Departmental Plan 2017-2018

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

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The Honourable Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada,
represented by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 2017

Catalogue No. BC9-26E-PDF
ISSN 2371-8463

Minister’s message

In 2017, we celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Confederation. This special year will allow us to showcase the diversity of our cultures and promote the inclusive nature of our society. We are also highlighting the importance of empowering our young people, protecting our environment and encouraging reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, so we can look to the future with optimism. This year of celebration is a wonderful opportunity for the organizations of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio to show what makes Canada a remarkable country—including our creativity, our two official languages and our determination to be a leader in the digital world.

Within the Portfolio, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), as the regulator of Canada’s communication system, seeks to ensure that all Canadians have access to a world-class communication system. To reflect our country’s new and emerging realities, the CRTC will ensure that its policies are responsive to changes in the demographic makeup of multicultural communities in Canada. The CRTC will also work to ensure that the communication system adapts to how Canadians are using digital technologies, and will support Canadian creators in their efforts to reach global audiences.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I am proud to present the 2017–2018 Departmental Plan prepared by the CRTC. This plan provides an overview of the priorities that the CRTC has set for itself in the coming year to serve Canadians and help the Government of Canada achieve its commitments. I invite you to take a look.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly

A Note on the 2017–2018 Departmental Plan

The 2017–2018 Departmental Plan presents parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve in the upcoming year. To improve reporting to Canadians, we are introducing a new, simplified report to replace the Report on Plans and Priorities.

The title of the report was changed to reflect its purpose: to communicate our annual performance goals and projections of the financial and human resources required to deliver results. The report has also been restructured to tell a clearer, more straightforward and balanced story of the actual results we are trying to reach, while continuing to provide transparency on how taxpayers’ dollars will be spent. We describe the programs and services we offer Canadians, our priorities for 2017–18, and the way our work will fulfill the Government’s priorities and honour the commitments of our departmental mandate.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s message

I am pleased to present the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) 2017–18 Departmental Plan. This plan outlines the main activities that the CRTC will carry out to support Canadians’ access to a world-class communication system.

The communication system plays a key role in helping to protect the health and safety of Canadians. Following a public hearing on next-generation 9-1-1 services held in January 2017, we will ensure that our emergency system and Canadians benefit from technological advancements. The CRTC will also ensure that Canadians receive alert messages in emergency situations, which could include alerts on their mobile devices.

To empower Canadians and help them make informed choices about their services, we will complete our review of the Wireless Code and monitor the implementation of the Television Service Provider Code. These codes provide Canadian consumers with certain protections and contribute to a more dynamic marketplace.

The CRTC will continue to ensure that a wealth of Canadian content, representative of our country’s diversity, can be created and made available on different platforms.

Through our initiatives following the decision on basic telecommunications services, we will help support Canadians’ participation in the digital economy by establishing a fund to help attain new improved Internet access service levels for Canadians – including speeds of at least 50 megabits (Mbps) download and 10 Mbps upload and unlimited data plans for fixed broadband service as well as access to the latest mobile wireless technology not only for homes and businesses, but on major roads.

Finally, with the support of our partners in Canada and abroad, we are committed to protecting the privacy of Canadians through outreach, education, and compliance and enforcement of the Unsolicited Telecommunication Rules, the Voter Contact Registry and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation.

Jean-Pierre Blais

Plans at a glance

Program 1: Canadian Content Creation

Program 2: Connection to the Communication System

Program 3: Protection Within the Communication System

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

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

Raison d’être

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest, as well as enhances the privacy and safety of Canadians.

Mandate and role

Regulatory Policy, Legislative Implementation and Regulation

• Developing regulatory policies for Canada’s communication system
• Approving mergers, acquisitions and changes of ownership of broadcasting undertakings
• Approving tariffs and agreements for certain telecommunications services
• Issuing, renewing and amending licences for broadcasting distribution and programming undertakings
• Resolving competitive disputes

Outreach and Engagement with Stakeholders and Canadians

• Consulting and informing Canadians
• Responding to enquiries and complaints from Canadians
• Collaborating with domestic and international partners on issues
• Facilitating industry co-regulation and self-regulation through consultations, committees and working groups

Monitoring, Compliance and Enforcement

• Monitoring and reporting on the Canadian communication system
• Promoting and enforcing compliance with legislation, regulation and rules, such as the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (UTRs), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and the Voter Contact Registry (VCR)

In addition, the CRTC annually updates a Three-Year Plan^{Endnote i} that details forecasted activities with respect to its three pillars: Create, Connect and Protect.

