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Departmental Plan Report 2021-2022

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From the Minister

Polar Knowledge Canada’s (POLAR) 2021-22 Departmental Plan provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on the work POLAR plans to complete over the course of the 2021-22 year. It describes the organization’s programs and services for Canadians and how POLAR will support the fulfillment of mandate commitments and the Government of Canada’s priorities.

POLAR’s mission is to advance and mobilize knowledge of the polar regions through leadership, partnerships and collaboration on polar science and technology. In support of this mission, POLAR operates the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, a world-class hub for science, technology and innovation in Canada’s North.

POLAR’s vision of a sustainable future guided by knowledge and collaboration¸ while focussed on the polar regions, recognizes the global implications of its work, and the necessity of drawing on a wide variety of expertise from Canada and around the world. This vision demands innovative approaches and research that is both cross-disciplinary and collaborative. POLAR will continue its work to build relationships and partnerships beyond disciplines and borders, to support the respectful and meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in research, and to synthesize and share information to advance polar research for the benefit of all Canadians.

POLAR’s work is framed by reconciliation and driven by the needs and priorities of northerners. With their profound connections to the land and wildlife, northern and Indigenous communities are experiencing the impacts of a rapidly changing Arctic climate with particular intensity. In 2021-22, POLAR will work with its northern and Indigenous partners to better understand their priorities, so that the research POLAR undertakes to advance the objectives of its 2020-2025 Science and Technology Framework will support communities as they plan responses, and paths forward, for today’s challenges and to prepare for those of the future.

The Government of Canada is committed to renewing the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples, tackling the challenge of climate change, promoting economic development, and creating jobs for the middle class. POLAR is making good progress towards these priorities in the North, while strengthening Canada’s leadership in polar science and technology. As the Minister of Northern Affairs, I am honoured to have POLAR as part of my portfolio.

The Honourable Daniel Vandal, P.C., M.P., Minister of Northern Affairs

From the President and CEO

The 2021-22 year is the sixth year of operation for Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR), and it will mark my first year as its President and CEO. POLAR has accomplished much so far, from contributing to the development of horizontal policy initiatives like the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, to providing financial and technical supports to science and technology projects in the north, to opening the Canadian High Arctic Research Station campus and facilities to the public.

POLAR’s first few years have brought an array of challenges that a new organization may expect, and one that was completely unforeseen: COVID-19. The start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020 effectively meant the loss of a full season of field research. Fortunately, POLAR’s Cambridge Bay staff and partners were able to maintain some environmental monitoring projects. Enormously disruptive as it has been, the pandemic has also presented a unique opportunity to assess how POLAR operates and prepare for the future. POLAR has applied the lessons learned from the disruption caused by the pandemic to find new ways to achieve results by leveraging technology to build relationships across virtual networks. This will serve the organization well if, as expected, pandemic restrictions continue to affect operations in 2021-22 and beyond.

In 2021-22 POLAR will focus on strengthening its relationships with Indigenous partners, guided by our organizational values of respect, collaboration, knowledge and integrity. This work will include exploring opportunities for collaboration through POLAR’s recently signed memoranda of understanding with Indigenous organizations. These partnerships will be key as POLAR begins the important work to co-develop the Implementation Plan for its 2020-2025 Science and Technology Framework.

POLAR is committed to increasing the number of its Nunavut Inuit employees and to supporting their development and retention through the implementation of its Inuit Employment Plan. This commitment helps to ensure that northerners benefit from POLAR’s operations in Nunavut and across the Arctic, and that POLAR’s work remains relevant to Nunavummiut in the years to come.

As POLAR’s new President and CEO, I am pleased to present POLAR’s 2021-22 Departmental Plan.

Jennifer C. Hubbard, President and CEO, Polar Knowledge Canada

Plans at a glance

In 2020, POLAR publicly released its Strategic Plan and 2020-2025 Science and Technology Framework. The Strategic Plan is a high-level guidance and decision-making tool to help POLAR align its resources and objectives with its long-term vision: A sustainable future guided by knowledge and collaboration. To achieve this vision, in 2021-22, POLAR will sustain its efforts on collaborative and interdisciplinary science aligned with its 2020-2025 Science and Technology Framework aiming to create purpose-driven knowledge that addresses the most pressing needs Northerners have identified. Key to the fulfillment of its mission and vision, POLAR operates the CHARS campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, providing resources and services for in-house and visiting scientists and researchers.

