Raison d’être, Mandate, Role, Operating Context and Key Risks

2018–19 Raison d’être

Public Safety Canada was created in 2003 to ensure coordination across all federal departments and agencies responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians.

Mandate, Mission and Vision

Legislation governing the Department sets out three essential roles:

Public Safety Canada works with the following five agencies and three review bodies, united in a single portfolio and all reporting to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Public Safety Portfolio

Partner Agencies

Review Bodies

Mandate and role

The Department provides strategic policy advice and support on a range of issues related to Public Safety’s three Core Responsibilities – National Security, Community Safety, and Emergency Management. also delivers a number of grant and contribution programs related to its Core Responsibilities.

The Department’s mandate is to keep Canada safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, crime and terrorism. Its presence in regions enables Public Safety Canada  to deliver a coordinated federal response to emergencies; facilitate the effective delivery of emergency management, Indigenous policing and crime prevention programs; and improve partnerships with other levels of government and key regional stakeholders.

Public Safety Canada also collaborates with federal partners to deliver on its mandate as well as with other levels of government, non-government organizations, community groups, the private sector, foreign states, academia, communities and first responders on issues related to national and border security, crime prevention, community safety and emergency management. This cooperation supports a cohesive and integrated approach to Canada’s safety and security.

Operating context

The world is in constant and rapid evolution. Technological change continues at an unabated pace and the onus is on governments to harness its potential and mitigate potential risks. In many regions, environmental disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, and becoming more unpredictable.  Social, technological, political and economic trends are intertwined in various ways, forming new possible threats to public safety. All of these factors had the potential to impact Public Safety Canada’s operations and programs in 2018–19.

The threats we face in cyberspace are complex and rapidly evolving. As malicious cyber tools become increasingly accessible and as rates of cybercrime continue to rise, there is a real threat to Canada's economic well-being. With more of the economy and essential services moving online every year, governments, businesses, organizations and Canadians are vulnerable. Furthermore, as more of Canada’s critical infrastructure can be controlled remotely and essential services are managed online, cyber incidents have the potential to compromise national security and public safety.

Addressing this issue requires federal leadership on cyber security, clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities, as well as measures to improve the security and resilience of Canada’s vital assets, infrastructure and systems. In 2018–19, Public Safety Canada released a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy, which groups Government of Canada partners along three themes moving forward: (1) security and resilience, (2) cyber innovation, and (3) leadership and collaboration.

Terrorist threats and incidents have highlighted the importance of Canada advancing its efforts to counter radicalization to violence. The principal terrorist threat to Canada continues to stem from individuals or groups who are inspired by violent ideologies and terrorist groups, such as Daesh or al-Qaida. While Canada’s terrorist threat environment has remained relatively stable, the April 2018 van attack in Toronto was a reminder that violent acts inspired by extremists' views are not exclusively linked to any particular religious, political or cultural ideology. In 2018–19, Public Safety Canada launched the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence and the associated National Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence.

In recent years, organized crime groups have become more complex and sophisticated, as have the types of crimes they commit. These groups are increasingly using new and evolving technology to commit crime and to communicate with other criminal groups. For example, communications devices are frequently used to target sensitive, personal and financial information in order to conduct identity theft and fraud. Organized crime groups are also expanding into legitimate business activities, as well as branching out into new markets in Canada. Responses must, therefore, be multifaceted to combat them, and other criminal groups, at the national and international levels. In advancing its mandate commitments, Public Safety Canada continued to collaborate with its partners on efforts to legalize, regulate and restrict access to cannabis. Alongside these partners, the Department also worked to develop Bill C-93, An Act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis, which would allow persons who have only been convicted of simple possession of cannabis offences to apply for a record suspension at no cost.

Canada borders on three oceans, stretches across six time zones, and is graced with mountains, plains, forests and tundra. It is subjected to weather patterns that range from Arctic to moderate, from seemingly endless rains to drought, from numbing cold to heat waves. With all those landforms and weather types, the possibilities of severe weather and natural disasters are a constant reality. These events are resulting in greater damages and expenses. In particular, the 2017 floods underscored the need to modernize Canada’s approach to emergency management to better manage emergencies in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving environment. This required the collaboration of federal, provincial, territorial and municipal partners, as well as Indigenous peoples, to mitigate, respond to and recover from emergencies resulting in safer and more resilient communities. Among other accomplishments in 2018–19, Public Safety Canada launched the landmark Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a More Resilient 2030 and supported Infrastructure Canada in the launch and delivery of the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, a ten-year national program that will invest $2 billion in projects that will help communities better withstand natural hazards.

