PWGSC > PWGSC Reports > CC DPR 2003-2004 > Complete Report > 2003-2004 Communication Canada Departmental Performance Report

Minister’s Message

Section I - Departmental Performance Summary

• Overview
• Communication Canada's Results Framework
• Organization
• Highlights
  • Understanding Canadians
  • Coordination and Advice
  • Communicating Our Message
• Primary Improvement Initiatives
  • Sponsorship
  • Advertising
  • Public Opinion Research
• Responses to Parliament, Audits and Reviews
• Financial Performance Results

Section II - Performance Discussion

• Understanding Canadians
  • Description and Objective
  • Achievements
• Coordination and Advice
  • Description and Objective
  • Achievements
• Communicating Our Message
  • Description and Objective
  • Achievements
• Strategic Partnerships
• Financial Information
  • Overview
  • Financial Table

Annex A - Government of Canada Exhibitions Program

Annex B - Citizen Information Initiative (CII)

Annex C - Advertising Coordination

Annex D - Government of Canada Sponsorship Program

Annex E - Additional Information

Minister's Message

I am pleased to present, on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Performance Report of Communication Canada for the 2003-04 fiscal year.

On December 13, 2003, the Government of Canada announced the disbanding of Communication Canada.

Effective April 1, 2004, Public Works and Government Services Canada, as a common services provider for the Government of Canada, was given responsibility for the majority of the operational functions of Communication Canada. The Privy Council Office and the Department of Canadian Heritage assumed responsibility for other functions. These changes have allowed the government to find savings that can be directed to priority areas, while maintaining high-quality service to Canadians.

We remain committed to improving communications between the Government of Canada and its citizens right across the country. The award-winning portals, including the Canada Site (canada.gc.ca) and the 1 800 O-Canada toll-free telephone services, will remain the key channels by which Canadians access Government of Canada information. These channels also provide a forum by which the government can listen to Canadians and carry on a two-way dialogue.

In order to achieve better value for taxpayer dollars and earn the trust of Canadians, we will continue to examine and improve the way we deliver our services. We will manage all of our activities in a transparent, ethical and accountable way, focusing on three strategic outcomes: quality services, sound stewardship and sound management.

Section I - Departmental Performance Summary

1.1 Overview

The raison d’être of Communication Canada was to improve two-way communication between the Government of Canada (GoC) and Canadians. Communication Canada offered single-window access to Canadian government services. It was responsible for communicating with Canadians about the Government as a whole - responding to citizens’ needs for information on the Government’s overall direction, priorities, policies, programs, services and initiatives, and for facilitating two-way communications with Canadians. Communication Canada also helped government institutions and the Government to monitor the public environment.

On December 13, 2003, the Government of Canada disbanded Communication Canada effective March 31, 2004, in order to achieve better value for Canadians’ tax dollars. The Government’s commitment to improve communications between the Government of Canada and Canadians remained. In addition, the Government terminated the Sponsorship Program effective December 13, 2003. Following these decisions, most of Communication Canada’s activities were transferred as follows:

1. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) - PWGSC took responsibility for a number of major operational functions, as outlined in Order in Council P.C. 2004-0100, including:
   • Providing access to information on the Government of Canada’s programs and services.
   • Delivering coordinated communication services across government.
2. Privy Council Office (PCO) - PCO took responsibility for regional and analytical functions as outlined in Order in Council P.C. 2004-0098, including the following:
   • Regional operations.
   • Analysis and information management.
3. Canadian Heritage - Canadian Heritage took responsibility for the powers, duties and functions relating to grant agreements with the Canadian Unity Council under Order in Council P.C. 2004-0099.

To facilitate reporting to Parliament for the 2003-04 fiscal year, the Departmental Performance Report for Communication Canada is presented here as a consolidated document. In subsequent years, the ministers of the above-noted departments will present the reports on the transferred responsibilities in their respective annual Departmental Performance Reports.

1.2 Communication Canada’s Results Framework

The overall strategic outcome pursued by Communication Canada for the reporting period of 2003-04 was to improve communications between Canadians and the Government of Canada. In order to achieve this outcome, Communication Canada had three business lines or principal areas of activity:

1. Understanding Canadians: Collecting feedback and information on the public environment and making this information available to federal institutions.
2. Coordination and Advice: Leading and coordinating key communication activities on behalf of the Government of Canada and providing advisory services to other federal institutions in Communication Canada’s areas of expertise.
3. Communicating Our Message: Undertaking branding, advertising and information activities, and providing “single-window” access to government information.

