In light of the limitations noted above, the audit team observed that there is no holistic table or view of proposed and in-flight projects across all fields with interconnections (i.e., how they are related and any interdependencies that should or do exist), or a way of showing senior management and relevant stakeholders that a group of projects is connected. Such information would be an enabler for managing from a horizontal perspective, possibly prompting executives and other stakeholders to take note of potential impacts to other projects when making financial decisions, e.g., when there are financial planning exercises, if there are plans to defund aspects of a certain project, to regularly reassess opportunities and risks.
The audit also found that there is no structured governance surrounding the review of corporate project interdependencies. The steering committees for the three projects reviewed were not actively monitoring project interdependencies. Field portfolio managers interviewed were also not aware of their responsibility for "ensuring horizontal governance and review of interdependencies across all projects in the Field," as per the DPMF. Further, no Tier 1 committee appears to have actively taken on a similar role as the aforementioned CBAMC in regularly reviewing interdependencies between projects delivered under the agency's modernization agenda. While major projects are often requested to present periodic updates at the Modernization Management Committee, a review of the presentations to this committee and its records of decisions (RoDs) for the three projects did not demonstrate that interdependencies were a topic of discussion during such meetings.
Not having an effective enterprise solution and systematic processes for identifying, tracking and managing project interdependencies can lead to unexpected delays for top-priority major initiatives because of inadequate consultation and communication between dependent projects. There are finite resources for delivering major projects, and without an adequate line of sight on bidirectional dependencies across all projects, the agency is limited in its ability to make informed corporate-level prioritization and funding decisions. This may also cause possible duplication of efforts.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Assistant Chief Statistician, Corporate Strategy and Management, in collaboration with all Assistant Chief Statisticians,
determine the purposes for which information on project interdependencies should be used at the project level and holistically across the agency, and ensure that such information is comprehensively documented, maintained and communicated to achieve these purposes.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
The BPPD will solicit input from across the agency, both from enabling functions, project sponsors and benefit owners to better understand the need for interdependency information both for project management purposes as well as for use across the agency. This would include insights regarding the granularity of information, opportunities for standardization, frequency of reporting and existing tools that could be leveraged.
Once the purposes have been identified, the BPPD will work with stakeholders from across the agency to formulate a work plan to ensure that interdependency information is comprehensively documented, maintained and communicated appropriately. This requirement could be accomplished by leveraging the business and information capability mapping process that has been developed by Digital Solutions Field as part of the envisioning process.
Deliverables and timeline
The Director General, Finance, Planning and Procurement Branch, will
engage with stakeholders to document the best strategy for documenting project interdependencies, to be tabled at Tier 2 governance, by February 28, 2023
formulate a work plan to document project interdependencies by May 31, 2023; the opportunity to leverage the business and information capability mapping from the Digital Services Field's envisioning process will be considered
formalize the Information Technology Strategic Oversight Architecture Review Committee role in identifying and managing project interdependencies in terms of enterprise architecture to ensure that proposed new project infrastructure is aligned prior to endorsement by the Investment Review Board by November 30, 2023
Implement the interdependency solution and update the DPMF by March 31, 2024.
Change management
An organizational change management framework, offering a set of tools and techniques to provide a structured, disciplined and repeatable approach to change management, is not yet in place. Some change management activities were occurring within the three major in-flight projects reviewed, although the activities included low levels of engagement with internal stakeholders. These activities were also being planned, developed and implemented without following a structured approach.
Some activities, which could be considered change management activities, were being planned and implemented in a fragmented manner. Opportunities exist to adopt a change management culture within the agency.
Change management is the practice of managing the humanistic aspects of change initiatives within organizations. Organizations and, most importantly, their employees face many changes at any given time, but not all change is equal. Most organizational change is small, unplanned and gradual, yet employees still experience a considerable amount of change that is large, transformational and revolutionary. These latter changes often impact strategy, operations, systems and behaviours, and therefore necessitate adjustments to these (Burke, 2018). Changes, small and big, do not occur in silos. Very rarely will employees experience a single change at any given time, yet these employees are regularly expected to deal with many small and large changes. The compounding effect of the multitude of changes causes a total impact that is greater than the sum of the impacts made by individual changes (Cooper, 2004).
The audit team anticipated finding that project teams had established some elements of change management plans to guide the implementation, execution and adaptation of people-focused change management activities throughout the project's life cycle. Through interviews and documentation review, the audit team noted a few instances where some activities could be considered change management activities. For example, project planning documentation considered future communications and training activities to build an awareness of and ability for stakeholders to implement the change, though this was primarily for the project implementation phase. The audit team also observed signs of some efforts to define and document stakeholder analyses to understand the impacts and correlated complexities of future change. Further, some employee engagement and two-way communication was included in communications plans, which were primarily used to support information sharing with stakeholders.
None of the projects reviewed had structured and formalized change management strategies or plans, though the audit found that there is no requirement within the DPMF for change management plans at the project level. The audit team observed that an organizational change management framework, offering a set of tools and techniques to provide a structured, disciplined and repeatable approach to change management, is not yet in place. Change management support and training is not currently available to project teams who are expected to lead and deliver change management plans and activities.
Change requires employees to adapt—to stop doing some things, do some things differently, do different things, etc. To effectively navigate change, employees need support from their managers and leaders, including time to enable them to adapt. Employees need to be part of the change, rather than have the change be imposed on them. People have an innate, psychological need to contribute to the communities they belong to. This directly feeds people's desire to feel valued and to sense that they belong (Griffith & Maybell, 2020). Implementing participative change management practices enables employees to contribute and feel involved, maximizes the benefits of future states, and feeds an organizational culture of belonging and trust—a culture that is "agile, open to change, engaging, [and] responsive" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017).