Finally, an increased focus on results and delivery is shaping Public Safety Canada’s program and policy work. Greater emphasis is being placed on measuring, tracking and reporting on the outcomes of programs, and on the delivery of departmental initiatives to ensure value for money and generate data that is meaningful. In 2018–19, the Department enhanced performance measurement practices, increased its use in policy development and implementation, and streamlined related internal processes.

Key risks

Public Safety Canada’s broad mandate to maintain a safe and resilient Canada requires it to anticipate, plan for and respond to a wide variety of emerging and cross-cutting risks, and to remain steadfast in implementing mitigation strategies to address them. During the 2018–19 reporting period, the Department continued to monitor its response and mitigation strategies for four key risks that had the potential to impact its operations.

Government Operations Centre (GOC)

The Government Operations Centre (GOC) provides a 24/7 strategic-level response on behalf of the Government of Canada in relation to potential and actual events affecting the national interest. With the increasing occurrence of events, the GOC performs the crucial role of ensuring strategic coordination  between and support for federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous partners. Its current, physical facilities, however, do not meet the Centre’s operational requirements and its systems face potential failure. While the GOC remains in its current facilities, there is a risk that essential support systems might fail prior to relocation, which could impair the GOC’s ability to conduct 24/7 operations. Disruption in 24/7 operations could result in the loss of key mechanisms through which the Minister of Public Safety exercises his responsibilities in relation to emergency management in Canada.  In November 2017, Treasury Board granted approval and expenditure authority to relocate the GOC from existing facilities in downtown Ottawa to the new, modern, integrated operational facility in the Sir Leonard Tilley Buildings.

Cyber Security

The Canadian cyber landscape is rapidly growing and becoming more complex each day. Threat actors exploit cyber systems to access and steal Canadians’ sensitive information. In addition, malicious cyber activities have the potential to cause serious impacts to critical infrastructure and to disrupt vital assets and systems, such as food supply, electricity grids, transportation, communications and public safety systems, on which Canadians rely. There is a risk that a major cyber incident impacting a vital cyber system may go undetected, unreported or unresolved, contributing to the subsequent compromise of critical infrastructure. Public Safety Canada carries out a range of activities aimed at critical infrastructure to prevent and defend against cyber incidents.

Emergency Management

The increasing cost and complexity of natural and man-made catastrophes and emergencies necessitate a proactive and continuous approach to mitigate, prepare for and respond to their lasting effects in communities across the country. There is a risk that the current approach to emergency management may not be able to sustain the increasing risk, cost and complexity of disasters. This stresses the importance of a cohesive approach to emergency management in Canada to ensure resilient communities. This risk was being mitigated through a number of actions by the Department and is reflected in the comprehensive Emergency Management Strategy.

Working Environment

The employees of Public Safety Canada are dedicated to keeping Canadians safe as the threats they face continue to increase in magnitude and complexity. The Department’s senior management recognizes that there is a risk that workload pressure could negatively affect these efforts and impact the Department’s ability to deliver on its mandate. It remains committed to balancing the demands of the operating context while improving the working environment of its staff, focusing on the areas of workload pressures, wellness and culture.

The tables below provide an overview of the actions taken by the Department over 2018-19 to mitigate these four risks.

Risk 1: There is a risk that the Government Operations Centre (GOC) infrastructure may be unable to support a coordinated response to large-scale or multiple and concurrent events affecting the national interest.
Link to department’s Core Responsibilities: Emergency Management
Link to mandate letter commitments and any  government-wide or departmental priorities (as applicable)

Mandate letter: To lead the government’s work in keeping Canadians safe.

Public Safety Canada corporate priority: Strengthen community resilience to emergencies in collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous communities and municipalities
Risk response strategy and effectiveness
Risk response Mitigating strategy effectiveness

Strategy 1: Ensure that the present facility maintains core operational capacity (e.g., incorporating redundancies for critical systems, such as power generation).

