2002-03 Departmental Performance Report

Table of Contents

• I Message from the Chair
• II Agency Context
  • Who We Are
  • Strategic Outcome and Business Lines
  • Policy and Governance Framework
  • Relationships Within and Outside Government
  • Operational Challenges
• III Performance Achievements
  • In-Depth Reviews
  • Complaints
  • Other Activities
• IV Management and Resource Issues
• V Contact Information
• VI Logic Model and Financial Tables

I Message from the Chair

I am pleased to present the Performance Report of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) for 2002-2003. This document explains what SIRC has achieved since its Report on Plans and Priorities was tabled. As such, it represents a key instrument of accountability to Parliament and to all Canadians.

Readers will notice that the contents of this Report have been significantly re-organized in order to explain our work more clearly and to streamline our business lines. Our raison d'etre (or strategic outcome) is quite simple: to provide assurance to Parliament that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is complying with the law, policy and Ministerial direction in the performance of its duties and functions. This is vitally important work, because in doing so, SIRC helps to safeguard Canadians' rights and freedoms and the democratic society which has made Canada a beacon in the world.

In the period under review, Canada continued to feel the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was the first year that new laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act, among others, came fully into effect. While public safety and the protection of Canada's national security continue to preoccupy our Government and those of its neighbours and allies, we must never allow today's political and social undercurrents to erode what is most important to our future.

For almost two decades, SIRC has worked tirelessly to uphold and protect certain fundamental principles. Canada has shown that a modern, democratic state can strike a balance between the protection of its citizens and their individual rights to freedom from untrammelled government power. We at SIRC are proud to have played a role in this dynamic. We will continue to strive to show Canadians that knowledgeable individuals, independent from CSIS and from government but familiar with the security intelligence environment, will render an honest and fair-minded assessment based on the facts.

Paule Gauthier, P.C., O.C., O.Q., Q.C.
Chair

II Agency Context

Who We Are

The Security Intelligence Review Committee (subsequently referred to as SIRC or the Committee) is a small, independent review body which reports to Parliament on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (referred to as CSIS or the Service). It was established at the same time that CSIS was created in 1984, and derives its powers from the same legislation.

The Committee is chaired by the Honourable Paule Gauthier, P.C., O.C., O.Q., Q.C., who was appointed Chair on September 30, 1996. The other Members are the Honourable Raymond Speaker, P.C., O.C., the Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M., and the Honourable Baljit S. Chadha, P.C. There is currently one vacancy. All Members of the Committee are Privy Councillors, who are appointed by the Governor in Council after consultation by the Prime Minister with the Leaders of the Opposition parties.

The Committee is supported by an Executive Director and a staff of 14 who are located in Ottawa. Management of day-to-day operations is delegated to the Executive Director with direction, when necessary, from the Chair in her role as Chief Executive Officer.

Strategic Outcome and Business Lines

The Committee has only one strategic outcome: to provide assurance to the Parliament of Canada and through it, to Canadians, that CSIS is complying with the law, policy and Ministerial direction in the performance of its duties and functions. In doing so, the Committee seeks to ensure that CSIS does not undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians, and that at all times, it acts within the law. The Committee is the only independent, external body equipped with the legal mandate and expertise to review the Service's activities, and is, therefore, a cornerstone for ensuring the democratic accountability of one of the Government's most powerful organizations.

To realize this strategic outcome, the Committee has two business lines. The first is to conduct in-depth reviews of CSIS activities to ensure that they comply with the Service's governing legislation, the CSIS Act, and with the various policy instruments that flow from it. The second is to receive and inquire into complaints by any person about any action of the Service.

In-Depth Reviews of CSIS Activities

SIRC has virtually unlimited power to review CSIS' performance of its duties and functions. With the sole exception of Cabinet confidences, SIRC has the absolute authority to examine all information concerning CSIS' activities, no matter how highly classified that information may be. Because much of this material is so sensitive that it must be reviewed on-site, the Service makes available a separate office and computers at CSIS Headquarters in Ottawa for the exclusive use of Committee staff.