Employees impacted by change are often best positioned to inform project requirements, opportunities for improvement and complexity of the change. The independent report Lessons Learned from the Transformation of Pay Administration Initiative concluded that "it was the underestimation of the initiative's complexity that led to its downfall" and that "very few people (other than compensation advisors) understood the degree of complexity associated with the day-to-day requirements" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017). Effective change management involves stakeholders in a participative way. Hence, they take part in defining the future solutions that will impact them, while also providing information on their needs (e.g., new processes, training) to effectively implement the change. If the Phoenix initiative had taken a participative change management approach throughout its project life cycle, compensation advisors would have been consulted at the onset to better define the initiative and its complexities. Similarly, participative change management at Statistics Canada would include early engagement with project stakeholders to understand the future change from their perspective.
The audit team observed that an envisioning process was in place for all new projects. This process was implemented with the 2021/2022 investment planning cycle and is led by a team within the Business Relationship Management Division, Digital Solutions Field. Envisioning aims to bring together corporate enablers from throughout the agency to foster collaboration between partners and enable greater alignment within the agency. This is done by allowing the agency to connect ideas with other investments and existing products before a business case is developed and approved. The envisioning process is an ideal opportunity to engage stakeholders from various levels within the agency to get a head start on participative change management practices, and to help inform the desired outcomes and interdependencies of a project early in its life cycle. However, interviews revealed that the envisioning process is not mandatory. The audit also found that there is no mention of the envisioning process within the DPMF.
An organization should take a people-focused and participative approach to maximize success in change implementation. All stakeholdersFootnote 1 who will be impacted by the change should be consulted and engaged throughout the project life cycle, and not solely during implementation. This means consultations at the definition stage and throughout the development stage, and ongoing engagement throughout the implementation stage. Every project and change is different, and no two change plans can or should be the same. Nonetheless, change management generally includes the following steps: (1) analysis, (2) engagement, (3) planning, and (4) roll-out and adaptation. A sample change management approach is included in Appendix C.
All change within an organization is correlated to some degree because all components and activities of an organization form parts of the integrated whole (Burke, 2018). When considering a change initiative, organizations should consider the interrelationships underlying the changing parts to thoroughly grasp the magnitude of the detailed complexity (i.e., multidimensional change), as well as the dynamic complexity (i.e., the cause-and-effect ripples of the change) surrounding the change (Senge, 2006). Change should therefore be managed at multiple levels within the organization and governed at an enterprise level to ensure line of sight and anticipation of dynamic changes. As learned from the Phoenix report, "Change management and change leadership cannot be considered optional, an add-on, nor expendable when looking for ways to save time or money" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017).
A limited focus on the "people side" of change can lead to a misalignment of projects and people-focused activities, while limiting the consideration of compounding effects of change impacts on employees. This, in turn, can have negative impacts on the organization's culture, owing to change fatigue, disengagement and employee turnover. Further, poorly managed change can cause project blind spots, which can limit opportunities for innovation and lead to projects that are poorly defined and planned, and solutions that are poorly adopted or implemented.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Assistant Chief Statistician, Corporate Strategy and Management, in collaboration with all Assistant Chief Statisticians, ensure that
consideration is given (e.g., cost-benefit analysis) to implementing an organizational change management framework, which would include a training program (or module) and possibly the establishment of an organizational change management office, to help shift toward a people-focused mindset and ensure a whole-of-agency lens on all change initiatives while supporting project teams in their change management efforts.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
The BPPD will solicit input from across the agency, including change management experts, to better understand the current need for a change management framework to support project success and to learn about best practices currently being used within the agency. The BPPD will research and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the adoption of an organizational change management framework that includes a training program and possibly a change management office or secretariat to support a dedicated oversight committee.
The BPPD will table a paper that will summarize its findings and recommend a path forward for consideration and approval at a Tier 1 committee.
Deliverables and timeline
The Director General, Finance, Planning and Procurement Branch, will
gather insight from change management experts within the agency (such as the Census Management Office and Integrated Business Statistics Program management), enablers and benefit owners, to understand the role a change management framework should play within the agency, by September 29, 2023
engage with other departments and look externally for change management models that could be employed at Statistics Canada by September 29, 2023
table an analysis and recommendation document (could include a cost-benefit analysis), including recommendation, to a Tier 1 committee by November 30, 2023.
Governance and oversight
The three steering committees responsible for overseeing and supporting the major in-flight projects reviewed—to ensure the projects stay on track to achieve their outcomes—had good representation from stakeholder groups across the agency and were meeting frequently. There also appeared to be active engagement and involvement by members in committee discussions. While responsible executives were receiving regular project updates through various means, it was not evident that the monthly project dashboards and the health indicators contained within (i.e., cost, schedule, scope, issues and risks) were being regularly discussed at steering committee meetings.
Project steering committees do not have an adequate line of sight into key project activities and the overall health of their projects to provide effective oversight and direction.
Governance is the combination of processes and structures implemented by management to inform, direct, manage and monitor the activities of an organization toward the achievement of its objectives. The current Statistics Canada governance structure includes various internal committees spanning three tiers. Tier 1 includes three distinct committees—the Strategic Management Committee, the Modernization Management Committee and the Operations Committee. These committees are composed of the agency's most senior positions, including the chief statistician (Strategic Management Committee only) and assistant chief statisticians (all Tier 1 committees). The three Tier 1 committees are supported by seven functionally specialized Tier 2 committees that help identify risks and emerging issues, inform compliance, and make decisions to relieve the governance burden on senior management. Tier 3 includes field planning boards and project steering committees. A project steering committee is a governing body tasked with overseeing and supporting a project to ensure it stays on track to achieve its outcomes. Committee members represent various stakeholder groups impacted by the project and should have a vested interest in ensuring the success of the project.
For large, horizontal initiatives, the DPMF recommends establishing a project steering committee. Core expected responsibilities for project steering committees include monitoring project interdependencies, changes, issues and risks on a regular basis; reviewing and monitoring project progress and budget at a high level; and reviewing and approving recommendations for any baseline changes to any of the triple constraints—scope, schedule and cost. Steering committees should also be involved in a regular review of a project's intended outcomes to confirm that they are still strategically important and achievable, and to validate the ongoing rationale for continued investment in the project. Thus, to be effective, project steering committees require an adequate line of sight into the overall project.
