Departmental Results Report 2019-2020

Institutional Head's Message

The fiscal year 2019-20 has brought unprecedented public scrutiny of police conduct. Video recordings of police interactions with the public have become commonplace on the Internet and the public has grown increasingly vocal in expressing their views on acceptable police conduct and their expectation that police be held accountable.

For the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, this scrutiny has translated into increased public complaints and requests for review. Indeed, fiscal year 2019-20 was the third year in a row that the number of public complaints about RCMP member conduct rose. Given this new reality, we must continually review our processes and remain engaged with stakeholders to ensure that we understand what Canadians expect from our agency.

To that end, at the beginning of the fiscal year, I undertook extensive stakeholder engagements, with a specific focus on the provinces covered by RCMP contract policing. These engagements provided insight into RCMP policing challenges particular to each province and territory and served as an opportunity to take the pulse of police operations across the country.

These engagements also represented an opportunity to explain the Commission's mandate to senior government officials, to meet with the leadership of the RCMP and to bolster critical relationships with provincial oversight bodies and special investigation units.

In December 2019, the Commission and the RCMP signed their first Operations Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which among other things imposes timelines for the RCMP to respond to Commission reports. This agreement addresses longstanding concerns about response delays that have risen to an average of 17 months in recent years.

The Commission has continued its dialogue with Indigenous communities, seeking to collaborate in innovative approaches to address recuring issues and conflicts with RCMP policing services.

As the federal agency tasked with overseeing the RCMP, the Commission has a duty to play a coordination and leadership role within the Canadian police oversight community. To that end, in October 2019, I was pleased to host my counterparts from oversight bodies from across the country. The meeting tackled issues affecting a number of areas of modern policing, including trauma-informed interview techniques, the effects of police culture, and issues specific to Indigenous policing.

This past year brought two significant changes to the Commission's work—one immediate and one future. The coming into force of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act created the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) to handle public complaints related to national security, shifting jurisdiction for public complaints about RCMP activities that are closely related to national security from the CRCC to the NSIRA.

In January 2020, the government tabled legislation to rename the Commission and expand its mandate to include the independent review of Canada Boder Services Agency. The Commission is actively preparing to take on this new and exciting challenge.

At the close of the fiscal year, the Commission was challenged, as were many federal agencies, to react quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic proved to be a challenge on many levels from a personnel perspective, it was also a catalyst for innovation and changes to established business processes. I am pleased to say that the Commission responded exceptionally and, at every turn, Commission employees focused on ensuring that Canadians were well-served as we all learned how to work remotely.

The Commission is well-positioned to continue working in this "new normal" environment, delivering a robust complaint process that focuses on RCMP accountability.

Michelaine Lahaie
Chairperson

Results at a glance and operating context

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.

Results: what we achieved

Independent Review of the RCMP

Description: The CRCC's fundamental role is to provide civilian review of the conduct of the RCMP members in carrying out their policing duties, thereby holding the RCMP accountable to the public. The CRCC 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 CRCC 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.

Results

During this reporting period, there was a significant increase in the demand for services associated to the Commission's core functions—receiving, processing and monitoring public complaints and independently reviewing RCMP public complaint investigations.

In 2019-20, 3,641 public complaints were lodged against the RCMP, a 22% increase over the previous year. The Commission received 92% of these directly. The Commission met its service standard for processing public complaints and forwarding them to the RCMP in 94% of the cases.

In this same period, the Commission received 296 new requests for review of the RCMP's disposition of public complaints, a 9% increase over the previous year. The Commission issued 394 complaint review reports, a 55% increase over the previous year. This total included 313 Satisfied Reports, 57 Interim Reports and 24 Final Reports. The RCMP Commissioner accepted 76% of the Commission's remedial recommendations and 85% of adverse Commission findings made in its various reports.

The Commission's service standard for completion of Satisfied and Interim Reports within 120 days of receipt of all relevant materials from the RCMP was achieved in only 42% of cases. However, the 30-day standard for delivery of Final Reports was met in 78% of cases. Additionally, the backlog of review files the Commission has been managing in recent years was reduced by 36% over the course of this year, down from 310 to 199 review files remaining at year-end.

The Commission completed its public interest investigation (PII) of the RCMP's handling of the death of Colten Boushie and delivered its interim report to the RCMP Commissioner in January 2020.

The Commission's final reports on its specified activity reviews (SARs) of the RCMP's use of strip searches and crime reduction units were near completion at the end of this reporting period, with completion expected by mid-year 2020. The Commission's final SAR report on the RCMP's use of street checks is expected to be made public early in 2021.

