Glossary

This glossary page contains all of the defined terms in the Treasury Board Secretariat policy suite.

Policy instruments starting with the letter A

Aboriginal people (peuple Autochtone)
Are the descendants of the original inhabitants of North America. Under the Constitution Act, 1982 the Aboriginal peoples of Canada include the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada. These Aboriginal peoples have unique heritages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. Indians (now generally known as First Nation) are descendants from the various tribes that occupied what is now Canada prior to the arrival of Europeans. As a result of the Indian Act, First Nation people may be referred to as status or non-status Indians. Indians who are beneficiaries under a treaty may be referred to as treaty Indians. Inuit are descendants of the original inhabitants of Northern Canada including what is now known as Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Quebec and Northern Labrador. Métis are Aboriginal people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry who identify themselves uniquely as Métis.
Aboriginal recipient (bénéficiaire Autochtone)
Is an Aboriginal individual or entity that has received a transfer payment,or has been authorized to receive a transfer payment, under a transfer payment program that is specifically targeted to Aboriginal people or has a component specifically targeted to Aboriginal people.
access request (demande d'accès)
Is a request for access to a record made under the Access to Information Act.
access restrictions (restrictions d'accès)
Security identification and categorization that ensures that appropriate safeguards are applied to mitigate security risks to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information.
Access to information (ATI) training
All activities that serve to increase awareness about access to information, including formal training, research, discussion groups, conferences, access to information and privacy community meetings, shared learning among colleagues, on-the-job training, special projects, job shadowing, and communications activities that promote learning in the areas specified in Appendix B of this directive.
accommodate

To adapt teaching methods and other teaching approaches, as well as scheduling, duration of training, training-related evaluation processes, premises and materials, to the needs of persons with disabilities or learning disabilities that can impede the learning of a second official language. See the Policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service.

accountable advance (avance comptable)

Refers to:

  1. A sum of money advanced to a person from an appropriation; and
  2. A sum of money advanced to a person from the sum of money described in paragraph a) for which the person is accountable and includes imprest funds and working capital advances administered under an imprest system. [Accountable Advances Regulations, section 2]

Refers to:

  1. a sum of money advanced to a person from an appropriation; and
  2. a sum of money advanced to a person from the sum of money described in paragraph a) for which the person is accountable and includes imprest funds and working capital advances administered under an imprest system. [Accountable Advances Regulations, section 2]
accounts payable – (comptes créditeurs)
Accounts which record amounts owing for the sale of goods and/or services rendered.
accounts receivable (comptes débiteurs)
Accounts receivable are short-term receivables that are normally, but not necessarily, expected to be collected within a year. Accounts receivable may include trade and non-trade receivables. The former represents amounts owed by customers for goods sold and services rendered as part of normal business operations. The latter arises from a variety of transactions including return on investments (dividends), interest income, and refund of overpayments and recoveries.
accrual accounting (comptabilité d'exercice)
A basis of accounting that recognizes the effect of transactions and events on a department's financial statements in the period(s) in which they occur, rather than in the period(s) in which the department uses its appropriation. This recognition occurs regardless of whether there has been a receipt or payment of cash or its equivalent. (Public Sector Accounting Standards, PS 1000.59)
acquisition card (carte d'achat)
A credit card issued under a contract between card issuers and the Government of Canada for the procurement and the payment of goods and services that are authorized official government business transactions.
actively offers (active offer)

Clearly indicate visually and verbally that members of the public can communicate with and obtain services from a designated office in either English or French. Mechanisms are in place to ensure that services are available in the official language chosen. The availability of communications and services in both official languages can be promoted in a number of ways:

  • Prominently displaying the official languages symbol

    The official languages symbol: greeting the public in both official languages, beginning with French displayed first in Quebec and

    The official languages symbol: greeting the public in both official languages, beginning with English displayed first elsewhere in Canada

    Institutions for which Treasury Board is not the employer may use this symbol or a comparable symbol.

  • Greeting members of the public in both official languages, beginning with the official language of the majority of the population of the province or territory where the office is located.
  • Ensuring that the office's recorded messages are entirely in both official languages.
  • Displaying forms and brochures of institutions subject to the OLA in a manner that respects the equal status of English and French.
  • Using permanent or temporary signs in both official languages to direct the public within an office.
  • Ensuring public-access computers permit the use of English and French software and keyboards.

Clearly indicate visually and verbally that members of the public can communicate with and obtain services from a designated office in either English or French. Mechanisms are in place to ensure that services are available in the official language chosen. The availability of communications and services in both official languages can be promoted in a number of ways:

  • Prominently displaying the official languages symbol

The official languages symbol: greeting the public in both official languages, beginning with French displayed first in Quebec and

The official languages symbol: greeting the public in both official languages, beginning with English displayed first elsewhere in Canada.

Institutions for which Treasury Board is not the employer may use this symbol or a comparable symbol.