Complaints about CSIS

SIRC's second role is to investigate complaints about CSIS brought to it by individuals or groups. These can take one of four forms:

• complaints "with respect to any act or thing done by the Service" as described in the CSIS Act;
• complaints about denials of security clearances to federal government employees and contractors;
• referrals from the Canadian Human Rights Commission in cases where the complaint relates to the security of Canada; and
• Minister's reports in respect of the Citizenship Act.

Both business lines result in findings and recommendations designed to improve or correct the Service's performance. To the extent permitted by the legal requirement to protect classified information or the privacy of individuals, SIRC makes these findings public in its Annual Report to Parliament.

Policy and Governance Framework

The Committee is one element of a much larger policy and governance framework that determines what CSIS does and how it performs its duties.

It is important to note that the Committee examines CSIS's performance on a retrospective basis, that is to say, it examines the past activities of the Service. Its work is not intended to provide oversight of current CSIS activities. However, by preparing "snapshots" of highly sensitive CSIS activities over almost two decades, SIRC helps Parliament to determine whether CSIS is acting appropriately and within the law.

The Service continues at all times to be accountable for current operations through the existing apparatus of government, specifically the Solicitor General of Canada, the Inspector General, CSIS, central agencies and the Auditor General, Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

The legislative and policy framework governing the Service, which the Committee uses to assess CSIS actions, is contained in four main instruments:

1. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act promulgated on July 16, 1984. The CSIS Act (and its subsequent amendments) are the founding legislation for both CSIS and SIRC;
2. Ministerial Direction - last updated in March 2001, Ministerial direction is the principal means by which the Solicitor General exercises his authority over the Service as set out in section 6 of the Act. Ministerial direction gives overall policy guidance to the Director of the Service and governs a wide spectrum of Service activities. All changes to Ministerial direction are reviewed by the Committee;
3. National Requirements for Security Intelligence - issued by the Solicitor General each year, National Requirements direct CSIS where it should focus its investigative efforts and how it should fulfill its intelligence collection, analysis and advisory responsibilities;
4. CSIS Operational Policy - this sets out for CSIS employees the parameters and rules governing the entire range of Service activities. CSIS operational policy is regularly updated to conform with changes in legislation and Ministerial direction. All revisions to operational policy are reviewed by the Committee to ensure that they conform with law and Ministerial direction.

The Service also receives direction through the annual Meeting of Ministers on Security and Intelligence; however SIRC is not privy to any Cabinet confidences and therefore does not assess this element of CSIS's governance framework.

Relationships Within and Outside Government

The Committee's key relationships are with the Parliament of Canada, our principal client and overseer; and secondly, with CSIS, the agency which we are charged by Parliament to review.

Each year, the Committee submits a report to Parliament, "An Operational Review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service." Because this is a public document reporting on highly sensitive issues, the Committee is constantly challenged to provide enough information to support its findings, while still protecting classified information. Sometimes this can lead to disagreements over whether a particular disclosure is damaging to national security or merely unsettling to the Service. Nevertheless, to the best of SIRC's ability, and within these legal constraints, every study conducted, every query pursued, every complaint acted upon is reflected in the pages of SIRC's Annual Report.

Members and staff of the Committee, led by its Chair, also appear regularly before the appropriate Parliamentary Committees to discuss SIRC operations and budget, and to respond to questions. During the period under review, Committee Chair Paule Gauthier and Members Gary Filmon and Raymond Speaker appeared before the House of Commons Sub-Committee on National Security on February 18, 2003, accompanied by the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Senior Counsel.

The Committee's other principal relationship is with CSIS. Best characterized as one of healthy tension, the Committee's interactions with the Service are continuous and complex. With the exception of Cabinet confidences, SIRC has access to all information and documentation of whatever kind held by the Service. Interactions with CSIS occur formally and informally, in writing and verbally, between SIRC and CSIS at many levels. Senior Service management in the regions and at Headquarters, including the Director, have met with the Committee on numerous occasions to discuss CSIS activities.

The Committee also maintains relationships with other key agencies of Canada's security intelligence community, such as the intelligence coordinating bodies within the Privy Council Office, the Department of the Solicitor General and the Inspector General, CSIS.

