Supplementary information
About this publication
Publication author : Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Publish date : April 16, 2018
Summary :
The supplementary information complete CED’s departmental plan, which presents our priorities and expected results in 2018-19.
Table of Contents
Operating context
External influences and factors
Quebec’s economy has experienced marked progress over the past two years: GDP growth, low unemployment rates (the lowest since 1976), low borrowing costs (below Ontario), high consumer confidence and spending and improved provincial financing.
Underlying this progress are niche competitive advantages that help bring opportunities to fruition. One of its strengths is a post-secondary educated and creative labour force. The province has the highest ratio of research and development researchers in Canada, with 10.2 per 1,000 people employed. It also has a diversified economy that includes no fewer than 39 industrial clusters operating a range of sectors such as aerospace, ICT, agriculture, mining and financial services. The province benefits from the presence of numerous incubators and accelerators dedicated to business start-ups. Quebec is also a North American pioneer and leader in the implementation of environmental regulations that promote clean technologies and a clean growth business environment with partners sharing similar objectives.
Despite such advantages, significant economic challenges persist, particularly in communities outside of urban centres (i.e. employment is up in only 10 of the 17 regions and many of the jobs are seasonal or part-time). Firms lag in commercialization and exports, in the adoption of digital and automated intelligence (AI) technologies that more effectively analyze and exploit big data to modernize operations. Moreover, more can be done to optimize the use of Quebec’s rich and diverse labour pool, to integrate and learn from the experience of new arrivals, and the availability of skills-building programs across Quebec that effectively respond to current market needs.
Internal influences and factors
CED actively participates in government-wide initiatives and adjusts its practices, processes and systems accordingly. These initiatives include the reinitialization of all Treasury Board Secretariat policies; the consolidation of data centers that reflect the vision of renewal, modernization and innovation in the federal public service; and the replacement of the financial management system.
The simultaneous implementation of these initiatives combined with the transformation of CED's business processes and the planning and execution of the relocation of its head office and four of the 12 business offices creates some financial pressures and represents implementation challenge.
Key risks
Risk 1: Maintaining a functional and secure technology infrastructure
The internal risk presented in the table below, which is related to the maintenance of functional and safe technological infrastructure, is designated as being the most likely to affect CED’s ability to achieve its results in this reporting period.
The impact of this risk, however, was reduced at the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year following the relocation of the head office data center to newer equipment. The risk of service failures or data loss is reduced. However, the shared responsibility for maintaining CED's technological infrastructure and the lack of service standards that address the business needs of so-called operations-critical systems means that the risk remains.
CED will continue to measure the effectiveness of its risk mitigation strategy to address the need for infrastructure, technology and information management systems to alert Shared Services Canada on a timely basis.
Risk 2: Ability to adapt the delivery of its mandate in a changing economic environment
A number of external factors, as described in the previous section, are likely to have an impact on the delivery of the organization’s mandate, making it more difficult to create new businesses, expand existing businesses, and by reducing the number of entrepreneurs.
CED is developing a risk mitigation strategy aimed at tailoring the delivery of its mandate in response to the external environment, and achieving the expected outcomes, specifically as it concerns export and manufacturing sector projects.
Under this risk mitigation strategy, CED will implement and communicate its main strategic directions, which incorporate the Government of Canada’s priorities and the commitments in the mandate letter to the ministers of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio. CED will also continue to engage in dialogue with stakeholders and the public. Furthermore, CED will ensure that departmental priorities are achieved through its integrated planning and quarterly monitoring, with a focus on the Horizon 2021 priorities and results, which allow for decisions and adjustments to be made in a timely manner. CED will continue to develop tools for the purpose of tailoring its activities to the environment; these tools include the development and implementation of regional strategies, targeted or temporary initiatives to address regional issues and priority monitoring dashboards.
Through continued strategic monitoring, CED will also strive to remain constantly abreast of changes to the economic context and factors that could influence the economic development of the regions of Quebec.
CED will measure the effectiveness of its strategies for mitigating the risk associated with the organization’s adaptability through the following:- CED's results linked to the implementation of departmental priorities and the delivery of programs.
- The development and implementation of targeted or temporary initiatives in response to specific regional issues stemming from the monitoring of the economic context and needs of the regions.