Figure 1 summarizes Communication Canada’s Results Framework structured around these three business lines. In addition, during 2003-04, Communication Canada continued to use tracking, feedback surveys, evaluations and other measurement tools to gauge its performance relative to the results framework.

Figure 1

Communication Canada’s Results Framework

1.3 Organization

The organization structure of the former Communication Canada is set out in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2

Communication Canada’s Organization Chart

1.4 Highlights

For the 2003-04 performance year, Communication Canada achieved significant and important results, particularly in areas of citizen-centred programs and the soundness of its management practices. It should be highlighted that the predominant focus on the Sponsorship and Advertising Programs (1996-2001) predated Communication Canada’s formation. These concerns will be the focus of the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities.

The following tables highlight the three core business lines and their efforts to improve operations and management practice.

1.4.1 Business Line: Understanding Canadians

	Highlights
	Implemented a major reform of public opinion research to focus on improving value for taxpayers’ money, transparency and accountability. For the third consecutive year, 1 800 O-Canada attained the world-class number one rating for government services of this kind. The Canada Site (Canada.gc.ca) featured 55 government service announcements and reported over 61,000 hits on outage-related links in the days following the electrical outage in 2003. For the fourth consecutive year, Canada ranked first in Accenture’s annual e-government study.

1.4.2 Business Line: Coordination and Advice

	Highlights
	Implemented a major reform of the advertising program focusing on four guiding principles: value for money, stewardship, flexibility and transparency. Implemented a new management regime for the sponsorship program focusing on value for money, stewardship, flexibility and transparency. Established an interdepartmental a user group forum on electronic media monitoring and analysis aiming to share and promote common issues and best practices.

1.4.3 Business Line: Communicating Our Message

	Highlights
	An independent client satisfaction survey revealed that 86% of callers were “very satisfied,” up from 81% the previous year. The Canada Gazette remained a critical communication vehicle for federal legislative and statutory changes. Over 2 million pages were downloaded via the Publications Program. Almost 94,000 orders for government publications were processed, and more than 130,000 free and priced publications were provided. Exhibitions Program: The Canada Pavilion received the Sizzle Award for most effective promotion from Exhibitor magazine, winning the award over 70 other North American entries. The Citizen Information Initiative emphasized target groups of Canadians such as seniors, children, First Nations and persons with disabilities. 12 million Canadian households received the 2003 edition of Services for You, a publication about key government priorities, programs and services.

1.5 Primary Improvement Initiatives

Throughout the reporting year 2003-04, Communication Canada undertook a number of major improvement initiatives. The challenges associated with their implementation were, in addition to other significant challenges, faced by Communication Canada, as increasing scrutiny was placed on the sponsorship and advertising programs. Communication Canada cooperated fully with the Auditor General’s Office in the preparation of the November 2003 AG Report and in the implementation of the AG’s recommendations. As well, parliamentary standing committees, and other inquiries and reviews were provided with information as requested.

Within this environment, it should be noted that Communication Canada continued to make consistent progress in implementing the Government’s agenda to improve its programs and management for the following:

• Sponsorship.
• Advertising.
• Public Opinion Research.

1.5.1 Sponsorship

During the reporting year, Communication Canada launched a redesigned Sponsorship Program, moving to contributions as opposed to contracts. This program change was approved through a Treasury Board (TB) submission. Communication Canada continued to improve the management of sponsorships, with the following practices being reinforced and/or introduced:

• No contracting with third parties, i.e., communications agencies, was allowed.
• Payments were made under contribution agreements instead of contracts.
• Written guidelines and training were provided to program staff to ensure compliance with program and financial policies and procedures.
• Transparency was enhanced through nationwide communication of the program objectives, the selection criteria, the events approved and the funds each event were to receive.
• Audits were conducted, event sites were visited, and compliance reviews were carried out to ensure that all aspects of contribution agreement terms and conditions were demonstrated before final payments were made.
• Criteria for selecting and approving individual projects were tightened.
• Better analysis of the level of sponsorship for each event was undertaken.
• Compliance with relevant authorities, in particular, the Financial Administration Act, was ensured.

