Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada 2024-25 Departmental Plan
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From the Chief Administrator
Orlando Da Silva, LSM
Chief Administrator
I am pleased to present the 2024-25 Departmental Plan for the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada (ATSSC).
The ATSSC’s mandate is to provide efficient and effective support services and facilities to the 12 federal administrative tribunals we serve. This report gives Canadians and Parliamentarians details about the important work done by the ATSSC, our key objectives for the next fiscal year, and risks related to achieving our planned results.
In the year ahead, we look forward to continuing to supply exceptional registry, legal, member, and internal services while being guided by our 3 strategic pillars: Delivering business excellence through innovation at work, collaborating with tribunal leadership and one another, and supporting our people.
In 2024-25, we will provide the tribunals we serve with the tools they need to manage increasing caseloads by refreshing our digital strategy and continuing to modernize operations. This work will include the completion of the installation of new audio-visual equipment in 3 hearing rooms, which is an important part of our commitment to improve access to justice.
It will also include an innovative Artificial Intelligence pilot project that will explore translation of documents faster, more accurately, and at a lower cost than traditional methods.
Our commitment to supporting our people will continue to be a priority as we focus on promoting equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and mental health in the workplace. We will work to build a strong workforce that embraces innovation and is committed to providing efficient and effective access to justice for Canadians.
We will continue efforts to implement our Accessibility Plan to help give all Canadians equal ability to access the tribunals we support, and to remove barriers preventing employees from fully participating in our workforce.
I invite you to read the ATSSC’s 2024-25 Departmental Plan for the full details of our plans for the upcoming fiscal year.
Orlando Da Silva, LSM
Chief Administrator
Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members
Description
The ATSSC is responsible for providing support services required by each tribunal by way of a single, integrated organization.
Quality of life impacts
This core responsibility contributes to the domain “Good Governance” of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and, more specifically, subdomain “Democracy and institutions” and the indicator “Confidence in institutions” through all of the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description.
Results and targets
The following table shows, for each departmental result related to Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members, the indicators, the results from the 3 most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.
Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result
Tribunal members receive the specialized support services they require to hear matters, to resolve files, or to render decisions
Indicator |
2020-21 result |
2021-22 result |
2022-23 result |
Target |
Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Percentage of files examined where the preparatory information was deemed complete and provided within the timeframes established by chairpersons‡ |
88.17%1 |
93.66%2 |
95.80%3 |
85% |
March 31, 2025 |
Level of satisfaction of tribunal members with the quality of the specialized services offered by their assigned secretariats |
90.81% |
82.01% |
85.12% |
85% |
March 31, 2025 |
† – Results achieved currently reflects the results of the 11 tribunals supported by the ATSSC as listed in the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada Act.
‡ – Established timeframes are set for each individual tribunal as the timing for the receipt of preparatory information varies by tribunal. Timeframes are established by Chairpersons in collaboration with the relevant secretariat and, if applicable, in accordance with legislative or regulatory requirements.
1 – Percentage is based on the average results of 9 out of 11 tribunals. Of the two remaining tribunals, one had no cases to report, and the other had not finalized their methodology by the end of the fiscal year.
2 – Percentage is based on the average results of 9 out of 11 tribunals. Of the two remaining tribunals, one had no cases to report, and the other had not finalized their methodology by the end of the fiscal year.
3 – Percentage is based on the average results of 10 out of 11 tribunals. One tribunal had not finalized their methodology by the end of the fiscal year.
The financial, human resources and performance information for the ATSSC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
Tribunals caseloads and mandates
The ATSSC will take the necessary steps to maintain the integrity of its programs. In the pursuit of this goal, the organization will conduct an in-depth data-driven review of its resource allocations, considering trends and projections in each tribunal’s activities and the availability of resources. The ATSSC will look for opportunities to deliver support services to the tribunals more efficiently. These exercises are necessary to support tribunals who are dealing with higher caseloads, more complex cases, additional member appointments, and in some cases an expansion of their mandate.