Monthly project reporting via executive project dashboards is to begin in planning and continue throughout the life of the project. As per the DPMF, these dashboards are "a business management tool used to visually represent the status (or health) of a project … by means of key project metrics." The dashboards are designed to report on core project metrics affecting the project's overall health and realization of outcomes, namely cost, schedule, scope, issues and risks.
The audit found that project steering committees have been established for each of the three projects reviewed. The three steering committees had good representation from stakeholder groups across the agency, and the project sponsor was a key member of the committee in most cases. The frequency of committee meetings was also deemed commensurate with the complexity and risk level of the projects. Project dashboards are updated monthly by project teams, as required, and are being shared with executives responsible for the projects (e.g., directors general and directors). The DPMO also sends monthly dashboard portfolio summaries to all assistant chief statisticians. These contain links to individual field placemats and a brief explanation for each project, reporting overall health of either yellow or red.
While responsible executives are receiving regular project updates through various means, the monthly project dashboards and the health indicators contained within (i.e., cost, schedule, scope, issues and risks) were not being discussed at steering committee meetings. Steering committees were also not actively monitoring project interdependencies, nor were they involved in any project outcomes health assessments. Further, the audit found that project steering committees were generally not seeing or approving all project change requestsFootnote 2. A review of RoDs and minutes demonstrated active engagement and involvement by members in committee discussions, though steering committees generally receive presentations on and discuss individual elements of a project (e.g., a specific module or release).
A review of the terms of reference (ToRs) for each of the three committees found that only two mention some of the core expected responsibilities for project steering committees (noted above). Further, none of the ToRs outline specific responsibilities for challenging project reporting or for evaluating the overall health of the project, including confirming the continued relevance and attainability of project outcomes, and the continued viability of the project. The audit found that the DPMF provided minimal guidance on expected committee responsibilities and the contents of ToRs.
One of the projects reviewed uses an existing Tier 2 committee as its steering committee, an approach that is explicitly allowed by the DPMF. The mandate of any Tier 2 committee covers a wide array of responsibilities and extends well beyond a single project. Presentations to such committees are typically limited to about 15 to 20 minutes, likely an insufficient amount of time for discussing important matters pertaining to a major project. Tier 2 committee membership is generally much broader than key project stakeholders and people with a vested interest in the project. These committees also review presentations from diverse groups across the agency and, consequently, members rarely have an in-depth understanding of the items presented to them. Accordingly, Tier 2 committees do not have the time or depth of knowledge to give the level of guidance or oversight that a project steering committee for a major project requires.
Without an adequate line of sight into key project activities and the overall health of their projects, steering committees are providing advice, guidance and, in some cases, approval without an overall view of project risks and status, or how the decisions may impact the achievement of project outcomes. Having a dedicated steering committee would ensure that adequate focus and responsibility exist for the successful implementation of the project, including monitoring and controlling, providing overall direction, as well as controlling costs and schedules.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Assistant Chief Statistician, Corporate Strategy and Management, ensure that
all major projects have a dedicated steering committee with terms of reference that clearly assign responsibility for core oversight activities and include members with a vested interest in ensuring the success of the project.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
Recent changes to the DPMF have led to the DPMO's ability to further guide project leads and sponsors with proper project governance setup. A standard template for project steering committee terms of reference has been developed, and supporting documents outline roles and responsibilities. There is an opportunity to further underline the core activities of project steering committees and selection of appropriate membership.
The DPMO will partner with the PMT and the Governance, Risk and Compliance Division to identify appropriate courses and training based on roles and responsibilities (i.e., steering committee members and project leads), with the goal of improving the understanding of core oversight activities for those involved in project governance. The DPMO will also build on existing project governance guidance tools to support project leads in determining what types of opportunities, challenges, risks and issues should be brought to project governance committees.
Deliverables and timeline
The Director General, Finance, Planning and Procurement Branch, will
ensure that communication to newly approved investment proposals has been strengthened by proactively providing further guidance to project sponsors on next steps and the importance of setting up effective governance
revise the template for terms of reference for project steering committees to further underline the core oversight activities of the committee and selection of members with a vested interest in the success of the project by March 31, 2023
promote existing tools through the project management community and include them on the DPMO's Internal Communications Network page by May 31, 2023
organize and deliver information sessions to existing steering committees for major projects to educate on effective governance, leveraging recommended training and newly elaborated project governance guidance tools by October 31, 2023.
Continuous improvement
The DPMO maintains resources to support continuous improvement. Project teams are documenting lessons learned throughout project life cycles, not just at the end. Key takeaways from lessons learned are regularly shared with senior management. Information is being used to identify issues beyond the scope of any one project and to find solutions.
The agency has processes in place to regularly collect and communicate lessons learned.
Lessons learned are the knowledge gained during a project that shows how events were addressed or should be addressed in the future. They are used to improve the overall performance of projects by avoiding repeated mistakes and replicating good practices. Gathering lessons learned is both a requirement of the TB Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes and a project management best practice. Gathering and sharing lessons learned throughout the life cycle of a project helps the team, key stakeholders and other project managers understand what worked and what improvements need to be made and why. Reflecting on lessons learned throughout a project improves the outcome of future projects and contributes to corporate knowledge.
The DPMO maintains resources to support continuous improvement, including guidelines and a Register. The Register includes (1) the Jira Lessons Learned Dashboard and (2) a Lessons Learned Compendium document. The DPMO has also hosted three virtual lessons learned events for the project management community between May 2021 and July 2022. Projects must identify lessons learned at each DPMF stage and anytime something notable happens, rather than only at the project close-out stage. Lessons learned are created in Jira. All three projects reviewed are complying with this requirement.