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada and its partners continued to perform critical systems testing and maintenance at the current GOC facility. In addition, the Department worked on strengthening its technical system to minimize outages and other technical issues, including those related to communication systems.

Strategy 2: Maintain an alternate location that is prepared to take on GOC operations at any time; arrangements for the transfer of operations to the alternate location are exercised regularly.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada continued to maintain the GOC’s alternate location. The Department regularly conducted connectivity and relocation exercises at the secondary alternate site and used the outcomes of these exercises to improve the relocation efficiency.

Strategy 3: Implementation of the GOC new facility project to meet anticipated needs subject to resource availability.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada continued to partner with Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Shared Services Canada to advance the construction of the Operations Centre Project. The planning phase of the project was completed and the design phase has been initiated.

Risk 2: There is a risk that the current approach to emergency management may not be able to sustain the increasing risk, cost and complexity of disasters.
Link to department’s Core Responsibilities: Emergency Management

Link to mandate letter commitments and any  government-wide or departmental priorities (as applicable)

Minister’s mandate letter:

Work with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, and municipalities to develop a comprehensive action plan that that allows Canada to better predict, prepare for and respond to weather-related emergencies and natural disasters.

Public Safety Canada corporate priority:

Strengthen community resilience to emergencies in collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous communities and municipalities.
Risk response strategy and effectiveness
Risk Response Mitigating strategy effectiveness

Strategy 1: Continue to work with provinces and territories applying for non-structural and small-scale structural projects under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) so they are able to access funding for merit-based initiatives

Effectiveness: At the end of 2018–19, the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) had approved a total of 363 projects, indicating an increase in awareness of the program and an increase in interest by provinces and territories.

Strategy 2: Work collaboratively with other departments to bolster the NDMP and advance various initiatives to address all-hazards.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada held interdepartmental review committee meetings during 2018–19 and continued to develop the National Emergency Management System as a platform for collaboration, and the National Risk Profile pilot to provide analysis of risks across Canada.

To better manage flood risks, the Department finalized, in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada, the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines Series, a series of evergreen guidelines that help to advance flood mapping activities across Canada.

Public Safety Canada and Infrastructure Canada also launched the National Disaster and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) to support projects that help communities better withstand natural hazards such as floods, wildfires, seismic events and droughts.

Strategy 3: Work in partnership with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, and municipalities to develop a national emergency management plan.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada conducted regular meetings with provincial and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management to develop the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada. The Strategy was finalized in January 2019.

Strategy 5: Work collaboratively with provinces and territories to bolster uptake of mitigation measures under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, and support the development of a residential flood insurance market in Canada.

Effectiveness: The Department simplified the reporting process that tracks provincial/territorial mitigation projects under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. Program officers are now able to review project documentation and provide guidance to provinces and territories, including encouraging the uptake of the mitigation provisions.

Public Safety Canada continued to co-chair the public-private sector working group on the financial management of flood risk, under the Advisory Council on Flooding. During the reporting period, the working group identified options for supporting the residential flood insurance market and better managing the costs associated with high-risk residential properties. The group is now focused on costing and further exploring how these options could be applied in Canada.

Strategy 6: Engage with all levels of government and first responder communities to advance the development of a Public Safety Broadband Network.

Effectiveness: The Temporary National Coordination Office (TNCO) was successfully stood up in July 2018 to advance options for a national and interoperable Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) for Canada. The TNCO is staffed by federal, provincial and territorial officials, as well as other stakeholder groups. Progress during the reporting year included the development of user-centered principles for a PSBN, ongoing assessment of delivery options, and broad stakeholder engagement.
Risk 3: There is a risk that a major cyber incident impacting a vital cyber system may go undetected, unreported or unresolved, contributing to the subsequent compromise of critical infrastructure.

Link to department’s Core Responsibilities:

National Security

Link to mandate letter commitments and any  government-wide or departmental priorities (as applicable)

Mandate letter: Lead a review of existing measures to protect Canadians and our critical infrastructure from cyber-threats.

Public Safety Canada corporate priority: Advance the federal government’s efforts in protecting Canadians and Canada’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats and cybercrime.
Risk response strategy and effectiveness
Risk response Mitigating strategy effectiveness

Strategy 1: Deliver supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) workshops for public and private sector partners.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada successfully held a multi-sectorial Industrial Control Systems (ICS) symposium and three technical workshops, reaching a total of 360 participants. These events include components on SCADA.