Translation services
The Official Languages Act guarantees Canadians the right to access tribunal decisions in both official languages simultaneously. Therefore, translation services form a crucial part of ATSSC’s support services to tribunals and in turn, of timely access to justice. Translation of tribunal decisions and orders requires professional and specialized knowledge and skills. As tribunal activity increases, so too is the volume of decisions requiring translation. Since the Government of Canada has issued a direction to reduce professional services spending, the ATSSC will seek new methods and tools to accelerate and improve its capacity to deliver translated materials to tribunals. A pilot project will be conducted to explore the use of machine learning translation tools relying on artificial intelligence. The overall objective of this initiative is to deliver high-quality translations to tribunals faster and less expensively, in line with the refocusing of government spending exercise and the organization’s commitments.
Virtual hearings
As part of its mandate to provide accessible facilities, the ATSSC will continue to improve tribunals’ capacity to conduct hearings and resolve disputes in-person and virtually. In fiscal year 2024-25, the organization will equip 3 hearing rooms in the National Capital Region with updated audiovisual (AV) technology to allow the tribunals to conduct enhanced in-person, virtual and hybrid hearings. The goal is to increase hearing room usage and versatility, and to give hearing rooms a standardized AV set-up as well as better IT support, which will make the technology more reliable and simpler for staff, tribunal members, and litigants to use. The ATSSC will test equipment and provide training to ensure the newly integrated technology is used.
Access to justice
In 2024-25, the ATSSC continue to implementation of its Accessibility Plan. The organization will ensure that its programs and services are barrier-free in their design and delivery. The ATSSC will offer training on document accessibility and plain and inclusive language across the organization. As well, managers will receive coaching on accessibility support responsibilities.
Key risks
The ATSSC’s Corporate Risk Profile identifies key risks, shows how they are tied to the ATSSC’s core responsibility and outlines a risk response strategy.
There is a risk that the ATSSC may lack the resources to deliver the level of support services that tribunal members would like as the number of tribunal members, cases and costs increase, especially if the temporary funding provided to the ATSSC for program integrity through 2024-25 isn’t renewed. The ATSSC continues to invest in developing its staff capacity and to look for ways to respond to the varied and complex needs of the tribunals as economically as possible.
Further information on key risks is available on ATSSC’s website.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25
- Planned net spending: $ 80,658,913
- Planned full-time resources: 747
Related government priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
The ATSSC’s core responsibility is to provide support services to administrative tribunals and their members. Gender-based Analysis Plus is included in processes when and where appropriate.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
More information on the ATSSC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Program inventory
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members is supported by the following programs:
- Program 1.1: Registry Services
- Program 1.2: Legal Services
- Program 1.3: Mandate and Member Services
Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to ATSSC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- management and oversight services
- communications services
- legal services
- human resources management services
- financial management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- real property management services
- materiel management services
- acquisition management services
Plans to achieve results
Corporate Services Innovation Initiative
Begun last fiscal year, the 3-year Corporate Services Strategic Plan includes, in part, a thorough examination of internal business mechanisms to streamline them, find efficiencies and increase productivity. This fiscal year, the ATSSC will take inventory, review, and modify corporate services processes to ensure they are client-centric, effective, efficient, accessible, and inclusive. A plan for continuous innovation will be developed to ensure consistent ways of working are implemented across the service line to improve accessibility and response times of corporate services.
People management and work environment
The ATSSC will continue to implement its 2022-25 – Talent Acquisition Strategy, which will ensure the organization continues to recruit, develop, and retain the workforce required to support the tribunal sector.
In alignment with the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy, the ATSSC will develop a mental health strategy in consultation with the ATSSC Well-being Consultation Committee and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Specifically, the strategy will guide actions to continue building and maintaining a healthy, respectful, and supportive work environment that strengthens the organization and the public service.
The ATSSC will continue to promote and foster a diverse and inclusive workforce by continuing to implement its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan. The organization will review and analyse its recruitment processes and practices to minimize unconscious bias and make them inclusive by default.
Facilities
To support the hybrid work model, in 2024-25 the ATSSC will complete the construction of a shared mailroom and a collaboration area for the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s Ottawa office. Minor refits will also be started at the tribunal’s Vancouver office. These will include the construction of closed focus rooms and additional workstations to accommodate employees living in the Vancouver area.
The ATSSC will install a permanent power generator in one of its NCR offices to guarantee uninterrupted access to digital services for clients, especially tribunals. This equipment is critical to ensure business continuity during power shutdowns or outages that may impact ATSSC’s systems.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024-25
- Planned net spending: : $22,641,996
- Planned full-time resources: 159
Related government priorities
Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
The ATSSC continuously analyzes and develops its procurement strategy. This includes identifying opportunities for Indigenous businesses.