The CRTC undertakes its responsibilities with a focus on Canadians—as citizens, creators and consumers. Canada’s communication system continues to evolve in a complex and dynamic manner, and is of growing importance to the lives of Canadians.

For more general information about the department, see the “Supplementary information” section of this report.

Operating context: conditions affecting our work

We now live in a post-convergence age in which no business, industry or organization can ignore the opportunities and disruptions of evolving digital technologies or the evolution in how Canadians engage with them. Broadband Internet is impacting the communication sector’s foundations and is the prevalent change agent for policy-makers, consumers and companies.

The communication industry continues to grow, generating revenues of more than $65 billion in 2015. Canadians watch 27 hours of conventional television, spend 19 hours online, and listen to the radio for 16 hours every week, on average. Nearly 83% of them subscribe to high-speed Internet, and download an impressive 93 gigabytes (GB) of content per month, on average (in 2015, compared to 18GB in 2011).

The Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting ecosystem is characterized by vertically integrated service providers that capture about 80% of all communication services revenues, by the growing presence of global service providers offering substitute content or services, and by the growth in the number of telecommunications service resellers and small providers. Global telecommunications networks are becoming more complex, and while the Internet offers new opportunities for creators to access world-size markets, it also brings significant challenges in a world of algorithms, sponsored discovery and micro-revenues. New risks are emerging on many levels, from how online advertising adversely affects revenues for the traditional media industry to new consumer threats in the form of malware or ransomware.

Today’s networked environment has created fundamental shifts in just about every aspect of our lives, and public policy leaders around the world are tackling ripple effects of broadband disruption. In Canada, the Government is concluding a wide-ranging consultation on “Canadian Content in a Digital World” that will impact cultural policies and institutions. Canada’s innovation agenda is also an example of on-going transformation that will impact the communication sector.

The CRTC has itself transformed the policy environment to improve our communication system at a world-class level by focusing on outcomes rather than rules. As a result, consumers have more flexibility in programming choices, better protection against unwanted telecommunications and more tools to support their interactions with service providers; the wholesale telecommunications regimes have been modernized in order to achieve sustainable competition; and new ways to strengthen the creation, discoverability and export of content made by Canadians have been established.

The CRTC will continue to adapt to the new realities of globalization through policy innovation, knowledge partnerships and continued dialogue with Canadian citizens, consumers and creators.

Key risks: things that could affect our ability to achieve our plans and results

Key risks

Since the industries and activities the CRTC regulates are at the forefront of the digital revolution, there are a number of risks to the CRTC's potential to fully serve the public interest and meet the expectations of Canadians. The table below outlines some of the CRTC’s key risks and what the organization is doing to address them.

As Canadians consume content and services on a multitude of broadcasting and telecommunications platforms, the CRTC engages in a continuous dialogue with stakeholders and Canadians to consider new approaches to meet its policy objectives under the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act. The CRTC aims to ensure that Canadians have access to content made by Canadians as well as quality and affordable communication services. To this end, the CRTC released several new policies in 2015 that changed the broadcasting regulatory framework following its Let's Talk TV proceeding, and it will continue to monitor the broadcasting industry's implementation of those policies. The CRTC will also continue to collaborate with external parties on the discoverability of content made by Canadians following its May 2016 Discoverability Summit, to explore ways to help Canadian programs stand out amidst the abundance of content on multiple and global platforms.