The government terminated the Sponsorship Program on December 13, 2003. Commitments already made to organizations and communities were honoured but no new activities were undertaken. Further details on the sponsorship list of events and agreements can be found at: http://www.communication.gc.ca/sponsorship_commandites/
events2003-2004.html

1.5.2 Advertising

The process of reforming government advertising practices began in May 2002. This included a review by the Treasury Board Secretariat focusing on four guiding principles: value for money, stewardship, flexibility and transparency. This led to a series of steps to strengthen management of this activity:

• December 17, 2002: The Government of Canada announced changes to advertising management.
• February 26, 2003: PWGSC’s Minister released a discussion paper proposing a series of improvements to the management of Government of Canada advertising activities and invited interested parties to provide comments directly. Consultation meetings were also held in March 2003.
• April 2003: The Audit and Review Committee of PWGSC initiated a Follow-up Review of Advertising covering the period from April 2000 to March 2003. The Review focussed on the old system for government-wide advertising activities, which has since been replaced. The Follow-up Review, made public on PWGSC’s website (www.pwgsc.gc.ca/sponsorship), concluded that in some areas management, advertising activities were still in need of improvement.
• Advertising Industry: The Government of Canada announced that a series of reforms to strengthen government advertising management were to be put into place over a 12 to 18 month period. Key changes included the following:
  • Eliminating commissions on all subcontracted work.
  • Requiring that all work be paid at an hourly rate as opposed to being commission-based.
  • Increasing the number of suppliers and competition opportunities was to be announced using new standing offers, supply arrangements and requests for proposals.
  • Strengthening the internal capacity in advertising management and increased transparency by means of an annual report on advertising activities.

Following the announcement of the above reforms and to ensure transparency, PWGSC launched a competitive contracting process to select a new Agency of Record (AOR). As well, a new competitive process was initiated to award standing offers and supply arrangements for advertising production services.

• February 2004: The November 2003 Report of the Auditor General of Canada was released. The report raised concerns about the way in which advertising activities were conducted under the advertising management model in place prior to the December 2002 policy changes and April 2003 reforms. To further address the Auditor General’s concerns, PWGSC determined that it was imperative to undertake a more comprehensive implementation of advertising reform in addition to the measures already implemented.
• March 15, 2004: A moratorium on all advertising activity until June 1, 2004, went into effect to facilitate implementation of the new measures for improving the management of government-wide advertising. Key measures implemented during this period included the following:
  • Redesigning the role of the AOR to assist in managing advertising campaigns. This new role was carefully defined in the contract with the new AOR.
  • Introducing the requirement for advertising production agencies to be selected from the pre﷓approved list of companies, which was established through an open competition.
  • Setting guidelines for advertising record keeping and project file management with the creation of an Advertising Documentation Standard and through enhanced training of staff.
  • Launching an electronic Advertising Management Information System for tracking and managing Government of Canada advertising projects.
  • Posting on the Contracts Canada website all contracts for advertising and public opinion research, as well as media placement, to ensure complete transparency for the public.

In order to complement the changes in procurement in advertising services, the government-wide management of advertising adopted the following controls:

• All advertising funding would now be frozen at the departmental level.
• The Privy Council Office would oversee a centralized process to review the justification and expected added value for each advertising campaign and approve any campaigns to be launched, to ensure that they support government priorities.
• Departments would not have the delegated authority to place advertising contracts directly.
• Departments and agencies wishing to conduct an advertising campaign would need to fully justify the purpose and value, follow strict rules in selecting an advertising agency, and fully document their activities to support expenditures.
• Departments receiving approval to proceed with their advertising campaigns would receive an “advertising number,” which would trigger the procurement process by PWGSC.
• In addition to the preceding points, it should be noted that in October 2003, clear guidelines were made available on-line; furthermore contract officers in every department were given direction and training on the standards required for contracting as well as for conducting advertising campaigns.

1.5.3 Public Opinion Research

Pursuant to a review and subsequent recommendations by the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Minister responsible for Communication Canada announced improvements to the Department’s Public Opinion Research program on June 12, 2003. While the TBS review concluded that the POR function was generally well designed and managed, it was important to build on the existing structures by emphasizing the following enhancements to the contracting process to improve overall effectiveness, including:

• Using competitively established supply arrangements for more complex work (up to a value of $400,000), wherein projects would be awarded through mini-competitions among pre﷓qualified suppliers.
• Using competitively established standing offers of no more than two years for typical work valued up to $200,000.
• Ensuring open competition for large projects (over $400,000) using the Government Electronic Tendering Service (MERX).
• Increasing transparency for research projects through clear supplier selection criteria and procedures, registration of all POR surveys with the Canada Survey Research Council and the availability of a toll-free telephone number for respondents to verify the authenticity of a survey or the lodging of a complaint.
• Enhancing supplier participation through standing offers for specialized audiences and needs.

