July 2023 Ministerial briefing package

Income Security and Social Development Branch

The Income Security and Social Development Branch develops social policies and designs programs to ensure that children, families, seniors, persons with disabilities, communities and others who face social challenges have the support, knowledge, and information that they need to maintain their well-being and facilitate their participation in Canadian society. The Branch ensures that eligible Canadians obtain retirement, survivor and disability benefits. It supports the long-term financial security of persons with disabilities and their families, leads the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act and develops regulations that reduce barriers to accessibility. It develops policy to support persons with disabilities, including the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, and serves as the federal focal point for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Branch manages the Old Age Security program, the Canada Pension Plan and related Canada Pension Plan Disability, which includes disability benefits and long-term financial security through the Canada Disability Savings Program.

There are also several sub-programs that work towards Branch goals, that include:

• the Enabling Accessibility Fund
• the Social Development Partnerships Program
• the Investment Readiness Program
• the Social Finance Fund
• the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
• the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund (which is led by the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion)
• the New Horizons for Seniors Program
• the Early Learning and Child Care

Learning Branch

The Learning Branch helps make post-secondary education and apprenticeship training more affordable and accessible to all Canadians, as well as builds a culture of volunteer service for youth to gain leadership and other soft-skills while making an impact on communities across Canada. Specifically, the Branch helps families save early for their children’s post-secondary education through education savings incentives, supports students in the after-school space (for example, tutoring, mentoring), provides grants and loans and repayment assistance to students and apprentices in need, and provides non-financial support aimed at helping students succeed in their studies and transition to post-secondary education and/or the labour market.

The Branch also supports third-parties to deliver volunteer service opportunities for youth to engage in communities across Canada. The major programs managed by the Branch are the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, the Canada Education Savings Program, the Supports for Student Learning Program, and the Canada Service Corps.

Skills and Employment Branch

The Skills and Employment Branch helps Canadians access the skills and employment supports they need to fully participate in a changing labour market and contribute to growth and innovation. It achieves this by providing programs and initiatives that promote skills development, labour market participation and inclusiveness. Specifically, these programs seek to build a skilled and inclusive labour force by removing barriers to skills development and employment and supporting lifelong learning.

The Branch also offers programs to support an efficient labour market by facilitating the integration of skilled newcomers, the mobility of workers across Canada, the dissemination of labour market information, and a suite of Indigenous labour market programs to help reduce the skills and employment gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous people. In addition, the Branch is responsible for programs that provide temporary income support to eligible unemployed workers.

Major programs managed by the Branch include:

• the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy
• the Employment Insurance (EI) Program
• the Enabling Fund for Official Languages Minority Communities
• the Foreign Credential Recognition Program
• Future Skills
• Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program
• Labour Market Transfer Agreements
• Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
• Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program
• Skills for Success Program
• Skills and Partnership Fund
• Student Work Placement Program
• Youth Employment Skills Strategy Program

Strategic and Service Policy Branch

The Strategic and Service Policy Branch undertakes the development of policy analysis and advice on key economic and social aspects of the ESDC mandate, as well as leading on horizontal policy development and integration across the portfolio. The responsibilities of the Strategic and Service Policy Branch include the development of economic, social, and service policies, as well as research activities related to the mandate of the Department.

The Branch leads on policy development and implementation in areas such as Indigenous Early Learning and Childcare, families and care, Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It is also the focal point for:

• portfolio-wide strategic planning and reporting
• analysis, guidance and oversight on service-related issues
• program evaluation
• Cabinet and regulatory affairs
• international and intergovernmental relations
• houses centres of expertise for GBA+
• official languages and performance measurement

The Branch houses the ESDC Innovation Lab that fosters a culture of innovation and experimentation in the Department.

Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management Branch

The Internal Audit function supports the Department by providing independent, objective assurance and advisory services. Internal Audit seeks to assess and improve the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes within the Department.

The Internal Audit function also offers liaison services with the Office of the Auditor General and other central agencies. Furthermore, the Internal Audit function can conduct Special Examinations to gather evidence to support or deny possible irregularities related to organizations or individuals.

The function of enterprise risk management (ERM) provides management with a systematic process, supported by a risk culture, to assess, communicate and manage all types of risks at a level appropriate to the organization’s risk profile. ERM takes risk management beyond functional, program or policy silos and allows for risk information to be actively incorporated into governance deliberations and strategic and operational decisions, including those related to resource allocation.