Project managers are to consult the Register prior to starting a new project and before moving to a new project stage, though it is not evident that this is happening or that the information is helpful. While the Jira dashboard is available for all project managers to peruse and includes a complete listing of all lessons learned, some interviewees noted that they found the Jira dashboard difficult to consult and overwhelming. There appeared to be limited awareness of the compendium.
The DPMO regularly analyzes the lessons learned within Jira and includes them in the Lessons Learned Compendium. Quarterly, the DPMO includes key takeaways from lessons learned in the monthly dashboard portfolio summaries that are being sent to all assistant chief statisticians. While there were no documented processes in place to ensure that such information is used to identify systemic issues or agency-level challenges (i.e., beyond the scope of any one project) and action solutions, the BPPD indicated that this was being done organically through ongoing analysis and discussions among the team and with management. Lessons learned and direct feedback ultimately guide the review and update of applicable tools and processes, as well as awareness activities for the project management community. For example, lessons learned about delays caused by procurement led to some targeted training. Also, lessons learned about the availability of Digital Solutions Field resources to support project delivery led to two new factors to help with assessing and formulating recommendations for 2022/2023 (and future) investment proposal approvals. The first is "t-shirt size", the overall effort required by the Digital Solutions Field to complete its portion of the planned project, and the second is "information technology readiness", the availability of Digital Solutions Field resources to commence the work and the technological maturity of the idea from a Digital Solutions Field perspective.
Adoption of agile methodologies may help to strengthen planning and management practices.
One area of possible consideration that may not have come through yet, via lessons learned or direct feedback, is whether the traditional project management approach is best suited to meet the agency's needs. The audit team observed that two of the three projects reviewed were following agile project management principles, whereas the DPMF imposes a traditional (waterfall) method for managing projects. Agile project management uses an iterative approach that includes frequent and continuous releases, with feedback incorporated throughout. The focus is on early involvement of the stakeholders, with constant improvement of the product and processes. The traditional method of project management defines distinct phases that must be carefully planned out and executed, with each phase being a prerequisite for the next. This method is often the best fit for small or less complex projects that typically follow a linear approach.
Under current DPMF guidelines, project teams must determine a budget and prepare planning documents that cover the entirety of a project from start to finish, regardless of its size, complexity or duration. While project outcomes should be defined and understood at the early onset of a project, it may not be feasible to know or plan for all circumstances. Consequently, certain planning documents (e.g., project charters, project plans) that are costly to prepare in terms of time and effort may ultimately be of little value to project teams and likely only serve a compliance purpose. Project steering committees do not review these planning documents, nor do Tier 1 committees, even though they approve the investments.
When planning is complete and execution (typically the longest phase) begins, per the DPMF, there are no more official gates or "go / no go" decisions. The audit team heard a shared anecdotal opinion that projects never stop once funding is received. Although project outcomes health assessments should be conducted throughout project execution, interviews confirmed that this concept is not widely known about or enforced, and none have been completed for any project.
It would likely be worthwhile for the DPMO to study this topic in greater detail in collaboration with the project management community, with the possibility of presenting options for consideration to senior management about adapting the DPMF to allow for flexibility in aligning with agile project management methodologies, where appropriate.
Appendices
Appendix A: Audit criteria
Audit objective
Audit criteria
Policy instruments and sources
Provide reasonable assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the processes and mechanisms in place for delivering major projects and ensuring integration and benefits realization.
Effective governance committees and oversight processes are in place to oversee the delivery of major initiatives.
The agency has effective management processes in place to ensure a systematic approach for identifying and managing the interdependencies between projects.
Relevant project outcomes have been formally established in line with agency priorities, and projects are assessed against expected results to ensure that benefits are realized.
There are effective change management processes and practices established to facilitate the implementation of major initiatives.
Practices exist to continually improve project delivery by documenting, communicating and applying lessons learned.
Treasury Board of Canada (TB) Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments
TB Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes
Goss Gilroy Inc. "Lessons Learned from the Transformation of Pay Administration Initiative"
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat "Outcome Management: Lessons Learned and Best Practices"
Terms of reference, meeting minutes, records of decisions and project reporting material for project steering committees
Project documentation, including business cases, project charters, project plans, project outcome realization plans and close-out reports
Other internal Statistics Canada documents, as applicable
Appendix B: Acronyms
BPPD
Business, Planning and Performance Division
CBA
Corporate Business Architecture
CBAMC
Corporate Business Architecture Management Committee
DPMF
Departmental Project Management Framework
DPMO
Departmental Project Management Office
EDCT
Executive Dashboard Capture Tool
KPI
Key performance indicator
PMT
Performance Measurement Team
PORP
Project Outcomes Realization Plan
RoD
Record of decisions
TB
Treasury Board of Canada
ToR
Terms of reference
Appendix C: Supplemental information on change management
Training program
Organizational change management training programs have shown success in shifting cultures and mindsets and enabling organizations to develop agile, open and responsive cultures to successfully navigate and implement change (Burke, 2018). To maximize its impact, such training should be broadly available but should initially be rolled out with leaders throughout the organization. Training should touch on the topics of open communication, building trust, participative management, providing and receiving feedback, etc.
Change management framework
Ideally, a change management office should lead the development of a change management framework to guide all future change management practices and processes in line with the preferred guiding principles. In addition to guiding principles, a framework should include governance structures and training recommendations (mandatory and recommended, internal and external), as well as defined practices, tools, templates and techniques to ensure a structured, disciplined and repeatable approach to horizontal change management. An organizational assessment should preface the development of such a framework to ensure the outcome considers the organization's progressive change readiness levels. These efforts should be communicated broadly so employees who feel any signs of change fatigue can start to appreciate efforts being made to improve the state of the organization.