The changing needs and preferences of Canadians with regard to telecommunications services, as well as the emergence of new service providers and service offerings, challenged the CRTC's ability to achieve its policy objectives under the Telecommunications Act. The CRTC issued wholesale mobile and wireline implementation decisions in 2016–17, with the goal of increasing retail competition, service offerings and choices for Canadians. Following a review of its basic telecommunications service policies to ensure that Canadians can participate in the digital economy, the CRTC established a new universal service objective with faster, high-quality broadband Internet speeds, ensured Canadians have the ability to subscribe to unlimited data usage and announced a plan to establish a funding mechanism to improve the quality of broadband internet service for Canadians in underserved areas in all parts of the country.

As opportunities for malicious use of technology increase, the CRTC must continue seeking new ways to strengthen the privacy, security and safety of Canadians within the communication system, and for its programs, policies, rules and regulations to evolve. The CRTC will enhance collaboration with key international and domestic organizations to strengthen its protection mechanisms. The CRTC will enhance public awareness to enable Canadians to protect themselves from nuisance telecommunications and evolving threats. It will continue to investigate violations and undertake strategic enforcement actions to bring entities into compliance.

The CRTC will aim to achieve its mandate by developing strategic human resource action plans and making use of talent management initiatives, organized and targeted learning programs, job rotation programs, knowledge transfer, and succession plans. It will also pursue partnerships to help grow its knowledge and evidence bases, and to obtain the next generation of expertise it needs.

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

Programs

Canadian Content Creation

This program focuses on ensuring that a wealth of Canadian content is created and made available to all Canadians on a variety of platforms. Through its orders, decisions, licensing frameworks, and other regulatory activities, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) encourages the creation of diverse programming that reflects the attitudes, opinions, ideas, values, and artistic creativity of Canadians. By requiring the display of Canadian content in entertainment programming and the provision of information and analysis concerning Canada, the CRTC is enabling Canadians to better participate in their country’s democratic and cultural life.

Planning highlights

The CRTC will continue to ensure that the broadcasting system provides Canadians with a wealth of Canadian programming. This program's success will be measured by the total spending of the broadcasting industry on Canadian television programming.

Through its orders, decisions, licensing frameworks and other regulatory activities, the CRTC will continue to encourage the creation and broadcast of diverse and compelling Canadian programming.

For television, the CRTC will continue implementing specific components of its regulatory policies from the 2015 Let's Talk TV public consultation by way of decisions from several major proceedings. These proceedings include the renewal of television licences held by large English and French-language ownership groups and the renewal of licences for terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings. The CRTC will also implement its newly revised policies on local and community television programming aimed at creating a wide range of programming that reflects local experience, provides information and analysis about Canada, and allows for a diversity of local expression.

The CRTC will continue work to ensure that its policies on cultural diversity and indigenous radio are up to date and that the needs of official language minority communities are met.

The CRTC will also continually monitor compliance with and assess the effectiveness of its recently revised policies and newly imposed obligations on licensees.

Connection to the Communication System

The CRTC facilitates the orderly development of a communication system for all Canadians in order to strengthen the social and economic fabric of Canada and enhance the safety and interests of Canadians. This program focuses on ensuring that Canadians can connect to a choice of accessible, innovative, and quality communication services at affordable prices, and thereby have access to, amongst other things, compelling and creative Canadian programming.

Planning highlights

The CRTC will continue to ensure that the Canadian communication system provides quality, affordable service options to Canadians. The CRTC will measure the effectiveness of this program through the percentage of retail telecommunications service revenues generated from competitive markets (i.e. the markets that the CRTC has determined have sufficient competition and has therefore exempted from retail rate regulation).

The CRTC will determine whether broadcasting licensees are fulfilling their new obligations in accordance with the regulatory framework stemming from Let’s Talk TV. Specifically, the CRTC will ensure that broadcasting distribution undertakings are implementing small basic services, pick-and-pay and flexible packaging options to ensure that they conform to the best practices^{Endnote ii} of the CRTC.

The CRTC will implement new measures to ensure that Canadians in all parts of the country have access to quality, affordable telecommunications services, and as per the decision^{Endnote iii} issued following the CRTC’s 2016 review of basic telecommunications services^{Endnote iv} and can actively participate in the digital economy. The CRTC established a new universal service objective with faster, high-quality broadband Internet speeds, ensured Canadians have the ability to subscribe to unlimited amounts of data usage and announced a plan to establish a funding mechanism to improve the quality of broadband internet service for Canadians in underserved areas across the country.