Chief Data Officer

As the Department’s newest enabling service branch, the Chief Data Officer provides direction and leadership for the innovative, secure, and ethical management and use of data and analytics. The Chief Data Officer Branch works with stakeholders across the organization to implement ESDC’s Data Strategy and drive towards a future state enterprise data ecosystem where data users are empowered by access to properly contextualized and curated data at the right time to meet the needs our clients and improve programs and services for all Canadians. Our key initiatives and services include:

• leading the development and implementation of ESDC’s Data Strategy
• management of ESDC’s data portfolio
• data infrastructure and program management, including enablement of appropriate access through ESDC’s Data Foundations Platform and open data
• enterprise data governance and stewardship
• guidance and support for the innovative and responsible use of AI and advanced analytics tools and methods
• support for organizational change through data literacy, engagement, and awareness

Chief Financial Officer

In order to ensure an environment of fiscal responsibility, compliance and accountability, the Chief Financial Officer provides functional direction, guidance and leadership for the management of the Department’s financial resources and systems. This includes:

• strategic multi-year resource planning
• management, and reporting
• corporate accounting
• reporting, and financial statements
• the administration of the corporate real estate portfolio property
• financial system maintenance
• the stewardship of corporate investments and procurement
• centre of expertise for project management

Corporate Secretariat

The Corporate Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, Part 4 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act related to Protection of Personal Information, the policy on Ministerial Appointments and the Departmental Policy on Privacy Management. The Corporate Secretariat also supports the Department by providing services, advice and assistance on domains related to:

• Parliamentary Affairs
• Access to Information and Privacy Management
• Governance and Executive Committees
• Ministerial and Executive Briefings
• Ministerial and Executive Correspondence
• Governor in Council appointment frameworks and selection processes

Human Resources Services Branch

The Human Resources Services Branch contributes to ESDC as an inclusive, accessible, healthy, and productive organization by attracting and retaining diverse talent aligned with business needs, by developing people, and by fostering a safe, healthy, and productive workplace.

To achieve these goals and with the vision to drive the employee experience at ESDC to be the best in government through seamless, digital, inclusive, and user-centric services, the Branch is committed to enabling and supporting a strengthened ESDC workforce, enabling an ESDC workplace that supports well-being and inclusion, and modernizing Human Resources programs and services.

Innovation, Information and Technology Branch

The Innovation, Information and Technology Branch is the digital services enabler for the whole department. The Branch provides information and technology services to the Department, covering our citizen-facing services, key departmental business systems, and the technologies used by all employees. As one of the largest departments in the federal government, ESDC has a diverse and aging technology base, which the Branch is actively sustaining, modernizing, and transforming in collaboration with partner organisations across the Department and the Government.

Legal Services Branch

The Legal Services Branch provides legal services to support the core operations and key initiatives of the Department. The services provided include legal advice on program statutes and policies administered by the Department; advice in relation to the development of policy and legislative or regulatory proposals; and representing the Department before boards, administrative tribunals, and courts.

Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations Branch

The Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations Branch (PASRB) is the communications branch of ESDC. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of this Branch is the Head of Communications for the Department and is responsible for upholding the GC’s Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications.

The Branch serves as the focal point for strategic and operational communications advice, products and services and supports portfolio Ministers in their roles as principal spokespersons for the Department and Deputy Heads in their roles as heads of the institution. Through its networks and channels, the Branch works closely with central agencies (such as the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat and Finance Canada) for communication direction, guidance and approvals.

PASRB is a full-service communications branch that offers professional communication services, including:

• internal and strategic communications
• events, marketing and advertising
• stakeholder relations
• public opinion research
• video and creative services
• social media
• media relations
• speech writing
• linguistic services

Policy, Dispute Resolution, and International Affairs Branch

The Policy, Dispute Resolution and International Affairs (PDRIA) branch leads policy development on labour issues affecting federally regulated industries in Canada. The Branch manages the Government of Canada’s relationships with its international, federal, provincial and territorial partners, and with unions and employers. It provides mediation and conciliation services to unions and employers in the federally regulated private sector.

The branch also works to promote respect for international labour standards with Canada’s international partners; and makes connections with employers, unions and a wide array of stakeholders and partners on labour policy issues.

Compliance, Operations and Program Development Branch

The Compliance, Operations and Program Development (COPD) branch provides a strategic vision for program operations and service delivery. It leads the administration of labour legislation and regulations in the areas of workplace safety, labour standards, employment equity, and federal workers’ compensation. It also ensures national consistency in program delivery and works to modernize services to strengthen accountability, results, and performance along with other Labour Program business lines.

Strategic Integration and Governance Directorate

The Strategic Integration and Governance Directorates provides corporate management advice and support to the Labour Program and ensures strategic alignment and integration across the Labour Program and department.