POLAR will add unique value to polar research by integrating information from various research, science and technology disciplines into broadly accessible products to communicate new polar knowledge. The knowledge products POLAR develops will provide scientific and technological insights in one place to support evidence-based policy development and decision-making.

POLAR’s departmental plan also considers the commitments made to work more closely with Indigenous partners in polar science and research and knowledge dissemination. POLAR will continue to work with Indigenous groups to ensure that Indigenous knowledge informs the development of policies and decisions made by the organization. In 2021-22, POLAR will undertake this work across the Arctic guided by memoranda of understanding with Indigenous partners and by established relationships with other organizations.

For more information on the POLAR’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks” section of this report.

Core responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks

This section contains detailed information on the department’s planned results and resources for each of its core responsibilities. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.

Polar Science and Knowledge

Description: Polar Knowledge Canada is Canada’s polar science agency operating out of the world-class Canadian High Arctic Research Station campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Polar Knowledge Canada performs and publishes multi-disciplinary polar research. Through our grants and contributions program, we fund external partners such as academia, northern communities and organizations who conduct research and related projects. Polar Knowledge Canada aims to include Indigenous and local knowledge wherever possible, and increase domestic and international research coordination and collaboration by leveraging resources with partners. Through workshops, conferences, social media, and other tools, Polar Knowledge Canada shares and promotes the exchange of knowledge across polar scientific and policy communities and the general public. Throughout all of its core activities, Polar Knowledge Canada aims to fund and train the next generation of polar research personnel, with a focus on northern youth.

Planning Highlights

Canada’s polar science and technology research is publicly available and being applied

The polar science and technology research that is performed at the CHARS campus will be publicly available and shared within Canada and internationally through a wide range of publications, events, meetings and other means.

In 2021-22, POLAR will communicate and promote polar research, enhance research collaboration and ensure research is accessible to communities, other researchers and all Canadians. Information that is shared will be informed by, and include as appropriate, both Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge, as well as science and technology data that supports evidence-based decision making and policy development. Means of communication will include public reports, educational videos, and information databases.

Canada’s Arctic science includes Indigenous and local knowledge

POLAR will ensure that Indigenous and local knowledge is incorporated into the research that it performs and funds and will provide opportunities to advance Inuit employment and training in science, policy and administrative positions which will support POLAR in meeting the Government of Canada’s Inuit employment obligations under Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement.

In 2021-22, POLAR, which is headquartered in Nunavut, will continue to implement its Inuit Employment Plan and support the development and implementation of practices to increase the representation of Nunavut Inuit in its ranks. POLAR will continue to advance technology skills transfers, training and employment among Indigenous community members and staff through its intramural research projects, community outreach and engagement, and knowledge management and mobilization activities. Additionally, through its grant and contribution funding, POLAR will prioritize projects that appropriately solicit and include and support both Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge.

Canada fosters domestic and international knowledge exchange and partnerships in polar science and technology

Operating and maintaining the CHARS campus as a world-class centre for polar science will allow POLAR to strengthen and expand national and international research collaborations and, in turn, gain knowledge and expertise to address regional and circumpolar challenges.

In 2021-22, POLAR will build upon its polar science partnerships both in Canada and internationally. POLAR will collaborate with other federal departments and Indigenous organizations to advance federal science priorities, including the implementation of Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework and the implementation of Open Science and Open Government directives. Efforts will also focus on enhancing access to research infrastructure and expertise across the North, both domestically and internationally. POLAR will continue to operate the CHARS campus and promote its use to Canadian and international researchers and scientists.

The next generation of Canadian polar researchers is developed

POLAR’s grant and contribution programs and the CHARS campus will continue to support students in technical, science and research programs at colleges and universities. POLAR has specific initiatives delivered via the CHARS campus to encourage youth engagement, including science camps for local youth, summer employment, casual hires and student placements. POLAR also has early-career researcher exchange programs to build a base of early career polar researchers.

In 2021-22, POLAR will continue to promote interest in polar science and technology opportunities through support to external partners for science and technology projects and capacity-building initiatives involving early career researchers. POLAR will also continue to develop youth interest in polar science and research by expanding and developing science and technology programming, engaging youth in science-based activities, and working with key partners on activities geared towards youth.

Gender-based analysis plus

GBA+ analysis is a key tool to support improvements in both POLAR’s programs and its internal services and operations. POLAR continues to use GBA+ as both an analytical process and as a tool for meaningful engagement to provide information, data and trends that will inform mitigation measures and activities in support of departmental results. Specifically, in order to increase Indigenous participation in their activities, POLAR committed to:

  • Providing in-kind and financial support to research projects that include Indigenous knowledge and/or local knowledge;
  • Encouraging and facilitating engagement between researchers at the CHARS campus and community decision-makers; and,
  • Supporting data and information management systems to document Indigenous knowledge to support local and integrated decision-making.