  • Greeting members of the public in both official languages, beginning with the official language of the majority of the population of the province or territory where the office is located.
  • Ensuring that the office's recorded messages are entirely in both official languages.
  • Displaying forms and brochures of institutions subject to the OLA in a manner that respects the equal status of English and French.
  • Using permanent or temporary signs in both official languages to direct the public within an office.
  • Ensuring public-access computers permit the use of English and French software and keyboards.
administrative cancellation (annulation pour des raisons administratives)
A decision recorded on an individual's security screening file that the security screening process has been discontinued and that is not recorded as a denial or revocation.
administrative purpose (fins administratives)
Is the use of personal information about an individual "in a decision making process that directly affects that individual" (section 3). This includes all uses of personal information for confirming identity (i.e. authentication and verification purposes) and for determining eligibility of individuals for government programs.
administrative safeguards
Policies, directives, rules, procedures and processes that aim to protect personal information throughout the life cycle of both the information and the program or activity (e.g., institutional security policy, security provisions in a service contract for the destruction of records).
ADV number (numéro PUB)
A media placement authorization number issued by the Advertising Coordination and Partnerships Directorate of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to a department as confirmation that its advertising creative and media plan comply with government legislation, policies and standards. The ADV number authorizes the Communication Procurement Directorate of PSPC to issue a work authorization to the agency of record to implement the media plan. The ADV number is also referred to as an authorization number.
advance payment (paiement anticipé)
A payment made by or on behalf of Her Majesty before the work, delivery of the goods, or rendering of the service has been completed.
advance payments (avances de fonds)
Are payments, specifically provided for in the funding agreement for a contribution, that are made before the performance obligations of the funding agreement that would justify payment of the contribution have been met. Advance payments of contributions are not accountable advances in the context of section 38 of the Financial Administration Act and the Accountable Advance Regulations.
advertising (publicité)
Government of Canada advertising is defined as any message conveyed in Canada or abroad and paid for by the government for placement in media, including but not limited to newspapers, television, radio, cinema, billboards and other out-of-home media, mobile devices, the Internet, and any other digital medium.
advertising activities (activités de publicité)
Activities related to producing and placing advertising, including campaign planning, creative development, pretesting, production, media planning, placement of advertising and evaluation.
Advertising Management Information System (AdMIS) (Système d'information sur la gestion de la publicité (GESPUB))
A database managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada that contains project information and expenditures on government advertising activities.
agency of record (agence de coordination)
A private sector supplier, selected through a competitive process and under contract with the Government of Canada, that negotiates, consolidates, purchases and verifies advertising media time and space for the Government of Canada.
annual report (rapport annuel)
Is a report submitted by the head of a government institution to Parliament on the administration of the Act during the financial year.
Is a report submitted by the head of a government institution to Parliament on the administration of the Act within the institution during the financial year.
applicant (auteur d'une demande)
Is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or any individual or corporation present in Canada who requests access to a record under the Act.
applicant (demandeur)
Is an individual or entity that has applied for a transfer payment.
applied title (titre d'usage)
The official name of a department that is used in communications with the public and in its corporate signature.
appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. (Financial Administration Act section 2)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. (Financial Administration Act, section 2)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. [Financial Administration Act, section 2]
approval authority (autorité approbatrice)
those designated to decide whether to approve or deny provision of legal assistance or indemnification to a Crown servant, i.e., the prime minister or his or her designated alternate, the minister, the Treasury Board, the Clerk of the Privy Council or the deputy head.
archived web page (page web archivée)

A Web page that is:

  • Maintained for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes;
  • Not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and
  • Stored in a digital repository.

An archived Web page may be provided on the Web, but must be clearly identified as being archived.

A Web page that is:

  • Maintained for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes;
  • Not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and
  • Stored in a digital repository.

An archived Web page may be provided on the Web but must be clearly identified as being archived.

A Web page that is:

  • maintained for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes;
  • not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and
  • stored in a digital repository.

An archived Web page may be provided on the web, but must be clearly identified as being archived.

arms of Canada (armoiries du Canada)
Formally known as the Arms of Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Canada or the Arms of His/Her Majesty in Right of Canada, and also referred to as the Canadian coat of arms and the royal arms of Canada. The arms of Canada is an official symbol of the Government of Canada. A stylized one-colour rendering of the arms of Canada is used to identify departments whose heads report directly to Parliament, institutions that have a quasi-judicial function, ambassadors, heads of consulates or missions, and the Clerk of the Privy Council.
arrears (arrérages)
in the context of this directive means an amount owing when union dues have not been deducted in a timely manner.
as and when required (selon les besoins)
Is the situation whereby a person with no assigned hours of work reports when needed and usually in response to an urgent need.
assessed contribution (quote-part)
Is a transfer payment to fund Canada's assessed share of the costs of operations of an international organization of which Canada is a member as a result of an act of Parliament, a Cabinet decision, an Order in Council or an international treaty.
assignor (cédant)
An entity to whom a debt is owed or will be owed by the Crown who wishes to transfer the said debt to another party.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister position (poste de sous-ministre adjoint délégué)
an EX-04 position sharing the mandate, delegated authority and accountability of an existing EX-05 position of exceptional size and complexity where both positions report to the same Deputy Head/Associate Deputy Head.
associations (associations)
To unite with a connection or cooperative link with another or others in act, enterprise, business, partnership or collegially, in mind, imagination or person, as a partner, ally, or friend, and including but not limited to circumstances of accompaniment, attendance or presence at an event or with an entity.
authoritative source (source autorisée)
A collection or registry of records maintained by an authority that meets established criteria. (Source: Standard on Identity and Credential Assurance)
authorization number (numéro d'autorisation)
See ADV number.
authorized government travel expenses (dépenses de voyage du gouvernement autorisées)
Government travel-related charges or cash withdrawals made by the cardholder or authorized person against a travel card or account issued in the name of an individual or a department and in accordance with the requirements and policies issued by the Treasury Board and the appropriate department.
availability (disponibilité)
The state of being accessible and usable in a timely and reliable manner.

