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Program directory · Public Safety Canada

National Security Leadership

Program code
BVS01 (PSEP)
Core responsibility
National Security
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

Under this Program, national security policy, legislation, and programs that contribute to the government’s ability to counter current and emerging threats are developed and implemented. This includes setting national security priorities and engaging Canadians in a long-term dialogue on national security issues through the Cross Cultural Roundtable on Security, which solicits member views on policies and programs and their potential impact on Canadians. The Program provides interdepartmental and Portfolio coordination through the implementation of Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the listing of terrorist entities, and the review of foreign investments that raise national security concerns. Under this Program, Public Safety collaborates domestically, internationally, across sectors and with communities to enhance understanding of national security challenges and to respond to national security threats.

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).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29National Security Leadership 2018-19: $12.6MNational Security Leadership 2019-20: $12.7MNational Security Leadership 2020-21: $15.3MNational Security Leadership 2021-22: $18MNational Security Leadership 2022-23: $16.7MNational Security Leadership 2023-24: $21.4MNational Security Leadership 2024-25: $25.9MNational Security Leadership 2025-26: $25.4MNational Security Leadership 2026-27: $31.3MNational Security Leadership 2027-28: $20.4MNational Security Leadership 2028-29: $19.2MNational Security Leadership
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
National Security LeadershipThis program2018-19 – 2028-29$123M

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.

YearWhat changedSource
2022-23Indicators added: Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to identify national security threats in Canada; Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to respond national security threats in CanadaDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2022-23Indicators dropped: Percentage of the population who think that the right mechanisms are in place to prevent and respond to terrorism acts in CanadaDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2023-24Indicators added: Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provided effective policy leadership and operational coordination on national security issues; Percentage of the population who thinks that the Government of Canada respects individual rights and freedoms while ensuring the safety of CanadiansDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2023-24Indicators dropped: Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to identify national security threats in Canada; Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to respond national security threats in CanadaDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2027-28Planned employees (FTEs) 120, against 165 in 2026-27 (−27%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2027-28Planned spending $20.4M, against $31.3M in 2026-27 (−35%).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

Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provided effective policy leadership and operational coordination on national security issues
Expected result: Canada has the policy, legislative, regulatory and operational frameworks, as well as the programs, to address national security threats
55%2023-24✗ not met0%2024-25✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2023-24≥ 75%202455%
Results may be due to a small sample size of partners (i.e., 31 out of approximately 450) who responded and the voluntary nature of the survey
Not met
2024-25≥ 75%20250%
Results were not available at the time of preparation of the report.
Not met
Percentage of the population who thinks that the Government of Canada respects individual rights and freedoms while ensuring the safety of Canadians
Expected result: Canada’s national security framework promotes trust and accountability
40%2023-24✗ not met0%2024-25✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2023-24≥ 70%202440%
Results may be due to the prominent national media coverage on national security issues during the one-week survey window (e.g., the introduction of Bill C-70). Based on a randomized sample of 1,000 Canadians who responded to a survey in May 2024.
Not met
2024-25≥ 70%20250%
Results were not available at the time of preparation of the report.
Not met
Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to identify national security threats in Canada
Expected result: National security threats are understood and reduced while maintaining public trust
63%2022-23✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2022-23≥ 60%202363%Met
Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to respond national security threats in Canada
Expected result: National security threats are understood and reduced while maintaining public trust
63%2022-23✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2022-23≥ 60%202363%Met
Percentage of the population who think that the right mechanisms are in place to prevent and respond to terrorism acts in Canada
Expected result: National security threats are understood and reduced
57%2018-19– no result53.8%2019-20– no result50.2%2020-21✗ not met69%2021-22✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19—201957%
Target to be developed for 2019-20 reporting cycle based on 2018-19 results.
No result reported
2019-20—202053.8%
The target for this indicator is still in development, and will be established once additional data becomes available. This indicator is measured through the use of two survey questions: (1) “How confident are you in the Government of Canada's ability to prevent terrorism acts in Canada?” (51.7%), and (2) “How confident are you in the Government of Canada's ability to respond to terrorism acts in…
No result reported
2020-2160% – 60%202150.2%
Prior to 2020-21, two indicators were measured separately but reported together. These two indicators will be reported separately moving forward to avoid the problem of asking double-barreled questions. For 2020-21, as for previous years, the combined result for this indicator was calculated by taking the average score of these two separate indicators (48.4% for “prevent” and 52% for “respond to”…
Not met
2021-2260% – 60%202269%
This is the result for the responsive component. The preventive component was not properly assessed due to methodological issues.
Not met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provided effective policy leadership and operational coordination on national security issues
Expected result: Canada has the policy, legislative, regulatory and operational frameworks, as well as the programs, to address national security threats
75%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 75%2027—Planned
Percentage of the population who thinks that the Government of Canada respects individual rights and freedoms while ensuring the safety of Canadians
Expected result: Canada’s national security framework promotes trust and accountability
70%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 70%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $13.6M2018-19: $12.6M2018-192019-20: $9.6M2019-20: $12.7M2019-202020-21: $11.9M2020-21: $15.3M2020-212021-22: $13.6M2021-22: $18M2021-222022-23: $14.6M2022-23: $16.7M2022-232023-24: $19.7M2023-24: $21.4M2023-242024-25: $23.3M2024-25: $25.9M2024-252025-26: $25.4M2025-262026-27: $31.3M2026-272027-28: $20.4M2027-282028-29: $19.2M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$13.6M$12.6M
2019-20$9.6M$12.7M
2020-21$11.9M$15.3M
2021-22$13.6M$18M
2022-23$14.6M$16.7M
2023-24$19.7M$21.4M
2024-25$23.3M$25.9M
2025-26$25.4M—
2026-27$31.3M—
2027-28$20.4M*—
2028-29$19.2M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 1052018-19: 962018-192019-20: 882019-20: 1122019-202020-21: 1012020-21: 1052020-212021-22: 982021-22: 1132021-222022-23: 1052022-23: 1082022-232023-24: 1262023-24: 1292023-242024-25: 1372024-25: 1542024-252025-26: 1462025-262026-27: 1652026-272027-28: 1202027-282028-29: 1202028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-1910596
2019-2088112
2020-21101105
2021-2298113
2022-23105108
2023-24126129
2024-25137154
2025-26146—
2026-27165—
2027-28120*—
2028-29120*—

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

Plan2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29
2018-19 plan$13,589,688$10,587,880$10,629,380
2019-20 plan$9,612,482$9,741,373$9,739,237
2020-21 plan$11,891,802$11,999,900$10,911,394
2021-22 plan$13,588,649$12,581,246$12,785,588
2022-23 plan$14,610,032$14,792,512$14,795,306
2023-24 plan$19,730,746$19,651,256$19,646,940
2024-25 plan$23,347,772$20,846,089$20,876,063
2025-26 plan$25,358,219$25,067,426$23,988,106
2026-27 plan$31,279,449$20,392,263$19,202,207
Actual$12,600,774$12,676,360$15,333,084$17,983,786$16,748,248$21,404,572$25,871,478

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.