The CRTC published its first-ever broadband performance measurement report in September 2016. 4500 Canadians participated in the study which gathered data on actual Internet connection speeds versus the advertised speeds of major Internet service providers (ISPs). The initiative was developed to generate a clearer picture of different ISP offerings across the country, to help inform future CRTC broadband policy-making and to give ISPs information to improve their services. The second phase of this initiative began in fall 2016 and includes an additional six smaller ISPs. In 2017–18, the CRTC will explore expansion of testing to include wireless service providers, which will contribute to measuring the quality of communication services.

As part of its commitment to ensure quality and accessible communication services, the CRTC will implement enhanced requirements to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have access to television programming. The CRTC will also monitor the efforts of a newly established English-language working group, consisting of representatives of closed captioning users organizations, closed captioning companies, and broadcasters, working towards improving the quality of closed captioning of live programming ^{Footnote 2}. The CRTC will also monitor the implementation of Video Relay Service (VRS) by the Canadian Administrator of VRS.

In 2016, the CRTC launched a proceeding to address complaints and concerns raised with respect to differential pricing practices including those that exempt certain data from a consumer’s Internet data plan (e.g. Videotron unlimited music service). The CRTC will issue a decision concerning the use of differential pricing practices by Canadian ISPs and establish a clear and transparent regulatory approach to provide a measure of certainty for all stakeholders, including consumers, application providers and ISPs.

The CRTC determined^{Endnote v} network configurations for the incumbent carriers Bell Canada, Cogeco, Rogers and Videotron to provide disaggregated wholesale high-speed access services to competitors in Ontario and Quebec. The CRTC will establish rates for these incumbent carriers’ configurations and will establish network configurations for incumbent carriers operating in other regions of the country. The CRTC will also establish rates for domestic wholesale wireless roaming services (voice, text and data) provided by the national wireless carriers to other wireless carriers offering service in Canada. These activities are aimed at enhancing competition in both the wireline and wireless retail markets, thereby improving access to affordable telecommunications services for Canadians.

The CRTC will initiate a process to review the current competitor quality of service indicators and the rate rebate plan for competitors. Since the current regime was established in 2005, a number of new wholesale services have been introduced and some have been made mandatory, while demand for certain services covered by the current regime has declined. By reviewing the quality of service indicators and the rate rebate plan, the CRTC will enhance the ability of competitors to provide services to Canadians in a variety of telecommunications markets.

Protection Within the Communication System

Through this program, the CRTC promotes compliance with and enforcement of its various laws and regulations, including unsolicited communications. It helps to ensure that Canadians have access to emergency communication services such as 9-1-1 service and alerting systems. As a result, Canadians have increased protection and benefit from a more secure communication system.

Planning highlights

The CRTC will continue to ensure that the security, privacy and safety of Canadians are respected and enhanced within the evolving Canadian communication system. Following up on initial public opinion research in 2015, the CRTC conducted a second public opinion research survey in 2017 asking Canadians their views on the CRTC’s role in the safety and protection of the communications system, as a measure of this programs effectiveness.

The CRTC will ensure the continuity of the National Do Not Call List operations.

As part of Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Regulatory Policy 2016–442^{Endnote vi}, the CRTC requested that telecommunications service providers develop and provide technical solutions to block nuisance calls within their networks. In addition, the CRTC launched a follow up process to further address the issue of caller identification (caller ID) authentication. The CRTC will foster, monitor and report on advancements in these areas.

The CRTC will continue to promote and enforce compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunication Rules (UTRs), the Voter Contact Registry (VCR) and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). It has and will continue to strengthen its activities in these areas through domestic and international partnerships. For example, using a risk-assessment model for intelligence, the CRTC will pursue additional information sources and improve information sharing with its partners to further its understanding of emerging areas or activities of concern. Moreover, timely enforcement advisories will continue to be issued to inform Canadians about emerging threats, together with publication of guidance for businesses to promote compliance. In addition, the CRTC will implement improvements to the VCR as required.