Responsibility center managers will be asked to consider Indigenous businesses at the start of planning for the procurement of goods and services. The ATSSC will give training and awareness sessions on this topic and will report quarterly to senior management on progress towards the planned result.
The following table shows how the department plans to achieve awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year.
5% reporting field |
2022-23 actual result |
2023-24 forecasted result |
2024-25 planned result |
|---|---|---|---|
Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses |
39.98% |
50% |
>5% |
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of ATSSC’s planned spending and human resources for the next 3 fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024–25 with actual spending from previous years.
Spending
The graph below summarizes the ATSSC's planned spending by core responsibility.
Table of planned spending for the upcoming fiscal year
Text description of figure 1
Explanation of figure 1
This graph summarizes the ATSSC’s planned spending for its core responsibility and internal services. In fiscal year 2024-25, planned spending for support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members is $58,016,917, corresponding to 71.93% of planned spending. Planned spending for internal services is $22,641,996, corresponding to 28.07% of planned spending.
All numbers presented are net of vote-netted revenue.
Table 2: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services ($ dollars)
The following table shows information on spending for the ATSSC’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the previous 3 fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.
Core responsibility and internal services |
2021-22 actual expenditures |
2022-23 actual expenditures |
2023-24 forecast spending |
|---|---|---|---|
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members |
51,823,665 |
59,592,353 |
63,637,317 |
Subtotal |
51,823,665 |
59,592,353 |
63,637,317 |
Internal services |
20,447,025 |
23,003,073 |
24,835,444 |
Total |
72,270,690 |
82,595,426 |
88,472,761 |
Explanation of table 2
Fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23 show actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts, while 2023-24 presents the forecast for the current fiscal year.
Forecasted spending in 2023-24 is higher than 2022-23 actual expenditures by $5.9 million, primarily due to activities related to tribunal caseloads and increased expenditures related to employee compensation as a result of new collective agreements.
All numbers presented are net of vote-netted revenue.
Table 3: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
The following table shows information on net spending for ATSSC’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the upcoming 3 fiscal years.
Core responsibility and internal services |
2024-25 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) |
2024-25 planned spending |
2025-26 planned spending |
2026-27 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members |
58,016,917 |
58,016,917 |
55,016,659 |
55,203,304 |
Subtotal |
58,016,917 |
58,016,917 |
55,016,659 |
55,203,304 |
Internal services |
22,641,996 |
22,641,996 |
21,471,100 |
21,543,940 |
Total |
80,658,913 |
80,658,913 |
76,487,759 |
76,747,244 |
Explanation of table 3
Spending is expected to decrease by $4.2 million in 2025-26 and subsequent years due to sunsetting of temporary program integrity funding and implementation of the Refocusing government spending to deliver for Canadians initiative. All numbers presented are net of vote-netted revenue.
Table 4: 2024–25 budgetary gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)
The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2024–25.
Core responsibility and internal services |
2024-25 gross planned spending (dollars) |
2024-25 planned revenues netted against spending (dollars) |
2024-25 planned net spending (dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members |
94,217,813 |
36,200,896 |
58,016,917 |
Subtotal |
94,217,813 |
36,200,896 |
58,016,917 |
Internal services |
24,738,168 |
2,096,172 |
22,641,996 |
Total |
118,955,981 |
38,297,068 |
80,658,913 |
Explanation of table 4
The ATSSC is partially funded by vote-netted revenue (a cost recovery mechanism), for the operations of the Social Security Tribunal Secretariat. As the expenses of this secretariat increase, the revenues increase proportionately, which decreases its net cost of operations. The planned expenses result from the authority to make recoverable expenditures on behalf of the Canada Pension Plan and the Employment Insurance Operating Account.
Funding
The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.