1.6 Responses to Parliament, Audits and Reviews

During the year, Communication Canada provided support to Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Privy Council Office in preparing responses to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) hearings. In addition, Communication Canada responded directly to SCOPA for inquiries directed specifically toward Communication Canada. The Department also responded to various audits, reviews and inquiries, most notably those of the Auditor General of Canada. Those audits and reviews of particular interest are the following:

• Auditor General’s Government-Wide Audit of Sponsorships, Advertising, and Public Opinion Research.
  (http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca)
• Consulting and Audit Canada’s review of regional operations.
  (http://www.communication.gc.ca/publications/regions/
  rcicr_frf_toc.html)
• Treasury Board review of advertising coordination and the designation of an Agency of Record.

1.7 Financial Performance Results

Communication Canada’s planned spending, total authorities, actual spending and full﷓time equivalents for 2003-04 are presented in the following table

	Net Expenditures 2003-04 (in thousands of dollars)

			Planned Spending		Total Authorities		Actual
	Total Gross Expenditures		160,464		162,510		118,730
	Less: Respendable revenues		21,350		21,350		12,118
	Total Net Expenditures		139,114		141,160		106,612
	Plus: Cost of services provided by other departments		7,057		7,211		7,211
	Net Cost of Program		146,171		148,371		113,823
	FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS		605		605		525

Totals may not add up due to rounding.

The announcement of the disbanding of Communication Canada contributed significantly to a reduction of $43 million in gross expenditures. Resulting in an overall lapse of $34.5 million for the Department. The key factors for the lapse were as follows:

• Sponsorship: Termination of the Sponsorship Program on December 13, 2003, resulted immediately in a frozen allotment of $11 million this fiscal year. The original budget was $40 million, which will now be realized as an annual savings to government.
• Citizen Information Initiative (CII): CII expenditures were approximately $9 million less than forecast, in part as a result of the moratorium on advertising during the period of review and reforms that were undertaken to improve the management of advertising.
• Corporate and Other Services: Following the announcement that Communication Canada would be dissolved effective March 31, 2004, there was reduced activity in all of Communication Canada’s programs. In addition, there was a general reduction in government communication activities as a result of other changes in government in the third quarter. Management also terminated or significantly scaled back several corporate projects and ongoing activities.

Section II - Performance Discussion

Performance Discussion

Communication Canada's central strategic objective was to improve communications between Canadians and the Government of Canada. The performance discussion for the 2003-04 fiscal year is presented along Communication Canada's three business lines or principal areas of activity: Understanding Canadians; Coordination and Advice; and Communicating Our Message.

2.1 Understanding Canadians

2.1.1 Description and Objective

The goal of this business line was to collect feedback and information on the public environment and make it available to federal institutions. More specifically, the aim was to make our stakeholders and clients more aware of the public environment. The performance results are set out below.

2.1.2 Achievements

	Key Activities		Performance Results
	Coordinate public opinion research at the government level.		The government’s Public Opinion Research program was thoroughly reformed in the past year.
	Implement a corporate “listening function” that shares information through existing programs.		1 800 O-Canada attained its third consecutive world-class rating through the survey: 86% of callers said they were “very satisfied,” up from 81% in 2002-03. Service agents handled 45 information services projects in 2003-04, resulting in 318,000 calls answered, 10,633 citizens contacted and about 27,000 e-mail messages answered.
	Improve communications between Canadians and the Government of Canada by: Focusing on federal-provincial-territorial issues within the context of government priorities, as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. Gathering information to assist the government in the management of emerging issues. Providing a window on the concerns and primary issues for Canadians as reported in the media Supplying information relating to regional perspectives.		Received 1,919 information requests for media monitoring and analysis services, products and reports. Activities included the following: Providing comprehensive communication products on specific initiatives and events, such as First Ministers’ Meetings, the Speech from the Throne and federal budgets, and supporting other departments in relation to unforeseen issues such as SARS, BSE and the Asian flu. Providing support to the Ministerial Tours Program in Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Supporting other federal institutions (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Western Economic Diversification) by providing media monitoring and analysis products on specific issues related to economic development. An independent survey indicated 80% of clients were highly satisfied with Media Room and Info-Region products.