Policy instruments starting with the letter B

banner (bannière)

The area immediately below the Government of Canada navigation bar that includes site-specific content such as the site title and the site-specific search.

bargaining agent (agent négociateur)
an employee organization that is certified by the PSSRB as the bargaining agent for the employees in a bargaining unit and is empowered to enter into a collective agreement with the employer.
means an employee organization that is certified by the Public Service Labour Relations Board as the bargaining agent for the employees in a bargaining unit.
bargaining unit (unité de négociation)
a group of employees that the PSSRB has determined to constitute a unit of employees appropriate for collective bargaining.
means a group of two or more employees that is determined by the Public Service Labour Relations Board to constitute a unit of employees appropriate for collective bargaining.
baseline of EX-04 and EX-05 positions (allocation ministérielle des postes)
The total number of EX-04 and EX-05 positions approved by the Treasury Board.
behaviour (comportement)

The action, reaction or functioning of a system, under normal or specified circumstances.

bilingual position is indispensible

This applies when the positions are linguistically indispensable because the provision of services depends on direct spoken or written communication by persons and the quality or availability of service in either of the official languages would be inadequate without this capacity.  Imperative staffing should be used in the following circumstances (not an exhaustive list):

  • when the bilingual position is one of the very few in an office that provides services to the public or employees;
  • when the bilingual position is the only one that provides certain services;
  • when the bilingual position is one of several providing similar services but there are not enough incumbents who meet language requirements to ensure service in both official languages at all times;
  • when the functions of the position require the capacity to communicate promptly and accurately in both languages in situations where the communication has a direct bearing on the health, safety or security of the public or the occupants of the office (e.g. a position responsible for communicating instructions within the context of internal security services or for the management of emergency situations).
bilingual regions

The list of Bilingual Regions of Canada for Language-of-Work Purposes is available on the TBS Web site.

The list of Bilingual Regions of Canada for Language-of-Work Purposes is available on the TBS Web site.

blanket hospitality authority (autorisation générale pour l'accueil)
Authorization for hospitality which is continuous or repetitive in nature and where it is not practical or administratively efficient to obtain prior approval for each individual hospitality occurrence.
block contribution funding (financement pour une contribution globale)
Is an option for providing transfer payments to Aboriginal recipients where the recipient has met certain assessment criteria and where a number of transfer payment programs that require a five or more year relationship with the recipient to achieve objectives can be funded under a single multi-year funding agreement. (See Appendix K: Transfer Payments to Aboriginal Recipients)
body (corps)

The area between the header and footer of a Web page that contains page-specific content and may include secondary navigation.

breadcrumbs (fil d'ariane)

A navigation tool that provides links to the pages above the current page in the website's hierarchy.

business continuity planning (planification de la continuité des opérations)
The development and timely execution of plans, measures, procedures and arrangements to ensure minimal or no interruption to the availability of critical services and assets.
business number (numéro d'entreprise)
Is an assigned number by the Canada Revenue Agency to uniquely identify private and public sector entities (i.e. registrants), government programs, and operating entity(ies).
business number – (numéro d'entreprise)
Is an assigned number by  the Canada Revenue Agency to uniquely identify private and public sector entities (i.e. registrants), government programs, and operating entity(ies).
business processes (processus opérationnels)
Is a collection of interrelated tasks and key controls operating together to achieve a desired result. Business processes shall include, but are not limited to, the financial management activities of planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, financial control, oversight, analysis decision-making support and advice.
business processes – (processus opérationnels)
Is a collection of interrelated tasks and key controls operating together to achieve a desired result. Business processes shall include, but are not limited to, the financial management activities of planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, financial control, oversight, analysis decision-making support and advice.

Policy instruments starting with the letter C

Canada wordmark (mot-symbole « Canada »)
The global identifier of the Government of Canada, which is composed of a graphically modified typeface and the flag symbol.
canadian forces (forces canadiennes)

Has the same meaning as "regular force" in the Public Service Superannuation Act.

Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure CGDI (infrastructure canadienne de données géospatiales)
An infrastructure comprised of the developments of the federal, provincial, territorial and private sector partners who are creating the technology, standards, access systems and protocols necessary to harmonize all of Canada's geospatial databases, and make them available on the Internet. (Source: GeoConnections, Glossary & Acronyms.)
capacity

Through an appropriate mix of financial, material and human resources, including bilingual and unilingual positions, the office is able to provide communications and services in both official languages.

cardholder (détenteur de carte)

In the case of an acquisition card, an employee who is identified by the responsibility centre manager to be issued an acquisition card in his or her name, or, when an employee is assigned an acquisition card for the purpose of acquiring goods or services on behalf of an organizational asset named on the card.

In the case of a travel card, an individual named on the card who is authorized to receive and use the individual designated travel card or departmental travel expense card in accordance with the requirements of this directive and other policy instruments issued by Treasury Board and the individual's department.

casual worker (personne nommée à titre de travailleur occasionnel)
Is a person employed on a casual basis pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act.
central and common services agencies

Common service organizations are listed in Appendix B of the Common Services Policy.

The Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance and Shared Services Canada are also central agencies for the purposes of this policy instrument.

Common service organizations are listed in Appendix B of the Common Services Policy.

The Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance and Shared Services Canada are also central agencies for the purposes of this policy instrument.

central financial management reporting system (CFMRS) (système central de gestion des rapports financiers (SCGRF))
The Public Services and Procurement Canada electronic system that stores summary departmental financial data according to the Government-wide Coding Structure.
Centrally-led evaluations (évaluations effectuées par l'administration centrale)
Evaluations initiated by the Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada.
certification authority (pouvoir d'attestation)
The authority, according to section 34 of the Financial Administration Act, to certify contract performance and price, entitlement or eligibility of the payment.
change fund (fonds d'appoint)
The cash provided to a cashier or other individual for the purpose of making change. [Accountable Advances Regulations, section 2]
character encoding

The representation of the information circulating in the network requires use of a particular code. Among other things, the scheme used must allow for the representation of characters specific to each of the two official languages.

character encoding : (encodage de charactère)

A letter, number, space, punctuation mark, or symbol represented by a numeric code of one of several types of character encoding formats, e.g. ASCII or UTF-8, in order to facilitate the transmission of data (generally numbers or text) through telecommunication networks such as the Web.

chart of accounts (plan comptable)
A list of codes used to classify, record and report financial transactions. A departmental chart of accounts uses codes that aggregate to the codes found in the Government-wide Chart of Accounts.
check-off (précompte des cotisations)
has the same meaning as union dues (retenues syndicales)
claim (réclamation)
A request for compensation to cover losses, expenditures or damages sustained by the Crown or a claimant.
class of recipient (catégorie de bénéficiaires)
Includes persons, organizations, or both (e.g., corporations, other governments) that meet the established eligibility criteria of an approved program.
class test
A test that objectively identifies the categories of information or documents to which certain exemption provisions of the Act can be applied. The following sections of the Act provide for exemptions that are based on a class test: 13(1), 16(1)(a), 16(1)(b), 16(3), 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 18(a), 18.1, 19(1), 20(1)(a), 20(1)(b), 20(1)(b.1), 20.1, 20.2, 20.4, 21(1), 22.1, 23, 24 and 26.
classes of personal information
Personal information that is not intended to be used for an administrative purpose or that cannot be retrieved by the name of the individual or another personal identifier (e.g., unsolicited opinions and general correspondence).
classification grievance (grief de classification)
a formal written complaint filed by an employee against the occupational group allocation or the rating of any or all elements of his or her work description or the level assigned to his or her position as a result of a classification decision.
classification standard (norme de classification)
a document that describes the factors, elements, and other criteria used to establish the relative value of work for an occupational group.
clearinghouse (centre d'échange)
A distributed network of geospatial data producers, managers, and users linked electronically. A clearinghouse incorporates the data discovery and distribution components of a spatial data infrastructure for a community of distributed data providers who publish collections of metadata that describe their map and data resources within their areas of responsibility, documenting data quality, characteristics, and accessibility. Each metadata collection, known as a clearinghouse node, is hosted by an organization to publicize the availability of data (Source: United States Federal Geographic Data Committee)
collaborative agreements

A collaborative agreement may be necessary in some situations, such as:

  • co-management of a site by an institution subject to the OLA and an entity not subject to it;
  • posting of information belonging to an institution subject to the OLA on the site of an entity not subject to it; or
  • if the institution subject to the OLA grants financial support for a site of an entity not subject to the OLA without the institution being present on the site.

Institutions subject to the OLA that post information on the sites of entities not subject to the OLA comply with their linguistic obligations regarding communications with and services to the public for such information. This does not mean that the OLA applies to information that entities not subject to the OLA post on their sites, but the institution subject to the OLA ensures it enters into an agreement that takes account of its linguistic obligations and of requirements under other federal legislation or policies, including:

For example, the agreement would specify that the portion of the site that provides access to federal government information ensures an active offer of services and communications in both official languages in accordance with Part IV of the OLA and also complies with the official languages requirements of the FIP and the Common Look and Feel.

collective agreement (convention collective)

is an agreement in writing, entered into under Part 1 of the Public Service Labour Relations Act between the employer and a bargaining agent containing provisions pertaining to terms and conditions of employment and related matters.

