Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for the Public Health Agency of Canada (the Agency) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, except for information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency's mandate and the government's priorities.

In September 2004, the Agency was created within the federal Health Portfolio to deliver on the Government of Canada's commitment to increase its focus on public health in order to help protect and improve the health and safety of all Canadians and to contribute to strengthening the health care system.

The Agency's travel, hospitality and conference expenditures support the delivery of the following core programs and services to Canadians:

• contribute to the prevention of disease and injury, and to the promotion of health;
• enhance the quality and quantity of surveillance data and expand the knowledge of disease and injury in Canada;
• provide federal leadership and accountability in managing public health emergencies;
• serve as a central point for sharing Canada's expertise with the rest of the world and for applying international research and development to Canada's public health programs; and
• strengthen intergovernmental collaboration on public health and facilitate national approaches to public health policy and planning.

Public health involves the organized efforts of society to keep people healthy and to prevent injury, illness and premature death. It includes programs, services and policies that protect and promote the health of all Canadians. In Canada, public health is a responsibility that is shared by the three levels of government in collaboration with the private sector, non-government organizations, health professionals and the public.

Overall, the Agency manages travel, hospitality, and conference activities / expenditures with prudence and probity so that they demonstrate value for money and use the most economical options to minimize costs whenever possible.

For more detailed information on the Agency's mandate, including roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Agency's 2020-21 Departmental Plan and the 2019-20 Departmental Results Report.

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Public Health Agency of Canada
Year ended March 31, 2020

Expenditure Category	Expenditures for the Year ending March 31, 2019 ($ thousands)	Expenditures for the Year ending March 31, 2018 ($ thousands)	Variance ($ thousands)
Travel
Operational activities	2,810	3,179	-369
Key Stakeholders	1.080	1,453	-373
Internal governance	119	230	-111
Training	575	690	-115
Other	226	389	-163
A. Total Travel	4,811	5,942	-1,131
B. Hospitality	139	188	-49
C. Conference Fees	181	317	-136
Total (A+B+C)	5,131	6,446	-1,315
Differences may arise due to rounding

Significant variances compared with previous fiscal year:

Travel:

Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, the Agency's travel expenditures decreased by 19% or by $1.1M in 2019-20 mainly due to less participation in stakeholder engagement and operational activities across Canada.

Hospitality:

Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, the Agency's hospitality expenditures decreased by 26% or by $49K in 2019-20 mainly due to one-off, legislated commitments in 2018-19 to host national conferences on dementia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conference Fees:

Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, the Agency's conference fee expenditures decreased by 43% or by $136K in 2019-20 mainly due to less participation in conferences and workshops.