The CRTC will continue to ensure that the Canadian communication system contributes to the safety and security of Canadians through improved access to emergency response services. The CRTC will issue a decision following its examination of next-generation 9-1-1 platforms and services in Canada to lay the groundwork for future development, including exploring other future potential means by which Canadians could access and communicate with emergency services, such as text, video and images. The CRTC will monitor the participation of broadcasters in emergency alerting and advance the development of wireless public alerting in Canada.

In January 2016, the CRTC published a Television Service Provider Code for consumers aimed at empowering customers and making it easier for them to understand their television service agreements. In 2017–18, the CRTC will implement the Code via amendments to companies’ conditions of licence. It will monitor compliance with the Code, which fully comes into effect on September 1, 2017.

The Wireless Code, established in 2013, empowers consumers to make informed choices about their wireless services and establishes industry standards around the clarity of contracts and cancellation fees, amongst other things. The CRTC has initiated a review of the Wireless Code to ensure that it continues to respond to the needs of Canadians as the wireless market evolves and to address any new issues that may have arisen since it was established. Following the review, the CRTC will issue a decision in 2017–18.

Information on the CRTC’s lower-level programs is available on the CRTC’s website^{Endnote vii} and in the TBS InfoBase^{Endnote viii}.

Internal Services

Description

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

Planning highlights

The CRTC will continue to build management excellence within the organization. It will maintain a continuous improvement cycle through strategic planning, performance measurement and reporting processes, in addition to implementing the Government of Canada’s Policy on Results. It will continue implementation of a newly established Human Resources Management service delivery model to ensure a highly skilled, well-trained and high-performing workforce, specifically through capacity building, knowledge transfer, organizational structure, user-friendly and easily accessible human resources tools, and talent and career management.

The CRTC will continue to develop strategic international and domestic partnerships, including with agencies and academia. It will continue its collaborations to stimulate academic research in the field of communication policy and will continue to contribute to research activities with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the International Institute of Communications (IIC).

The CRTC will continue to collect relevant data from the communication industry and improve online filing of broadcasting and telecommunications data. It will continue to analyze and make available reliable data on the communication industry for its internal processes, its partners and Canadians. In addition, it will maintain its compliance with the Government of Canada’s Directive on Open Government and launch additional datasets on the Government of Canada’s Open Data Portal. These initiatives contribute to making more information available to enhance evidence-based policy-making.

The CRTC will continue to explore new possibilities to engage and inform Canadians via various digital and social media platforms and other emerging technologies. It will continue to make tools and information available to assist consumers in effectively exercising their choice of communication services and providers, in particular through enhancements to its You Have Choices tool. The CRTC is transitioning its website to Canada.ca in accordance with Treasury Board Secretariat guidelines.

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

For fiscal year 2017–18, the CRTC plans to spend $59.2 million to meet the expected results of its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcome.

The graph below illustrates the CRTC’s spending trend from 2014–15 to 2019–20.

Table version

-	2014–15	2015–16	2016–17	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Sunset Programs – Anticipated	0	0	0	0	0	0
Statutory	6,462,883	6,415,617	7,051,100	6,445,602	6,445,602	6,445,602
Voted	51,305,497	51,288,714	53,598,694	52,785,701	52,785,701	52,785,701
Total	57,768,380	57,704,331	60,649,794	59,231,303	59,231,303	59,231,303

For fiscal years 2014–15 and 2015–16, actual spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts of Canada.

The increase between 2015–16 actual expenditures and 2016–17 forecasted spending is mainly due to the increase in salary expenses for new hires to respond to: a) increased workload related to the core mandate; b) increase in the number of public hearings; c) creation of an in-house classification function; d) Human Resources Transformation project; e) creation of a Corporate function and Pay modernisation (Pay center and Phoenix); and f) rate increase for employee benefit plan.

Planned spending for the fiscal years 2017–18 to 2019–20 corresponds to the planned spending level approved in the Main Estimates. At this time, there are no incremental amounts approved above the Main Estimates levels. Supplementary funding for items such as salary adjustments for new collective agreements and carry-forward adjustments are unknown at this time and therefore not refle cted.