an agreement in writing, entered into under the PSSRA, between the employer and a bargaining agent, containing provisions respecting terms and conditions of employment and related matters.
means an agreement in writing, entered into under Part 1 of the Public Service Labour Relations Act between the employer and a bargaining agent, containing provisions pertaining to terms and conditions of employment and related matters.
commitment authority (pouvoir d'engager des fonds)
The authority, according to section 32 of the Financial Administration Act, to ensure that there is a sufficient unencumbered balance available before entering into a contract or other arrangement.
communications intelligence (COMINT)
Technical information or intelligence derived from the exploitation of communications systems, information technology systems and networks, and any data or technical information carried on, contained in or relating to those systems or networks by other than the intended recipient.
communications product (produit de communication)
Any product produced by or on behalf of the Government of Canada that informs the public about policies, programs, services and initiatives, as well as dangers or risks to health, safety or the environment. Communications products can also aim to explain the rights, entitlements and obligations of individuals. Communications products can be developed for a variety of media, including print, electronic and recording.
Communications Security (COMSEC) (sécurité des communications (COMSEC))
The application of cryptographic security, transmission and emission security, physical security measures, operational practices and controls to deny unauthorized access to information derived from telecommunications and that ensure the authenticity of such telecommunications.
compartmented information (information cloisonnée)
Information derived from sensitive sources and methods. Access to compartmented information is limited to Top Secret cleared Canadian citizens who are authorized to access the information after receiving a formal indoctrination. Compartments are implemented by controlling access to information using frameworks know as control systems. Control systems define who may access the information, and under what conditions.
complainant (plaignant(e)
Is an individual who files a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner on any of the grounds set out in subsection 29(1) of the Act.
complainant (plaignant)
Is an individual who makes a complaint to the Information Commissioner on any of the grounds outlined in subsection 30(1) of the Access to Information Act.
compromise (compromission)
The unauthorized access to, disclosure, destruction, removal, modification, use or interruption of assets or information.
conducive (workplace)

An organizational culture in which employees are systematically encouraged to use the official language of their choice in the workplace.

conferences (conférences)
Are events and refer to a congress, convention, seminar, symposium or other formal gathering, which are usually organized by a third party external to government, where participants debate or are informed of the status of a discipline (e.g. sciences, economics, technology, management). (This definition is based on the object of expenditure 0823 Conference Fees of the Government-wide Chart of Accounts).
confidentiality (confidentialité)
A characteristic applied to information to signify that it can only be disclosed to authorized individuals to prevent injury to national or other interests.
conforming alternate version (version de remplacement conforme)

It is a version that:

  1. conforms at the designated level, and
  2. provides all of the same information and functionality in the same human language, and
  3. is as up to date as the non-conforming content, and
  4. for which at least one of the following is true:
    1. the conforming version can be reached from the non-conforming page via an accessibility-supported mechanism, or
    2. the non-conforming version can only be reached from the conforming version, or
    3. the non-conforming version can only be reached from a conforming page that also provides a mechanism to reach the conforming version

For further information and examples please consult the definition of conforming alternate version on the W3C Website

consistent use (usage compatible)
Is a use that has a reasonable and direct connection to the original purpose(s) for which the information was obtained or compiled. This means that the original purpose and the proposed purpose are so closely related that the individual would expect that the information would be used for the consistent purpose, even if the use is not spelled out.
Consolidated Revenue Fund – (Trésor)
Means the aggregate of all public moneys that are on deposit at the credit of the Receiver General.
consultations (activités de consultation)
A two-way process that seeks direct participation from the public or specific stakeholders on a range of issues to inform government decisions about policies, programs, services, and legislative and regulatory initiatives, whether in person or online.
content

The Standard on Web Usability defines content as:

Information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or mark-up that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions

Structure

  • The way the parts of a Web page are organized in relation to each other; and
  • The way a collection of Web pages is organized

Presentation

Rendering of the content in a form to be perceived by users

Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary

content (Web content) (contenu Web)

Information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or markup that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions (Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary.)

content (Web content) : (contenu Web)

Information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or mark-up that defines the content's structure, presentation, and interactions.
(Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary)

continuous employment (emploi continu)

Is one or more periods of service in the public service, as defined in the Public Service Superannuation Act, with allowable breaks only as provided for in the terms and conditions of employment applicable to the person.

continuous service (service continu)

Is an unbroken period of employment in the public service in the context of determining the rate of pay on appointment. Continuous service is broken when employment ceases between two periods of Public Service employment for at least one compensation day.

contribution (contribution)
Is a transfer payment subject to performance conditions specified in a funding agreement. A contribution is to be accounted for and is subject to audit.
convenience cheques (chèque de dépannage)
A cheque provided by the credit card issuer and drawn on an acquisition card.
core public administration (administration publique centrale)

Refers to the departments named in Schedule I and the other portions of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV of the Financial Administration Act.

