Departmental Results Report 2022-23

The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Public Prosecution Service of Canada

160 Elgin Street, 12th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca

Also available on the Web in PDF and HTML formats

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada (2023)

Cat. No. J76-6E-PDF
ISSN 2560-9343

Table of contents

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

From the Director of Public Prosecutions and Deputy Attorney General of Canada

I am pleased to present the Public Prosecution Service of Canada's^{Footnote 1} (PPSC) Departmental Results Report (DRR) for 2022-23.

The highlights of the year in review reflected in the report focus on our priorities, but also on our renewed commitment to our colleagues, and to our role within the criminal justice system.

During the year, the PPSC was able to adopt a refreshed mission statement and new corporate priorities. In each case, consultation with our employees was at the centre of the exercise, to make sure that we were truly capturing what makes the PPSC unique, and that the public could, at a glance, know what to expect from our employees and from the PPSC as an institution. Our values, indeed, speak not only to how we treat our work, each other and members of the public, but speak to our greater role to consider equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, as well as truth and reconciliation with Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations in everything we do.

As with the rest of the federal government, the year saw a return to the workplace for our employees. While operational pressures already meant that many of us were already attending the office regularly, we have managed to put together plans that provide greater flexibility to employees to work sometimes from the office, sometimes from their homes (not to mention courthouses and investigative agency offices). Those plans take our operations before the courts into account to ensure that we are meeting all of our professional obligations, while still offering some balance to a hard-working group of employees, at all levels of the organization.

2022-23 saw us refresh a number of people-centric policies, including the Mental Health and Wellness Strategy, and our Official Languages Plan, which takes into account the importance of Indigenous languages, in addition to the use of English and French. We have put forward an Accessibility Strategy, and started reporting against our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Action Plan.^{Footnote 2} Finally, on the people front, we have invested in leadership, by using character-based leadership interviews to staff senior positions, and by providing advanced and intensive leadership training.

While there is more I could say about the achievements of the year, I have to close with what I think is perhaps the most important work that was completed, which is the update of our Decision to Prosecute Guideline. The Guideline, which all prosecutors are required to follow, serves to guide the most important exercise of prosecutorial discretion, namely whether or not a prosecution should be commenced. The changes made to the Guideline are meant to assist prosecutors in confronting biases they may hold when looking critically at their evidence and in weighing the public interest in a prosecution. Further, prosecutors are asked to consider the disproportionate impact that a prosecution may have for certain populations, particularly Indigenous and Black persons, in order to do our part in reducing over-representation both before the criminal justice system and in the carceral system. While other revamped guidelines will follow suit, we are particularly proud of the work done on the Decision to Prosecute Guideline, and of the manner in which our workforce have embraced this important work.

I want to thank the employees of the PPSC for their hard work during the year, often under challenging circumstances. I have no doubt their tireless efforts are reflected in public safety outcomes for Canadians.

Kathleen Roussel
Director of Public Prosecutions and
Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Results at a glance

In 2022-23, the PPSC focused on four corporate priorities aimed at aligning the organization's services with the ever-changing realities of Canadian society: Foster a Culture of Trust and Engagement; Advance Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Workplace; Take Action Against Systemic Discrimination and Racism in the Criminal Justice System; and Modernize the Way We Work. Each organizational priority is an integral part of leading the PPSC to uphold public trust and to contribute to the change necessary to support a criminal justice system that is more equitable and fair to all Canadians.

The Advancement Centre for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility continued to play an important role in influencing and accelerating the growth and development of a richly diverse PPSC workplace and an equitable, inclusive and accessible culture. It also collaborated with key internal and external stakeholders and supported the PPSC's actions to reduce the over-representation and systemic discrimination of historically marginalized groups in the Canadian criminal justice system.

Foster a Culture of Trust and Engagement

This priority is about fostering a culture of trust and engagement, where all PPSC employees are treated with respect, dignity, and fairness.

