Performance Monitoring Report 2008-2009

6. CLEMENCY AND PARDONS

The Clemency and Pardons program involves the review of applications, the issuing of pardons and the rendering of pardon decisions and clemency recommendations.

6.1 PARDON PROGRAM

A pardon is a formal attempt to remove the stigma of being found guilty of a federal offence for people who, having satisfied the sentence imposed and a specified waiting period, have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens. The Criminal Records Act ( CRA ) was originally created in 1970. It allows the National Parole Board exclusive jurisdiction to issue, grant, deny, or revoke pardons for convictions under federal acts or regulations of Canada.

The main challenge for the Clemency and Pardons Division in 2008/09 was to clear a backlog of 22,396 applications.

Between 2004/05 and 2007/08, the Division had seen a substantial increase (79%) in the number of pardon applications received. As a result, the NPB obtained approval from Treasury Board, in the 3 rd quarter of 2007/08, for the removal of the cap that had been imposed on the revenue generated by the pardon service fee. This meant that for the first time, it was possible for the Division to retain all of its portion of the collected funds and hire resources commensurate with the increase in applications. As a result of this, as well as the move to a "single officer" approach, the Division cleared its backlog of pardon applications in 2008/09, while still keeping pace with a record number of incoming applications (35,784).

In order to improve efficiencies in pardon processing over the next five years, an eight point strategy continues to be implemented. This strategy consists of a policy review, process streamlining, improved use of information systems and technology, effective human resource planning, removal of the cap on revenues for pardon fees, elimination of the backlog, setting of performance standards, and review of the fee structure and possible legislative/regulatory amendments.

During the latter half of 2008/09, the Board has been focused on examining the Pardon User Fee. The Board has established an inter-branch committee to steer the revision of the Pardon User Fee and preparations are ongoing. Consultations were held with external partner groups, federal departments and internal staff. Service levels were established by the Division and the team has been working towards their implementation since October 2008.

Pardon Applications Received and Accepted:

The number of pardon applications received annually has a direct impact on the work environment for the pardons program, particularly when annual application volumes exceed processing capacity and backlogs develop. However, in 2007/08, a strategy was implemented to attack the backlog, while at the same time ensuring that new applications that were received were dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.

Table 173 Source: NPB

PARDON APPLICATIONS RECEIVED and ACCEPTED by YEAR

Applications	01/02	02/03	03/04	04/05	05/06	06/07	07/08	08/09
Received	18,016	16,989	16,912	16,958	27,946	26,519	30,398	35,784
Accepted	18,518	15,248	16,696	19,681	12,705	27,203	28,239	27,501
% Accepted	103%	90%	99%	116%	45%	103%	93%	77%

The number of pardon applications received increased 17.7% in 2008/09 (to 35,784), representing the highest number of applications received since the inception of the pardon program.

Factors which influence application volumes include:

• Fee - the $50 pardon service fee was introduced in 1995/96 and has remained constant. It was set at a relatively modest rate to ensure marginal impact on those deciding to apply for a pardon, but given the increase in volume and need to retain resources to keep pace with demand, consultations will continue in 2009/10 to revisit user fees.
• Public awareness of the pardon program - The Board does not publicize the pardon program. However, private firms, which assist individuals for an additional fee, have increased their marketing investments to attract more customers and this has consequently led to an increase in the number of applications received. In addition, when the pardon program receives publicity in the media, pardon applications generally increase in the short term.
• Perceived need for/utility of a pardon - The perceived usefulness of a pardon for employment, travel, etc has increased. One of the reasons for the increased demand for pardons for travel purposes is due to new regulations at the border between Canada and the United States.
• Value - The usefulness of a pardon, the efficiency of the pardon process (i.e. process time), and the amount of the fee charged for a pardon combine to create a perceived value of a pardon for potential applicants.

All 35,784 applications that were received in 2008/09 were reviewed for eligibility and completeness and of these 27,501 were accepted as eligible and complete. Additionally, the backlog of applications remaining from the previous fiscal year was also reviewed for eligibility and completeness. In total, the Division reviewed 40,428 applications for eligibility and completeness.