Formal links with other bodies of government, appointments of Members and some administrative services are provided by the Privy Council Office.

Outside of government, the Committee meets with scholars and representatives of non-governmental organizations who have expertise in matters relevant to SIRC's activities. Occasionally, the Committee exchanges information with agencies in other countries that review or conduct oversight on their own intelligence services.

Operational Challenges

There is no question that Canada's security intelligence and law enforcement communities continue to feel the repercussions of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

For example, this Performance Review encompasses the first year in which significant new laws, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act, were in effect. This has resulted in a heightened level of activity to counter threats to Canada's national security and to that of its allies. In addition, the reporting period reflects the first complete fiscal year in which CSIS had at its disposal the 30 percent increase in funding given to it by the Government following September 11. 

Because of the small size of SIRC in relation to CSIS, the Committee must operate on the basis of risk management. Since it is not capable of examining all of the Service's activities in any given period, it must carefully choose which issues to examine. A number of factors influence this selection, including shifts in the nature of the threat environment; changes in technology; the need to follow up on past Committee reviews; etc.

SIRC research projects for any given year are designed to yield assessments across the range of CSIS's operational activities. This approach helps ensure that, over time, the Committee has a comprehensive understanding of the Service's activities and is thus able either to assure Parliament that the Service has acted appropriately, or to inform Parliament that it has not.

Nevertheless, while risk management will remain integral to the way that the Committee conducts its business, the Committee did undertake an assessment of how an increase in CSIS activities could impact on SIRC's own operations. Based on that assessment, SIRC made a formal request to Treasury Board for a 16 percent increase in its budget over and above current reference levels of approximately $2.3 million. If granted, this would help to provide the Committee with new resources commensurate with CSIS's expanded activities.

Finally, the Committee notes that the Service is stepping up its co-operation and information exchanges both with old partners in new ways and with entirely new entities - none of which come under the Committee's purview. Parliament may need to consider whether this situation requires attention. Meanwhile, the Committee will remain alert to the impact such relationships might have on our ability to monitor the Service's compliance with law and policy.

III Performance Achievements

As noted earlier, the Committee has only one strategic outcome: to provide assurance to the Parliament of Canada and through it, to Canadians, that CSIS is complying with the law, policy and Ministerial direction in the performance of its duties and functions. To realize this strategic outcome, the Committee has two business lines. The first is to conduct in-depth reviews of CSIS activities to ensure that they comply with the CSIS Act and with the various policy instruments that flow from it. The second is to receive and inquire into complaints by any person about any action of the Service.

Combined, these two functions - knowledge the Committee seeks out by review, and information identified through the investigations of complaints - provide Canadians with the assurance that knowledgeable individuals, independent from the Service and from government, will render an honest and fair-minded assessment based on the facts.

In-Depth Reviews

Before discussing performance achievements, it may be useful to explain how the Committee conducts its reviews. The process begins with the development of a research plan which is approved by the Committee before the beginning of each fiscal year. However, the plan is not static and can be adjusted to respond to unexpected events.

Once the Committee has approved the broad research plan, staff resources are allocated for each review - usually staff work in teams of two, one senior and one junior researcher. A typical review requires hundreds of staff hours and is completed over a period of 4-5 months. Thousands of pages of hardcopy and electronic documentation must be obtained from CSIS files, reviewed and analysed. Briefings from and interviews of relevant CSIS staff normally form part of any SIRC review, as do field visits whenever a review involves a regional office of the Service or one of its Security Liaison Officer posts abroad.

In almost all cases, the interviews and the examination of documents generate follow-up questions to the Service, to which detailed answers are expected. A report on the results of the review, always a classified document, is presented to the Committee at one of its monthly meetings. Sometimes Members will request that follow-up inquiries be made. Once finalized, the review document is provided to the Director of the Service and the Inspector General, CSIS.

The reviews can include findings or recommendations. Although these are not binding, the Committee's role is to advise and warn, so that the Service and those bodies of government that direct it, may take steps to modify policies and procedures as needed. Finally, a summary with all classified information removed, is included in the Committee's Annual Report to Parliament.