Renewal of the PPSC's mission statement

In 2022-23, the PPSC reviewed and updated its mission statement and corporate values.^{Footnote i} After a thorough analysis and a consultation process, it was determined that the PPSC's mission statement should be updated to reflect the type of organization it is seeking to become. The new set of values is more practical and acts as a guide to PPSC employees in their daily actions, behaviours, and decisions.

PPSC's People Strategy^{Footnote 3}

The PPSC's People Strategy was launched in November 2022. The strategy charts an ambitious course for people management. It provides an overarching roadmap that will help the PPSC create a workforce and workplace in which all employees can contribute their best and feel that they belong.

Business resumption

In 2022-23, the PPSC continued to ensure that business resumption planning accounted for the mental heath needs of employees. To enable a safe return to the office, training on First Aid and Mental Health First Aid was provided, and a guide on duty to accommodate for managers and supervisors was developed. In addition, an on-line telework application with a full monitoring and reporting structure was implemented to support a hybrid working model.

Accountability and transparency in staffing

The PPSC continued to offer in-house training to new and existing managers to ensure they understood their accountabilities related to staffing, as well as the flexibilities afforded to them to help meet operational needs. The organization also provided information sessions for employees to assist them in better understanding the staffing process and flexibilities available to managers when hiring.

Advance equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the workplace

This priority is about the organization continuing to build an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace environment where all employees can thrive.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Action Plan 2021-2024

In 2022-23, the PPSC continued to implement its National EDIA action plan^{Footnote ii}, which includes, among other things, addressing recommendations from a bias-free workplace initiative^{Footnote iii} that was released in 2021-22. The goal is for the PPSC to advance in a way that ensures everyone in the organization experiences a work culture that is more equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible. The organization also continued to work towards increasing representation in designated equity groups.

Official Languages

The PPSC's Official Languages (OL) Action Plan 2022-2025 ensures the integral and uniform application of the Official Languages Act at the PPSC, and strengthens the organization's bilingual capacity. In 2022-23, the PPSC continued to support projects and initiatives within its OL Action Plan, including promoting the Official Languages Learning Boot Camp and promoting priority access to second official language training for members of equity-seeking groups at all classification levels. In addition, various communications were translated and distributed in Inuktitut and in Inuinnaqtun, to recognize the use of Indigenous languages by some of our employees in the organization.

Mental Health and Wellness

The 2022-2024 PPSC Mental Health and Wellness Strategy was launched in April 2022. This strategy aims to support mental health in the workplace with the goal of creating a culture that enshrines psychological health, safety and well-being in all aspects of the workplace through collaboration, inclusivity and respect.

Take action against systemic discrimination and racism in the criminal justice system

This priority is about the PPSC continuing to contribute to the change necessary to support a criminal justice system that is more equitable and fair to all Canadians.

Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

In 2022-23, the PPSC continued to implement its response to the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The organization developed a northern recruitment strategy to increase prosecutorial capacity across the three territories, which addresses different employee segments and charts a strategy to increase staffing in these areas. The PPSC also accelerated the re-evaluation of its prosecutorial policies using an intersectional and reconciliatory approach to prevent PPSC policies, practices, or procedures from contributing to discrimination, systemic racism, or the over-representation of certain groups in the criminal justice system.

Public Feedback and Complaints Policy

The PPSC worked on updating its Public Feedback and Complaints Policy^{Footnote iv} so that it aligns with its organizational values, and helps maintain the public's confidence in the administration of justice. This policy covers any feedback or complaint made by a person who has been directly impacted by the actions of a PPSC employee or agent, or by a PPSC service, procedure, practice, or policy. Receiving feedback from members of the public provides the PPSC with a good understanding of what it is doing right and what could be improved.

Modernize the way we work

Innovation is the way forward to building an agile workforce and a modern criminal justice system. This priority is about continuing to modernize PPSC tools and procedures, as well as prosecutorial policies and practices.