Change efforts should be prioritized throughout the agency, especially by leaders, and change management should infiltrate existing organizational practices and procedures, e.g., throughout project management templates and practices, project teams are evaluated on change management activities associated with their projects. This infiltration should also promote collaboration with other related internal services, e.g., communications, training and development, and human resources, to ensure the agency maximizes its efforts and tackles initiatives and changes through a whole-of-system lens. As reported in "Lessons Learned from the Transformation of Pay Administration Initiative", "Change Management must surround and underpin the whole initiative and be treated as a fundamental component, being critical for buy-in from those affected by the change, and must support staff and managers to help them adapt to their changing roles" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017).
Sample change management approach
Analysis
A good change management plan starts with a thorough analysis of the current state. Before any change-inducing project and change management activities are embarked on,
An organizational analysis must be done to determine the organization's change readiness, i.e., "assess the organizational culture to determine … [what] may help or hinder the achievement of expected benefits" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017). Findings will determine whether organizational readiness activities are required before embarking on change initiatives.
A stakeholder analysis must be completed to define, using assumptions, the level of impact the future change could have on the various stakeholder groups. Findings will inform which stakeholder groups to engage, when and how.
Engagement
The next step is to engage with stakeholders based on the analysis outcomes. Engagement can take many forms—e.g., focus working groups, surveys, all-staff meetings—but should have one goal: to understand the future change from the lens of the stakeholders. These consultations should further inform the project's scope and definition while also informing and validating the stakeholder analysis and defining a detailed stakeholder map, including levels of impact and levels of influence for each stakeholder group. The project should aim to have multiple rounds of consultations to understand
what the future change means to the stakeholders
what the opportunities and risks are
what interdependencies are at play
what the needs are, e.g., process changes, training, to adapt to the change.
If groups are too large, allow each group to identify their respective representatives and plan for communications loops, so everyone remains aware of progress, decisions, etc., throughout the project planning stage.
Planning
From the completed analysis and initial rounds of consultations, the project team should plan activities to
keep stakeholders informed and engaged (e.g., two-way communication, information sharing, feedback mechanisms, consultations)
continue obtaining stakeholder input and feedback on the project (e.g., consultations, surveys), especially to inform any aspects of the project that impacts them (e.g., timelines, service interruptions, training needs).
A basic change management plan must include the following:
Description - Stakeholder engagement and information sharing
This illustration depicts stakeholder engagement and information sharing forming a two-way engagement mechanism, with each feeding into the other. Stakeholder engagement involves defining stakeholder impacts and needs, and ensuring that stakeholders feel engaged in the process. Information sharing involves debriefing stakeholders on consultations, project updates, next steps, etc. Having two-way communication mechanisms will enable stakeholders to share concerns, issues, questions, etc. at any time throughout the project lifecycle.
As reported in "Lessons Learned from the Transformation of Pay Administration Initiative", "Communicate [dynamically] in a relevant, timely, comprehensive manner as a key priority of the change process, integrating into and across every project, phase and activity, with the effectiveness of communication being the measure of success" (Goss Gilroy Inc, 2017).
Follow-up communications with stakeholders should always be planned and implemented to reiterate their input and validate how their insight will be used for the project—this helps stakeholders feel more involved and ensures they reap the value of investing their time in the project's definition and development stages.
Roll-out and adaptation
As the project progresses and stakeholders are engaged, change management activities and plans must be adapted to reflect evolving stakeholder and project needs. Ideally, change management plans should be developed for the entire project life cycle at a very high level, planned more strategically for a three- to six-month period, and adapted and implemented month to month to ensure activities and messaging remain up to date and relevant throughout the project life cycle.
Appendix D: References
Burke, W. W. (2018). Organizational Change: Theory & Practice (5th Ed). Sage Publications.
Cooper, K. G. (2004). Toward a unifying theory for compounding and cumulative impacts of project risks and changes. Paper presented at PMI® Research Conference: Innovations, London, England. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
Griffith, J., & Maybell, S.A. (2020). Adler's original contributions to psychology (Links to an external site.). Journal of Individual Psychology, 76(1), 21–30
Senge, P. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. (2nd ed.). Crown Business.
Why do we conduct this survey?
This survey collects financial data from the Canadian Level II air carriers needed to measure the growth, the performance and the long-term financial position of the airline industry. The information is also used by Statistics Canada as input to the Canadian System of National Accounts and by individual carriers for measuring company performance relative to groups of competitors.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
Data-sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Under Section 12 of the Statistics Act, respondents can object to the sharing of information with other organizations. However, respondents do not have the right of refusal with respect to sharing the data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect and use this information pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations.
Respondents may refuse to share their information with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, and mailing it to the following address. These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes.
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.
Note: Legal name should only be modified to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name:
Operating name (if applicable):
2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Preferred language of communication:
English
French
Mailing address (number and street):
City:
Province, territory or state:
Postal code or ZIP code:
Country:
Canada
United States
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
No longer operating because of other reasons
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS , are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
This is the current main activity
This is not the current main activity
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity:
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
Main activity
5. You indicated that (activity) is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: (activity)?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date:
No
Reporting period information
1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?
For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022
June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022
July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022
August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022
September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022
October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022
December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022
January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023
March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023
April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
September 18, 2021 to September 15, 2022 ( e.g., floating year-end)
June 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 ( e.g., a newly opened business).
Fiscal year start date:
Fiscal year-end date:
2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?
Select all that apply.
Seasonal operations
New business
Change of ownership
Temporarily inactive
Change of fiscal year
Ceased operations
Other - Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD , what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets - (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment - (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment - (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities - (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars
CAN$ '000
Financial assets
a. Current assets
b. All other financial assets
Include investments and special funds.
Property and equipment
a. Operating - property and equipment
Include capital leases.
b. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
c. Non-operating property and equipment
Include capital leases.
d. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
e. All other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and capital
a. Current liabilities
b. Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
c. Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities
Include capital leases.
d. Deferred incomes taxes
e. All other liabilities
Shareholders' equity
a. Capital stock
b. Retained earnings
c. All other items
Total liabilities and capital
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
CAN$ '000
Operating revenue
a. Scheduled services - passenger revenue
Include revenue from fees such as baggage, fuel, seat selection, etc.
b. Scheduled services - goods revenue
c. Charter services - passenger revenue
d. Charter services - goods revenue
e. All other flight - related revenue
Include revenue from flying services such as flying training, recreational flying, etc.
f. All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources.