Achievements

In selecting the five major reviews conducted in 2002-2003 several factors were paramount. With our report on CSIS's investigation into Sunni Islamic extremism in two regions, the Committee fulfilled a commitment made in last year's Annual Report to follow up on its foundation study of this complex area. Similarly, the review of the Ahmed Ressam matter completed a public undertaking the Committee made early in 2001 to look into the case.

The Committee's report on certain domestic threats reflects SIRC's continued special interest in any Service operation that has the potential to impact upon lawful advocacy, protest and dissent. Examinations of several CSIS arrangements with foreign intelligence services, and our study of the Service's role in collecting foreign intelligence in Canada, both speak to another essential element in the Committee's strategy - the regular monitoring of the Service's important operational activities and the execution of our ongoing obligations under section 38 of the CSIS Act.

Proof of the increasing role of CSIS in matters of public safety lies in the fact that three of the five reviews deal with matters of terrorism or politically motivated violence. As the Committee has noted in appearances before Parliament and in recent Annual Reports, the Service's chief preoccupation since the mid-1990s has increasingly been with threats to public safety posed by terrorism and other forms of serious violence. The events of September 11 and those since have reinforced and solidified this trend.

Performance Measures

One indication of the effectiveness of this business line is whether or not the research work plan is completed. In 2002-2003, the plan approved by the Committee was completed in its entirety. Results of the five reviews are contained in SIRC's Annual Report 2002-2003: An Operational Review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, tabled in Parliament by the Solicitor General of Canada.

Another performance measure concerns whether CSIS acts on the observations and recommendations contained in the Committee's reviews. While it should be noted that specific recommendations are classified and cannot be discussed in a public document, SIRC does track the status of each recommendation to determine whether and how the Service acted upon it. The Committee would simply note that some of its recommendations are now reflected in CSIS operational policy. Incidentally, all such policies are subject to SIRC review.

$910,157 was expended against the reviews business line, representing 49% of SIRC's expenditures in 2002-2003

Complaints

The Committee's second business line involves the investigation of complaints about CSIS. In the exercise of its statutory jurisdiction regarding complaints, the Committee has all of the powers of a superior court.

Where appropriate, complaints are investigated through a quasi-judicial hearing presided over by a Member of the Committee, assisted by staff. Pre-hearings may be conducted in order to establish and agree on procedures with complainants or complainant's counsel. The Committee's counsel also provides legal advice to Members on procedural and substantive matters and prepares summaries of evidence for the Committee's consideration. Complaint cases are often complex, involving the flow of many documents, transcripts and other evidence which require substantial administrative support.

After the hearings, if any, are complete, the presiding Member issues a report including any findings and recommendations, to both the Solicitor General and the Director of CSIS. Once any information with national security implications is removed, the complainant is also advised in writing of the findings.

If the Committee finds that the Service has acted appropriately, we convey that assurance to the complainant. If the Committee identifies issues of concern, we include these in our report to the Director of CSIS and the Solicitor General and, to the extent possible, report on these matters in our Annual Report. These summaries are edited to protect the privacy of complainants and to prevent disclosure of classified information.

Four kinds of complaints may be directed to the Committee's attention for investigation:

• complaints "with respect to any act or thing done by the Service" as described in the CSIS Act;
• complaints about denials of security clearances to federal government employees and contractors;
• referrals from the Canadian Human Rights Commission in cases where the complaint relates to the security of Canada; and
• Minister's reports in respect of the Citizenship Act.

Achievements

Almost all complaint cases begin as inquiries to SIRC - either in writing, in person or by phone. SIRC staff respond immediately to such inquiries, usually instructing the prospective complainant about what the law requires for their concern to become a formal complaint. Once a written complaint that conforms with these criteria is received, the Committee conducts an initial review that includes any and all information that might be in the possession of the Service.

During 2002-2003, the Committee dealt with a total of 65 complaints, 17 of which were carried over from the previous year and 48 of which were new. At fiscal year end, 48 had been closed of which five resulted in reported decisions. Seventeen were carried forward into the next year.