Hybrid Workplace

The PPSC has worked tirelessly to implement a hybrid work model that suits not only its operational requirements, but that takes into consideration health and safety, work-life balance and mental health of our employees. The PPSC is committed to ensuring its employees across the country are adequately equipped with the appropriate accommodations. In 2022-23, PPSC's Facilities Management and Accommodations team actively engaged with Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Shared Services Canada (SSC), as well as private sector partners to ensure all locations and office fit-ups are implemented in line with established government policies and standards.

The National Fine Recovery Program (NFRP)

The National Fine Recovery Program (NFRP) strengthened its accountability and efficiency and continued to advance with its modernization projects. Of note, a new online payment portal^{Footnote v} was launched in January 2023 to offer additional payment options to Canadians with outstanding fines. An automated notification program was also developed to further increase NFRP's accountability in notifying Canadians with outstanding fines on upcoming recovery procedures. Over the next few years, the NFRP will continue with the development and implementation of a sustainable IT software solution to manage the inventory of fines and recovery operations.

For more information on the PPSC's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the "Results: what we achieved" section of this report. Additional details are also available in the 2022-23 PPSC Annual Report.^{Footnote vi}

Results: what we achieved

Core responsibilities

Prosecution Services

Description

The PPSC prosecutes criminal and regulatory offences under federal law in an independent, impartial and fair manner. It also provides prosecutorial legal advice and assistance to law enforcement agencies or investigative bodies.

Results

The PPSC prosecutes cases under federal statutes that are referred to it by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), other federal investigative agencies, and provincial and municipal police forces. In 2022-23 the PPSC spent more than one million hours working on 49,028 files including but not limited to national security prosecutions, regulatory and economic prosecutions, drug prosecutions and Criminal Code offences in the three territories. Drug prosecution files make up the highest percentage of the PPSC's total caseload. The PPSC is responsible for prosecuting all drug-related offenses under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Although the organization continues to handle some simple possession charges, most of our resources focus on prosecuting commercial traffickers who are sophisticated and cause serious harm through ever-increasing levels of importation, production and distribution of opioids and other substances.

The PPSC Deskbook contains the directives and guidelines that all federal prosecutors, and persons acting as federal prosecutors, must follow. In 2022-23, the PPSC's National Prosecution Policy Committee continued to review the Deskbook to recommend changes to any policy or practice that may contribute to discrimination, systemic racism, or over-representation within the criminal justice system. Guideline 2.3, Decision to Prosecute^{Footnote vii}, was the first Deskbook chapter to undergo a review.

This guideline requires a more active approach from prosecutors in a number of respects to address over-representation and systemic racism. Here are a few highlights:

• The guideline emphasizes that identifying and setting aside unconscious bias requires a conscious approach to decision-making.
• It requires prosecutors to consider factors that may contribute to over-representation in the criminal justice system.
• Prosecutors should not proceed with cases involving serious state misconduct (including racial profiling).
• Prosecutors should review the underlying social conditions affecting the accused, such as systemic racism, homelessness, or a substance-use disorder and should not proceed with routine administration of justice offences unless there are also serious offences (e.g., breach of a firearms prohibition order).
• Prosecutors are encouraged to recognize the value of consulting colleagues with different backgrounds and lived experiences to ensure the fullest understanding of the issues they are confronting in a case.

Drug Treatment Courts

Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs) are vitally important in addressing the issues associated with substances within the criminal justice system. DTCs offer non-violent offenders with problematic substance use the opportunity to complete a court monitored drug treatment program as an alternative to incarceration. DTCs take a comprehensive approach intended to reduce the number of crimes committed to support substance dependency through judicial supervision, comprehensive substance abuse treatment, random and frequent drug testing, incentives and sanctions, clinical case management, and social services support. This approach supports offenders in addressing their cycle of problematic substance use and criminal behavior. It has been successful as a means of reducing criminal recidivism.

The statutory framework for DTCs is provided through the CDSA and the Criminal Code, both of which offer sentencing alternatives to incarceration for eligible offenders. The organization has dedicated counsel who work with the court, police and service providers. In 2022-23, the PPSC accommodated the expansion of DTCs throughout the province of Alberta, while it prepares for additional growth in other parts of the country. The PPSC currently supports more than 20 DTCs across the country.

