Sectors, Branches and Corporate Services

Learn more about the structure of the Department by:

Sectors and Branches

The Corporate Secretariat supports the offices of the Minister, Ministers of State, the Deputy Minister, and the Associate Deputy Minister, through the coordination and provision of a wide range of advisory and operational services. The Corporate Secretariat includes Parliamentary and Regulatory Affairs, the Access to Information and Privacy Secretariat, the Executive Services Secretariat, Ministerial Liaison Offices, Planning and Resources Management, and the Ministerial Correspondence Secretariat.

Portfolio Affairs is the principal support to the Minister and the Deputy Minister in carrying out their portfolio responsibilities and supporting the Government’s agenda. It acts as a “single window” and ensures an appropriate level of communication and enhanced collaboration between the Minister, the Department and the organizations, while respecting the autonomy and independence of Portfolio members. It also ensures a more strategic approach to Portfolio management by coordinating issues relating to policy, planning, reporting, allocation of financial resources, central agencies’ relationships, appointments, governance and communications. The Portfolio Affairs Office reports directly to the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage through an Executive Director.

The Communications Branch ensures that the Department gets clear, concise and meaningful messages out to the Canadian public and various stakeholders. It provides the Minister’s Office, the Ministers of State’s Offices, and the Department’s senior management, sectors and programs with strategic communications advice and operational planning. It delivers corporate communications products and services, and provides writing and media services.

The Office of the Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive (OCAEE) provides evaluations, audits and risk management services in support of decision-making by departmental managers, so as to help strengthen management practices and program performance. OCAEE functions take a multi-year, strategic, risk-based approach to planning annual audits and evaluations so as to optimize resources and provide independent, meaningful and timely information. The OCAEE also provides support to the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC), which is composed of three members from outside of the public service. The DAC ensures that the Deputy Minister has independent and objective advice, guidance, and assurance on the adequacy of the Department's control and accountability processes.

The Human Resources and Workplace Management Branch provides a full range of human resources, facilities management, protection and safety to all Canadian Heritage employees.
Human resources services include staffing, classification, compensation and benefits, official languages, labour relations, diversity management, human resources planning, executive group services, developmental programs, as well as orientation, career counselling, learning, and workplace well-being.
In keeping with the Government’s efforts to share services, the Branch also provides safety and protection services to Parks Canada across Canada, and leads emergency response coordination for all nine departments and agencies located in Les Terrasses de la Chaudière. The Branch also provides facilities management services to Parks Canada in Les Terrasses, pay services to the CRTC, and human resources services to the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal.

The Legal Services office is composed of legal experts from the Department of Justice. As the Government’s legal adviser, the Department of Justice helps government departments develop, reform, and interpret laws in the execution of their roles and responsibilities.

The Ombudsman is also the Senior Integrity Officer (SIO). As such, his responsibility, pursuant to the Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace, is to hear employees’ disclosures of alleged wrongdoing. It should be noted that the functions of the Ombudsman and SIO complement one another. The purpose of both positions is to help employees discuss concerns, situations of conflict and alleged wrongdoing in a confidential and constructive manner.