Pardon Decision Trends:

The CRA gives the NPB the authority to grant pardons for offences which are hybrid or indictable if it is satisfied that the applicant is of good conduct and has been conviction-free for five years. Good conduct is defined as no suspicion or allegation of criminal behaviour.

The CRA requires the NPB to issue pardons, through a non-discretionary process, for offences punishable on summary convictions following a conviction-free period of three years. Summary convictions are offences, such as shoplifting, causing a disturbance and possession of marijuana.

Table 174 Source: NPB

PARDONS GRANTED/ISSUED and DENIED by YEAR

Decision	2004/05		2005/06		2006/07		2007/08		2008/09
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Granted	17,800	78	3,951	46	7,076	48	14,514	58	30,317	75
Issued	4,745	21	4,402	51	7,672	52	10,332	41	9,311	23
Sub-Total	22,545	98	8,353	98	14,748	99	24,846	99	39,628	98
Denied	375	2	196	2	103	1	175	1	800	2
Total	22,920	100	8,549	100	14,851	100	25,021	100	40,428	100

Note: Due to rounding, the proportions of granted/issued decisions do not always equal the sub-total of proportions of total pardons granted/issued by year.

There was an increase of 61.6% in the number of pardons decisions recorded in 2008/09. The grant/issue rate for pardons, after returning non-eligible and incomplete applications, was 98% in 2008/09. It has been around 98%-99% for at least the last ten years.

Pardon Decision Outcomes:

Amendments to the CRA, which became effective August 1, 2000, changed the NPB's authority to revoke pardons.

The CRA gives the NPB the authority to revoke a pardon if the person to whom the pardon was issued or granted is subsequently convicted of an offence punishable on summary conviction, on evidence establishing to the NPB's satisfaction that the person is no longer of good conduct or because of evidence that the person made a false or deceptive statement or concealed information relative to the application. Prior to these amendments, the NPB had the authority to revoke pardons for all subsequent offences that had been dealt with summarily, not just offences punishable on summary conviction.

The CRA also states that a pardon ceases to exist if the person to whom it was granted or issued is subsequently convicted of an indictable offence, an offence that is punishable either as an indictable offence or on summary conviction (a hybrid offence), except for driving while ability impaired, driving with more than 80 mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood or failing to provide a breath sample. The NPB has the authority in these cases.

A pardon also ceases to exist if the NPB is convinced by new information that the person was not eligible for a pardon at the time it was granted or issued.

The RCMP notifies the NPB when a pardon ceases to exist due to a new conviction for a hybrid or indictable offence so that the NPB can amend its file as well as notify the agencies contacted at the time of the grant or issue of the pardon.

Table 175 Source: NPB and RCMP

PARDONS REVOKED by YEAR

	2003/04	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	2007/08	2008/09
Pardons Revoked By NPB	534	225	79	133	34	123
Cease to Exist (RCMP Authority)	780	332	377	2,252	533	543
Cease to Exist (NPB Authority)				12	14	41
Total	1,314	557	456	2,397	581	707

The number of pardons revoked by the Board increased 262% in 2008/09, while the number that ceased to exist increased by 7%. In previous years, while the pardons had ceased to exist and the files had been reopened by the RCMP, the NPB had experienced a delay in notifying the agencies it contacted at the time of the grant of the pardon. This backlog was eliminated in 2006/07 and notifications of cessations (RCMP Authority), since that time, have been processed as soon as they were received from the RCMP.

Table 176 Source: NPB

PARDON REVOCATION/CESSATION RATE

Year	Cumulative Pardons Granted/Issued to Date	Pardons Revoked / Ceased during the Year	Cumulative Pardons Revoked/Ceased	Cumulative Revocation/Cessation Rate (%) 37
1996/97	227,146	1,272	5,380	2.37
1997/98	234,779	666	6,046	2.58
1998/99	240,255	684	6,730	2.80
1999/00	246,116	643	7,373	3.00
2000/01	260,311	542	7,915	3.04
2001/02	276,956	463	8,378	3.03
2002/03	291,392	902	9,280	3.18
2003/04	306,985	1,314	10,594	3.45
2004/05	329,530	557	11,151	3.38
2005/06	337,883	456	11,607	3.44
2006/07	352,631	2,397	14,004	3.97
2007/08	377,477	581	14,585	3.86
2008/09	417,105	707	15,292	3.67

The cumulative pardon revocation/cessation rate decreased slightly ( ↓ 0.19%) in 2008/09. Although the revocation rate increased from 2.37% in 1996/97 to a high of 3.97% in 2006/07, the revocation rate remains fairly low and demonstrates that most people remain crime free after receipt of a pardon.

