Program directory · Global Affairs Canada
International Strategy and Engagement
- Department
- Global Affairs Canada
- Program code
- BZA04 (EA)
- Core responsibility
- Advancing Canada’s interests and addressing global challenges
- In Departmental Plans
- 2026-27 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The program defines and communicates the department’s strategic direction, drawing on evidence, expertise, and foresight. It supports the advancement of Canada’s international priorities through diplomacy and policy leadership and assists diplomats abroad in assessing and promoting Canadian interests across a range of international discussions. It facilitates Government of Canada engagement with bilateral, regional and multilateral partners, including in fora such as the G7/G20, and provides strategic legal advice on a wide range of international legal matters.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in the Departmental Plans in 2026-27. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Strategy and Engagement | Earlier program (name match, high confidence) | 2025-26 – 2027-28 | — |
| International Strategy and Engagement | This program | 2026-27 – 2028-29 | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Appears to replace International Strategy and Engagement | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
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
No results reported yet.
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 72% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 8 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $693M | — |
| 2027-28 | $677M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $672M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 2,101 | — |
| 2027-28 | 2,011* | — |
| 2028-29 | 1,975* | — |
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 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 plan | $693,387,579 | $677,375,822 | $672,468,452 |
| Actual |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