Total operating revenue
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
2. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating expenses - Ground property and equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of ground property and equipment.
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment.
Include materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft operations
Flight crew wages, salaries and benefits
Include the wages, salaries and benefits for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on).
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Aircraft fuel and oil
Expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil.
Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Landing fees
Include airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada.
Navigation fees
Charges remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services. Air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services.
Aircraft insurance
Expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable.
Aircraft rental
Expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements.
All other aircraft operation expenses
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft which are not elsewhere classified.
Total aircraft operations expenses
The sum of the previous seven expense items.
Operating expenses - Flight equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of flight equipment.
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Materials and supplies
Expenses on materials and supplies for the maintenance of flight equipment.
Purchased repair services
Expenses for repair services for the maintenance of flight equipment purchased from outside suppliers.
All other maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment.
Total maintenance - flight equipment expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - In-flight services
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on);
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Passenger food and supplies
Include expenses for in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on, and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers.
Passenger liability insurance
Include the premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance paid by the carrier.
All other in-flight service expenses
Include passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit.
Total in-flight service expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft and traffic servicing
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to ground personnel;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Purchased services
Expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers.
All other aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Include expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage.
Total aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
The sum of the previous three expense items.
Operating expenses - Promotion and sales
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other promotion and sales expenses
Include:
passenger and cargo commission expenses;
the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services, advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses.
Total promotion and sales expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Depreciation
Depreciation - flight equipment
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of flight equipment only;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on flight equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability.
All other depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of all non-flight ground and property equipment;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
Total depreciation
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - All other expenses
Include general administration.
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all employees performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Exclude all amounts reported in the previous six wages, salaries and benefits categories.
All other expenses
Include:
all operating expenses and general administration expenses not reported elsewhere;
expenses for general financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are not included in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
all miscellaneous operating expenses not covered elsewhere;
staff reduction expenses.
Total other expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the eight expenses sub-totals, in other words, Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses, Total aircraft operations expenses, and so on.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
CAN$ '000
Operating expenses - Ground property and equipment maintenance
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Operating expenses - Aircraft operations
a. Flight crew wages, salaries and benefits
b. Aircraft fuel and oil
c. Landing fees
d. Navigation fees
e. Aircraft insurance
f. Aircraft rental
g. All other aircraft operations expenses
Total aircraft operations expenses
Operating expenses - Flight equipment maintenance
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Materials and supplies
c. Purchased repair services
d. All other maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Total maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Operating expenses - In-flight service
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Passenger food and supplies
c. Passenger liability insurance
d. All other in-flight service expenses
Include expenses incurred due to interrupted flights such as hotels, meals, etc.
Total in-flight service expenses
Operating expenses - Aircraft and traffic servicing
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Purchased services
c. All other aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Total aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Operating expenses - Promotion and sales
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other promotion and sales expenses
Total promotion and sales expenses
Operating expenses - Depreciation
a. Depreciation - flight equipment
b. All other depreciation
Include provisions for the depreciation of all non-flight ground and property equipment, etc.
Total depreciation
Operating expenses - All other expenses
Include general administration.
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other expenses
Include all operating expenses and general administration expenses not reported elsewhere, expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses, expenses for general financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, etc.
Total other expenses
Total operating expenses
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
3. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses - calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes
Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
CAN$ '000
Operating income
a. Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Calculated from the previous questions as total operating revenue [$ amount] less total operating expenses [$ amount].
Non-operating income/expenses
a. Interest and discount income
b. Interest expenses
c. All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
d. Provision for income taxes
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
4. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.
Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all non-turbo fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include gasoline, turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous two items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Quantity -
Litres (L)
Expenses CAN$ '000
Fuel and oil consumed
a. Turbo fuel consumed (litres)
Include fuel used in both turbopop and jet aircraft.
b. All other fuel and oil consumed (litres)
Total fuel and oil consumed (litres)
5. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Employment
Average number of employees
Refer to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel. Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Wages and salaries expenses CAN$ '000
Employment
a. Pilots and co-pilots
b. Other flight personnel
Include flight engineers, navigators, flight attendants, etc.
c. General management and administration employees
d. Maintenance personnel
e. Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel
Include flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff, aircraft fuelers, etc.
f. All other employees
Include air ambulance attendants, accountants, purchasing personnel, etc.
Total employees
6. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Revenue or expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries
Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Passenger revenue CAN$ '000
Goods revenue CAN$ '000
Employee wages and salaries CAN$ '000
Area of operation
a. Newfoundland and Labrador
b. Prince Edward Island
c. Nova Scotia
d. New Brunswick
e. Quebec
f. Ontario
g. Manitoba
h. Saskatchewan
i. Alberta
j. British Columbia
k. Yukon
l. Northwest Territories
m. Nunavut
n. Outside Canada
Total
Changes or events
7. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
Strike or lock-out
Exchange rate impact
Price changes in goods or services sold
Contracting out
Organizational change
Price changes in labour or raw materials
Natural disaster
Recession
Change in product line
Sold business or business units
Expansion
New or lost contract
Plant closures
Acquisition of business or business units
Other - Specify the other changes or events:
No changes or events
Contact person
8. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.
Is ([Provided Given Names]) , ([Provided Family Name]) the best person to contact?
Yes
No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
9. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
10. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
Explanation of the learning path goes here.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean pellentesque elit in diam molestie volutpat non sed leo. Etiam vulputate lacinia tempus. Curabitur eget fermentum sem. Nullam pharetra dolor et diam dictum lacinia. Nam in blandit enim. Sed feugiat mollis gravida. Vivamus faucibus lacus lorem, id rhoncus mi faucibus vitae. Praesent lacinia dui ligula, eget dignissim purus commodo eu.