Service and Productivity:

The key aspect of service to pardon applicants is timeliness in the processing of pardon applications. Many factors influence the efficiency of this process including: volume of applications; eligibility of applicants; completeness of applications; and the level of investigation required to support decision-making.

Table 177 Source: NPB

AVERAGE PROCESSING TIMES for PARDON APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED

	2003/04	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	2007/08	2008/09
Applications Accepted	16,696	19,681	12,705	27,203	28,239	27,501
Cases Processed	15,858	22,920	8,549	14,851	25,021	40,428
Average Processing Time	17 mths	12 mths	11 mths	13 mths	10 mths	3.5mths*

NOTE: The cases processed do not include revocations processed by the NPB.

*The number does not include the processing time for cases in which the pardon was denied. For those cases the average processing time was 13.5 months.

The average processing time decreased to 3.5 months in 2008/09. This average includes those cases that had been granted priority status which were usually processed in less than two months.

Additional streamlining measures implemented in 2008/09, combined with enhancements to the PADS-R system, and additional resources obtained by the removal of the cap on revenues allowed the Division to greatly reduce processing times. In the case of summary offences, applications were processed on average within 0.7 months. Furthermore, measures were implemented to treat the applications with indictable offences which made up the bulk of the backlog. Although processing times remained high in the first half of the fiscal year (up to 10 months) for those applications containing indictable offences, the delay in processing time was reduced in the latter half of the fiscal year (to 8.5 months or less).

The collaborative and sustained efforts of the Division provided net improvement in the processing of pardon applications.

6.2 CLEMENCY PROGRAM

The clemency provisions of the Letters Patent and those contained in the Criminal Code are used in exceptional circumstances, where no other remedy exists in law to reduce exceptionally negative effects of criminal sanctions.

Clemency is requested for a myriad of reasons with employment being by far the most frequently used. Some of the other reasons include: perceived inequity, medical condition, immigration to Canada, compassion, financial hardship, etc.

Table 178 Source: NPB

ROYAL PREROGATIVE OF MERCY REQUESTS

	Up to 1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	Total
Requests	653	25	20	11	29	21	18	18	24	21	840
Granted	179	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	185
Denied	107	0	1	2	0	1	1	2	0	1	115
Discontinued	357	26	10	16	4	26	19	22	14	21	515

Note: These numbers are provided on a calendar year basis.

At the end of 2008, there were 28 active clemency cases.

In the last five years, 4 clemency requests have been granted, 5 have been denied and 102 have been discontinued. The majority of requests were discontinued either because the client did not provide sufficient information or proof of excessive hardship to proceed with the request or the Minister determined that the clemency request did not warrant investigation as the criteria had not been met.

7. POLICY, PLANNING and OPERATIONS

The Policy, Planning and Operations Division provides direct and indirect support to the Board in a wide range of areas including strategic planning, legislative and policy amendments as well as more detailed operational procedures. The Division also provides corporate expertise relating to various areas specific to conditional release, including victims, Aboriginal, women and ethnocultural/ethnoracial offender issues.

Some of the responsibilities of the Policy, Planning and Operations Division include:

• Input to legislative change;
• Policy development and revision;
• Coordination of the Board's strategic and operational planning processes;
• Coordinating the Board's governmental reporting functions;
• Coordinating the development and revision of national processes for the delivery of the conditional release program;
• Ensuring user needs are identified and met in an automated system to support the delivery of the conditional release program;
• Aboriginal and diversity initiatives;
• Victim initiatives; and
• Conducting research to support the Board.