The PPSC's Response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

The PPSC is steadfast in working to support the Government of Canada's Federal Pathway toward responding to the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In particular, the PPSC is working on responding to Calls for Justice 5.12, 9.2, 9.2(ii), 10.1, 16.27, 17.20 and 17.8, to improve the level of justice provided to Indigenous victims, witnesses and communities experiencing high rates of sexual violence and intimate partner violence in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Increasing prosecutorial capacity in order to improve support for Indigenous victims and witnesses remains a top priority for the organization. Since April 2022, the three offices in the North have been successful in recruiting prosecutors, paralegals, crown witness coordinators and support staff. Consistent recruitment efforts have allowed the PPSC to reach near capacity for its non-lawyer positions in all three regional offices. Recruitment of lawyers remains our greatest challenge. While significant progress has been made, external factors such as a lack of childcare, non-competitive salaries and benefits and the type of work continue to be contributing factors to recruitment and especially retention challenges in the North.

Given the key role Crown Witness Coordinators (CWCs) play in providing support to victims, aggressive hiring of CWCs is a key part of PPSC's hiring efforts in the territories. CWCs provide a service to bridge the cultural gap between the court system and First Nations and Inuit victims and witnesses engaged in the court process. The main role of CWCs is to help victims and witnesses understand the court process, the roles of the court participants and, for the victims, their rights and responsibilities under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. CWCs provide court updates, accompany witnesses to court, provide support during and after testimony, and assist with trial preparation. CWCs also act as liaisons between Crown counsel, and victims, and witnesses, to ensure that their rights are considered throughout the criminal justice process.

The PPSC is committed to engaging with local justice committee members and/or Elders to identify culturally appropriate and trauma-informed approaches for victims and witnesses. The organization has steered its engagement efforts toward a more regional and local approach to complement the development of prosecutorial innovations rather than the original pan-northern approach.

In 2022-23, the Sexual Violence Prosecution Team (SVPT) in the Northwest Territories Regional Office engaged with local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who provide support to victims of gender-based violence, such as the Young Women's Christian Association of Canada (YWCA) and the Northern Mosaic Network involved in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. In August 2022, members of the SVPT participated in a community engagement event organized by the Government of the Northwest Territories' Gender Equity Division in the Beaufort Delta region. The SVPT also met with the leadership of the Gwichʼin Tribal Council. In March 2023, the Northwest Territories Regional Office also reached out to the GNWT Justice Department to explore the possibility of a partnership with the PPSC in a broader community engagement process.

The Yukon Regional Office has representatives who participate in intergovernmental initiatives to improve support for victims of sexualized violence. This includes the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and the Sexual Assault Response Committee. The SART has begun expanding its services outside of Whitehorse and engaging with individual First Nation communities. Engagement activities will continue in 2023-24.

This last fiscal year, the Nunavut Regional Office (NRO) began the development of a targeted approach to prioritizing the prosecution of sexual violence files, by dedicating a General Counsel to provide training and support to less experienced lawyers for these prosecutions. The NRO also began the process of obtaining assistance from translators and Elders to facilitate engagement with local communities and guide the application of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit^{Footnote 5} principles within the Nunavut Court of Justice. The team has identified two communities in which to run a pilot program using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles in the diversion and sentencing of criminal matters. The NRO is currently facing challenges due to the lack of available process for contracting with Elders, but they are considering all available options.

The NRO is also committed to increasing Inuit representation as decision-makers in the criminal justice system in Nunavut. As part of this commitment, the region has created the Inuit Court Worker (ICW) program, a first of its kind in the country. The ICW positions are paralegal positions at three different levels: junior court worker, Inuit court worker (working level), and senior court worker. The ICW program includes an intensive training program with internal and external courses to train the junior court workers to become trained paralegals able to act independently on behalf the PPSC in the Nunavut Justice of the Peace Court and in summary conviction matters throughout Nunavut. In 2022-23, training began for three employees in the junior court worker positions, and one ICW began making representations in court (under the supervision of senior counsel), marking an important milestone for this new program.

