Infrastructure Canada
Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences
2013-14
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for Infrastructure Canada for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. It also provides the variance explanations from the previous fiscal year in each of these areas.
This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.
Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are related to supporting departmental mandates and the government's priorities.
Infrastructure Canada is the main department responsible for federal efforts to enhance Canada's public infrastructure. This is accomplished through three main activities: investments in provincial, territorial and municipal assets; engagement in key partnerships with the provinces, territories, municipalities and the private sector; and the development and implementation of sound policies.
Infrastructure Canada did not have regional offices until February 13, 2014, at which point the Federal Montreal Bridges branch, formerly with Transport Canada, came under the management of Infrastructure Canada. Up to that point, the department had operated solely on a national level from Ottawa. In 2013-14, expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences were largely incurred to engage with partners and stakeholders located across the country.
2013-14 was a year where departmental efforts were focused on finalizing activities in sunsetting programs and in designing and planning the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF) programs, and thus there was a significant decrease in travel undertaken. The launch of the NBCF programs, the negotiation of agreements with Provinces and Territories, as well as activities related to the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor project (NBSLC) will see travel return to normal levels in 2014-15 and beyond.
| Expenditure Category | Expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2014 (a) |
Expenditures for the year ending March 31, 2013 (b) |
Variance (a − b) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Travel – Public Servants | 143 | 427 | (284) |
| Travel – Non-Public Servants | 2 | 24 | (22) |
| International Travel by Minister and Minister's Staff | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Travel | 145 | 451 | (306) |
| Hospitality | 11 | 16 | (5) |
| Conference Fees | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 162 | 468 | (306) |
Significant variances compared to the previous year
Total expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences decreased by $306,000 from fiscal year 2012-13 and cumulatively by almost 73% since fiscal year 2011-12. In addition to the decrease in activities because the department was between program activity peaks, this also reflects the environment of fiscal restraint within the federal government. The Department has made efforts to increase the use of teleconference and video conference in lieu of travel, and focused on the implementation of new savings programs under the Economic Action Plan 2013. Infrastructure Canada is committed to continuing its efforts to ensure the value for money in all of its operations through careful and thoughtful control of expenditures.
Travel:
- Public Servants: Departmental travel expenditures by public servants decreased by 67% in comparison to fiscal year 2012-13. This is largely due to continued efforts to reduce costs through increased use of teleconference and video conference as well as the reduced requirement to travel as the Department winds down sunsetting programs, and focused on planning for the implementation of new programs under the Economic Action Plan 2013.
- Non-Public Servants: Departmental travel expenditures by non-public servants, representing a small portion of overall travel expenditures, have decreased by 90% in comparison to fiscal year 2012-13. This was due largely to a significant effort to optimize the use of virtual presence, particularly teleconferencing, for meetings in lieu of contractor travel.
Hospitality:
As a result of fiscal restraint and the Department's focus on planning for the implementation of new programs under the Economic Action Plan 2013, Departmental hospitality expenditures dropped about a third from fiscal year 2012-13, down to $11,000.
Conference Fees:
Departmental conference expenditures remained very low at $6,000, up $5,000 from 2012-13, continuing the efforts at fiscal restraint and the Department's focus on planning for the implementation of new programs under the Economic Action Plan 2013.
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