Highlights of activities within the Division during 2008/09 include:

• In February 2009 a new vision document was released by NPB: "Vision 2020 – Public Safety, Public Service". The Vision for the Board, which was developed by the Division, presents the key elements of an ideal state. Corporate strategies outline concrete action that the Board will take to make progress toward the ideal state, that is, they provide a framework for continuous improvement.
• Legislative/Strategic Policy Initiatives - The Division was extensively involved in a wide range of strategic policy and legislative issues with a direct or indirect impact on the NPB. These initiatives were related to the government's priority of addressing criminal justice issues. Examples of these initiatives include parole reform, mandatory minimum penalties for various offences, and victims of crime.
• NPB was chosen for the 2008/09 round of Strategic Reviews. The Division coordinated the comprehensive, bottom-up review of all of the Board's programs and spending and proposed a plan for NPB reallocations, reinvestments and improvements. The Board's improvements and reallocation proposals were approved. However, because of the current economic situation, the reinvestment proposals were not approved. This meant that that the Board has to reduce its expenditures by $2.3 million or 5% of NPB's main estimates for 2009/10. This exercise resulted in a decrease to the NPB's budget of $1.6 million for 2009/10 and $2.3 million in future years.
• Treasury Board submissions - A number of Treasury Board submissions were drafted and/or finalized, by the Division in 2008/09, to request the resources required for the NPB to meet its responsibilities. As a result of these submissions, the NPB received additional resources to enhance its services to victims of crime.
• Corrections Review Panel - In the fall of 2007, the Corrections Review Panel released a report which contained a number of recommendations relating to the Correctional Services of Canada ( CSC ). CSC has created a Transformation Team tasked with responding to the recommendations. The Board has a representative on this team, and the Division has formed a working group to examine the impact of the Panel's recommendations on the Board.
• Conditional Release System ( CRS ) – The Division undertook significant work throughout the year, with CSC officials, to move forward with the completion of this automated system which will support the delivery of the conditional release program. As a result of the Memorandum of Understanding with CSC, where CSC is now responsible for meeting the Board's information technology needs, CSC is developing a system to meet the needs of NPB users.
• Victims of Crime – the Division is extensively involved in implementing victims' initiatives. It closely with other federal departments, who work with victims, including the Federal Ombudsman's Office for victims of crime. In 2008/09, the Division enhanced the Virtual Hearing Room website. Also in 2008/09, the NPB became part of the National Victims' Advisory Committee (NVAC) when it was expanded to include NPB, CSC, and Public Safety. In addition, this past year, NPB, in collaboration with CSC, began developing a questionnaire for victims of crime. NPB and CSC will continue to work on other joint projects including outreach and website information.
• Contingency Planning – In 2007/08 the Division coordinated contingency planning efforts that were necessary for the NPB to meet its conditional release legislative requirements during a time of a shortage of Board members. Some of these contingency measures were included in the Strategic Review and are now permanent.
• Offender Management System (OMS) - Significant progress has been made on the development of OMS since the Master Service Agreement was signed with CSC in April of 2007, wherein CSC became responsible for meeting the Board's information technology needs and was thereby responsible for developing a conditional release system to meet the needs of NPB users. The Division is currently working with CSC on the development of two primary modules within the system, Case Management System (CMS) and the File Management System (FMS).
• Video conferencing - Further to the policy that was adopted in January 2008, NPB approved guidelines for the use of video conferencing at hearings. This past year, the Division provided training sessions to Board members and staff on the use of video conferencing. NPB is currently exploring ways to expand upon and improve its use of video conferencing at hearings, such as expanding its use with victims, as well as expanding services to additional locations, in addition to identifying approaches that will optimize the use of the technology.

8. CORPORATE MANAGEMENT

Corporate Management provides support to the Board's strategic outcome and program activities.

8.1 INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Activities of the Integrated Management Services Division include participation in the development of the planning and accountability framework and a range of services in the areas of finance, material management, human resources, security and administration, records management and information holdings, as well as fostering the IT partnership with Correctional Services Canada.

The following are some of the activities undertaken by the Division in 2008/09:

Partnership with Correctional Services Canada

This shared-services partnership resulted in the transfer of IT resources from NPB to CSC which will contribute to meeting NPB's technology needs and priorities. More specifically, as of April 1, 2007, IT staff at NPB came under the umbrella of CSC 's Information Management Services Branch (IMS).