These engagement sessions resulted in increased knowledge of risks and potential mitigation measures to protect the key systems that support Canada’s critical infrastructure. Of the participants who completed the feedback forms following these events, an average of 93.5% of respondents indicated that their level of knowledge of ICS security risks and mitigation measures increased as a result of their attendance.

Strategy 2:  Conduct cyber security exercises to promote information sharing between the critical infrastructure sectors and the Government of Canada.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada conducted a cybersecurity tabletop exercise for the water sector, which brought together water sector owners and operators to examine collaboration during a response to a cyber-incident.

Strategy 3: Expand the Canadian Cyber Resilience Review (CCRR) assessments to all provinces and critical infrastructure sectors as part of the Regional Resilience Assessment Program (RRAP).

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada conducted 26 Canadian Cyber Resilience Review assessments across eight critical infrastructure sectors and eight provinces/territories. The Department also completed a pilot program aimed at conducting technical vulnerability assessments, which assess actual network defence capabilities of critical infrastructure operators. Five facilities were assessed using the tools piloted.

Strategy 4: Increase stakeholders’ awareness to threats and their possible consequences, and encourage them to adopt appropriate security practices.

Effectiveness: During the period of April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) issued or updated 218 advisories, 8 alerts and 4 information notes. The CCIRC was transferred to the Canadian Security Establishment (CSE) on October 1, 2018 to join the new Canadian Center for Cyber Security.
Risk 4: There is a risk that workload pressures could negatively affect progress made to improve workplace wellness, culture and retention.
Link to department’s Core Responsibilities:
  • National Security
  • Community Safety
  • Emergency Management
  • Internal Services

Link to mandate letter commitments and any government-wide or departmental priorities (as applicable)

Government-wide priorities: Blueprint 2020; Federal Public Service Mental Health Strategy; and Public Service Employee Survey
Risk response strategy and effectiveness
Risk response Mitigating strategy effectiveness
Strategy 1: Implement recommendations to support the reduction of workload pressures stemming from the departmental Task Force on Workload Reduction Strategies.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada implemented a number of recommendations from the departmental Task Force on Workload Reduction Strategies, including:

  • Offered Task Force-related assignment opportunities to employees;
  • Improved the approvals process for documents;
  • Improved a number of forms and templates;
  • Improved the business process for Question Period requests; and
  • Improved financial accountability and efficiency through better tracking, more training, and increased automation.

Strategy 2: Implement recommendations to support the reduction of workload pressures stemming from the departmental Task Force on Staffing Solutions.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada implemented a number of recommendations from the departmental Task Force on Staffing Solutions, including:

  • Improved corporate planning and decision making related to staffing by creating a Resource Management Committee and increasing the use of reporting tools;
  • Improved performance management by standardizing core performance objectives; and
  • Increased awareness of career opportunities at the Department by hosting internal and external events (e.g., speed networking, career fairs) and creating new communications products (e.g., recruitment brochures).

Strategy 3: Continue the implementation of strategies to support mental health and workplace wellness as part of the Departmental Values and Ethics Action Plan.

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada implemented a number of strategies to support mental health and workplace wellness, including:

  • Promoted departmental networks associated with health and wellness;
  • Increased events aimed at increasing health and wellness;
  • Implemented the use of tools that increase health and wellness, such as a Wall of Support, Workplace Officer for Wellness Liaison Officers (WOW), and Honest Brokers (individuals elected by the directorate to provide an impartial, intermediary service for colleagues facing workplace issues and to advise management on ways to improve the functioning of the directorate);
  • Established the Positive Space Initiative, which conducts a number of activities that promote a safe and inclusive work environment; and
  • Built inclusive (gender-neutral) washrooms in two buildings.

Strategy 4: Develop and implement actions to respond to workload and work-related stress results from the 2017 Public Service Employee Survey

Effectiveness: Public Safety Canada developed and implemented a number of actions to respond to workload and work-related stress results from the 2017 Public Service Employee Survey, including:

  • Developed action plans related to the findings and gathering further data as required;
  • Aligned the work of the Task Forces on Efficiencies and Staffing with the findings;
  • Increased the use of business intelligence solutions;
  • Increased flexible working arrangements; and
  • Increased team-building events.
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