Core responsibility descriptions

Public Accounts of Canada 2019 Volume II—Top of the page Navigation

Core responsibility: Internal Services

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 refer to the activities and resources of ten distinct services that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are: Acquisition Management Services, Communications Services, Financial Management Services, Human Resources Management Services, Information Management Services, Information Technology Services, Legal Services, Materiel Management Services, Management and Oversight Services, Real Property Management Services.

Department of Employment and Social Development

Core responsibility 1: Pensions and Benefits

Assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families.

Core responsibility 2: Learning, Skills Development and Employment

Help Canadians access post-secondary education, obtain the skills and training needed to participate in a changing labour market, and provide supports to those who are temporarily unemployed.

Core responsibility 3: Social Development

Increase inclusion and opportunities for participation of Canadians in their communities.

Core responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

Promotes safe, healthy, fair and inclusive work conditions and cooperative workplace relations.

Core responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments

Provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and the department, and provide services on behalf of other government departments.

Core responsibility 6: Internal Services

See introductory text.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Core responsibility 1: Assistance for housing needs

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provides federal funding to improve access to affordable housing for Canadians in housing need, including Indigenous peoples, Canadians with special or distinct needs, and certain vulnerable groups. Activities that are supported through financing include construction of new housing; ongoing assistance for the maintenance and administration of the existing subsidized housing portfolio; conversion, renewal, repair and renovation to preserve the quality of existing affordable housing; and funding to maintain housing affordability. Funding is provided through various delivery arrangements, such as direct delivery, as well as partnerships with provinces and territories, Indigenous groups, and the private and the not-for-profit sectors.

Core responsibility 2: Financing for housing

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation makes financing available for housing-related initiatives, including lending activities to encourage new supply of affordable housing, support repair and renewal of existing rental housing, and promote mixed-income affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income households. Other financing initiatives include those that may be mandated by the Government of Canada to provide support for municipal housing-related infrastructure or for the housing finance sector in Canada to facilitate access to credit.

Core responsibility 3: Housing expertise and capacity development

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provides timely evidence-based information, data and analysis to support informed decision making by government and other sectors. It also conducts research and disseminates information on a range of issues that support affordability and choice, including sustainable housing technologies. Policy advice is provided to the government on matters such as housing finance, housing needs, capital markets and housing conditions. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation supports capacity and skills development activities within the housing sector, connecting individuals and organizations with the resources and knowledge to develop responsive and innovative approaches to further affordable housing.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Core responsibility 1: National Occupational Health and Safety Resource

The goal of this public service program is to provide free information on occupational health and safety to support Canadians in their efforts to work safely and create healthy and safe workplaces. Citizens are provided information through a free and impartial personalized service via telephone, e-mail, person-to-person, fax or mail. Alternatively, they can independently access a broad range of electronic and print resources developed to support safety and health information needs of Canadians. This may include cost recovery products and services and is supported financially by contributions from various stakeholders. Through health and safety information development, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety collects, processes, evaluates, creates and publishes authoritative information resources on occupational health and safety for the benefit of all working Canadians. This information is used for education and training, research, development of policy and best practices, improvement of health and safety programs, achieving compliance, and for personal use. When the product or service provided by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is offered to identifiable external recipients with benefits beyond those enjoyed by the general public, the product or service becomes part of the cost-recovery program and a fee is charged. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety promotes and facilitates consultation and cooperation among federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions and participation by labour, management and other stakeholders in the establishment and maintenance of high standards and occupational health and safety initiatives for the Canadian context. The sharing of resources results in the coordinated and mutually beneficial development of unique programs, products and services. Collaborative projects are usually supported with a combination of financial and non-financial contributions to the programs by partners and stakeholders and result in advancement of the health and safety initiatives.

Core responsibility 2: Internal Services