The spirit of this agreement is aimed at empowering CSC 's and NPB's management cadre to direct the IT functions in the best interests of both organizations. CSC and NPB have agreed to establish a governance committee and process which will direct the further development and management of OMS as well as the ongoing delivery of all IT services for NPB.

The NPB- CSC Master Service Agreement Transition Committee that was established for monitoring the transition process, for the period between April 1 st, 2007 and April 1 st, 2008, has completed its mandate leading to full implementation of the Master Service Agreement. This Master Service Agreement was reaffirmed in October 2008 with the signature of the NPB's Chairperson and CSC 's Commissioner.

As part of overall governance, the NPB will be submitting its 2009/10 IT projects to CSC 's IMS which is responsible for the IT planning cycle of both organizations. IMS will be consolidating all IT projects that have been submitted by CSC and NPB in preparation for the jointly developed Strategic IT Plan which will constitute the blueprint for guiding IMS activities from 2009/10 to 2011/12.

Human Resources

1. Internal Classification Review

Classification decisions are in the process of being resolved and implemented as a result of grievances following the 2003 to 2005 NPB classification review.

2. Implementation of a new Human Resources Management System (HRMS)

NPB has a signed MOU with Correctional Service Canada for the services of a Human Resources Management System (HRMS). The conversion of the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to the HRMS, commonly called Peoplesoft, took place in June 2008. The implementation of this new system is still in progress and the validation and updating of information is ongoing. At this stage of the project, HR is working on the Employee Self Service module. NPB is also preparing for the new version 8.9 which is expected to be implemented in April 2010.

3. Public Service Modernization Act

With the implementation of the Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA), as well as the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA) and the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), the NPB Human Resources Division undertook the necessary work to ensure compliance through the development of new policies, processes and procedures. A few years after the implementation of the new legislation, the NPB now needs to review some of its policies and procedures to ensure that they support the NPB's business lines and provide service to Canadians.

4. Human Resources Plan

NPB is currently in the process of completing and implementing its Integrated Human Resources Plan. This new approach is key to the NPB's ability to meet its mandate, remain competitive, enhance its ability to attract and retain employees and achieve its broad government responsibilities.

Finance and Materiel Management

1. Contracting Management Framework

The contract advisor position at the Board was filled successfully in March 2009 as a result of a competition.

PWGSC conducted a review and assessment in April 2008 to determine whether the contracting activities of the National Parole Board conformed to the requirements of the Professional Services (PS) Online Operations Protocol for Federal Government Department Users. The review concluded that the Board's processes on the whole were satisfactory but improvement in the following two areas should be pursued:

• ensure clear, detailed Statement of Work (SOW) with deliverables, dates and search criteria consistent with the SOW; and
• improve evaluation processes.

The recommendations were acted upon immediately.

The Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) conducted a horizontal audit in August 2008 on Contracting for Professional and Technical Services. The objective was to provide an opinion on contracting for professional and technical services and determine if the NPB was in compliance with government legislation and policies; and, in such a way that was fair and transparent and provided value for public funds. To date, only a verbal opinion has been provided by the OCG. A written opinion will follow later. The findings of the OCG were positive and it was stated that the NPB manages its procurement processes in a fair, transparent manner and in compliance with government legislation and policies.

2. Financial Management and Control

The Office of the Auditor General audited the NPB's national and regional travel and hospitality expenditures in early November 2006. The report provided the NPB with a rating as well as the rating for the community as a whole. Compared to the overall small departments and agencies (SDA) community, NPB's rating was very good. The findings for NPB were positive and in all cases the Board met or exceeded the overall results for the SDA community. On an exception basis however, the Board did have a few areas, largely administrative, where improvements were required. All the suggested improvements were made.

In 2004, NPB Corporate Finance initiated a regional monitoring program to ensure that Account Verification, Travel, Hospitality, Petty Cash, Delegation of Financial Signing Authorities, Travellers Cheque and Acquisition Card policies were being effectively applied.