It should be noted that not all complaint cases result in a formal hearing or written decision. In some cases, the complainant may not have complied with the requirements of section 41 or 42 of the CSIS Act, for example, by first complaining to the Director of the Service. Others were determined not to be within the Committee's jurisdiction and the complainant was advised accordingly. Still others could be addressed by administrative action, or the complainant was redirected to another, appropriate governmental organization. And in other cases, the complainant decided to withdraw his/her complaint, resulting in the file being closed.

Of the five cases which resulted in reported decisions: four were complaints lodged in accordance with section 41-"any act or thing"-and one was a complaint under section 42 respecting a denial of security clearance. There were no reports on complaints referred from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, nor on cases arising from Ministerial reports under the Citizenship Act. In addition the Committee forwarded one section 54 report* to the Solicitor General regarding allegations of CSIS misconduct that had come to the Committee's attention during its investigation of a section 41 complaint. Another complaint was eventually dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

*Under section 54 of the CSIS Act, the Review Committee may "on request by the Minister or at any other time" forward to the Solicitor General of Canada a special report on any matter that relates to "the performance of its duties and functions." This mechanism is employed infrequently; seven section 54 reports have been issued in the last 10 years.

This business line represents a "success story" for the Committee, because the significant backlog of complaints which it reported in 1999-2000 has been all but eliminated. This was achieved by allocating more resources to the complaints function and by the implementation of new complaint management procedures. For example, SIRC has adopted a measure used increasingly in civil courts - the pre-hearing (pre-trial) meeting. Chaired by Committee staff, the goal is to expedite the process where appropriate. However, the rights of complainants to a fair and thorough examination of all the evidence remains paramount.

In addition to the increased efficiency and reduced costs associated with fewer formal hearings, SIRC has largely eliminated the practice of employing outside, security-cleared counsel, relying instead on in-house legal advice. Finally, since 2002-2003, SIRC has provided on its website, complete and detailed instructions on how to register a complaint with the Committee.

Performance Measures

One measurement of the effectiveness of this business line, is whether or not the Committee's decisions are subsequently challenged in the Federal Court. In 2002-2003, there was no application for judicial review and no such decisions were rendered for prior reports.

The Committee has also adopted strict standards for its handling of complaints. For example, all written complaints are formally acknowledged within seven days of their receipt. Furthermore, SIRC has adopted a standard that within 60 days, all formal complaints should be either resolved to the complainant's satisfaction, determined to be without foundation and closed, or elevated to the status of an in-depth Committee investigation. In 2002-2003 the Committee met both standards except in cases where circumstances were outside our control.

The following table summarizes the numbers of written complaints received and resolved in each of the last three fiscal years.

One prediction the Committee made based on an analysis of the post-September 11 changes in legislation - notably the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Charities Registration Act - has not been borne out. While the Committee had publicly forecast that complaints about CSIS would increase, especially in areas of security screening and charities, this has not in fact occurred. This may reflect the relative caution with which the Government has implemented the new legal and administrative measures. For example, at time of writing, no charities had been denied status or had it withdrawn because of ties to known terrorist organizations.

Resource Allocation

The complaints business line of the Committee presents a special challenge in terms of resource allocation. The number of complaints received in any given fiscal year is beyond the Committee's control, as is the ultimate complexity of any individual complaint case. Spending in this area is non-discretionary, because SIRC has a legal obligation to address complaints about CSIS in a fair and timely manner.

$629,339 was expended against the complaints business line, representing 34% of SIRC's expenditures in 2002-2003

Other Activities

Although reviewing CSIS activities and investigating complaints about the Service are the primary focus of the Committee, it engages in other activities designed to support its strategic outcome. These can involve dialogue with specific governmental, non-governmental and academic bodies concerned with security intelligence matters, or as information gathering exercises to ensure that the Committee is fully informed about the domestic and international operating environment of the Service.