Refers to departments named in Schedule I and the other portions of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV of the Financial Administration Act.
Refers to the departments named in Schedule I and the other portions of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV of the Financial Administration Act.
Core Responsibility (Responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
corporate identity (image de marque)
The unified manner in which an organization, company or public sector entity identifies its presence and activities. A corporate identity can include elements such as nomenclature, symbols, colour, typography and standards for graphics. The Government of Canada's corporate identity is prescribed by the Federal Identity Program.
corporate signature (signature visuelle)
The combination of the department's approved English and French applied title and the flag symbol or the arms of Canada.
creation of personal information
Any personal information element or sub-element that a government institution assigns to an identifiable individual regardless of whether the information is derived from existing personal information under the control of the government institution or the institution appends new information to the individual.
criminal conviction (condamnation au criminel)
The outcome of a criminal prosecution which concludes that an individual is guilty of an offence and has:
  1. been convicted in Canada of an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by way of an indictable offence or summary conviction, or
  2. been convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence punishable by way of an indictable offence or summary conviction under an Act of Parliament.
criminal organization (organisation criminelle)
A group, however organized, that:
  1. Is composed of three or more persons in or outside of Canada; and
  2. Has, as one of its main purposes or main activities, the facilitation or commission of one or more serious offences that, if committed, would likely result in the direct or indirect receipt of a material benefit, including a financial benefit, by the group or by any of the persons who constitute the group.
It does not include a group of persons that forms randomly for the immediate commission of a single offence.
(Source: Criminal Code, section 467.1)
criminal record (casier judiciaire)
A record of criminal convictions and their dispositions, discharges, and outstanding entries including:
  1. Criminal convictions contained in the Identification Databank of the Canadian Police Information Centre, RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records and/or police of jurisdiction databases; or
  2. Foreign criminal convictions for offences which would have been an offence punishable by way of an indictable offence or summary conviction under Canadian law had it been committed in Canadian jurisdiction; or
  3. Outstanding entries, such as charges, warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, probation and prohibition orders; or
  4. Absolute and conditional discharges as set out in section 730 of the Criminal Code.
Note: The release of criminal record information is governed by sections 4 to 6.4 of the Criminal Records Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Privacy Act, the Criminal Code, and directives from the Minister of Public Safety on the release of criminal record information.
critical financial risk (risque financier majeur)
An event with reasonable probability that a significant unfunded financial obligation may arise, the department may be unable to fulfill its mandate, or that the event may cause significant damage to the reputation of the Government of Canada. The identification of a critical financial risk depends on the department's operating environment and management's professional judgment.
critical service (service critique)
A service whose compromise in terms of availability or integrity would result in a high degree of injury to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians or to the effective functioning of the Government of Canada (GC).
Crown servant (fonctionnaire de l'État)
  • an individual employed (or formerly employed) in a department as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act and to other portions of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV of the Financial Administration Act, in the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;
  • an individual appointed (or formerly appointed) by the Governor in Council, or by the Treasury Board or by a minister; except for former and serving directors or officers of Crown Corporations;
  • a former and serving prime minister, lieutenant-governor, governor general, minister, deputy head and ministers' exempt staff;
  • a representative authorized in writing to act on behalf of a serving prime minister, minister or deputy head;
  • an incoming participant or former incoming participant in a program under the Policy on Interchange Canada; or
  • an estate of an individual mentioned above.
  • An individual employed (or formerly employed) in a department as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act and to other portions of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV of the Financial Administration Act, in the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;
  • An individual appointed (or formerly appointed) by the Governor in Council or by the Treasury Board or by a minister, except for former and serving directors or officers of Crown corporations;
  • A former and serving prime minister, lieutenant-governor, governor general, minister, deputy head and ministers' exempt staff;
  • A representative authorized in writing to act on behalf of a serving prime minister, minister or deputy head;
  • An incoming participant or former incoming participant in a program under the Policy on Interchange Canada; or
  • An estate of an individual mentioned above.
custodian department (ministère qui a la garde)
for a worksite is the department responsible for the administration and control of the real property in question;
customer (client)
Is any organization or individual that participates in a financial arrangement in order to receive goods or services from the Government of Canada, or for any organization or individual that require an accounts receivable to be established by the Government of Canada.
customer information (information des clients)
Is any data or information used in understanding, managing and reporting on organizations or individuals who enter into a financial arrangement in order to receive goods or services from the Government of Canada and any organization or individual for which an accounts receivable will be established.
customer record (fichier des comptes clientèles)
Is the dataset used in departmental financial and materiel management systems to uniquely identify and to consistently record and maintain customer information.