Where applicable, the CRTC will continue to experiment with new approaches to instill a culture of measurement, evaluation and innovation in program and policy design and delivery through its available mechanisms. The CRTC already instills such a culture: for example, it involved all staff in a ‘design thinking’ workshop in 2016 as part of its commitment to encourage innovation; it held a highly successful discussion on differential pricing practices related to Internet data plans for the first time on the online forum Reddit; and it undertook unprecedented engagement of all stakeholders to draft the Wireless Code which was in itself an industry initiated process.

Planned human resources

Variation between fiscal year 2015–16 and 2016–17 is due to the finalization of collective staffing and Human Resources Transformation as explained in the previous section: The increase between 2015–16 actual expenditures and 2016–17 forecasted spending is mainly due to the increase in salary expenses for new hires to respond to: a) increased workload related to the core mandate; b) increase in the number of public hearings; c) creation of an in-house classification function; d) Human Resources Transformation project; e) creation of a Corporate function and Pay modernisation (Pay center and Phoenix); and f) rate increase for employee benefit plan.

Estimates by vote

For information on the CRTC’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2017 – 18 Main Estimates^{Endnote ix}.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the CRTC’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the Future Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on the CRTC’s website^{Endnote x}.

There is a planned increase in expenses of approximately $0.254 million (0.4%) in 2017–18 versus 2016–17. This is primarily attributed to increases in salary related expenses.

The variance between 2016–17 Forecast Spending presented in the Budgetary Planning Summary for Programs and Internal Services table and the 2016–17 Planned Results presented in the above table is attributable to a difference in the methodology used. The 2016–17 Planned Results above are higher as they include an amount related to the Services provided without charge by other government departments.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister:

• The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

• Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial portfolio:

• Canadian Heritage

Enabling instruments:

• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act^{Endnote xi}
• Bell Canada Act^{Endnote xii}
• Broadcasting Act^{Endnote xiii}
• Telecommunications Act^{Endnote xiv}
• Canada Elections Act^{Endnote xix}
• An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian Economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the Telecommunications Act^{Endnote xvi}, referred to as “Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation” or “CASL” in this document.

Year of incorporation / commencement:

• 1968

Reporting framework

The CRTC’s Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) of record for 2017–18 are shown below:

1. 1. Strategic Outcome: Canadians have access to a world-class communication system
   1. 1.1 Program: Canadian Content Creation
      1. 1.1.1 Sub-Program: Diverse Canadian Content
      2. 1.1.2 Sub-Program: Compelling Canadian Content
   2. 1.2 Program: Connection to the Communication System
      1. 1.2.1 Sub Program: Quality Communication Services
      2. 1.2.2 Sub Program: Affordable Communication Services
   3. 1.3 Program: Protection Within the Communication System
      1. 1.3.1 Sub Program: Safety-Enhancing Communication Services
      2. 1.3.2 Sub Program: Unsolicited Commercial Communications
2. Internal Services

Supporting information on lower-level programs

Supporting information on lower-level programs is available on the CRTC’s website^{Endnote xvii} and in the TBS InfoBase^{Endnote xviii}.

Supplementary information tables

There are no supplementary information tables for the CRTC.

Federal tax expenditures

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

Organizational contact information

CRTC Central Office

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1

or

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2

CRTC Telephone

In Canada:
Toll-free: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
Toll-free TTY line: 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)

Outside Canada:
819-997-0313
TTY line: 819-994-0423

Fax: 819-994-0218

Website: http://www.crtc.gc.ca

Appendix [A]: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (Plan ministériel)

Provides information on the plans and expected performance of appropriated departments over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

A Departmental Result represents the change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

Consists of the department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (Rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

Provides information on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiatives (initiative horizontale)

A horizontal initiative is one in which two or more federal organizations, through an approved funding agreement, work toward achieving clearly defined shared outcomes, and which has been designated (e.g. by Cabinet, a central agency, etc.) as a horizontal initiative for managing and reporting purposes.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (Structure de la gestion, des ressources et des résultats)

A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

Performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

Performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

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

plans (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

Priorities (priorité)

Plans or projects that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s).

program (programme)

A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

results (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

Date modified:

2017-03-09