Finally, in 2022-23, the PPSC developed a training curriculum for its prosecution teams that focuses on Crown-Indigenous relations, anti-racism, bias, trauma and Gladue reports. This curriculum is divided into four modules. The first module focuses on the historical relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples; the second, on cultural competency and current realities and aims to challenge stereotypes associated with Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit and Métis people; the third focuses on intergenerational trauma and trauma-informed practices; and, the final module provides hands-on training on Gladue principles and the role of the Crown. A pilot training session was delivered in 2022-23, and following a few adjustments, all four modules were delivered to the PPSC's Ontario Regional Office.

With the support of NVision, the delivery of PPSC's training on Indigenous Reconciliation will intensify and continue through the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Gender-based analysis plus

The PPSC is committed to contributing to the change necessary to support a criminal justice system that is more equitable and fair to all Canadians, and has continued to raise awareness amongst federal prosecutors through its mandatory training: Expanding our Mindset – Applying an Intersectional Lens to Prosecutorial Work (A GBA Plus Approach). Each training session was delivered by a professional facilitator from the Centre for Intercultural Learning^{Footnote 6}, a small team of PPSC prosecutors, and the GBA Plus Responsibility Centre. In 2022-23, 11 national training sessions were delivered, with 262 prosecutors completing the training. This training was also adapted to support the paralegal community in their role. Four national training sessions were delivered, and 77 participants, representing 84% of all PPSC paralegals completed the training.

The GBA Plus Responsibility Centre also continued to collaborate with the Advancement Centre for EDIA to promote and support various GBA Plus and EDIA initiatives, such as the promotion of inclusive language and best practices. Major progress was made in developing guidelines to assist employees, managers and supervisors in incorporating GBA Plus analysis in their projects and decision-making practices.

Furthermore, the GBA Plus Responsibility Centre continued to provide guidance and advice during the development of national strategies, plans, and policies, including the revision of Deskbook chapters.

Key risks

In 2022-23, the PPSC focused on updating its Organizational Risk Profile (ORP). The objectives for this cycle were to review and adjust the scope of each risk to ensure it reflects the current operational context and objectives; and to strengthen the risk exercise by including tools that assist with risk assessment. Significant progress was made in 2022-23 on identifying six inherent and potential risks that may affect the PPSC's effort in achieving its strategic outcomes and organizational priorities. The ORP is expected to be finalized in Fall 2023.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for Prosecution Services, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022-23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

¹ Level of satisfaction results are taken from the PPSC Survey of Investigative Agencies Report, which is conducted every three years.

² 78% of respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the timeliness of the legal advice they received from the PPSC. Although this falls short of the 80% target, it is an increase from the last survey, where 72% of respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied". The most commonly cited explanation for why respondents were unsatisfied with the timeliness of the legal advice they received was that the PPSC was slow to respond, unresponsive or it took multiple follow-ups to get a response.

³ 85% of respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the comprehensiveness of the legal advice they received from the PPSC. This exceeds the 65% target and is an increase from the last survey, where 80% of respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied".

⁴ The percentage of stay of proceedings as a result of delays is determined by case and not by individual charges. If there are more than one stay of proceedings for a case, it is counted as one case being stayed. Stay of proceedings as a result of delays include both agent and in-house cases.

⁵ The results presented are based on data gathered from the regions and on information extracted from the PPSC's internal database. The figures are extracted from a live system and may be subject to revision from time to time, based on changes made to the data for any particular reporting period.

⁶ Of the 49,028 cases in 2022-23, 15 resulted in a judicial stay of proceedings due to Crown delay.

⁷ Of the 49,028 cases closed in 2022-23, 38 resulted in the Crown directing a stay of proceedings due to Crown delay.

⁸ 22,911 of the 22,971 cases closed in 2022-23, resulted in a determination on the merits of the evidence.