2.2 Coordination and Advice

2.2.1 Description and Objective

The goal of this business line was to lead and coordinate key communication activities on behalf of the Government of Canada and to provide advice on best practices to other federal institutions. The performance results for the past year and links to further information are set out below.

2.2.2 Achievements

	Key Activities		Performance Results
	Renew GoC advertising and POR management programs nationally and in the regions in accordance with Treasury Board policies.		A new Advertising and POR Management Framework consistent with the Communications Policy was put into effect for all government institutions. See Annex C, Advertising Coordination.
	Coordinate the GoC Exhibitions Program.		Thirty departments participated in 13 major events across Canada and attracted 1.2 million visitors. See Annex A, GoC Exhibitions Program.
	Increase the role of the regions in the delivery of the Sponsorship Program.		Staff in regional offices worked to ensure delivery at the regional end. Sponsorship agreements were approved as follows: Alberta 44; British Columbia 80; Manitoba 46; Saskatchewan 47; Ontario 140; Quebec 254; New Brunswick 43; Newfoundland and Labrador 22; Nova Scotia 50; Prince Edward Island 29; Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon 8; and National Capital Area 15. See Annex D, Government of Canada Sponsorship Program.
	Increase the accessibility and the leadership of Electronic Media Monitoring (EMM) across government.		The Electronic Media Monitoring (EMM) program provided federal institutions with a central electronic media monitoring service in support of their media monitoring activities. Highlights of EMM were: Communication Canada chaired the EMM User Group -an interdepartmental forum on electronic media monitoring -to promote best practices. The User Group met regularly in 2003-04. An average of 30 departments participated in EMM User Group meetings. Over 70% of client departments were very satisfied with the service. 69 departments had access to EMM news sources (an increase of 7% compared to the previous year).
	Conduct a major review of regional operations to ensure the involvement of regional interests in all communications programs.		For details of CC’s programs with regional items, see Annexes: A - GoC Exhibitions Program / Canada Pavilion - Federal Presence; B: Citizen Information Initiative (CII) - Pilot Projects; and D - GoC Sponsorship Program.

2.3 Communicating Our Message

2.3.1 Description and Objective

The goal of this business line was to provide efficient and effective single-window access to Canadians. The primary activities in support of that goal related to branding, advertising and information services. Every effort was made to ensure that Canadians were aware and informed of Government of Canada programs, services and access channels. Public Opinion Research provided survey results on the extent to which Canadians were satisfied with the access channels and the information they received from the Government of Canada. The following table sets out the performance results by key activities for the business line.

2.3.2 Achievements

	Key Activities		Performance Results
	Promote GoC programs, services and access channels. Provide government information services and products to Canadians. Target Canadian population segments corresponding to GoC priorities. Ensure that corporate communications are accessible to all audiences.		1 800 O-Canada service achievements are as follows: 1.3 million enquiries were received. 27,000 e-mail messages were handled on behalf of the Canada Site. 53.2 million “page requests” were received. 87% of the 1.3 million calls received were answered within 18 seconds, exceeding the target of 85%. The On-Line Enquiries team replied to 41.9% of the 27,000 e-mails it received within one business day. An independent client satisfaction survey revealed that 86% of callers were “very satisfied” with the service they had received, and in two areas - level of caring shown by information officers and ability to understand a caller’s enquiry - 1 800 O-Canada was the top performer of all the call centres taking part in the study.
	Disseminate all formal public notices, official appointments, and proposed and new regulations from government departments and agencies.		The Canada Gazette’s performance data is as follows: More than 6,577 pages were viewed, and the average length of the visits was just over 15 minutes. 12,600 pages were published. Over 2 million pages were downloaded in 2003-2004, for an average of 3,000 to 5,000 pages a day. 1.4 million pages were downloaded in HTML. 147 countries accessed the Canada Site, compared to 87 the previous year. Major deadlines were met. The Canada Gazette continues to achieve a less than 1% error count annually.
	GoC publishing programs work closely with author departments.		Publications program performance is as follows: Almost 94,000 orders for government publications were received (37,699 of which were for guides produced by Communication Canada). The publications website is a single window for obtaining information about GoC publications. It provides access to: Over 130,000 free and priced publications. Over 20,000 e-documents. Approximately 125 titles added to the database every week, plus titles that are available for downloading. Publishing service statistics are as follows: 18.7 million hits were received on the website in 2003-04, an increase of 32% over 2002-03 66,044 e-mails were received (up 72%). 61,933 enquiries were received (a 16% increase). 4,149 new releases were produced. Over 300,000 copies of publications were sold. Over 1,000 orders for 4.26 million individual items were processed.
	Crown Copyright and Licensing (CCL) protects the GoC’s intellectual property rights.		CCL operating performance is as follows: Over 46,000 requests and enquiries were received (an increase of 48% over 2002-03). A total of approximately 10,000 applications were granted (an increase of 80%).

