Departmental Results Report 2017-2018

Institutional Head's Message

I am pleased to present this 2017-18 Departmental Results Report for the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Commission).

I was privileged to take on the leadership position at the Commission in September 2017. At that time, the Commission was facing a number of internal challenges which directly impacted its capacity to meet its objectives.

A review of Commission operations, resources, policies and practices was undertaken with the objective of incorporating best practices in all aspects of operations, ensuring consistency in decision-making and bringing about efficiencies in the delivery of the services the Commission provides to Canadians. A number of significant business adjustments were made as a result.

A restructuring of resources was completed to address service standard pressures and a backlog of case files in the Commission’s Review and Investigations Unit. This process has yielded positive results that will lead to improved operations in the coming years.

The Commission’s policies and practices with respect to the initiation and conduct of Public Interest Investigations were revised to better align authorities and resources.

Technology-based solutions were developed to increase the efficiency of and public access to the complaint process. An on-line common public complaint form was developed and implemented by a joint Commission/RCMP team to enhance the processing of public complaints and improve information sharing between the Commission and the RCMP.

Significant efforts were made to restore the working relationship between the Commission and the RCMP, an essential cornerstone for each organization to meet its legislated obligations.

Notwithstanding the challenges it faced, the Commission responded to over 2500 public complaints, processed over 230 requests for review of the RCMP‘s disposition of public complaints and issued 247 complaint review reports. These results are similar to the service demands and performance in previous years.

The Commission completed a number of Chairperson-initiated complaints and launched a Chairperson-Initiated Complaint and Public Interest Investigation into the RCMP’s investigation of the death of Colten Boushie. The Commission also launched five public interest investigations and four systemic examinations of RCMP policy and practices in this reporting period.

During this reporting period the Commission met its obligation to provide detailed Provincial reports on the disposition of public complaints against the RMCP for each of the provinces that contract for RCMP policing services.

In March 2018 the government appointed Karen Leibovici as a full-time Vice-Chairperson of the Commission. This addition, along with the anticipated appointment of a permanent Chairperson in 2018/19, will solidify the Commission’s governance structure into the future.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge the unwavering dedication, commitment and resilience of the Commission’s staff during a particularly challenging period. I have the greatest of confidence that they will continue to demonstrate these Public Service attributes in the future. I am confident that the Commission is well-positioned to fulfill its mandate and continue its critical role of enhancing the Canadian public’s trust in its national police service.

_____________________________
Guy Bujold
Interim Chairperson

Results at a glance

For more information on the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the "Results: what we achieved" section of this report.

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

Raison d'être

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Commission) is an independent agency created by Parliament and is not part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Commission’s fundamental role is to provide civilian review of the conduct of RCMP members in carrying out their policing duties, thereby holding the RCMP accountable to the public. The Commission ensures that complaints about the conduct of RCMP members are examined fairly and impartially. Its findings and recommendations help identify and remedy policing problems which stem from the conduct of individual RCMP members or from deficiencies in RCMP policies or practices. The Commission also conducts reviews of specified RCMP activities, reports to provinces which contract RCMP services, conducts research, program outreach and public education, and provides independent observers to investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members.

Mandate and role

The Commission is an agency of the federal government, distinct and independent from the RCMP. Its mission is to enhance the accountability of the RCMP by providing civilian review of RCMP activities and member conduct.
As set out in Parts VI and VII of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, the mandate of the Commission is to:

• Receive complaints from the public about the conduct of RCMP members;
• Conduct reviews when complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP’s handling of their complaints;
• Initiate complaints and investigations into RCMP conduct when it is in the public interest to do so;
• Review specified activities; and
• Report findings and make recommendations.

For more general information about the department, see the “Supplementary information” section of this report. For more information on the department's organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister's mandate letter.^{Footnote i}

Operating context and key risks

Operating context

The public accountability of policing organizations and the civilian oversight of police conduct continues to be of concern to Canadians. In this era of social media and citizen journalism, public scrutiny of police actions has reached new levels. Timely, thorough and independent review of police conduct, especially in circumstances that attract wide public interest, is essential to maintaining public confidence in law enforcement.

The Commission's authorities provide for the investigation of public complaints about the conduct of RCMP members and the policies and practices that guide their delivery of policing services across Canada.

Recent enhancements to these authorities and calls for greater oversight of police action have generated increased expectations from the public as well as provincial and municipal governments who contract for policing services from the RCMP.

This expectation is particularly significant in the many remote communities with unique social and cultural needs where the RCMP provides policing services. In recent years the RCMP's relationship with Indigenous communities has been the focus of criticism both in terms of the conduct of individual RCMP members and the RCMP's organizational response to broader issues such as missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The Commission must provide valued input not only with respect to the conduct of individual RCMP members in the performance of their duties but also in the evolution of law enforcement practices to ensure they adapt to and reflect changing social, cultural and community dynamics.

To remain responsive to these and other environmental pressures, the Commission must manage its limited resources in a way that allows it the flexibility to adjust its strategic priorities and operations to emerging issues and the needs of citizens it is mandated to serve. Although growing demand for services has not exhausted the Commission's current resource level, a continuation of this trend will require further prioritization and additional resources.