⁹ The PPSC takes complaints seriously and seeks to ensure that they are dealt with in a timely and clear manner, thereby helping to maintain public confidence in the administration of justice. The organization updated its Public Feedback and Complaints Policy so that it aligns with its organizational values, and helps maintain the public's confidence in the administration of jus-tice.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PPSC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote viii}

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Prosecution Services, budgetary spending for 2022-23, as well as actual spending for that year.

The variance of $13.2 million stems from a reduction in spending for agent related expenditures and unspent funding for the outsourcing of the collection of federal fines, offset by a decrease in revenue collection in comparison to PPSC's maximum revenue authority level and an increase in travel expenditures.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PPSC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote ix}

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2022–23.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PPSC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote x}

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:

• acquisitions management services
• communications services
• financial management services
• human resources management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• legal services
• material management services
• management and oversight services
• real property management services

Results

Corporate Services Branch

The Corporate Services Branch (CSB) includes most internal services that support the organization and its prosecution teams as well as two national programs. Like all federal government departments, internal services help to ensure that the organization is effectively governed and meets government policy requirements and administrative responsibilities.

This past year, a number of workshops took place to assist business areas within the CSB in defining success for their key operational areas. Preliminary data-driven dashboards were created to provide an overview of operations and assist with identifying areas for improvement. Once dashboards have been developed for the majority of CSB's business lines, key performance indicators will be identified to inform the development of a performance measurement framework for the CSB. In 2022-23, the CSB also took preliminary steps to develop an integrated approach to its business and investment planning. Throughout 2023-24, it will build on this work to improve its governance and strategically align its efforts and support its mandate in an efficient and agile manner.

Human Resources

The PPSC has fully integrated Character Leadership in the selection process for senior leaders at the EX and LC levels. This approach identifies new leaders by evaluating the 11 dimensions of character, alongside competence. In 2022-2023, 10 executives were appointed after having successfully completed character leadership interviews. A leadership development program was also implemented to further strengthen and develop leadership skills and character. Over 100 supervisors, managers, and executives from the PPSC completed the program in 2022-23.

In 2022-2023, the PPSC also continued to review it organizational structure and job classifications to ensure fairness and equity in job levels. In particular, legal support positions, information technology positions and program administration positions were reviewed and updated. The organization will continue to identify efficiencies in its structure to ensure the work being delivered is done at the right levels.

Communications

The new PPSC intranet site was launched in January 2023, providing better access to information for all PPSC employees. It received positive feedback from employees for its more modern, usable, and accessible design and structure. The intranet site will be reviewed regularly to allow for continuous improvement, particularly in increasing the accessibility of legacy documents. In addition, options will be identified for a new search engine to work with updated technology.

Information Management and Information Technology

GCdocs is PPSC's official repository for corporate information, and is integrated with Outlook to support email management. In 2022-23, the multi-editing function was implemented and is now available to support collaboration. A Complaints Management workflow was also implemented to track the progress of complaints PPSC receives in line with its updated Public Feedback and Complaints Policy. This workflow accelerates transparency, control, and trust. More workflows will be implemented in the future to improve visibility, enhance productivity, and streamline business processes.

The PPSC is still working on procuring a new legal case management system designed to provide employees with accurate information about ongoing criminal cases managed by the organization. In 2022-23, after a pilot of the prototype system (Amicus) was conducted with employees, infrastructure issues revealed a need to review the work completed to date and determine a new path forward. All options are being considered to provide employees with a modern and sustainable digital platform, and the PPSC will prioritize shifting to a cloud-first approach to align with the Government of Canada's Directive on Service and Digital.

National Fine Recovery Program (NFRP)

In 2022-23, the NFRP awarded a new national standing offer with several collection agencies to increase the efficiency of the fine recovery operations. It was also able to recruit additional resources to support it modernization projects, and to help increase overall program efficiency. The NFRP also met with different stakeholders to develop a partnership to access their Fine Option programs, and to assist with its civil litigation files.

Agent Affairs Program

The Agent Affairs Program^{Footnote 7} (AAP) continued to collaborate with key internal stakeholders in reviewing the program mandate as well as roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability. In 2022-23, the AAP also developed a new financial process to accelerate agent billing at the end of the year.