The monitoring trips are conducted internally by a Corporate Finance Team. The trips that have been completed are as follows:

• Pacific region-November 2004 and a follow-up trip in July 2007;
• Prairie region-November 2005;
• Atlantic region-January 2007;
• Quebec region-January 2008;
• Ontario region-January 2009; and
• National Office-is planned for summer 2009.

These trips have resulted in a cycle of continuous review, improvement and education on financial management controls and processes.

3. Financial Systems

The NPB successfully undertook and completed upgrades to the following systems in 2008/09. All the activities related to the items listed below required analysis, coordination, testing, training, the support of employees and updating of documentation:

• FreeBalance System (FB) to Version 6.2;
• Salary Management System (SMS) to Version 6.2;
• Assets and Material Management Information System (AMMIS) to Version 2007 as well as the installation and testing of new scanners for all regional offices;
• Financial Integrated Tools Systems for the production of T1204s;
• A training environment was created with a comprehensive training plan (systems and operational), and User's guides for both FB and AMMIS;
• Privacy Impact Assessment and Threat Risk Assessment for both FB and SMS; and
• Preparation of Business Impact Analysis.

Accommodations and Security

1. National Accommodation Plan

A long term accommodation plan for NPB, in partnership with PWGSC and Treasury Board was developed and approved through a TB Submission. Corporate Services of the NPB-NO continues to provide support and play an essential role in facilitating the long term accommodation needs of NPB as a whole.

The NPB is in the midst of the roll-out of the National Accommodation Plan, with fit-ups completed in Moncton and Saskatoon. The move and fit-up of planned space is nearing completion in Abbotsford, BC, and additional space, whose fit-up is being paid for by the Pacific regional office, is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2009/10. The regional office in Montreal expects to have completed an expansion/renovation in-situ late 2009/10.

Funding approved by Treasury Board and dedicated to the two regions whose fit-ups are underway are as follows:

• for Abbotsford's long term accommodation 2008/2009 $1,022,200.
• for Montreal 's long term accommodation 2009/2010 $1,133,350.

Future year accommodation funding currently is being planned for as follows:

• Prairies Region: Edmonton 2010/2011 $614,650.
• Ontario Region: Kingston 2011/2012 $1,079,200.
• National Office: NCR 2011/2012 $2,020,650.

2. Accommodation for Clemency and Pardons

The Clemency and Pardons Division launched a special initiative in 2007 to reduce and eliminate the pardon application backlog. By re-arranging the use of available space and sharing workstations, approximately 30 additional personnel were accommodated. The backlog has now been cleared. Several small moves were undertaken in early 2009 to rearrange space in the Clemency and Pardons Division now that staffing levels have been reduced.

3. Business Continuity Plan

The National Parole Board, as a small agency and administrative tribunal, is progressing in the development of its Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Program. Using the BCP Action Plan model, provided by Public Safety Canada, the Board has worked to establish ties with CSC because CSC now supports all of the NPB's IT requirements.

A departmental BCP Policy Document was developed and distributed to employees. To date, all Business Impact Analyses (BIA) have been completed and meet government policy requirements and generally accepted standards. The purpose of the BIA is to identify the mandate of the critical services or products, rank their priority for continuous delivery and rapid recovery while identifying the internal and external impacts of disruptions.

The Board is currently reviewing its MOU for IT services with CSC. Part of this review will include the identification of which of the Board's programs and services should be on the critical services list in the event of an incident. The NPB's ranking in CSC 's disaster recovery priority list will then be established. This development will inform the Board's Business Continuity Plan disaster recovery strategy.

A Crisis Communications Plan has been developed, which forms an integral part of the Crisis Management Plan. Processes documented for records recovery and for the maintenance of the BCP require exercising and testing, as is standard practice. The SMC members, who form the Crisis Management Committee, will assign leadership roles among operational staff, for implementation in the event of a crisis.

4. Other on-going events

Security Awareness/Emergency Preparedness Week:

During Security Awareness Week, numerous activities are undertaken and information is shared with NPB-NO employees and Regional Corporate Services Managers. Presentation sessions to staff change from year to year. This year, members of CSC 's IT section made a presentation which focused on the Security of Electronic Information and Information Technology Security and how to keep electronic documents safe. In addition, physical and personal security standards were reiterated, along with occupational health and safety.

