Program directory · Natural Resources Canada
Polar Continental Shelf Program
- Department
- Natural Resources Canada
- Program code
- BTL13 (NR)
- Core responsibility
- Natural Resource Science and Risk Mitigation
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) coordinates logistics for Canadian government agencies, provincial, territorial and northern organizations, universities and independent groups conducting research, particularly in Canada's North. PCSP logistics support includes charter air transportation to and from remote field camps throughout the Canadian Arctic, fuel for aircraft, equipment and camps, and loan of field equipment and vehicles across Canada. Also available are accommodations, meals, and working space (including a multi-purpose laboratory) at the PCSP facility in Resolute, Nunavut, as well as a communications network that links the PCSP with science teams in field camps dispersed throughout the Canadian Arctic.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Continental Shelf Program | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $117M |
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 total value of support provided for Canadian Arctic science and operations over the total value of Arctic logistics support requested. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of projects that receive Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) logistics support | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Spending $10.8M, against $16.2M in 2019-20 (−33%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Spending $16M, against $10.8M in 2020-21 (+48%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023 | Budget 2023 measure “Canada's Extended Continental Shelf (UNCLOS) Program”: $113M in total over its years (linked to this program by name, a best-effort match). | Budget 2023, PDF page 190 |
| 2027-28 | Planned spending $13.4M, against $20.2M in 2026-27 (−34%). | 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 | ≥ 150% | 2020 | 185% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 150% | 2021 | 105% The COVID-19 pandemic caused the suspension of the Arctic logistics season to ensure the safety of Northern communities, clients and staff. As public health restrictions eased within the Territories, a limited return to fieldwork with teams and aircraft based entirely within the same Territory enabled 16 projects to proceed. All projects were coordinated remotely with PCSP staff working from home… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | — | 2022 | 143% COVID-19 continued to have a significant impact on the Polar Continental Shelf Program’s activities in the 2021 field season. Ongoing travel restrictions and other health measures resulted in many projects being cancelled due to the facility being closed to visitors or due to the delay in re-opening the facility being too late in the season to make their work possible. Despite this reduction in p… | No result reported |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 150% | 2023 | 199% Target has been established for 2022-2023 of 150% (or greater). Target has been met. | Met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 80% | 2024 | 66% This is the first year collecting the metric. There may be further improvements/changes for the benchmark based on this new calculation. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 80% | 2025 | 83% | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 90% | 2019 | 90% | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 80% | 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 | $7.4M | $12.8M |
| 2019-20 | $9.1M | $16.2M |
| 2020-21 | $13.4M | $10.8M |
| 2021-22 | $6.3M | $16M |
| 2022-23 | $16.8M | $19.1M |
| 2023-24 | $19.6M | $20.8M |
| 2024-25 | $7.9M | $21.4M |
| 2025-26 | $24.3M | — |
| 2026-27 | $20.2M | — |
| 2027-28 | $13.4M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $12.5M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 38 | 36 |
| 2019-20 | 40 | 38 |
| 2020-21 | 39 | 36 |
| 2021-22 | 38 | 37 |
| 2022-23 | 45 | 36 |
| 2023-24 | 55 | 44 |
| 2024-25 | 58 | 49 |
| 2025-26 | 58 | — |
| 2026-27 | 62 | — |
| 2027-28 | 60* | — |
| 2028-29 | 61* | — |
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 | $7,392,750 | $7,480,875 | $7,464,373 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $9,063,762 | $9,054,929 | $9,050,733 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $13,442,583 | $8,770,544 | $8,772,689 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $6,311,032 | $6,297,833 | $6,512,909 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $16,820,008 | $17,147,471 | $7,129,526 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $19,623,195 | $8,450,644 | $8,468,909 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $7,886,763 | $7,973,477 | $7,928,574 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $24,314,379 | $21,501,566 | $14,354,665 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $20,221,904 | $13,390,203 | $12,462,203 | ||||||||
| Actual | $12,804,922 | $16,208,058 | $10,831,973 | $16,019,100 | $19,091,548 | $20,847,831 | $21,388,730 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