Finance and Acquisitions

In 2022-23, the Finance and Acquisitions Directorate^{Footnote 8} (FAD) continued to improve data collection, analytics and reporting. It enhanced service delivery by publishing and communicating the service standards, which were established to ensure consistency in its service delivery, and assist with resource and budget planning, and setting measurable targets to monitor and track performance. The FAD also focused on implementing a new legal services invoicing system, and formalized a risk-based approach for procurement decision-making approval of payments. Moreover, the FAD continued to advance accessible procurement by incorporating accessibility considerations in the procurement planning process.

Audit and Evaluation

The Internal Audit and Evaluation Division (IAED)^{Footnote 9} continued to focus on delivering value-added products that support the PPSC in improving its governance, accountability, efficiency, and innovation. In 2022-23, the IAED continued to deliver on its plans and provided the department with reports on articling student recruitment (including a GBA Plus lens and EDIA considerations), business case requirements and process, information management, agent supervision, and its case management system currently in development. The IAED also continued to assess the risks to the organization and determine where it can best focus its resources, including new and emerging risks due to the pandemic.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

As a Phase 2 organization, the PPSC is aiming to achieve the minimum 5% target by the end of 2023-24.

The following measures were taken by the PPSC to achieve the 5% minimum target:

• Implementing an Indigenous procurement plan covering the next two fiscal years;
• Making it mandatory within the PPSC to include a minimum of one Indigenous business, where capacity exists, when competing or when using the Public Services and Procurement Canada mandatory standing offer or supply arrangements;
• Directing specific commodities such as information technology equipment and office furniture procurements to Indigenous resellers, when possible; and
• Engaging and recommending the use of the Government of Canada's Procurement Strategy for Indigenous businesses to:
  • Increase the use of voluntary set-asides, where Indigenous capacity is known, in professional services
  • Increase the use of conditional set-asides where Indigenous capacity is unknown.

All procurement officers at the PPSC have completed the mandatory course on Indigenous Considerations in procurement from the Canada School of Public Service. As a complement, Indigenous procurement training to procurement officers and stakeholders involved in the procurement process was also completed.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as spending for that year.

The increase of $9.6 million in actual spending is mainly due to increases in salary and professional services, offset by lower costs than anticipated on facilities projects that went slower than anticipated and settlements against the Crown that did not materialize this year.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2022–23.

Lower than planned full-time equivalents in internal services reflect attrition, vacancies and delays in staffing experienced during 2022-23.

Spending and human resources

Spending

Spending 2020–21 to 2025–26

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory spending) over time.

1. Spending for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 represents the actual expenditures incurred during the respective fiscal years, as reported in Public Accounts.

2. Planned spending for 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 reflects funds already brought into the Department's reference levels, as well as amounts to be authorized through the Estimates process as presented in the Department's Annual Reference Level Update.

Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The "Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services" table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for PPSC's core responsibilities and for internal services.

The variance of $20.4 million between the PPSC's total available authorities of $229.1 million and actual spending of $208.7 million stems from an operating surplus of $17.9 million and a surplus of $2.5 million related to the outsourcing of the collection of federal fines. From the surplus, an amount of $10.5 million resulting from the operating budget can be spent in the next fiscal year.

2022–23 Budgetary actual gross spending summary (dollars)

The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2022–23.

PPSC's revenue is generated from the authority to recover amounts from other departments and agencies for the provision of advisory and prosecution services.

Human resources

The "Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services" table presents the full-time equivalents (FTEs) allocated to each of the PPSC's core responsibilities and to internal services.

Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Expenditures by vote

For information on the PPSC's organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.^{Footnote xi}

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of the PPSC's spending with Government of Canada's spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote xii}

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

The PPSC's financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023, are available on the department's website.^{Footnote xiii}

Financial statement highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)

The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in the PPSC's Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.^{Footnote xiv}

Expenses by type

The total expenses in 2022-23 ($249.1 million) have increased by $7.0 million (or 2.9%) in comparison with 2021-22 ($242.1 million). This represents a $4.9 million increase in salary expenses, $2.7 million in contingent liability allowance, $2.8 million in travel, offset by a decrease of $3.2 million in counsel fees and $1.3 million in claims and ex-gratia payments. The remaining variance of $1.1 million is attributable to other various expenses.