The second week of May was Emergency Preparedness week, with different aspects of the topic explored in daily messages to all staff. The object of the exercise was to create a familiarity with Emergency Preparedness processes, and help individuals create their own personal Emergency plan, taking into account what is offered by the community and organizations whose services they use. Daily reminders were sent to all employees on the roles they can play in anticipating and preparing for incidents.

Records Management and Information Holdings

The Information Holdings section has been using the Documentum Records Manager 5.2.5 since 2007 in order to meet NPB's organizational requirements and comply with the new Treasury Board Policy on Information Management (PIM) that came into force in July 2007. Following a Threat and Risk Assessment (TRA) study on Documentum Records Manager, conducted in March 2008, the Information Holdings section worked on implementing the key recommendations from the TRA in 2008/09.  The next challenge for the Board is to promote awareness of public servants' responsibilities under the PIM and extend training on the use of Documentum Records Manager to all NPB users. The reorganization of the Information Holdings section at NO, which was completed in 2008, was engineered to facilitate the extended training that is required to achieve TBS policy objectives.

In early 2009, 100K was granted to the Information Holdings section in order to begin the imaging of the legacy material in NPB's holdings, which amounts to over 600 cubic feet. This material has to be sorted and imaged, or destroyed if past its retention period. This project will allow the Information Holdings section to achieve faster retrieval of legacy documents and to better preserve NPB's corporate memory. This project will also give the Information Holdings section the opportunity to explore the possibility of imaging dormant files as an alternative to long-term storage at a Library and Archives facility.

8.2 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

The mandate of the Performance Measurement Division (PMD) is to measure and evaluate the Board's two programs, conditional release and clemency and pardons and report on key aspects of these programs and their performance in core areas. This is an important role, as the Division's performance monitoring activities feed into and play an integral part in all of the Board's activities.

The following are some of the activities undertaken by the Division in 2008/09:

1. Performance Monitoring Report

The Performance Monitoring Report for 2007/08 was published and presented to the Executive Committee in September 2008. In this report, continued effort was made to link results to the strategic and operational objectives that the Board established in its Report on Plans and Priorities. The Performance Monitoring Report constitutes a very important and useful source of information for the Board, and is used not only at National Office but also in the regions and by its partners in the criminal justice system. As the report is available on the Internet, it also contributes to educating the public about the Board and what it does. As well, the PowerPoint documents used for the presentation to the Executive Committee were shared with the regions and the National Office. Regional representatives have used components of these documents in their own presentations to their regional partners.

While the Performance Measurement Division publishes only one complete Performance Monitoring Report annually, a mid-year report is produced which provides a statistical overview of the year's trends and allows for corrective measures to be taken, if necessary.

2. Management Accountability Framework (MAF)

Responsibility for coordination of the Management Accountability Framework was transferred to the Director of the Performance Measurement Division in August 2005.

The development of a MAF, in May 2006, allowed the identification of best management practices at the Board and areas where improvements could be made as well as the identification of certain risks which needed to be addressed by the Board.

In the fall of 2006, a streamlined set of MAF indicators (20 instead of 41) was developed by TBS. As departments and agencies were to be assessed on the new set of indicators, the Division had to adapt the MAF to the new indicators. The updated MAF was completed and shared with managers in December 2006.

NPB participated in Round IV of TBS' MAF assessments which began on November 1, 2006. The NPB submitted the required information to TBS and the results received from TBS, in May 2007, were generally positive. TBS commended the NPB for its work to improve results since its previous assessment, especially in the areas of effective corporate risk-management, values-based leadership and organizational culture, and the effectiveness of its asset management.

The MAF was updated by the Performance Measurement Division in 2008/09, in consultation with the regional managers and NO, using the revised indicators developed by the Treasury Board Secretariat.

3. Risk Management at the NPB

The policies of Treasury Board require that all ministries and agencies develop a multi-year audit and evaluation plan. To be acceptable, the plan must be based on the risks the organization faces.

The division therefore undertook, in 2004/05, to develop the NPB's corporate risk profile and its integrated risk management framework. The NPB's first risk management framework, as well as its related five-year evaluation and audit plan, were adopted by the Senior Management Committee in June 2005.