Etiam in mi at tortor mattis porttitor. Nullam imperdiet sollicitudin interdum. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam nec nisi dignissim, sollicitudin nulla eget, eleifend sapien. Nullam vitae mi ac eros pulvinar convallis. Nunc at lacus velit. Mauris sodales lorem elit, et sagittis arcu tempus tincidunt.
Morbi eget sem eget justo euismod vehicula. Duis euismod, ex ut dignissim faucibus, nisi urna efficitur nulla, eget pretium tellus risus in lacus. Sed varius sapien elit, quis tincidunt nulla faucibus ac. Suspendisse tristique turpis ut orci sagittis accumsan. Nulla facilisi. Vestibulum tristique sodales augue eu hendrerit. Vivamus nec nunc id odio sagittis maximus vel et quam.
What is the Survey on the Official Language Minority Population?
The Survey on the Official Language Minority Population is a national survey that collects information about the English-speaking population in Quebec and the French-speaking population in the other provinces and territories.
Why should I participate?
Your participation makes a difference!
It's important to understand the needs and experiences of Canada's English- and French-speaking minorities.
Your responses will provide valuable insight on ways to improve services offered in the official language of your choice, such as schools, early childhood education, health care and government services, arts and culture initiatives, and more.
Why was I selected to participate?
You are an adult who is a member of either the English-speaking population living in Quebec or the French-speaking population living elsewhere in Canada.
You have a child and you are a member of either the English-speaking population living in Quebec or the French-speaking population living elsewhere in Canada.
A child in your family is eligible for instruction in the minority official language because of the mother tongue of their parent or language of instruction of a member of your family.
Topics covered in this survey
Language skills
Education
Early childhood services
Sense of belonging
Use of language in the public sphere
Health services
Government services
Arts and culture
Labour market participation
Please note that the Indigenous Peoples Survey is currently in the field and contains a large section on Indigenous languages.
Your privacy is important to us
All information collected by Statistics Canada is strictly confidential and protected by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada cannot release any information that would identify you or any member of your household without your consent.
For general enquiries:
Email: infostats@statcan.gc.ca
Phone: 1-800-263-1136 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629*)
To complete the survey over the phone, please call 1-833-977-8287 (TTY: 1-866-753-7080*).
*If you use an operator-assisted relay service, you can call us during regular business hours. You do not need to authorize the operator to contact us.
This report provides the background, general methods and results of the model used to produce estimates for stocks of principle field crops in March. The work was completed by the Agriculture Division and the Economic Statistics Methods Division at Statistics Canada.
The general methodology for the model – which lists the targeted crop-province combinations - is outlined in Section 2. In Section 3, the data sources used to build the predictor set are listed. Section 4 contains the modelling methods and evaluation metrics used, while the fifth section outlines the results.
2. General methodology for ending stock modelling
A methodology for modelling stocks of principle field crops was developed and tested on the crop-province combinations that are typically published from the Field Crop Reporting surveys, as shown in Table 1. These crop-province combinations account for nearly the entirety of field crops stored on Canadian farms.
Table 1. Stocks of principle field crops typically published in the results of the March Farm Survey, by province Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1. On-farm storage of grains typically published in the results of the March Farm Survey. The information is grouped by Crop type (appearing as row headers), Province (appearing as column headers).
Crop type
Province
Quebec
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
Barley
X
X
X
X
X
Canola
X
X
X
X
X
Corn for grain
X
X
X
X
Oats
X
X
X
X
X
Rye
X
X
X
X
X
Dry peas
X
X
X
Flaxseed
X
X
X
Lentils
X
X
X
Soybeans
X
X
X
X
Wheat, durum
X
X
Wheat, all excluding durum wheat
X
X
X
X
X
Canary seed*
Chickpeas*
Mustard seed*
Sunflower seed*
* available only at a national level
Note: Farm stocks were also modelled in the Maritimes and/or British Columbia for select crops (oats, canola, soybeans, corn, barley, dry peas, and wheat) when data was available.
The goal of the model is to produce an official and accurate estimate of March ending on-farm stocks for select crop-province combinations using information from existing data sources. The quality of model estimates will be discussed further in sub-section 4.3 and Section 6.
3. Data sources used in the model
The modelling methodology used three data sources: 1) Statistics Canada's Crop Reporting Series data, 2) Statistics Canada's Farm Product Price Index and 3) alternative data from the Canada Grain Commission.
3.1 Crop Reporting Series data
Statistics Canada's Field Crop Reporting Series obtains information on the Canadian grain industry (for details regarding the methodology of the Field Crop Reporting Series, please visit Field Crop Reporting Series). The surveys are run each year in March (cancelled in 2023), July (June, starting in 2020 onward), September (cancelled in 2016), November, and December. As the crop year progresses, different aspects of the grain industry are collected. Some of these measures were used directly (seeding intentions [March], on-farm ending stocks [July, December], the production of field crops [November], and some of them were used to derive new predictors (the percentage of supplies which were produced, the percentage of disposition which was delivered).
3.2 Farm Product Price Index data
The Farm Product Price Index publishes estimates on the price of many different agricultural products, including nearly every grain and field crop for which ending stocks are published. Prices are published on a monthly basis for each province. Since the analysis spans more than 15 years, inflation would obfuscate the relationship between price and ending stocks. Therefore, price in its raw form was not a suitable predictor. Raw monthly provincial prices for each grain and field crops were transformed into two predictors (year over year percentage difference, quarter over year percentage difference) which better suited the model.
3.3 Alternative data from the Canada Grain Commission
The Canada Grain Commission (CGC) collects data concerning many aspects of the grain industry in Canada. Among these are field crops deliveries from farms to elevators. Deliveries are disseminated each week as part of the CGC's Grain Stats Weekly program at the provincial level.
