PPSC Financial Statements 2020-2021

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

ISSN 2561-7001

Financial Statements

• Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control over Financial Reporting 2020-21
• Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)
• Statement of Operations and Net Financial Position (Unaudited)
• Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (Unaudited)
• Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
• Notes to the Financial Statements (Unaudited)
• Annex – Assessment of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control over Financial Reporting 2020-21

Reporting responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2021, and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), also known as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC). These financial statements have been prepared by management using the Government's accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of the information in these financial statements. Some of the information in the financial statements is based on management's best estimates and judgment, and gives due consideration to materiality. To fulfil its accounting and reporting responsibilities, management maintains a set of accounts that provides a centralized record of the ODPP's financial transactions. Financial information submitted in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada, and included in the PPSC's Departmental Results Report, is consistent with these financial statements.

Management is also responsible for maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR), designed to provide reasonable assurance that financial information is reliable, that assets are safeguarded and that transactions are properly authorized and recorded in accordance with the Financial Administration Act and other applicable legislation, regulations, authorities and policies.

Management seeks to ensure the objectivity and integrity of data in its financial statements through careful selection, training and development of qualified staff; through organizational arrangements that provide appropriate divisions of responsibility; through communication programs aimed at ensuring that regulations, policies, standards, and managerial authorities are understood throughout the ODPP; and through conducting an annual risk-based assessment of the effectiveness of the system of ICFR.

The system of ICFR is designed to mitigate risks to a reasonable level based on an on-going process to identify key risks, to assess the effectiveness of associated controls, and to make any necessary adjustments.

A risk-based assessment of the system of ICFR for the year ended March 31, 2021, was completed in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Financial Management and the results and action plans are summarized in the annex.

The effectiveness and adequacy of the ODPP's system of internal control are included as part of the internal audit staff's risk-based approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes and supported by the Departmental Audit Committee, which oversees management responsibilities for maintaining control systems and the quality of financial reporting, and, which recommends the financial statements to the Director of Public Prosecution Services.

The financial statements of the ODPP have not been audited.

Original version was signed by Kathleen Roussel and Mélanie Lamoureux.

Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)

Contingent liabilities (note 8)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

Original version was signed by Kathleen Roussel and Mélanie Lamoureux.

Statement of Operations and Net Financial Position (Unaudited)

* Non-respendable revenue

Segmented information (note 10)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (Unaudited)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

Notes to the Financial Statements (Unaudited)

1. Authority and objectives

On December 12, 2006, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), also known as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, was created by the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, which is Part 3 of the Federal Accountability Act. The ODPP took over the duties of the former Federal Prosecution Service within the Department of Justice.

The ODPP has one core responsibility in addition to internal services:

Prosecution Services
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) prosecutes criminal and regulatory offences under federal law in an independent, impartial and fair manner.  It also provides prosecutorial legal advice to investigative agencies.

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 refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

These financial statements have been prepared using the Government's accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

(a) Parliamentary authorities

The ODPP is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to the ODPP do not parallel financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles since authorities are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 3 provides a reconciliation between the bases of reporting. The planned results amounts in the  "Expenses" and "Revenues" sections of the Statement of Operations and Net Financial Position are the amounts reported in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2020-21 Departmental Plan. Planned results are not presented in the "Government funding and transfers" section of the Statement of Operations and the Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt because these amounts were not included in the 2020-21 Departmental Plan.

(b) Net cash provided by Government

The ODPP operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by the Office is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by the ODPP are paid from the CRF. The net cash provided by Government is the difference between all cash receipts and all cash disbursements, including transactions between departments of the Government.

(c) Due from/to the CRF

Amounts due from/to the CRF are the result of timing differences at year-end between when a transaction affects authorities and when it is processed through the CRF. Amounts due from the CRF represent the net amount of cash that the ODPP is entitled to draw from the CRF without further appropriations to discharge its liabilities.