The risk management framework is reviewed and adapted annually and includes risk management plans for each sector of the NPB, including the regions, to support them in managing the risks specific to their areas.

4. Evaluation and Audit

Review of Regional Practices with regards to Observers at Hearings, Access to the Decision Registry and Contacts with Victims

One of the recommendations which flowed from the review, conducted in 2005, of regional practices with regards to observers at hearings, access to the registry of decisions and contacts with victims was to conduct surveys to determine the public's satisfaction with the services provided by the NPB to observers at hearings and to those who access the registry of decisions.

The questionnaires for these two surveys were developed in 2007/08 and distributed to the regions in January 2008. The surveys were launched on March 31, 2008 and ran until March 27, 2009. The results of the surveys will be analysed and a report will be available in late 2009/10.

Evaluation of the Board Member Training Program

An evaluation of the Board Member training program was undertaken in the fall of 2007. The objective of the evaluation was to assess whether the NPB had an effective system in place to ensure that Board Members have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to carry out their responsibilities in making independent quality conditional release and pardon decisions and clemency recommendations.

The evaluation, which was carried out under the direction of a Steering Committee, was to answer questions with regards to the Board Member training program in the areas of structure, finance, training design and delivery, and collaboration with others.

Conducted by the AIM Group, the evaluation included an extensive documentation review as well as interviews with NO executives, directors, managers, members of the Appeal Division, Regional Directors and Managers, Regional Vice-Chairpersons and 25 full and part-time Board Members. The interviews were completed in March 2008 and the final report was presented to the Executive Committee on May 14, 2008.

The Board is reviewing the recommendations which flowed from the report and a detailed action plan will be presented to the Executive Committee in the near future.

5. Statistics and Data Quality Control

While the Conditional Release Information Management System (CRIMS) is capable of producing fundamental statistics, the Division continues to respond to numerous requests for statistics coming from both internal and external sources.

These statistics are used for many purposes and their impact is often underestimated. For example, the statistics are used in the development of performance reports, to support studies, detailed analyses, revision of policy and the law, to assist the regions and divisions when they are reviewing their operations and to answer questions which arise during the year. The statistics are often updated in order to support NPB representatives when they give presentations, in their discussions with CSC or in their contacts with the media. There are also frequent demands for statistics from our partners in the criminal justice system such as the Association of Paroling Authorities International, the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, the Ministry as well as the public. Given the efforts of the Division, most of these requests are answered within 24 hours.

The series of statistical tables and charts, developed in 2006/07, which gave an overview of the evolution of the profile of the offender population as well as the evolution of conditional release decisions and outcomes, over a fourteen period, were updated in 2008/09. These tables and charts are useful in supporting the Board's position with regards to proposed changes to the law and regulations.

In 2008/09, the annual update of the detailed profile of the federal offender population was completed and a regional summary was developed.

In addition, important efforts continue on putting into place and maintaining the mechanisms used to monitor the quality of the data in the Offender Management System and the Data Warehouse. The Division produces, on a regular basis, 75 different error check reports in addition to ad hoc reports.

6. Observers, Decision Registry, Contacts with Victims, Victims Speaking at Hearings and Video/Teleconferences for Parole Reviews

The Division continues to maintain, by hand, a database on contacts with victims, observers, requests for access to the decision registry, victims speaking at hearings as well as on the use of video and teleconferencing for parole reviews. Monthly reports are prepared on victims speaking at hearings and other reports are prepared as requested.

7. Study of Offenders involved in Organized crime

Following a request from the Department of Public Safety, the Division produced " A Profile of Federal Offenders Convicted of Criminal Organization Offences" in 2006/07. The objective of this study was to report on the conditional release of federal offenders convicted of "criminal organization" offences between April 1, 1997 and December 31, 2006. This study was updated in 2007/08 and again in 2008/09.

8. Board Member and Employee Training

As in previous years, the Division participated in training sessions for new Board members and staff by making presentations explaining its role within the Board, as well as providing an overview of the NPB's work environment as well as a profile of the offender population.

Copies of the Performance Monitoring Report are available on the NPB website or by contacting the Performance Measurement Division at 613-954-6131.

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