Policy instruments starting with the letter D

data (données)
Reinterpretable representations of information in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing.
data matching (couplage des données)
Is an activity involving the comparison of personal information from different sources, including sources within the same government institution, for administrative or non-administrative purposes. The data-matching activity that is established can be systematic or recurring. The data-matching activity can also be conducted on a periodic basis when deemed necessary. Under this policy, data matching includes the disclosure or sharing of personal information with another organization for data-matching purposes.
dataset (ensemble de données numériques)
an identifiable collection of data. (Source: ISO 19115:2003)
dataset series (série d'ensembles de données numériques)
a collection of datasets sharing the same product specification (Source: ISO 19115:2003)
date modified (date de modification)

The most recent date on which the Web page content was formally issued, substantially changed or reviewed.

deficiencies (insuffisances)
in the context of this directivemeans that an inadequate amount of union dues has been deducted.
delegate (délégué)
Is an officer or employee of a government institution who has been delegated to exercise or perform the powers, duties and functions of the head of the institution under the Act.
delegate (also delegated or delegation) (déléguer (aussi délégué ou délégation))
An action by which a person (i.e., delegator), vested with specific statutory or delegated authorities, assigns a specific power or function to another individual.
delegation of spending and financial authorities (délégation des pouvoirs de dépenser et des pouvoirs financiers)
A mechanism in which spending and financial authorities are formally delegated through documents and controls such as delegation charts and supporting notes, specimen signature documents, electronic authorization charts, and validation and authentication processes.
department (ministère)
All departments named in Schedule I, divisions or branches of the federal public administration set out in column I of Schedule I.1, corporations named in Schedule II, and portions of the federal public administration named in schedules IV and V of the Financial Administration Act (FAA), unless excluded by specific acts, regulations or Orders in Council.
Departmental financial and materiel management system (DFMS) (Système ministériel de gestion financière et du materiel (SMGFM))
Is a system whose primary objectives are to demonstrate compliance by the government with the financial authorities granted by Parliament, comply with the government's accounting policies, inform the public through departmental financial statements, provide financial and materiel information for management and control, provide information for economic analysis and policy formulation, meet central agency reporting requirements and provide a basis for audit.
Departmental financial and materiel management system (DFMS) (système ministériel de gestion financière et du materiel (SMGFM))
Is a system whose primary objectives are to demonstrate compliance by the government with the financial authorities granted by Parliament, comply with the government's accounting policies, inform the public through departmental financial statements, provide financial and materiel information for management and control, provide information for economic analysis and policy formulation, meet central agency reporting requirements and provide a basis for audit.
Departmental financial and materiel management system (DFMS) – (système ministériel de gestion financière et du materiel (SMGFM))
Is a system whose primary objectives are to demonstrate compliance by the government with the financial authorities granted by Parliament, comply with the government's accounting policies, inform the public through departmental financial statements, provide financial and materiel information for management and control, provide information for economic analysis and policy formulation, meet central agency reporting requirements and provide a basis for audit.
Departmental Result (Résultat ministériel)
Departmental Results represent the changes departments seek to influence. Departmental Results are often outside departments' immediate control, but they should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.
Departmental Result Indicator (Indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.
Departmental Results Framework (Cadre ministériel des résultats)
Consists of the department's Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.
departmental travel card coordinator (coordonnateur ministériel des cartes de voyage)
A departmental official who represents a department in all matters related to its participation in the travel card program and who is responsible for acting as the liaison between Public Services and Procurement Canada and the card issuer.
departmental travel expense card (carte ministérielle de frais de voyage)

Comprises the following:

  • An account used to purchase common carrier transportation that is arranged through a government-approved supplier (no card is issued). The account is also used for travel service transaction fees; and
  • A credit card issued in the name of an authorized individual within a responsibility centre that is to be used for authorized government travel expenses by public servants, non-public servants or other persons.
deployed on a non-imperative basis

During the initial period:
The following situations may arise, depending on the language profile of the position to which the person is deployed:

  • If the position to which the person is deployed (2nd position) has the same linguistic profile as the position the person holds initially (1st position), the initial exclusion period for meeting the position's language requirements still applies.
  • If the 2nd position has a lower linguistic profile, the incumbent no longer has to meet the requirements of the 1st position, but does have to meet the requirements of the 2nd position within the initial exclusion period.
deputy head (administrateur général)

Is in the context of this directive:

  1. in relation to a department named in Schedule I to the Financial Administration Act, its deputy minister;
  2. in relation to any portion of the federal public administration named in Schedule IV to the Financial Administration Act, its chief executive officer or, if there is no chief executive officer, its statutory deputy head or, if there is neither, the person who occupies the position designated by the Governor in Council in respect of that portion.
Is the deputy minister, the chief executive officer or any other officer having this level of responsibility. However, in respect of a departmental corporation, when the responsibility for making a decision that this policy attributes to the deputy head lawfully remains with its Board of Directors or equivalent body or person, the term "deputy head" is to be read as standing for "Board of Directors or equivalent".
Is the deputy minister, the chief executive officer or any other officer having this level of responsibility. However, in respect of a departmental corporation, when the responsibility for making a decision that this policy attributes to the deputy head lawfully remains with its Board of Directors or equivalent body or person, the term "deputy head" is to be read as standing for "Board of Directors or equivalent."
the deputy minister, the chief executive officer, or the person who occupies a position bearing some other title denoting the same level of responsibility.
Deputy Head as defined in section 11 of the Financial Administrtion Act, and in the case of the Canadian Forces the Chief of the Defence Staff.
deputy heads

This term is equivalent to "deputy minister", "chief executive officer" and other titles denoting this level of responsibility.