During 2022-23, the PPSC had the following major categories of expenses:

• Salary and employee benefits: $170.0 million (or 68.3% of expenses);
• Professional and special services – Counsel fees: $33.6 million (or 13.5% of expenses);
• Accommodation: $16.7 million (or 6.7% of expenses);
• Other operating expenses: $28.7 million (or 11.5% of expenses).

Revenue by type

The total respendable revenues earned in 2022-23 ($19.2 million) increased by $2.3 million (or 13.6%) compared with the revenues in 2021-22 ($16.9 million). During 2022-23, the PPSC had the following revenue categories:

Respendable Revenue

• Revenue earned from the provision of advisory and prosecution services to Other Government Departments and Agencies (OGDAs): $19.1 million (or 19.5% of revenue);
• Revenue earned form the provision of internal services: $0.1million (or 0.11% of revenue).

Non-Respendable Revenue

• Collection of fines, forfeitures and court costs: $78.0 million (or 79.7% of revenue);
• Rent from residential housing provided to employees: $0.7 million (or 0.7% of revenue).

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)

The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in the PPSC's Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.^{Footnote xv}

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Arif Virani
Institutional head: Kathleen Roussel, Director of Public Prosecutions and Deputy Attorney General of Canada
Ministerial portfolio: Justice
Enabling instrument[s]: Director of Public Prosecutions Act ^{Footnote xvi}
Year of incorporation / commencement: 2006

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

"Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do" is available on the PPSC's website.^{Footnote xvii}

For more information on the department's organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister's mandate letter.^{Footnote xviii}

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on the PPSC's website.^{Footnote xix}

Reporting framework

The PPSC's departmental results framework and program inventory of record for 2022–23 are shown below.

Text Version

The PPSC's Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2022–23

Departmental Results Framework	Core Responsibility: Prosecution Services		Internal Services
	Departmental Result: Timely and comprehensive legal advice is provided to investigative agencies.	Indicator: Percentage of respondents satisfied with the timeliness of legal advice.
		Indicator: Percentage of respondents satisfied with the comprehensiveness of legal advice.
	Departmental Result: Federal prosecutions are completed in a timely manner.	Indicator: Number and percentage of cases that went to trial and resulted in a judicial stay of proceedings due to Crown delay.
		Indicator: Number and percentage of cases that went to trial and resulted in the Crown directing a stay of proceedings due to Crown delay.
	Departmental Result: Through professionally conducted prosecution related work, the ODPP contributes to the administration of justice.	Indicator: Number and percentage of prosecutions that result in a determination on the merits of the evidence.
		Indicator: Number and nature of judicial stays for abuse of process based on the conduct of a federal prosecutor.
		Indicator: Number and nature of successful malicious prosecution lawsuits.
		Indicator: Number and nature of substantiated complaints made pursuant to the ODPP's Complaints Policy
Program Inventory	Program: Federal Prosecutions

Supporting information on the program inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PPSC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote xx}

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on PPSC's website ^{Footnote xxi}:

• Reporting on Green Procurement
• Gender-based analysis plus

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.^{Footnote xxii} This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address:
Public Prosecution Service of Canada
160 Elgin Street, 12th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8

Telephone:
613-957-7772
1-877-505-7772

Fax: 613-954-2958

Email: info@ppsc.gc.ca

Website(s): PPSC's website

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

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

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

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

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A document that sets out a department's priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A change that a 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)

A framework that connects the department's core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department's 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.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and understand how factors such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture and disability, impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2022–23 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

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

performance (rendement)

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

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

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

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

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

plan (plan)

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

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

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

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

An inventory of a department's programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department's core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.

result (résultat)

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

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

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

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:

2023-11-09