(d) Revenues

• Revenues derived from the provision of prosecution related advice or the conduct of prosecutions.
• Fines, forfeitures and court costs are recognized upon receipt of payment by the ODPP.
• Revenues that are non-respendable are not available to discharge the ODPP's liabilities. While the Deputy Head is expected to maintain accounting control, he or she has no authority regarding the disposition of non-respendable revenues. As a result, non-respendable revenues are considered to be earned on behalf of the Government of Canada and are therefore presented in reduction of the entity's gross revenues.

(e) Expenses

Expenses are recorded on the accrual basis:

• Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits are earned by employees under their respective terms of employment.
• Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation and employer contributions to the health and dental insurance plans are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.

(f)  Employee future benefits

• Pension benefits: Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan, a multiemployer pension plan administered by the Government. The ODPP's contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent the total departmental obligation to the Plan. The ODPP's responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan's sponsor.
• Severance benefits: Employees entitled to severance benefits under labour contracts or conditions of employment earn these benefits as services necessary to earn them are rendered.  The obligation relating to the benefits earned by employees is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole. 

(g) Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at the lower of cost and net recoverable value; a valuation allowance is recorded for receivables where recovery is considered uncertain.

(h) Contingent liabilities

Contingent liabilities, including the allowance for guarantees, are potential liabilities which may become actual liabilities when one or more future events occur or fail to occur.  To the extent that the future event is likely to occur or fail to occur, and a reasonable estimate of the loss can be made, an estimated liability is accrued and an expense recorded.  If the likelihood is not determinable or an amount cannot be reasonably estimated, the contingency is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

(i) Contingent assets

Contingent assets are possible assets which may become actual assets when one or more future events occur or fail to occur.  If the future event is likely to occur or fail to occur, the contingent asset is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

(j) Tangible capital assets

All tangible capital assets and leasehold improvements having an initial cost of $10,000 or more are recorded at their initial cost. The ODPP does not capitalize intangibles, works of art and historical treasures that have cultural, aesthetic or historical value, assets located on reserves as defined in the Indian Act, and museum collections.

Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:

(k) Measurement uncertainty

The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes at March 31. The estimates are based on facts and circumstances, historical experience, general economic conditions and reflect the Government's best estimate of the related amount at the end of the reporting period.  The most significant items where estimates are used are contingent liabilities, the liability for employee severance benefits and the useful life of tangible capital assets. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated. Management's estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, they are recorded in the financial statements in the year they become known.

Vacation pay and compensatory leave are subject to measurement uncertainty as there was no entry made in 2020-21.  After consultation, the materiality was assessed to be too low at the government-wide level by the Receiver General. The measurement uncertainty is further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic where vacation leaves do not follow the usual pattern and Treasury Board Secretariat's decision to postpone the automatic cash-out of vacation and compensatory leave, unless requested by the employee, due to the ongoing issues with the Phoenix Pay System. Payables at year-end were created to account for vacation and compensatory leave cash-out that were requested by the employees as of March 31, 2021. The liability for vacation pay and compensatory leave will be reassessed in 2021-22.

3. Parliamentary authorities

The ODPP receives most of its funding through annual Parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and the Statement of Financial Position in one year may be funded through Parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. Accordingly, the ODPP has different net results of operations for the year on a government funding basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:

(a) Reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year authorities used

(b) Authorities provided and used

4. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

The following table presents details of the ODPP's accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

^* Transfer of $8.6M from Accounts payable - External parties to Accrued liabilities to rectify the classification of amounts. This change in presentation does not impact the accounts payable and accrued liabilities grand total.

5. Employee future benefits

(a) Pension benefits

The ODPP's employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan (the "Plan"), which is sponsored and administered by the Government of Canada. Pension benefits accrue up to a maximum period of 35 years at a rate of 2 percent per year of pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings.  The benefits are integrated with Canada/Quebec Pension Plans benefits and they are indexed to inflation. 