CSIS Briefings

Besides carrying out in-depth reviews of selected CSIS operations each year, the Committee requests written and oral security intelligence briefings from the Service about activities that are relevant to the Committee's mandate. Although this information is not independently verified unless it forms part of an in-depth Committee review, it nonetheless helps the Committee to stay apprised of and to monitor the Service's priorities and perspectives. Committee meetings are frequently held in different regions of the country, at which time Members also visit CSIS regional offices to be briefed on local priorities and challenges.

Governmental and Non-Governmental Relations

SIRC's Chair and Members meet to exchange views with senior government officials within Canada's security intelligence community, academics and other experts in the field, and with key non-governmental organizations in order to keep lines of communication open and to stay abreast of new developments.

Conferences and Visits

In May 2002, the Committee Chair Paule Gauthier, Member Raymond Speaker and the Executive Director attended a gathering of international intelligence review agencies in London, England.

In June 2002, staff attended the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies' (CCISS) inaugural conference held at Carleton University, Ottawa. The theme of the Conference was "Canada's Foreign Intelligence Requirements: Threats, Capabilities and Options." In July 2002, the Executive Director, accepted an invitation to join CCISS's Council of Advisors.

In September 2002, the Executive Director and staff attended the conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies held in Ottawa. The conference theme was: "The New Intelligence Order: Knowledge for Security and International Relations."

In October 2002, the Executive Director addressed a graduate seminar at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies, The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, in Ottawa.

In February 2003, SIRC senior management and staff attended the conference of the Law Commission of Canada with the theme "In Search of Security: An International Conference on Policing and Security" held in Montreal.

In March 2003, senior management and staff attended the 2003 CCISS conference in Ottawa entitled: "Intelligence Analysis: Recent Trends, Canadian Requirements." The Executive Director participated in the conference's summing up round table.

IV Management and Resource Issues

In the Committee's Annual Report of 2001-2002 we noted that CSIS had received an immediate 30 percent increase in its budget. As a result, the Service was raising the level of investigative activities that SIRC has a legal responsibility to review.

SIRC then undertook a comprehensive review of its own activities and the resources available to fulfill its obligations to Parliament. As a result, in July 2002 the Committee made a formal submission to Treasury Board for an increase in resources of 16 percent (approximately $375,000).If granted, this would provide the Committee with additional financial resources commensurate with CSIS's expanded level of activities.

The Committee considers this submission extremely important, despite the fact that it lapsed $369,764 at the end of fiscal year 2002-2003. While it may appear contradictory to ask for increased resources when funds were not fully expended, the lapse is easily explained. For almost all of the period under review, the Committee operated with only three Members instead of the legally mandated five, resulting in a corresponding decrease in Member per diems, travel expenses, etc. (In February 2003, the Honourable Baljit S. Chadha was appointed as a Member for a five-year term). In addition, delays in finalizing staffing processes meant that funds were not fully used for computer and other office equipment acquisition, staff training and professional development. The Committee continues to believe that it is critical to operate fully-staffed and indeed, to allocate additional resources to the review business line, in order to stay abreast of CSIS's increasing level of activity.

Human Resource Management

While the Committee made two major staff appointments during the period under review - the Research Manager and Deputy Executive Director - the recruitment and retention of staff continues to be a challenge. Since September 11, the security intelligence and law enforcement communities have, with their significantly increased budgets, intensified their recruitment activities, resulting in a more competitive environment. The "poaching" of skilled employees from one government agency by another is also becoming widespread, which poses a significant challenge for an organization like SIRC, given the small pool of employees with previous experience in review and oversight of security intelligence agencies.

This means that the Committee must increasingly resort to hiring employees outside of the community and indeed, from outside government. Since all employees must receive a Level III security clearance prior to their arrival, it can take months before prospective employees have been vetted. Then the Committee must make a significant and lengthy investment in the training of new employees before they can fully perform their duties. Finally, the retention of qualified staff is also becoming problematic, because SIRC is such a small organization that it does not have sufficient positions to allow for reasonable career advancement. These were some of the factors driving the Committee's submission to Treasury Board, because additional funds will allow for the creation of new positions and salary adjustments to bring us in line with comparable agencies.