Key risks

Results: what we achieved

Programs

Civilian Review of RCMP members’ conduct in the performance of their duties

Description

The Commission is an independent agency created by Parliament to provide fair and independent civilian review of RCMP members’ conduct in the performance of their duties. The Commission accomplishes this by receiving complaints from the public about the conduct of RCMP members, and monitoring the RCMP’s investigation of such complaints. Where a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the RCMP’s response to a complaint, a request can be made to the Commission for an independent review of the members’ conduct and the RCMP’s handling of the matter. In reviewing complaints, the Commission may find that it is satisfied with the RCMP’s handling of the complaint, or it may make findings and recommendations to the RCMP Commissioner and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness with respect to matters addressed in the complaint. The Commission also has the mandate to conduct reviews of specified RCMP activities; report to provinces and territories which contract RCMP services; conduct research, program outreach and public education; and provide independent observers to investigations of serious incidents involving RCMP members.

Results

Results achieved

The workload associated with the Commission's core function—receiving, processing and monitoring public complaints and independently reviewing RCMP public complaint investigations—was comparable to that of previous years.

In 2017-18, 2645 public complaints were lodged against the RCMP. The Commission received 2326 of these directly while the RCMP received 319.

In 2017-18, the Commission received 229 new requests for review of the RCMP’s disposition of public complaints and issued 247 complaint review reports including four Chairperson-initiated complaints. The Commission also launched 6 public interest investigations (PIIs) including the Chairperson-Initiated Complaint and PII into the RCMP’s investigation of the death of Colten Boushie. Further information on the Commission’s Chairperson-Initiated Public Interest Investigations is available on its website.

The Commission has also undergone a number of changes. A comprehensive review of the Commission’s policies was undertaken to identify and incorporate ways to ensure greater consistency in the Commission’s decision-making. Of significance, the Commission revised policies and procedures related to undertaking public interest investigations to better align authorities and resources. A review of the Commission’s role in conducting informal resolutions was also conducted. Planned activity in this regard was suspended pending the development of a robust framework.

The Commission, in cooperation with the RCMP’s National Public Complaints Directorate, created online resources that simplified the process of filing complaints for the public and for RCMP members assisting the public in filing their complaints.

The Commission restructured its review and investigation capacity to enhance its ability to meet service standards and address a backlog of requests for review of the RCMP’s disposition of public complaints.

The Commission initiated four specified activity investigations examining the RCMP’s use of strip searches, street checks, crime reduction units, and the RCMP’s Bias-Free Policing Model. Additional information on these investigations is available on the Commission’s website.

Public education and stakeholder engagement activities continued to be a priority over the past year with the objective of increasing public awareness of the Commission's role. The Commission focused its public engagement on communities in British Columbia with an emphasis on Indigenous communities. However, unexpected staff turnover hindered the Commission’s ability to meet its outreach targets.

Significant efforts were also dedicated to restore the Commission’s working relationship with the RCMP and ensure that it is guided by the principles of respect, professionalism, fairness, confidentiality, independence and trust.

Information on the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP’s lower-level programs is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote ii}

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.

Results

Ensure that the most effective and efficient tools and administrative support are in place to facilitate the transition to the new mandate.

The Commission continued to ensure that its resources were deployed in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Its operational and administrative structures, tools and processes were focused on supporting the delivery of its priorities. Streamlining business processes and employing strategies and technologies which enhance operational efficiency reduced the internal services costs.

Significant resources were dedicated to working with central agencies to address human resource and pay system challenges and manage the impact of these on the Commission’s workforce.

Key results for this reporting period included:

• Completion of the final phase of the Commission's IT transformation plan.
• Further refinement and integration of records management and case management systems and their application in all aspects of the complaint, review, and investigative processes.
• Review of organizational structure and human resources strategy to ensure an agile business structure that responds to operational needs.
• Enhancing the capacity of the Commission's Human Resources in order to establish an in-house service, replacing the current services model which is delivered by Public Safety Canada through an MOU.

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend graph

Text Version

Spending Trend (dollars)

	2015-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021
Sunset Programs - Anticipated	0	0	0	0	0	0
Statutory	981,751	845,762	830,983	984,308	984,308	905,724
Voted	8,736,312	8,190,190	9,190,190	9,667,981	9,667,981	8,150,981
Total	9,718,063	9,035,952	9,021,831	10,652,289	10,652,289	10,056,705

The Commission's expenditures and planned expenditures have remained stable.

Actual human resources

Expenditures by vote

For information on the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2017-2018.^{Footnote iii}

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote ii}

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's financial statements [unaudited] for the year ended March 31, 2018, are available on the departmental website.

Financial statements highlights

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister[s]: The Honourable Ralph Goodale, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Guy Bujold

Ministerial portfolio: Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Enabling instrument: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2014

Other:

Reporting framework

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture of record for 2017–18 are shown below.

1. Strategic Outcome: Public Confidence in the RCMP

• 1.1 Program: Civilian review of RCMP members' conduct in the performance of their duties
• Internal Services

Supporting information on lower-level programs

Supporting information on lower-level programs is available on the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote ii}

Supplementary information tables

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police does not have any supplementary information tables.

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 iv} 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

E-mail:
Media@crcc-ccetp.gc.ca

Telephone:
From anywhere in Canada: 1-800-665-6878
TTY: 1-866-432-5837

Fax:
613-952-8045

Mail:
P.O. Box 1722, Station B,
Ottawa, ON K1P 0B3

Web:
http://www.crcc-ccetp.gc.ca

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

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

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

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

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on an appropriated department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

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

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

An analytical approach used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that the gender-based analysis goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. Examples of GBA+ processes include using data disaggregated by sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors in performance analysis, and identifying any impacts of the program on diverse groups of people, with a view to adjusting these initiatives to make them more inclusive.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

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

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

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

Management, Resources and Results Structure (structure de 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.

plan (plan)

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

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

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

priority (priorité)

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

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.

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.

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.