Program directory · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Policy Research and Engagement
- Department
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Program code
- BED07 (ACOA)
- Core responsibility
- Economic Development in Atlantic Canada
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Policy, Research and Engagement (PRE) program is central to identifying and effectively responding to opportunities and challenges facing the regional economy. PRE provides intelligence, analysis and well-grounded advice on a broad range of issues and topics, and it informs and supports the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and ministerial decision making. PRE helps carry the Agency’s agenda forward and ensures that ACOA remains relevant and responsive to opportunities and challenges by offering strategic, researched policy positions that reflect the region’s potential, by influencing national policies, and by coordinating other policies and programs within the region to form integrated approaches to economic development. Clients include economic, business and industry associations, post-secondary educational institutions, research institutions and organizations, independent researchers, and other federal government ministers. PRE programming is well aligned with the ACOA Act and the types of activities mandated under the Act, which includes support for enterprises through policy and program, and through advocacy of the interests of Atlantic Canada in national policies and programs.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Research and Engagement | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $108M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Indicators added: Percentage of the Atlantic Policy Research Initiative projects and of Policy Research and Engagement (PRE) activities that have met their objectives, thus contributing to the PRE objectives | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of APRI or BDP projects that have met their objectives, thus contributing to the PAC expected result | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2027-28 | Planned spending $13.1M, against $18.3M in 2026-27 (−28%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≥ 85% | 2020 | 100% Close follow-up with clients and special attention to relationship building contributed to Policy, research and analysis activities/projects meeting their objectives. | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 90% | 2021 | 100% | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 95% | 2022 | 90% Among the 9 projects reviewed this year, 8 met their expectations. This gives a result of 90% of the projects reviewed, below the set target (at least 95%). However, the only project considered to have not met expectations is rated as partially meets expectations and this, due to delays outside of the Agency’s control. | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 95% | 2023 | 100% | Met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 90% | 2024 | 100% | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 90% | 2025 | 90% | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 75% | 2019 | 100% Strong follow-up with clients and special attention to relationship building allowed for great results | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 90% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $11.3M | $13.9M |
| 2019-20 | $10.8M | $14.4M |
| 2020-21 | $11.2M | $13.2M |
| 2021-22 | $12M | $15.2M |
| 2022-23 | $12.4M | $16.5M |
| 2023-24 | $13.7M | $18.1M |
| 2024-25 | $19.2M | $17.1M |
| 2025-26 | $19.5M | — |
| 2026-27 | $18.3M | — |
| 2027-28 | $13.1M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $11.2M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 68 | 65 |
| 2019-20 | 66 | 68 |
| 2020-21 | 68 | 66 |
| 2021-22 | 70 | 68 |
| 2022-23 | 69 | 69 |
| 2023-24 | 68 | 71 |
| 2024-25 | 67 | 73 |
| 2025-26 | 67 | — |
| 2026-27 | 61 | — |
| 2027-28 | 59* | — |
| 2028-29 | 56* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $11,270,588 | $10,813,625 | $10,813,625 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $10,820,485 | $10,820,485 | $10,635,693 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $11,240,044 | $11,016,813 | $11,034,170 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $12,016,327 | $11,996,300 | $11,998,539 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $12,381,085 | $12,015,407 | $11,942,428 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $13,674,698 | $12,034,713 | $12,029,665 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $19,155,288 | $14,609,172 | $12,433,553 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $19,529,784 | $17,355,573 | $12,565,573 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $18,305,585 | $13,101,619 | $11,203,624 | ||||||||
| Actual | $13,877,883 | $14,433,424 | $13,163,971 | $15,198,822 | $16,517,332 | $18,127,516 | $17,051,400 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