In order to increase the number of youth pursuing polar science and technology-related careers, POLAR has committed to:

  • Providing support for science camps in northern communities, such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) programs;
  • Supporting visiting scientist presentations; and,
  • Making available educational tools (such as maps of the polar regions) to support curriculum development.

Additionally, GBA+ is used to support POLAR’s work to meet its obligations under Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement. Although POLAR will continue to give preference to applicants who self-identify as Inuit under the Nunavut Agreement, increasing Inuit representation remains challenging given that there are science-specific classifications and degree or post-graduate (M.Sc., Ph.D.) education requirements for a number of POLAR’s positions. The risk of not meeting this obligation is compounded by the fact that the CHARS campus is in a small, northern community with a limited local labour pool for science- and policy-focused positions. There is also a risk that stakeholder expectations regarding the benefits derived from the CHARS campus cannot be met as they are extremely high in terms of employment opportunities for local people, economic development in Nunavut, and support for local businesses and organizations. GBA+ integration will continue to be undertaken on all Treasury Board Submissions, Cabinet documents, budget submissions, and in policy and program architecture and implementation.

Experimentation

In 2021-22, POLAR will focus on identifying opportunities for experimentation related to the achievement of planned results associated with its “Polar Science and Knowledge” core responsibility in the coming fiscal years. Where possible, POLAR will leverage lessons learned from experimentations completed by other federal organizations with similar mandates and responsibilities.

It should be noted that experimentation in this context does not refer to POLAR’s science and technology activities, but is specific to testing program activities related to achieving results related to its core responsibility.

Key risk(s)

POLAR has identified key risks to the achievement of results related to its core responsibility. These risks and measures to mitigate them are as follows:

Relationship and Reputational Risks – The majority of POLAR’s operations and planned activities rely on collaboration and partnerships with other federal organizations, northern and Indigenous organizations and communities, and academia. These relationships include specific obligations outlined in treaties and self-government agreements; signed memoranda of understanding with Indigenous organizations; service agreements with other federal organizations; and others.

There is a risk that POLAR will be unable to complete planned activities due to internal capacity challenges or dependency on inputs from other organizations over which POLAR has limited control. Should this risk materialize, important partners, particularly Indigenous groups and communities, may perceive these delays as POLAR not fulfilling its commitments.

POLAR will mitigate these relationship and reputational risks by:

  • Involving and supporting community participation early, and in every stage of projects that impact them;
  • Communicating POLAR’s commitments under memoranda of understanding with Indigenous partners, and taking meaningful action to implement these commitments; and
  • Addressing internal capacity challenges through timely recruitment including the ongoing implementation of its Inuit Employment Plan to attract, develop and retain talent.

Pandemic-Related Risks – In 2020-21, travel-related restrictions and other pandemic health and safety measures significantly impacted POLAR’s planned activities, essentially cancelling the 2020 field season, and closing the CHARS campus and facilities to the public. There is a risk that ongoing health and safety measures, including travel restrictions, will prevent POLAR from completing activities or fulfilling commitments planned for 2021-22.

POLAR will mitigate this risk by:

  • Supporting the implementation of projects and initiatives by developing and applying contingency measures, such as alternative program delivery options including virtual online seminars and workshops;
  • Planning knowledge management and engagement activities and events in a way that they can be safely performed under pandemic restrictions (e.g., virtual events);
  • Engaging local expertise and experience (e.g., the Hunters and Trappers Organization, Nunavut residents, etc.) to support to POLAR’s activities (such as performing ongoing monitoring of changes in the environment); and,
  • Updating partners and stakeholders as disruptions affect program initiatives, commitments and planned results.
Planned results for Polar Science and Knowledge
Departmental results Departmental result indicator Target Date to achieve target 2017–18 Actual result1 2018–19 Actual result 2019–20 Actual result
Canada’s polar science and technology research is publicly available and being applied Percentage of research publications led or2 supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that are available online to the Canadian public At least 30%2 March 2025 Not available 56% 61%
Number of citations of research led or2 supported by Polar Knowledge Canada At least 100 March 2025 Not available3 126 3383
Canada’s Arctic science includes Indigenous and local knowledge Percentage of Arctic research projects led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that include Indigenous or local knowledge4 At least 90% March 2025 Not available3 80% 76%
Percentage of Arctic projects led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that involve Northerners5 At least 90% March 2025 Not available3 92% 67%6
Canada fosters domestic and international knowledge exchange and partnerships in polar science Number of knowledge exchange activities or initiatives led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada7 At least 100 March 2025 Not available3 657 3488
Percentage of leveraged investment by Polar Knowledge Canada-supported projects At least 100% March 2025 Not available3 126% 38%9
Percentage of projects led by Polar Knowledge Canada that involve external partners At least 75% March 2025 Not available3 63% 78%
The next generation of Canadian polar researchers is developed Percentage of Polar Knowledge Canada-led or supported projects that involve youth or early career researchers10 At least 80% March 2025 Not available3 Not available3 Not available11
  1. As POLAR's initial Departmental Results Framework was only approved in April 2018, actual results were not tracked prior to this time and, therefore, no information is available for the "2017-18 Actual Results."
  2. Originally this indicator read “…led and supported…”. In 2019-20 this indicator was updated to “…led or supported…” to clarify the indicator and the results on which POLAR is reporting. This amendment does not change the data reported, but merely makes clearer the results POLAR is reporting.
  3. This Performance Indicator is a 3 year aggregate, with 2019-20 being the third year of this result being measured. One would expect an increase from year 1 to 2 and again from year 2 to 3 (i.e. from 2017 to 2018, and again from 2018 to 2019). However, in FY2019-20, a levelling off of this value would be expected, particularly as 2017 data is removed from the calculation and 2020 is added (i.e., maintaining a 3-year dataset).
  4. Both Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge can be considered practical knowledge built up by Indigenous groups and/or local communities over generations or knowledge specific to a particular location. This may include, but is not limited to, projects in which locally based expertise is used as one source of historical or baseline data, and/or is used to formulate research questions or hypotheses, and/or is used to inform the analysis of research findings. More specifically, the project is developed and carried out in collaboration with an Indigenous organization or community; an Indigenous organization or community leads the project; the project responds to a need identified by an Indigenous organization or community and that organization or community participates in the research; information from Indigenous sources is essential to carrying out the project (the project focuses on Indigenous perspectives or expertise); the project integrates information from scientific/academic, Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge sources; and/or the project gathers original information or uses existing information from Indigenous sources (individuals, information holdings, other material).
  5. Northerners include individuals of any age who are based in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik or Nunatsiavut. Projects include both scientific research and non-scientific projects. Meaningful involvement can include activities such as scientific studies, workshops, camps, or other training-related activities that would have a significant impact or important effect on the youth involved.
  6. A number of POLAR’s funded projects were finishing in 2019-20 and, therefore, involved primarily administrative and reporting activities. The work that included Indigenous knowledge or involved northerners was undertaken in the earlier years of these projects. As a result, in 2019-20, POLAR did not meet the performance indicator targets established for the results related to the percentage of Arctic projects, led or supported by POLAR, that included Indigenous knowledge or local knowledge and/or involved Northerners. POLAR expects that these values will increase again once agreements are in place under the next Competitive Funding Process.
  7. Knowledge exchange initiatives include, but are not limited to, projects or activities such as workshops or working groups, conferences, and community-based information sharing meetings.
  8. For this result, the 2019-20 value is less than the 2018-19 value because there was a lower number of funded projects that continued into 2019-20. As well, there were a number of funded projects that were finishing in 2019-20 resulting in more administrative activities rather than knowledge exchange activities. POLAR expects that these values will increase again once agreements are in place under the next Competitive Funding Process.
  9. In FY2019-20, many projects were entering into their last year of a 3/2-year funding cycle as POLAR transitions to a new funding cycle for 2020 to 2023. In some cases, projects were given additional funding or were amended for an additional year with only funds from POLAR being provided. In these cases, the FY2019-20 portion of the funding was not dependent on matching external funds as the project leaders would not have forecasted for additional resources.
  10. This indicator was amended in 2019-20. It combines the two indicators previously under this Result. Youth include individuals who are 30 years of age or younger. Early career researchers, which includes technicians and support staff, refers to individuals currently pursuing studies in a field related to polar research at a territorial college, or undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral program, or have recently completed their studies (i.e., within two years).
  11. As this indicator was new in 2019-20 results were not applicable in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and were not yet available in 2019-20.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the POLAR’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.i

Planned budgetary financial resources for Polar Science and Knowledge
2021–22 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2021–22 planned spending 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending
16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186

Financial, human resources and performance information for the POLAR’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.ii

Planned human resources for Polar Science and Knowledge
2021–22 planned full-time equivalents 2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents
41 41 41

Financial, human resources and performance information for the POLAR’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.iii

Internal Services: planned results

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

  • 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

Planning highlights

The following are POLAR’s key planned internal services highlights for fiscal year 2021-22:

  • Establishing new contracts for the provision of facilities management and maintenance services, grounds keeping services and security services for the CHARS campus;
  • Continuing to implement its Inuit Employment Plan; and,
  • Initiating an evaluation of POLAR’s transfer payment programs.

Establishing new contracts for the operations and maintenance of the CHARS campus and facilities will ensure that POLAR’s staff, collaborators and partners continue to have safe and sustainable access to the campus and its facilities. The use of the CHARS campus and facilities is foundational to POLAR’s departmental results framework, as the campus provides a hub for collaboration on polar science and technology. The implementation of POLAR’s Inuit Employment Plan contributes to the Government of Canada priority of reconciliation, and will ensure that the operations and activities undertaken by POLAR are informed and guided by Indigenous knowledge. The evaluation of POLAR’s transfer payment programs will provide POLAR with important information to ensure its programs are relevant and modern, and that they are effectively and efficiently contributing to achieving the results outlined in POLAR’s departmental results framework.

Planned budgetary financial resources for Internal Services
2021–22 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2021–22 planned spending 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending
16,111,924 16,111,924 16,237,655 16,237,655
Planned human resources for Internal Services
2021–22 planned full-time equivalents 2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents
50 50 50

Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department’s planned spending and human resources for the next three consecutive fiscal years and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years’ actual spending.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2018–19 to 2023–24

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory) spending over time.

Planned spending

The graph illustrated POLAR’s spending trend over a six-year period starting in 2018-19 and ending in 2023-24. The graph is based on two years of actual spending, one year of forecast spending and three years of planned spending.

In fiscal year 2018-19, the actual spending was $1.0 million from statutory spending with $23.7 million in voted spending. In 2019-20, actual spending was $1.1 million from statutory spending and $29.4 million from voted spending.

In fiscal year 2020-21, the forecasted spending is $1.7 million from statutory spending with $30.7 million in voted spending. Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on POLAR’s planned operations and the loss of the field research season in 2020-21, POLAR expects its voted spending to be lower than forecasted.

In 2021-22, the planned spending is $2.5 million for statutory spending with $29.8 million in voted spending. For 2022-23 and 2023-24, planned spending is $2.5 million for statutory spending with $29.9 million in voted spending. The increase of $0.7 million in statutory spending is due to obtaining a new authority to spend revenues received through the conduct of its operations permitted under section 6 (2) of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act.

Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned spending for POLAR’s core responsibility and for Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Core responsibilities and Internal Services 2018–19 expenditures 2019–20 expenditures 2020–21 forecast spending 2021–22 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2021–22 planned spending 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending
Polar Science and Knowledge 15,642,340 15,282,156 16,784,156 16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186
Subtotal 15,642,340 15,282,156 16,784,156 16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186 16,105,186
Internal Services 9,014,331 15,295,336 15,688,864 16,111,924 16,111,924 16,237,655 16,237,655
Total 24,656,671 30,577,492 32,473,020 32,217,110 32,217,110 32,342,841 32,342,841

From 2018-19 to 2019-20, POLAR’s expenditures increased by $7.4 million primarily due to the transfer of operational responsibilities for the CHARS campus to POLAR from CIRNA, impacting the Science & Technology for the North and Polar Knowledge Application programs, as well as Internal Services. Included in these responsibilities was the award of POLAR’s first contract for the repair and maintenance of the campus.

Planned human resources

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for each core responsibility in POLAR’s departmental results framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services
Core responsibilities and Internal Services 2018–19 actual full time equivalents 2019–20 actual full time equivalents 2020–21 forecast full time equivalents 2021–22 planned full time equivalents 2022–23 planned full time equivalents 2023–24 planned full time equivalents
Polar Science and Knowledge 33 36 39 41 41 41
Subtotal 33 36 39 41 41 41
Internal Services 34 42 42 50 50 50
Total 67 78 81 91 91 91

The increase in full-time equivalents (FTE) is due mainly to additional capacity needed to support the development of programs, manage the expanded grant and contribution programs, reduce reliance on external human resources services and manage the CHARS campus facilities. As POLAR approaches a steadier state of operations, it continues to review its staffing levels to better understand its resourcing requirements in support of achieving planned results.

Estimates by vote

Information on POLAR’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2021–22 Main Estimates.iv

Future-oriented Condensed statement of operations

The future oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of POLAR’s operations for 2020–21 to 2021–22.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending 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 to the requested authorities, are available on POLAR’s websitev.

Future oriented Condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2022 (dollars)
Financial information 2020–21 forecast results 2021–22 planned results Difference (2021–22 planned results minus 2020–21 forecast results)
Total expenses 32,793,239 33,055,584 262,345
Total revenues 282,888 449,211 166,323
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 32,510,351 32,606,373 96,022

Total expenses for the 2021-22 planned results do not include amortization of the CHARS campus as a decision on custodianship of the CHARS campus will be made once substantial completion of the construction project has been achieved. In addition, the value of the CHARS campus has yet to be determined.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Daniel Vandal, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Jennifer C. Hubbard, President and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Northern Affairs

Enabling instrument[s]: Canadian High Arctic Research Station Actvi

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2015

Other: POLAR is overseen by a nine-member Board of Directors, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The Board approves the Agency’s science and technology plan and annual work plans and budget. The Board is accountable to the Minister of Northern Affairs. All members are appointed by Order-in-Council to hold office for terms not exceeding five years, and are eligible for re-appointment for a second term of office. Members of the Board of Directors hold office on a part-time basis.

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on POLAR’s website.vii

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.viii

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on POLAR’s website.ix

Reporting framework

POLAR’s approved departmental results framework and program inventory for 2021-22 are as follows.

Departmental Result Indicator
Canada’s polar science and technology research is publicly available and being applied
  • Percentage of research publications led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that are available online to the Canadian Public
  • Number of citations of research led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada
Canada’s Arctic science includes Indigenous and local knowledge
  • Percentage of Arctic research projects led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that include Indigenous or local knowledge
  • Percentage of Arctic projects led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada that involve Northerners
Canada fosters domestic and international knowledge exchange and partnerships in polar science
  • Percentage of projects led by Polar Knowledge Canada that involve external partners
  • Percentage of leveraged investment by Polar Knowledge Canada supported projects
  • Number of knowledge exchange activities or initiatives led or supported by Polar Knowledge Canada
The next generation of Canadian polar researchers is developed
  • Percentage of Polar Knowledge Canada-led or supported projects that involve youth or early career researchers
Changes to the approved reporting framework since 2019–20

In 2019-20, POLAR amended its DRF indicators. These minor amendments were made to clarify the results POLAR is reporting. Specifically, POLAR amended the indicator “Percentage of Polar Knowledge Canada-led or supported projects that involve youth or early career researchers”. The new indicator combines the two indicators previously under the Result “The next generation of Canadian polar researchers is developed”. The combination of these indicators avoids double-counting between events targeting youth and early career researchers. Youth include individuals who are 30 years of age or younger. Early career researchers, which includes technicians and support staff, refers to individuals currently pursuing studies in a field related to polar research at a territorial college, or undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral program, or have recently completed their studies (i.e., within two years).

Supporting information on the program inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to POLAR’s program inventory is available the GC InfoBase.x

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on POLAR’s websitexi:

Federal tax expenditures

POLAR’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures that relate to its planned results for 2021–22.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, and the Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-¬wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.xii 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. The tax measures presented in this report are solely the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

  • Cambridge Bay Headquarters:
    • Polar Knowledge Canada - Canadian High Arctic Research Station Campus
    • 1 Uvajuq Road
    • P.O. Box 2150
    • Cambridge Bay, NU, X0B 0C0
    • Tel.: (867) 983-7425
  • Ottawa Office:
    • Polar Knowledge Canada
    • 170 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 200
    • Ottawa, ON, K1P 5V5
    • Tel.: (613) 943-8605

Email: info@polar.gc.ca

Website: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge.htmlxiii

Appendix: definitions

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 report on the plans and expected performance of a department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority (priorité ministérielle)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Departmental priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. 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 accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
experimentation (expérimentation)
The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare, the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works and what doesn’t. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.
full time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. Full time 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+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2021–22 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, namely: Protecting Canadians from COVID-19; Helping Canadians through the pandemic; Building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class; The Canada we’re fighting for.
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.
non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
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.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)
The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision-making, accountability and transparency.
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 the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and 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.
strategic outcome (résultat stratégique)
A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.
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.

Endnotes

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