Citizen Service Branch

The Citizen Service Branch (CSB) is responsible for determining what services citizens can expect and how these services are delivered and marketed to citizens through an integrated multi-channel delivery network, in both official languages. This involves working with federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal partners, as well as Indigenous organizations, to ensure Canadians have access to all programs and services to which they are entitled. The Branch’s work focuses on client-facing service delivery or supporting service delivery and the client experience (CX) with a horizontal view. CX is now a top priority for the Department and is driving how we do business.

CSB is leading this work through:

• the CX Centre of Expertise
• CX surveys
• client feedback research
• business insights

CSB is leading the department’s effort to reduce the number of eligible individuals not receiving benefits. This effort, referred to as Reaching All Canadians, is an enterprise- wide horizontal initiative aimed at addressing barriers impeding marginalized and underserved populations across benefit programs.

The Branch delivers general program and service information and self-service options across a multi-channel network of over 600 offices and outreach locations. For example, in-person points of service, such as:

• Service Canada Centres (SCC)
• scheduled outreach sites
• SCC Passport Services sites
• Service Delivery Partner sites

CSB also offers services tailored to the needs of communities or specific client segments through

• eService Canada
• community outreach
• telephone operations (1-800 O-Canada call centre, and the Service Canada Outreach Support Centre)
• digital presence (eSIN and the web channel Canada.ca)

In addition, CSB leads in the development of national service delivery strategies for the multi-channel network and offers enterprise-wide digital solutions to other GC departments to manage their Internet web and social media presence.

The Branch leads the delivery of passport services as well as the strategies to ensure integrated service management in the departmental context. It enables the network with the right tools, strategies, and training, ensuring integrated workplace, workforce and workload in a multichannel environment for Passport. The Branch also leads the implementation of modernization initiatives in close collaboration with IRCC.

The Branch leads a Service Delivery Partnerships Program that establishes service delivery partnerships with other government departments and other jurisdictions to offer citizens a comprehensive spectrum of government services and information.

The Branch also provides more in-depth service for a range of other offerings including managing the Official Languages Centre of Expertise for Part IV (Communications with and Services to the Public) of the Official Languages Act (OLA) and the governance of ESDC’s OL Program.

Integrity Services Branch

The Integrity Services Branch (ISB) protects the Department’s most important programs and benefit services – Employment Insurance (EI), Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) from error, fraud and abuse by preventing, detecting and addressing wrongdoing through the use of investigations, business intelligence, predictive analytics, root cause analyses and fraud risk assessments. This contributes to the long-term sustainability of the programs offered by the Government of Canada.

ISB is the policy centre for identity management, by providing registration and authentication services, managing the operations processing and quality management of the Social Insurance Number program, and providing a leadership role on information sharing agreement with provinces and territories.

ISB is responsible for supporting internal integrity, emergency management, business continuity and corporate security. ISB promotes the security and the safety of departmental personnel, visitors, information, and assets, oversees the security clearance process of all employees, as well as manage unauthorized accesses / log monitoring in corporate system, and a complementary internal risks program. ISB ensures the Department continues to deliver services to Canadians in the event of security incidents, disruptions, natural disasters, or emergencies.

Program Operations Branch

The Program Operations Branch (POB) leads the management and delivery of core ESDC, grants and contributions programs through a national delivery centre and a regional network, and 5 ministerial portfolios, including:

• Labour
• Seniors
• Families, Children, and Social Development
• Women and Gender Equality and Youth
• Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

POB is also responsible for managing and overseeing the Work-Sharing Program. POB plays an important role in the grants and contributions lifecycle, from supporting the design, through launching of call for proposals, screening and assessing, and negotiating agreements with clients.

The Branch also leads modernization initiatives as well as interdepartmental grants and contributions engagement. It conducts client experience research by collecting important feedback on how clients experience and evaluate the services of the Department, which allows the Department to understand the interactions, challenges, and expectations of client organizations. Applied research is also conducted to ensure that we understand barriers to access programs, to reduce bias in all phases of the lifecycle, and to ensure that we are meeting and exceeding client expectations.

In addition to providing horizontal support and functional direction to Delivery units, POB also supports the management, oversight, and administration of grants and contributions by operating the Grants and Contributions Centre of Expertise and by managing the Common System for Grants and Contributions and a variety of other client-facing IT systems.

In 2021 to 2022, ESDC managed a budget of $4.35 billion^{Footnote 7} in grants and contributions, which included about 37 programs and 66 streams.