Both the employees and the ODPP contribute to the cost of the Plan. Due to the amendment of the Public Service Superannuation Act following the implementation of provisions related to Economic Action Plan 2012, employee contributors have been divided into groups - Group 1 relates to existing plan members as of December 31, 2012, and Group 2 relates to members joining the plan as of January 1, 2013. Each group has a distinct contribution rate.

The 2020-21 expense amounts to $12,933,529 ($11,635,226 in 2019-20). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.01 times (1.01 times for 2019-20) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.00 times (1.00 times for 2019-20) the employee contributions.
The ODPP's responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions.  Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the Financial Statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan's sponsor. 

(b) Severance benefits

Severance benefits provided to the ODPP's employees were previously based on an employee's eligibility, years of service and salary at termination of employment.  However, since 2011 the accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures progressively ceased for substantially all employees.  Employees subject to these changes were given the option to be paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value of benefits upon departure from the public service.  By March 31, 2021, all settlements for immediate cash out were completed.  Severance benefits are unfunded and, consequently, the outstanding obligation will be paid from future authorities.

The changes in the obligations during the year were as follows:

6. Accounts receivable and advances

The following table presents details of the ODPP's accounts receivable and advances balances:

7. Tangible capital assets

8. Contingent liabilities

Claims have been made against the Office in the normal course of operations. These claims include items with pleading amounts and other for which no amount is specified. While the total amount claimed in these actions is significant, their outcomes are not determinable. The ODPP has recorded an allowance for claims and litigations where it is likely that there will be a future payment and a reasonable estimate of the loss can be made. Claims and litigations for which the outcome is not determinable and a reasonable estimate can be made by management amount to approximately $7,250,000 ($15,500,000 at March 31, 2020) at March 31, 2021.

9. Related party transactions

The ODPP is related as a result of common ownership to all Government departments, agencies, and Crown Corporations. Related parties also include individuals who are members of key management personnel or close family members of those individuals, and entities controlled by, or under shared control of, a member of key management personnel or a close family member of that individual.

The ODPP enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms. During the year, the ODPP received and provided common services, which were obtained without charge from other Government departments as disclosed below.

(a) Common services provided without charge by other government departments

During the year, the ODPP received services without charge from certain common service organizations, related to accommodation, legal services and the employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans. These services provided without charge have been recorded in the ODPP's Statement of Operations as follows:

The Government has centralized some of its administrative activities for efficiency, cost-effectiveness purposes and economic delivery of programs to the public. As a result, the Government uses central agencies and common service organizations so that one department performs services for all other departments and agencies without charge. The costs of these services, such as the payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada are not included in the Statement of Operations.

(b) Common services provided without charge to other government departments

During the year, the ODPP provided services without charge to other government departments, related to the provision of legal services, in the amount of $6,050,260 ($9,022,849 in 2019-20).

(c) Other transactions with related parties

Expenses and revenues disclosed in (c) exclude common services provided without charge, which are already disclosed in (a).

10. Segmented Information

Presentation by segment is based on the Office's program activity architecture. The presentation by segment is based on the same accounting policies as described in the Summary of significant accounting policies in note 2. The following table presents the expenses incurred and revenues generated for the main core responsibility, by major object of expense and by major types of revenue. The segment results for the period are as follows:

11. Adjustment to prior year's results

In 2020-21, the ODPP conducted a review of its tangible capital assets. As a result of the review, the ODPP identified tangible capital assets that had not been properly reported and/or recorded as part of the capital asset balance. Consequently, the comparative financial statements presented for the year ended March 31, 2020 have been restated. The effect of this adjustment is presented in the table below.

12. Comparative information

Certain comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.

Annex – Assessment of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

1. Introduction

This annex provides summary information on the measures taken by Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), also known as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR), including information on internal control management, assessment results and related action plans.

Detailed information on the authority, mandate and Core Responsibilities can be found in its most recent Departmental Results Report and Departmental Plan for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

2. ODPP's system of internal control over financial reporting

The ODPP recognizes the importance of setting the tone from the top to help ensure that staff at all levels understand their roles in maintaining effective systems of ICFR and are well equipped to exercise these responsibilities effectively. The ODPP's focus is to ensure risks are well managed through a responsive and risk-based control environment that enables continuous improvement and innovation.