Given the frequency that deliveries data are released, two predictors were derived from CGC's data: the total deliveries during a given crop year, and the total deliveries since the last Field Crop Reporting Survey.
4. Modelling March ending stocks
4.1 Modelling methods
The model is constructed using the historical relationships between the published estimate of on-farm stocks of grain and various characteristics of the crops and grain industries. Data from 10 years prior to the estimation year are used in deriving the model.
The on-farm stocks of grains are estimated using the statistical programming language R. Two learning algorithms are employed: the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) from the glmnet package for feature selection and the robust regression from the MASS package for prediction.
The LASSO is optimized from 100 unique lambdas using leave-one-out cross-validation. Predictors which haven't been shrunken to zero from the LASSO are passed into the robust regression. The robust regression uses the MM-estimator.
4.2 Defining the Target
The highest quality estimate of on-farm stocks of grains is the published estimate. The published estimate is derived from the Field Crop Reporting survey estimate which has been adjusted using the Supply and Disposition equation and alternative data sources as reference. This process is outlined in greater detail here: Supply and Disposition of Grains in Canada.
The supply and disposition equation is:
,
and
,
where
DELIVERIES estimates are taken from administrative data from the CGC.
PRODUCTION estimates are taken from the November Field Crop Survey.
BEGINNING STOCKS are taken as the ending stocks of the December Field Crop Survey.
ENDING STOCKS estimates are currently derived from the March Field Crop Survey.
SEED USE estimates are derived from the November Field Crop Survey.
FEED, WASTE and DOCKAGE estimates are the residual of the equation outlined above.
When it comes time to estimate on-farm stocks of grain, the estimates for all variables but feed, waste and dockage are available. Therefore, the equation can be re-written as:
or
The model is ultimately built to replace the March on-farm ending stocks estimate, however, given the leftover amount is known, it is used to stabilize the target. The model target is the percentage of leftover which are ending stocks.
Like the survey estimate, the modelled estimate is subject to adjustments using the Supply and Disposition equation and alternative data sources as reference.
4.3 Model evaluation methods
During the research phase of this project, many model parameters were considered. This included the learning algorithms used for prediction, the size of the predictor pool, and the shape of the target.
Evaluating the success of the model was done by measuring the accuracy and precision of different parameter selections.
Accuracy is measured by comparing the predictions to the published March ending on-farm stock estimates. Accuracy was measured at both the crop and province-crop levels. In both cases, the weighted mean absolute percent error (wMAPE) was used as the accuracy metric.
The formula for the weighted mean absolute percent error is below:
where prediction is the model prediction, published is the published estimate, i is a given observation and n is the total number of observations in a crop or province-crop group.
5. Results
Overall, the model compares favourably to the results of the March survey. In all but two groups – barley and mustard seed – the model outperforms the survey. Further analysis for barley was conducted (feed deliveries published by the Canada Grain Commission were explored, subject matter experts were consulted), but nothing adequately explained the discrepancy.
6. Data Quality Indicator – the Confidence Interval
All predictive models are subject to errors; therefore, it is important to measure the degree of uncertainty in model estimates. This is done with the use of the confidence interval.
The following is a concise guide to the bootstrap estimation of variance for the March ending stocks model. The main goal of this estimate is to capture the variance of the entire modelling process. Consequently, the key element of the bootstrap – sampling with replacement – occurs at the beginning of the modelling process.
Step 1: Stratified Random Sampling with Replacement
The training set, which contains all the observations the original model is built from, is stratified by province and then randomly sampled with replacement at the observation level. If there were 10 observations initially, then the new bootstrap set will also have 10 observations, but there may be recurrences of the same observation due to the stratified random sampling with replacement.
Step 2: LASSO Regression to find Optimal Penalty Size
A lasso regression is cross-validated (at 4 folds, trying 100 different penalty sizes) on the bootstrap modelling set to find the optimal penalty size. This optimal penalty size is then used in the next step.
Step 3: LASSO Regression to Create Reduced Pool of Predictors
The LASSO is retrained, using the optimal penalty size derived in Step 2. The resulting optimal model may shrink some predictor coefficients to zero. In this case, the predictors would be removed from the initial pool of predictors, creating a reduced pool of predictors.
Step 4: Robust Regression with Reduced Pool of Predictors
The bootstrap modelling set is cut down to the reduced pool of predictors and then fitted with a robust regression. This robust regression is the model which provides the final estimate.
Step 5: Prediction is Made using the Robust Regression Model
The trained robust regression is applied to the prediction set.
Step 6: Repeat Steps 1-5 1000 times
Steps 1-5 are repeated 1000 times, with each new stratified random sample providing a different mutation of the initial modelling set.
Step 7: Calculate CI using Percentile Method
After the 1000 predictions have been saved, the final output is created like this:
Order the 1000 replicates
Save values of 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles (25th and 975th largest replicates).
Step 8: Repeat Steps 1-7 for each crop
All previous steps must be repeated for each crop.
We can build a confidence interval using the 1000 bootstrap replication. We take the percentile method and remove the bottom 25 and top 25 and it gives us the 95% confidence interval.
These intervals can be used by Subject Matter in their validation process and during the Supply and Disposition process.
7. Release Criteria
A set of rules were established to determine which modelled ending stocks are of an acceptable level of quality to publish. These rules are based on the confidence interval obtained from the bootstrap replicates. Based on these rules, estimates that do not meet quality standards may not be published.
Life in Canada, as in other countries, has changed in many ways since the start of the pandemic—some changes were direct impacts of the pandemic, while others were trends that were accelerated by it. This upcoming webinar from the Strategic Analysis team highlights several of the major economic and social trends that continue to impact the lives of Canadians. It includes an overview of the slowdown in economic activity during the second half of 2022 as businesses and households were adjusting to higher borrowing costs. It also examines recent labour market developments, financial pressures related to inflation and affordability, and social trends related to excess mortality and well-being.