Government On-Line

The Committee's Website has provided Canadians with a window on a small and, at times, obscure agency of government. However, the site does not fully comply with Treasury Board guidelines on common look and feel, which the Committee acknowledges should be addressed. While it was not possible to refurbish the site during the period under review, the Committee anticipates this work will be completed prior to the next Performance Report.

Service Improvement

The Government's stated purpose is to improve its service from a citizen-centred perspective. Since most of the interface with individual Canadians takes place in the complaints business line, any improvements made by SIRC will occur in this area. It should be noted that the Committee has already made significant progress in this area, through the adoption of performance standards for handling complaints and the provision of detailed instructions on the Committee's website for registering a complaint. Nevertheless, the Committee will continue to examine ways to further improve client satisfaction with its services.

V Contact Information

Security Intelligence Review Committee
P.O. Box 2430 Station "D"
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5W5

Telephone: (613) 990-8441
Facsimile: (613) 990-5230
Internet: www.sirc-csars.gc.ca
E-Mail:ellardm@sirc-csars.gc.ca

Legislation Administered:

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act

VI Logic Model and Financial Tables

Strategic Outcome:

• SIRC has only one (1) strategic outcome. It provides assurance to the Parliament of Canada and through it, to Canadians, that CSIS is complying with the law, policy and Ministerial direction in the performance of its duties and functions.
• SIRC is the only independent, external body equipped with the legal mandate and expertise to review the Service's activities. Its work is important to Canadians because SIRC ensures that CSIS does not undermine their fundamental rights and freedoms, and that at all times, it acts within the law.
• In FY 2002-2003, SIRC spent approximately $2.1 million in realizing this strategic outcome.

Key Partners:

• SIRC's key relationships are with the Parliament of Canada, our principal client and overseer; and secondly, with CSIS, the agency which we are charged by Parliament to review.
• SIRC's relationship with CSIS is not a "partnership." It can be best characterized as one of healthy tension.
• For further information on CSIS, visit its website at www.csis-scrs.gc.ca.

Key Targets and Overall Results:

• Every year, SIRC's Annual Report, entitled "An Operational Review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service," is tabled in Parliament. This public document summarizes the Committee's work for the previous year. In addition, throughout the year, classified SIRC reviews, which can include both findings and recommendations, are provided to the Director of the Service and the Inspector General, CSIS.
• Because the Annual Report is a public document, SIRC is constantly challenged to provide sufficient information to justify its findings, while protecting classified information and the privacy of individuals. Nevertheless, to the best of its ability, and within these legal constraints, every review conducted, every query pursued and every complaint acted upon is reflected in SIRC's Annual Report.
• Annual Reports are available on SIRC's website at www.sirc-csars.gc.ca.

Program, resources and results linkages:

• SIRC's strategic outcome is realized through two (2) business lines. The first is to conduct in-depth reviews of CSIS activities to ensure that they comply with the Service's governing legislation, the CSIS Act, and with the various policy instruments that flow from it. The second is to receive and inquire into complaints by any person about any action of the Service.
• In FY 2002-2003, SIRC spent $910,157 against the first business line (in-depth reviews) and $629,339 against the second business line (complaints).
• Five major reviews were conducted, all of which were previously identified in SIRC's annual work plan. Three of the five dealt with terrorism or matters of politically motivated violence, which have been a major preoccupation of the Service since the mid-1990s.
• Under the second business line, SIRC dealt with a total of 65 complaints, 17 of which were carried over from the previous year and 48 of which were new. At fiscal year end, 48 had been closed of which five resulted in reported decisions. Seventeen were carried forward into the next year.

Management Practices:

• As a result of a 30 percent increase in the Service's budget due to the events of September 11, 2001, CSIS has raised the level of investigative activities that SIRC has a legal responsibility to review. After analysing the potential impact, SIRC made a formal submission to the Treasury Board. If granted, this would provide SIRC with additional finacial resources commensurate with CSIS' expanded level of activities.
• As part of the Government's service improvement initiative, detailed instructions are available on SIRC's website for registering a complaint. Performance standards have also been adopted for the handling of complaints, which is where most of the interface with individual Canadians occurs.