- Feedback from stakeholders and the public regarding CED’s activities, provided through dialogue with the Client Satisfaction Office.
| Risks | Risk response strategy | Link to the department’s Core Responsibilities | Link to mandate letter commitments and any government wide or departmental priorities (as applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|
Maintaining a functional and secure technology infrastructure Risk that the existing technology infrastructure, the security thereof, and available information and related systems will not provide appropriate support for operational requirements, thereby affecting CED’s operating capacity. |
Analyze and develop options to maintain CED’s technological capacity and meet needs relating to infrastructure, technology and an information management system. |
|
Innovation Agenda |
Ability to adapt the delivery of its mandate in a changing economic environment Risk regarding CED’s capacity to tailor the delivery of its mandate in response to the Government of Canada’s priorities and expected outcomes, the needs of the regions, and the economic context. |
|
|
Innovation Agenda |
Supplementary information tables
- Gender-based analysis plus
- Upcoming internal audits for the coming fiscal year
- Planned evaluation coverage over the next five fiscal years
- Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
- Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Gender-based analysis plus
General information
Governance structures
- With the current and upcoming Strategic Plan, the Investing in Regional Innovation and Development framework, the Departmental Results Framework and Cabinet Affairs activities, CED is and will continue to adopt a more inclusive approach to its policies and programming, to better address the challenges facing underrepresented groups (women, youth, immigrants, anglophone minority communities and Indigenous people) and enhance their awareness of CED programs. Internally, CED will continue to training staff on GBA+ requirements as part of the efforts to more fully integrate GBA+ assessments into program impact analyses.
- Through its GBA+ Responsibility Centre established in 2016-2017, CED will continue to provide resources and learning modules to staff via its established GBA+ intranet website. In 2017-2018, through the establishment of a cross-sectorial GBA+ Working Group, CED will examine current practices, gaps and options to improving GBA+ implementation in the organization in 2018-2019. This exercise has involved consultation with other Regional Development Agencies and FedNor to understand and exchange information on GBA+ activities, governance and best practices within the portfolio.
- Similar to 2017-2018, CED will participate to the Status of Women of Canada GBA+ Implementation Deputy Minister Survey in 2018-2019 to report and communicate how GBA+ is integrated into the department’s decision-making processes. Further, CED will continue through its responsibility center to ensure GBA+ considerations are thoroughly assessed in Cabinet documents, and more fully incorporated into its Departmental Results Framework, performance reporting, and consultations activities.
Human resources
- The total number of FTEs required for the implementation of a more comprehensive GBA+ approach at CED in 2018-19 will be clarified by the GBA+ Working Group, mentioned above. Currently, CED estimates 0.25 FTEs for cross-sectoral representatives on this GBA+ Working Group. A similar estimate of 0.25 FTSs will be required for the implementation of the adopted approach in 2018-19, subject to the assessment by the GBA+ Working Group and approved option by senior management.
Planned initiatives
- Budget 2018 announced $511M over five years for the RDAs to support the Innovation and Skills Plan, $105M of this amount will be dedicated to support women entrepreneurs. In delivering these new priorities in 2018-2019, CED will ensure GBA+ considerations are taken into account for the design, delivery and reporting of these initiatives.
Upcoming internal audits for the coming fiscal year
| Title of internal audit | Area being audited | Status | Expected completion date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit of the Common Grants and Contributions Process Initiative of Regional Development Agencies---Phase I Governance and Project Management | Information technology | In progress | September 2019 |
| Audit of short-term grants and contributions programs of Regional Development Agencies | Community economic development and diversification | Planned | December 2019 |
Planned evaluation coverage over the next five fiscal years
| Program | Last evaluation | Evaluations planned in the next 5 years | Fiscal year of approval | 2018–19 Program spending covered by the planned evaluation (dollars) |
2018–19 Program spending covered by all planned evaluations (dollars) |
2018–19 Total program spending (dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Business innovation and growth | Evaluation of the Business and Regional Growth Program (2012) | Evaluation of the Business Innovation and Growth Program | 2022–23 | 145,392,251 | 145,392,251 $ | 145,392,251 |
| 2. Community economic development and diversification | Evaluation of the Community Diversification Program (2015) | Horizontal evaluation of the Community Futures Program (CFP) in QuebecFootnote 1 | 2019–20 | 28,968,018 | 96,558,440 $ | 96,558,440 |
| Evaluation of the Community Futures Program (CFP) in Quebec (October 2016) | Evaluation of the Community Economic Development and Diversification Program | 2022–23 | 67,590,422 | |||
| 3. Transition support | Evaluation of Targeted Transition Support Initiatives Evaluation of the Initiative for the Economic Diversification of Communities Reliant on Chrysotile (February 2018) | Evaluation of Targeted Transition Initiatives | 2021–22 | 14,668,377 | 14,668,377 | 14,668,377 |
| Total | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | 256,619,068 | 256,619,068 | 256,619,068 |
Note: all references to program spending in this table refer to planned spending for the 2018–19 fiscal year only and not cumulative spending over 5 years.
Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
General Information
Name of transfer payment program
Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP)
Start date
April 1, 2012
End date
Permanent
Type of transfer payment
Grant and contribution
Type of appropriation
The QEDP receives an annual allocation of funds through the expenses budget.
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
2017-2018
Link to department’s Program Inventory
The QEDP comprises three programs of CED’s Program inventory: 1) Business innovation and growth; 2) Community economic development and diversification; and 3) Targeted transition support:
Description
The QEDP contributes to promoting the long-term economic development of the regions of Quebec by giving special attention to those where slow economic growth is prevalent or opportunities for productive employment are inadequate.
Expected results
Business innovation and growth Program
Businesses are performing (result measured with the indicator % of supported businesses that have maintained or increased their revenues)
Community economic development and diversification
Communities innovate and develop their assets (result measured with the indicator Value of total investments generated in communities)
Targeted transition support
Communities are economically strengthened (result measured with the indicator Value of total investments generated in communities targeted by initiatives
Fiscal year of last completed evaluation
2018-2019
Decision following the results of last evaluation
NA
Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation
2021-2022.
General targeted recipient groups
The main recipients under the QEDP are small and medium-sized enterprises, SME groups or associations, not-for-profit organizations, including those whose primary mission is to support businesses and foster economic development, as well as asset-operating organizations, organizations or institutions dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of knowledge, including universities and educational institutions, the Quebec government, and municipalities and municipal organizations.
Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients
CED keeps the public, SMEs and Quebec regional economic development stakeholders informed of its Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP) through a wide range of communication tools and activities geared to the profile and information needs of those diverse audiences.
| Type of Transfer Payment | 2017–18 Forecast spending |
2018–19 Planned spending |
2019–20 Planned spending |
2020–21 Planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 1,650,000 | 1,650,000 | 1,650,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Total contributions | 233,996,487 | 202,747,428 | 156,084,787 | 149,922,582 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 235,646,487 | 204,397,428 | 157,734,787 | 151,422,582 |
General information
Name of transfer payment program
Community Futures Program (CFP)
Start date
May 18, 1995
End date
Permanent
Type of transfer payment
Contribution
Type of appropriation
The CFP receives an annual allocation of funds through the expenses budget.
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
2010-2011
Link to department’s Program Inventory
The CFP is a sub-program of the Community Economic Development and Diversification Program
Description
This Canada-wide program provides support for communities in all parts of the country to help them take charge of their own local economic development. In Quebec, the CFP financially supports local and regional development agencies.
Expected results
Communities are economically sustainable (result measured by the percentage points by which the growth in sales of CFP-assisted clients exceeds that of comparable unassisted firms).
Fiscal year of last completed evaluation
2015-2016
Decision following the results of last evaluation
Following the evaluation of the CFP, it was decided to continue this program
Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation
2019-2020
General targeted recipient groups
In Quebec, the CFP provides financial support for community development organizations, such as Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) and Business Development Centers (BDCs).
Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients
CED continues to inform community development organizations and community stakeholders of the support provided by the Government of Canada through the CFP.
| Type of Transfer Payment | 2017–18 Forecast spending |
2018–19 Planned spending |
2019–20 Planned spending |
2020–21 Planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total contributions | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 | 28,968,018 |
Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Information on Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy is available on CED’s website.
Endnote
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