Departmental Spending Graph
Text description of figure 2
This graph illustrates the ATSSC’s actual and planned spending over a 6-year period. In fiscal year 2021-22, statutory spending was $10,044,861 and voted spending was $62,225,829, for a total of $72,270,690. In fiscal year 2022-23, statutory spending was $11,861,206 and voted spending was $70,734,220, for a total of $82,595,426. In fiscal year 2023-24, forecasted statutory spending is $12,916,713 and voted spending is $75,556,048, for a total of $88,472,761. In fiscal year 2024-25, planned statutory spending is $12,012,655 and voted spending is $68,646,258, for a total of $80,658,913. In fiscal year 2025-26, planned statutory spending is $11,641,994 and voted spending is $64,845,765, for a total of $76,487,759. In fiscal year 2026-27, planned statutory spending is $11,647,829 and voted spending is $65,099,415, for a total of $76,747,244.
Explanation of figure 2
This graph illustrates the ATSSC’s actual and planned spending over a 6-year period.
Fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23 show actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts, while 2023-24 presents the forecast for the current fiscal year.
Planned spending in 2023-24 is higher than 2022-23 spending by $5.9 million, primarily due to activities related to tribunal caseloads and increased expenditures related to employee compensation as a result of new collective agreements.
Spending is projected to decrease between 2023-24 and 2024-25 ($7.8 million) due to the sunsetting of temporary funds and the impact of Budget 2023 reductions.
Spending is expected to decrease by $4.2 million in 2025-26 and subsequent years due to sunsetting of temporary program integrity funding and implementation of the Refocusing government spending to deliver for Canadians initiative.
All numbers presented are net of vote-netted revenue.
Estimates by vote
Information on the ATSSC’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of ATSSC’s operations for 2023–24 and 2024–25.
The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.
A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on the ATSSC’s website.
Table 5: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (dollars)
Financial information |
2023-24 forecast results |
2024-25 planned results |
Difference (2024-25 planned results minus 2023-24 forecast results) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses |
130,638,356 |
129,728,313 |
-910,043 |
Total revenues |
32,365,782 |
38,297,068 |
5,931,286 |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
98,272,574 |
91,431,245 |
-6,841,329 |
Explanation of table 5
For fiscal year 2023-24, the net cost of operations before government funding and transfers is forecasted to be higher by $6.8 million than the planned 2024-25 results. This change is primarily due to the implementation of the Refocusing government spending to deliver for Canadians initiative. In addition, total revenues are expected to increase in 2024-25 as the Social Security Tribunal is expected to adjudicate a higher number of cases.
Human resources
Table 6: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the ATSSC’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the previous 3 fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2021-22 actual fulltime equivalents |
2022-23 actual fulltime equivalents |
2023-24 forecasted fulltime equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members |
538 |
576 |
594 |
Subtotal |
538 |
576 |
594 |
Internal services |
146 |
155 |
160 |
Total |
684 |
731 |
754 |
Explanation of table 6
Explanations for change in FTEs by year are in line with the explanations provided for variances in the departmental spending section.
Table 7: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the ATSSC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2024-25 planned fulltime equivalents |
2025-26 planned fulltime equivalents |
2026-27 planned fulltime equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Support services and facilities to federal administrative tribunals and their members |
588 |
567 |
567 |
Subtotal |
588 |
567 |
567 |
Internal services |
159 |
156 |
156 |
Total |
747 |
723 |
723 |
Explanation of table 7
The planned number of FTEs is expected to decrease due to sunsetting of temporary program integrity funding.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Organizational contact information
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on the ATSSC’s website:
Information on ATSSC’s 2023-27 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy can be found on the Reports page of the ATSSC’s website.
Federal tax expenditures
The ATSSC’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.
Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.
This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.
Definitions
List of terms
- appropriation (crédit)
- Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
- Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
- core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
- An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
- Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
- A document that sets out a department’s priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a threeyear period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
- departmental result (résultat ministériel)
- A change that a department seeks to influence. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
- departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
- A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.
- departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
- A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.
- Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
- A report on a department’s actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.
- fulltime equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
- A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full personyear charge against a departmental budget. Fulltime equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
- gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
- An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
- government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2024–25 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world. horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
- Indigenous business
- As defined on the Indigenous Services Canada website in accordance with the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually.
- non budgetary expenditures (non budgetary expenditure)
- Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
- performance (performance )
- What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
- plan (plan)
- The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
- planned spending (dépenses prévues)
- For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates. A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
- program (programme)
- Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
- program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
- An inventory of a department’s programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department’s core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.
- result (résultat)
- An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
- statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
- Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
- target (cible)
- A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
- voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
- Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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