Temporary Foreign Worker Branch

The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Branch is responsible for delivering the TFW Program, which enables Canadian employers to fill labour and skills shortages on a temporary basis when Canadians and permanent residents are not available. The program seeks to balance the needs of employers with the protection of foreign workers while they are in Canada.

The program is designed to be responsive to changes in the labour market and incorporates a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which requires prospective employers to demonstrate that the entry of TFWs will not have adverse impacts on the Canadian labour market, and that the employer and job offer are legitimate. The program is a primary source of seasonal labour in Canada, particularly in the agricultural sector, and plays a key role in ensuring domestic food security.

The TFW Branch is directly responsible for leading program policy, providing protections for foreign workers in Canada, processing LMIA applications, and ensuring that employers participating in the Program are compliant with the Program’s requirements. The TFW Branch works closely with program stakeholders, including provinces and territories who hold jurisdiction over labour and housing standards in most sectors; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada who determines eligibility for work permits; and the Canada Border Services Agency who assesses admissibility at ports of entry, and issues work permits.

Benefits and Integrated Services Branch

The Benefits and Integrated Service Branch (BISB) was established as a separate branch within Service Canada in June 2020. In partnership with regional service delivery networks, the branch is responsible for the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of the daily operations of Canada’s largest statutory benefit programs, including Employment Insurance (EI), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and Old Age Security (OAS), as well as the appeals and quality management services for these core statutory programs. BISB also has core capacity and readiness to deliver new service offerings, such as one-time payments and call centre services for ESDC and other GC organizations. The Branch leads the specialized call centre networks that ensure Canadians have timely access to the information they need to access the benefits to which they are entitled, through key life events. Further, BISB is responsible for certain modernization initiatives, including improvements realized through projects such as the Canada Pension Plan Enhancement.

BISB’s mandate and services continue to evolve as Service Canada seeks to improve its service delivery integration and client focus, through horizontal management of the workload, workforce, and workplace. The Branch works closely with colleagues and partners across the Department and GC, to align policy direction with effective operations. This work ensures that the design and implementation of benefits delivery aligns and evolves with key GC priorities, such as temporary recovery benefits and grants to Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis, while striving to meet evolving service expectations of delivering dependable, digital, client-centred services and incorporating technologies that enable agents to focus on work that is more complex.

Atlantic Region

The Atlantic Region covers 4 provinces:

• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador

The Atlantic Region has a combined area of 504,320 km2 and serves a population of 2.5 million. The Region includes over 4,300 employees. The Region provides services to Canadians through:

• 57 in-person sites (including 3 consolidated passport centres)
• 1 Passport Mail Centre
• 15 Benefits Delivery Operation Centres
• 30 Integrity Services sites
• 8 Grants and Contributions program sites
• 2 TFW program sites

The national Social Insurance Number Registry for the country is also located in the Atlantic.

Ontario Region

The Ontario Region Service Delivery Network covers an area of 1.076 million km2 and serves a population of 14.7 million. The Region includes over 9,027 employees with the following points of presence:

• 1 Regional Headquarters (all regional business lines)
• 99 Points of Presence – Citizen Service Network (SCC and Passport Centres)
• 10 Benefit Service Delivery Hubs
• 5 Contact Centres (EI and Pensions)
• 1 Integrity Service Delivery Hub
• 1 Program Service Delivery Hub
• 1 Passport Service Delivery Hub

Ontario Region provides a coordinated, integrated, and seamless service experience to clients, communities and Labour Market Partners.

Quebec Region

The Quebec Region covers an area of 1.668 million km2 and serves a population of 8.5 million. The Region includes:

• nearly 6,700 employees
• 6 EI Processing Centres
• 1 OAS Processing Centre
• 4 Program Operations Centres
• 1 Passport Processing Centre
• 1 Passport Printing Centre
• 1 Administrative Centre

In the Region, direct service sites available for citizens include:

• 75 SCC
• 18 regular Mobile Service Sites
• 5 dedicated Passport Service Centres
• 4 Call centres (for Passport, EI and OAS)

Western Canada and Territories Region

The Western Canada and Territories Region includes 4 provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut). It is the biggest region in terms of size, with an area of 6.1 million km2. The Region serves a population of 12 million and includes over 7,200 employees through 245 in-person sites and 11 Benefit Delivery Operation Centres. Planning is underway to add a new Passport Service Delivery Hub by the end of December 2023.

Members

The Commission has 4 members, 3 of whom are voting members, representing the interests of government, workers and employers.

The Commissioner for Workers and the Commissioner for Employers are appointed by the Governor in Council for terms of up to 5 years. They are mandated to represent and reflect the views of their respective constituencies.