	Other Highlights
	For the fourth year running, Canada ranked first in Accenture’s annual e-government study. The Association for the Export of Canadian Books selected all 11 books submitted by Communication Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada to appear in Books on Canada 2004. Many of these books made the front list of the catalogue and formed part of the Canadian Studies Travelling Book Displays. Canadian Government Publishing has been the Government of Canada’s official publisher for over 100 years and manages Crown Copyright and Licensing assets. The Canada Gazette website now includes a “consultation page” where Canadians can provide input on current proposed regulations. The Depository Services Program (DSP) supplies GoC publications at no cost to a network of more than 900 libraries in Canada and abroad. In 2003-04, 45 Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF) Projects were planned or carried out in partnership with other government departments in each region, more than doubling the federal investment in government-wide communications across Canada.

2.4 Strategic Partnerships

Communication Canada, in conjunction with federal departments, also maintained partnerships with other stakeholders. Some examples follow:

• During 2003-04, Communication Canada, in conjunction with other federal departments, maintained working relationships established in 2002-03 with academic institutions regarding public opinion research. Agreements were made with seven Canadian universities: Carleton, Northern British Columbia, Moncton, Waterloo, Guelph, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Laurentian. These agreements allowed academics to use data from the Listening to Canadians surveys for their own research.
• Under the aegis of Communication Canada’s Regional Operations Branch, we worked with departments and agencies in Quebec and Nova Scotia as partners in the field of science and technology to promote research activities in regional facilities.
• Communication Canada worked with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to conduct public opinion studies among Aboriginal peoples.
• During the year, Communication Canada continued to support the Canadians in Europe project of the Canadian Unity Council.
• The Outreach Program offered unique, adaptable communication methods for one-on-one and direct contact activities at the community level. The program was citizen-centred and on target audiences such as youth groups, seniors, women’s groups, local decision-makers, Aboriginal peoples, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs. Partners expressed high rates of satisfaction with the Outreach Program, such as:
  • Women entrepreneurs: 80% of participants of the “Réseau des SADC du Québec”(1) were satisfied or very satisfied with the activities.
  • Health promotion for seniors: 79% of participants of the “Tournée Santé Prévention”(2) were satisfied or very satisfied with the activities.

(1)Quebec Community Futures Network
(2) Health Prevention Tour

2.5 Financial Information

2.5.1 Overview

Communication Canada received its appropriation budget through Main and Supplementary Estimates voted by Parliament. Communication Canada’s Main Estimates budget for 2003-04 was approved at $99 million. Through Supplementary Estimates, Communication Canada received an additional $38.1 million for items such as the following:

1. Renewal of sunset programs (Citizen Information Initiative, Exhibitions Program and Regional Coordination).
2. Operating budget carry forward.
3. Funding for Government On-Line initiatives.
4. Additional funding for the Canada Gazette and Canadian Government Publishing.

Communication Canada also received $0.3 million for compensation adjustments, $0.1 million for Modern Comptrollership and $0.7 million from Treasury Board contingency votes. The department contributed $3 million toward the Treasury Board Secretariat’s $1 billion reallocation target.

Following the government’s announcement on December 13, 2003, Communication Canada was disbanded effective March 31, 2004.

2.5.2 Financial Tables

The following financial tables apply to Communication Canada for fiscal year 2003-04.

Annex A - Government of Canada Exhibitions Program

Objective: Coordinate the participation of federal institutions in fairs and exhibitions where the Canada Pavilion is displayed, in accordance with the GoC Communications Policy.