The complexity and scope of these PIIs and SARs have challenged the Commission's ability to meet the performance indicator targets outlined in the Departmental Results Framework. These targets recognize that to effectively address public concerns about the RCMP, investigations and reviews must be completed in as timely a manner as possible. The Commission continues to work towards its goal of completing the interim report within one year of initiation of a PII or an SAR.

Results achieved

*Note: The Departmental Results Framework is the new approved structure for the CRCC for 2019-20; therefore, actual results for fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 are not available.

**Note: Baseline to be established by RCMP Core Survey in 2021.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase^{Footnote i}.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:

• Acquisition Management Services
• Communication Services
• Financial Management Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Legal Services
• Material Management Services
• Management and Oversight Services
• Real Property Management Services

Results:

The Commission continued to adjust its business processes and reallocate resources to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency.

The Commission's employees are the backbone of its operations. Employee health and well-being is key to the Commission's success. Initiatives geared towards improving workplace health and safety have been a priority for the Commission in this reporting period.

Key results for this reporting period include:

• Ongoing upgrade of the Commission's IT infrastructure to ensure optimal functionality and efficiency and compliance with GOC standards;
• Continued refinement and integration of records management and case management systems and their application in all aspects of the complaint, review, and investigation processes;
• Review of organizational structure and human resources strategies to ensure an agile business structure that responds to operational needs with a particular focus on the timely completion of major investigations;
• The implementation of health and well-being initiatives that focus on workplace and employees.

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend graph

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

Text Version

Spending Trend (dollars)

	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
Statutory	830,983	875,325	995,753	901,598	898,639	899,520
Voted	9,190,848	9,010,004	9,700,400	8,284,989	9,264,156	9,270,113
Total	9,021,831	9,885,329	10,696,143	10,186,587	10,162,795	10,169,633

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

*Note: The Departmental Results Framework (DRF) is the new approved structure for the CRCC for 2019-20. The actual spending for fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 represent actual spending for the previous Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) program, Civilian Review of RCMP members' conduct in the performance of their duties.

**Note: The $420,000 Budget Implementation vote (BIV) figure pertains to Bill C-98, Independent review of the Canada Border Services Agency^{Footnote ii}, which was announced in Budget 2019. Although the BIV amount is present in the CRCC's Public Accounts, these funds were not actually available for use, as the passage of Bill C-98 was pre-empted by the 2019 Canadian federal election.

The variance between fiscal year 2019-20 planned spending and actual spending between the core responsibility and internal services reflects strategic investments in the evergreening of the Commission's information management and technology infrastructure to ensure compliance with Treasury Board Secretariat directives. Additionally, investments were made in preparation for anticipated changes to the Commission's mandate related to Bill C-98.

Actual human resources

*Note: The DRF is the new approved structure for the CRCC for 2019-20. The actual full-time equivalents (FTEs) figures for fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 represent actual FTEs for the previous PAA program, Civilian Review of RCMP members' conduct in the performance of their duties.

The increased number of FTEs allocated to Independent Review of the RCMP reflects the upward trend in the number of public complaints received (22% increase) and the number of requests for review received (9% increase) and conducted.

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 2019–2020.^{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 GC InfoBase.^{Footnote iv}

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial Statements

Financial statements highlights

The CRCC's actual total expenses increased by $1,948,248 in fiscal year 2019-20 compared to 2018-19. This is primarily attributable to increases in salaries resulting from the reclassification of a number of positions, an approximate 9% increase in FTEs and a documented contingent liability related to pending litigation.

Note: The Future-Oriented Statement of Operations is available on the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's website.

The CRCC's total net liabilities decreased by $101,365 in fiscal year 2019-20 compared to 2018-19. This is primarily attributable to decreases in accounts payable to external parties and accrued liabilities. Total net financial assets decreased by $232,651 in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19. This is primarily attributable to decreases in the amounts due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

Additional information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister[s]: The Honourable William Sterling Blair, P.C., C.O.M., M.P.

Institutional head: Michelaine Lahaie, Chairperson

Ministerial portfolio: Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Enabling instrument: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act^{Footnote v}

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2014

Other:

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 Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's website.

Reporting framework

Supporting information on the program inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.^{Footnote vi}

Supplementary information tables

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP 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 vii} 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

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

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

Fax:
613-952-8045

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

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.

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 report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually 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 consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. 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 quantitative measure of 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.

experimentation (expérimentation)
The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

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. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person's collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2019–20 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, namely: Fighting climate change; Strengthening the Middle Class; Walking the road of reconciliation; Keeping Canadians safe and healthy; and Positioning Canada for success in an uncertain 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)
Identifies all the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)
A 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.

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