2.1 Internal control management

The ODPP has a well-established governance and accountability structure to support the assessment efforts and oversight of its system of internal control. An ODPP Internal Control Management Framework approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is in place and includes:

• Organizational accountability structures as they relate to internal control management to support sound financial management and reporting, including roles and responsibilities of senior managers for control management in their areas of responsibility;
• Values and ethics; including an ODPP code of conduct, educational and awareness programs;
• Ongoing communication and training on statutory requirements; and policies and procedures for sound financial management and control;
• Periodic reporting to senior management, on an annual basis, on internal controls management, as well as the reporting of annual assessment results and action plans to the DPP, the Resource Management Committee and the Departmental Audit Committee; and
• Leveraging the work of audit and advisory services for internal audits on the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes, where appropriate. In order to maximize the efficiency within the ODPP, the ongoing monitoring plan is developed in consultation with the Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive (CAEE) to coordinate the planning activities related to internal control management.

The Departmental Audit Committee provides advice to the DPP on the adequacy and functioning of the ODPP's risk management, control and governance frameworks and processes.

2.2 Service arrangements relevant to financial statements

The ODPP relies on other organizations for the processing of certain transactions that are recorded in its financial statements as follows:

Common Arrangements

• Public Services and Procurement Canada issues all government payments and provides procurement and accommodation services as well as pay services to departments and employees;
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, which provides information on public service insurance and centrally administers payment of the employer's share of contributions toward statutory employee benefit plans;
• The Department of Justice Canada (Justice) provides legal services to ODPP; and
• Shared Services Canada (SSC) provides information technology (IT) infrastructure services to the ODPP in the areas of data center and network services. The scope and responsibilities are addressed in the interdepartmental arrangement between SSC and Justice.

Readers of this annex may refer to the annexes of the above-noted departments for a greater understanding of the systems of internal control over financial reporting related to these specific services.

Specific Arrangements

• Justice provides the ODPP with a SAP financial system platform to capture and report all financial transactions as well as a human resources management system (PeopleSoft) to capture and report human resources data, and finally the iCase application to capture and report all legal management information. Justice is also responsible for information technology general control design, operating effectiveness testing, and the related remediation on behalf of ODPP for these systems; and
• Justice provides certain internal services such as; human resources and professional development; financial services; information services; IT management services; corporate services; and iCase (case management, timekeeping and operational reporting application) operational support.

Service Arrangements Where the ODPP Is the Specific Service Provider

• The ODPP is the service provider of prosecution services to federal departments and agencies and as such, charges these organizations with the cost of providing prosecution services related to regulation and economic crimes; and
• The ODPP provides certain internal services to Justice's Northern Regions, such as IT Management Services.

3. ODPP's assessment results during fiscal year 2020-21

In Fiscal Year 2020-21, ODPP continued the ongoing monitoring of the key financial management business process. The following table presents ODPP progress of the ongoing monitoring activities according to the previous fiscal year's rotational plan.

Progress during fiscal year 2020-21

The key findings and significant adjustments required from the current year's assessment activities are summarized below.

3.1 New or significantly amended key controls

While the global COVID-19 pandemic had impacts on some ODPP business process, it did not significantly change the key controls for ICFR.

3.2 Ongoing monitoring program

As part of its rotational ongoing monitoring program, the ODPP completed its reassessment of the financial controls embedded within the business processes of Acquisition Card Management Program and Payroll. For the most part, the key controls that were assessed performed as intended, with remediation required as follows:

4. ODPP's action plan for the next year and subsequent fiscal years

The ODPP's rotational ongoing monitoring plan over the next three (3) years, subject to an annual revalidation of the high-risk processes and controls and related adjustments to the plan as required, is shown in the following table:

Date modified:

2022-02-01