	Activities		Results

	Canada Pavilion

	The Canada Pavilion, the GoC’s flagship exhibit, is the key component of this program, its goal being to inform Canadians about GoC programs and services. The Pavilion is a unique travelling showcase bringing together different departments under one corporate umbrella.		Thirty departments participated in 13 major events across Canada and attracted 1.2 million visitors. An independent visitor exit survey showed support for this initiative at 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 (89% said that GoC participation in events helped them know more about its programs and services). Close to half the surveyed visitors believed they would use access channels following their visit to the Canada Pavilion. The Canada Pavilion received the Sizzle Award for most effective promotion from Exhibitor magazine, out of over 70 North American entries.

	Federal Presence

	A federal presence brings together departments participating in medium-sized events at the local and regional level. The GoC Communications Policy requires that when two or more GoC exhibitors take part in the same event, they shall co-locate, adopt a coordinated approach and project a unified and coherent image of the GoC.		In collaboration with regional offices, the program coordinated the presence of a total of 52 federal institutions across Canada: Exhibitions attracted more than 200,000 visitors. Because of this initiative, departments were increasingly co-locating at events to present a coordinated approach to their exhibiting activities. There was increased GoC internal marketing, promoting the Communications Policy. Common Look and Feel exhibition materials were produced for use by departments to present GoC corporate messaging.

	Coordination of Departmental Exhibition Plans

	The collection of exhibition plans aims to identify opportunities for collocation and coordination of events. Departments submit their exhibition plans to this detailed database.		Over 830 events generated by 42 GoC institutions were registered in 2003-04.

	Centre of Expertise

	The centre provides training and project management services to departments to increase the efficiency of GoC exhibitions.		Two high-profile international events were managed on behalf of Natural Resources Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Training in exhibition marketing was provided in collaboration with Training and Development Canada.

Annex B - Citizen Information Initiative (CII)

CII Objective 1: Deliver citizen-centred, government-wide, integrated information campaigns to increase citizens’ awareness of government priorities, programs, services and access channels.

	Activities		Results
	A pilot project informed citizens of New Brunswick and Saskatchewan about Government of Canada programs and services specific to their region.		Post-campaign telephone surveys and analysis revealed the following: The combined recall of the advertisements over the course of the campaign averaged 28%. 30% of on-site survey respondents recalled seeing one of the two access channels advertised by the Government of Canada; 67% said they supported this advertising. The mix of print and radio advertisements successfully targeted different groups of people.
	A financial contribution and creative materials were provided for a national campaign led by Human Resources Development Canada to inform families about services for children.		The campaign helped HRDC achieve a 43% awareness level of the government-wide campaign on services for children.

CII Objective 2: Provide government information services and products to Canadians.

	Activities		Results
	The 2003 edition of Services for You, a guide to key government priorities, programs and services, was distributed to 12 million Canadian households.		A post-distribution telephone survey revealed the following: 37% of Canadians recalled receiving the publication, up from 27% when it was last distributed in 2001. Among those who recalled the guide, 77% had kept it for future reference and 88% said it was important for the Government of Canada to provide information about services. 55% recalled the Services for You refrigerator magnet and, of those, 94% had kept it. During the week following the distribution, 1 800 O-Canada received nearly 11,000 calls generated by Services for You.
	With CC regional directors and their departmental partners in the regions: We developed content for regionally tailored advertisements in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick and for Services for You (see above). We advertised in over 130 community newspapers, promoting Government of Canada involvement in major fairs and exhibits in regions across the country. We placed government advertisements on local radio stations that serve minority language groups.		Focus testing and a strategic analysis of the regionally tailored ad campaign found that regional tailoring was effective. For example, focus test groups reviewing Services for You generally appreciated the regional focus, and 51% of those who recalled the guide found it useful.

CII Objective 3: Deliver subject-based service guides corresponding to key priorities and citizens’ needs.

	Activities		Results
	Promotion of Services for Seniors continued through advertisements in the October 2003 issue of 10 family magazines.		In one week, 1 800 O-Canada received 22,000 calls about Services for Seniors as a result of these promotion activities.
	The second edition of Services for Children, which updated the 2001 version, was produced.		Nearly 50,000 copies of the new edition of Services for Children have been distributed since the cheque insert went out.
	An insert was distributed with GST rebate cheques that went to 6 million Canadians. The insert promoted four guides (i.e. Seniors, Children, First Nations, Services for You).		Research evaluating Services for First Nations People found that 20% of those surveyed recalled the guide. The distribution of the guide generated 10,000 calls to 1 800 O-Canada and INAC.
	Services for First Nations People was distributed in partnership with INAC.		On-line versions of the service guides received an average of 2,200 visits per week (over 110,000 visits annually), with over 5,000 pages viewed weekly (over 260,000 annually) and a repeat visitor rate of almost 25%.
	Accessible, user-friendly on-line versions of the service guides were developed to ensure that all Canadians have equal access.		Between October 2003 and March 2004, 13,000 copies of the service guides were requested in various formats using the on-line order form.
	Services for First Nations People and the second edition of Services for Children (English and French) were edited for plain language.		Demand for copies of service guides in alternate formats more than doubled compared to the previous year. All guides were made available in alternate formats such as large print, computer diskette, audiocassette and Braille.

Annex C - Advertising Coordination

Objective: Training and development: offer courses, seminars, workshops and other learning opportunities; undertake exchanges with the advertising industry, share best practices and develop tools. The Advertising Coordination program was the focus of extensive effort in 2003-04.

	Activities		Results
	To strengthen capacity in advertising management, training sessions on the advertising management process were presented.		Approximately 400 public servants across Canada participated. The purpose of these sessions was to inform public servants about the acts and policies affecting advertising in the Government of Canada as well as the new advertising management process.
	Presentations on various aspects of radio advertising were delivered.		Presentations were given to more than 50 public servants by private sector and advertising industry representatives on October 28, 2003.
	An interdepartmental Advertising Community of Practice was established to allow members to meet regularly and exchange information to improve their expertise as advertising practitioners.		The Advertising Community of Practice met regularly in 2003-04.
	The Government of Canada advertising website was redesigned to serve as a reference tool for employees responsible for managing advertising activities.		Since it was launched on June 1, 2004, the new site has served as an on-line portal to information and resources regarding federal advertising.
	An Advertising Orientation Guide was developed. The guide provides an overview of the Government of Canada advertising process and can be used as a reference tool.		The Advertising Orientation Guide was released in May 2003. An updated version of the guide was released in June 2004 as part of an on-line handbook of advertising tools.
	An Advertising Toolbox CD was developed for public servants.		The Advertising Toolbox Compact Disc was distributed at the May 2003 Government of Canada Communicators Conference.

Annex D - Government of Canada Sponsorship Program

Objective: Increase the regional role in the delivery of the Sponsorship Program and continue to monitor awareness of programs, services and access channels and satisfaction with information provided by the GoC through sponsorship events.

	Activities		Results
	A regional structure was created to assist in redesigning the coordination and delivery of the Sponsorship Program. A redesigned Sponsorship Program was implemented for a one-year trial period (see Sponsorship in the body of the report), involving: A promotion campaign for the Sponsorship Program. Mechanisms to ensure regional balance of approved sponsorship events. Monitoring of the redesigned program in order to evaluate its delivery and its impact as a communication program. A client satisfaction survey.		Regional officers provided direct input in the analysis, negotiation and delivery of sponsorships to better reflect regional priorities. 1,884 sponsorship proposals were received. Results: Approved: 778 Cancelled: 96 Declined: 865 Not eligible: 145 Sponsorships from each province were approved: Alberta 44; British Columbia 80; Manitoba 46; Saskatchewan 47; Ontario 140; Quebec 254; New Brunswick 43; Newfoundland and Labrador 22; Nova Scotia 50; Prince Edward Island 29; Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon 8; and National Capital Area 15. Program evaluation took place throughout the summer of 2003. The client satisfaction survey was conducted in August 2003. The on-line Sponsorship Program content received an average of 6,000 page views monthly (over 70,000 annually).

For a complete listing of sponsorship contributions, visit http://www.communication.gc.ca/sponsorship_commandites/events2003-2004.html.

Annex E - Additional Information

• Canada Site:
  http://canada.gc.ca
  
• Description of Communication Canada’s regional activities:
  http://www.communication.gc.ca/publications/regions/rcicr_frf_toc.html
  
• Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities:
  http://www.gomery.ca.
  
• Updated links on reports and reviews on Sponsorship and Advertising:
  http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/sponsorship/sponsorship-update-e.html
  
• Listing of sponsorship contributions:
  http://communication.gc.ca/sponsorship_commandites/events2003-2004.html