The chairperson and vice-chairperson are respectively the Deputy Minister and Senior Associate Deputy Minister of ESDC, who represent the interests of government. The Vice-Chairperson votes on decisions only if the Chairperson is unavailable.

Services and information

The main statutory function of the Commission is to administer the Employment Insurance Act. In practice, many of the day-to-day duties of the Commission have been delegated to Employment and Social Development officials.

The Commission has the legislated mandate to annually monitor and assess the EI program. In this context, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission is responsible for:

• overseeing a research agenda for the annual EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, including the impact and effectiveness of employment benefits and support measures
• delivering the report to the Minister by fiscal year end, for tabling in Parliament

The Commission also has responsibilities in the following areas:

Financial profile

The operations of the Commission are funded from the EI Operating Account, for which there is no set financial profile as EI is a statutory program.

Grants and contributions

1. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy
   1. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program
   2. Canada Summer Jobs
2. Student Work Placement Program (including Innovative Work Integrated Learning Initiative)
3. Canada Service Corps
   1. Innovation and Engagement
   2. Micro-Grants
   3. Service placements
4. Future Skills
5. Community Workforce Development Program
6. International Education Strategy: Outbound Student Mobility Pilot
7. Pathways to Education
8. Skills for Success
9. Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities
10. Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy
11. The Migrant Worker Support Program
12. Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
13. Skills for Success
    1. Women’s Employment Readiness Program Pilot
14. Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program
15. Foreign Credential Recognition Program
16. Support for Labour Market Information in Canada
17. Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime
18. Social Innovation Social Finance
    1. Investment Readiness Program
    2. Social Finance Fund
19. Social Development Partnerships Program
    1. Children and Families Component
    2. Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
    3. Community Services Recovery Fund
    4. Increasing Uptake and Awareness of the Canada Learning Bond
    5. Disability Component
    6. Canada’s Volunteer Awards
    7. Official Language Minority Communities
20. Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund
21. Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program
22. Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative
23. Skills and Partnership Fund
24. Supporting Indigenous Post-Secondary Education (Indspire)
25. Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program
26. Enabling Accessibility Fund
    1. Small-sized projects component
    2. Mid-sized projects component
    3. Youth Innovation component
27. New Horizons for Seniors Program
    1. Pan Canadian
    2. Regional Communities
28. Age Well at Home initiative
29. Strategic Engagement and Research Program
30. Labour Funding Program
    1. International Trade and Labour
    2. Labour Management Partnerships
    3. Occupational Health and Safety and Fire Prevention
31. Labour Funding Program (LFP)
32. Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund (formerly entitled Labour Management Collaboration Program)
33. Work Integration Social Enterprise
34. Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization
35. Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP) / Sectoral Workforce Solution Program (SWSP)
36. Community Workforce Development Program (CWDP)
37. Early Learning and Child Care
    1. Early Learning and Child Care Data and Research
    2. Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program

Statutory programs

1. Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and Canada Apprentice Loan
2. Canada Education Savings Program
3. Supporting Indigenous Students
4. Employment Insurance
   1. Regular Benefits
   2. Fishing Benefits
   3. Support for Seasonal Workers
   4. Sickness Benefits
   5. Maternity and Parental Benefits
   6. Special Benefits for Self-Employed
   7. Caregiving Benefits
   8. Premium Reduction Program
   9. Work Sharing
5. Job Bank
6. Canada Disability Savings Program
7. Canada Pension Plan
   1. Canada Pension Plan-Disability
8. Old Age Security
   1. Guaranteed Income Supplement
9. Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit

Transfer payments

1. Early Learning and Child Care Agreements
   1. Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements
   2. Bilateral Early Learning and Child Agreement Extensions
2. Labour Market Development Agreements^{Footnote 8}
3. Workforce Development Agreements

Other initiatives

1. Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship (Red Seal Program)
2. Canada Training Benefit
3. Canadian Government Annuities
4. Social Security Tribunal
5. Temporary Foreign Workers Program
6. Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities

Lisa Khouri, Chief of Staff

• [phone number redacted]
• lisa.khouri@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Vic Hill, Chief of Staff

• [phone number redacted]
• vic.hill@servicecanada.gc.ca

Katharine Wright, Chief of Staff

• katharine.wright@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Charleen Armstrong, Chief of Staff

• [phone number redacted]
• charleen.armstrong@labour-travail.gc.ca

Aïcha Fall, Chief of Staff

• [phone number redacted]
• aicha.fall@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Lisa Khouri, Chief of Staff

• [phone number redacted]
• lisa.khouri@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca