2017-18 Departmental Plan

Operating Context: conditions affecting our work

The Department’s operating context is ever-evolving, with a few key factors in particular influencing Government and Department priorities. These factors will continue to impact the work of the Department in 2017-18.

Demographically, Canada’s society is aging, living longer and becoming more diverse culturally and linguistically. Indigenous Canadians are younger than the overall Canadian population and, while growing as a segment of the national population, are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Family structures continue to evolve with a number of single-parent families, children living in poverty and children with parents in different/complex living arrangements. These demographic realities will continue to have an impact on access to justice and the Department’s delivery of programs.

There are heightened expectations regarding public institutions and citizen engagement in Canadian society. Canadians expect open and transparent government that swiftly and clearly responds to their needs. There are greater expectations for frequent and meaningful communications with government. The growing use of social media tools by Canadians to access information and comment on a wide range of social, legal, and justice-related issues offers opportunities to engage Canadians and capture the views of community partners and citizens.

Ongoing technological improvements, especially in the sharing and management of information, enable new ways of communicating and working. However, at the same time, these advances create additional demands and pressures. New technologies are increasing the pace of change. Organizations must manage rapidly growing volumes and forms of electronic information. Moreover, the adoption of these new technologies may pose new threats to the privacy and security of Canadians, requiring new legislative, policy or program responses.

Justice issues are increasingly global in nature. Consequently, the global justice environment is an important consideration in the development of the Canadian justice system and in promoting Canadian security and opportunity. In addition, significant developments in the international landscape, global economic uncertainty, slow economic growth, and increasing income inequality continue to be significant concerns for various levels of government within Canada and abroad. These economic conditions are shaping policy priorities and spurring the search for new efficiencies in the delivery of programs and services.

Many of these operating conditions are reflected in the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Blueprint 2020 vision for the Public Service. As the Department strives to deliver on the Government’s mandate in 2017-18, it will continue to be guided by this vision to provide better services at lower cost through transformative activities, namely collaboration, innovation, process streamlining, and fostering a high-performing and adaptable public service.