This term is equivalent to “deputy minister”, “chief executive officer” and other titles denoting this level of responsibility.

deputy of a minister (délégué d'un ministre)
The deputy of a minister referred to in paragraph 24(2)(c) of the Interpretation Act.
designated minister (ministre désigné)
Is a person who is designated as the Minister under subsection 3.1(1). For the purposes of this policy, the designated minister is the President of the Treasury Board.
Is the President of the Treasury Board for the purpose of this policy.
designated offices

An office is designated bilingual for communications with and services to the members of the public if it meets criteria set out in the OLA or in the Regulations such as (not an exhaustive list):

  • an institution's head or central office;
  • an office within the National Capital Region;
  • an office of an institution that reports directly to Parliament;
  • an office where there is significant demand for services in either official languages.
  • an office where, due to its nature, it is reasonable that communications with and services from that office be available in both English and French.

A list of offices designated bilingual is available in Burolis.

An office is designated bilingual for communications with and services to the members of the public if it meets criteria set out in the OLA or in the Regulations such as (not an exhaustive list):

  • an institution's head or central office;
  • an office within the National Capital Region;
  • an office of an institution that reports directly to Parliament;
  • an office where there is significant demand for services in either official languages;
  • an office, where due to its nature, it is reasonable that communications with and services from that office be available in both English and French.

A list of offices designated bilingual is available in Burolis.

designated personnel (personnel désigné)
Ministers, ministers of state, parliamentary secretaries, and ministers' exempt staff who may be issued a travel expense card to pay for authorized government travel. Designated personnel do not include members of Parliament, non-public servants, students, consultants or Interchange Canada participants.
designated position (poste désigné)
a position that is designated pursuant to section 78.1, 78.2 or 78.4 of the PSSRA and the designation of which has not been changed pursuant to section 78.4. Employees who occupy designated positions are prohibited from participating in a strike. Reference: Sections 2, 78 and 102 of the PSSRA.
device-based mobile application (application mobile axée sur l‘appareil)

An application that is installed locally on a mobile device and developed either entirely with the operating system software development kit (SDK) or in combination with Web technologies. Application components developed with Web technologies can be installed with the device-based mobile application or hosted on a remote server.

dimensions (dimensions)

A measure of spatial extent, especially width, height or length.

direct collection
The collection of personal information from the individual to whom the information relates.
disclosure
The release of personal information by any method (e.g., transmission, provision of a copy, examination of a record) to any body or person.
discretionary exemption
An exemption provision of the Act that contains the phrase "may refuse to disclose." The following sections of the Act provide for exemptions that are discretionary: 14, 15(1), 16(1), 16(2), 16.3, 17, 18, 18.1, 21(1), 22, 22.1, 23 and 26.
drawdown (prélèvement)
The process whereby funds, approved by Parliament through an appropriation, are paid from the Consoldiated Revenue Fund to a Crown corporation to cover its expenditures.

Policy instruments starting with the letter E

effectiveness (Efficacité)
The impacts of a program, policy or other entity, or the extent to which it is achieving its expected outcomes.
efficiency (Efficience)
The extent to which resources are used such that a greater level of output/outcome is produced with the same level of input or, a lower level of input is used to produce the same level of output/outcome. The level of input and output/outcome could be increases or decreases in quantity, quality, or both.
electronic intelligence (ELINT)
Technical information or intelligence derived from the collection, processing and analysis of electromagnetic non-communications emissions.
emergency (urgence)
A present or imminent event, including IT incidents, that requires prompt coordination of actions to protect the health, safety or welfare of people, or to limit damage to assets or the environment.
emergency management (gestion des urgences)
The prevention and mitigation of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from emergencies.
employee (employé)

Is, for the purpose of this directive, a person appointed to the core public administration.

in the context of this directive has the same meaning as in sub-section 2(1) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act.
employee (fonctionnaire)
a person employed in the public service other than part-time staff who work less than one-third of the normal work period, persons employed on a casual basis or on a term basis for less than three months, persons who occupy a managerial or confidential position, and other exceptions specified in Section 2 of the PSSRA.
For the purposes of this directive, a person employed in an organization for which Treasury Board is the employer, except for members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as defined in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act.
employer (employeur)
Her Majesty in right of Canada as represented by the Treasury Board for various departments and agencies of the public service of Canada listed in Schedule I, Part I of the PSSRA.
enactment (édit)

Includes a regulation, order, directive or other instrument made under the authority of an act or other authority.

endowment funding (fonds de dotation)
– Is a transfer payment to a recipient where the funding provided is to be invested to produce an ongoing source of income to be used for purposes specified in a funding agreement.
English and French linguistic minority communities

English-speaking population in Quebec and French-speaking population outside Quebec.

enhanced screening ( (filtrage approfondi)

A type of security screening activity conducted when duties and access to information, assets or facilities are related to or directly support security and intelligence functions.

enterprise services (services intégrés)
Services offered by departments that have the mandate to provide services to other government departments (formerly referred to as common service organizations).
entertainment activities (activités de divertissement)
The action of being provided with amusement or enjoyment and includes, but is not limited to tickets to musical, theatre, sporting or similar events, tours of local or other places of interest, and other similar activities for reasons of courtesy, diplomacy and protocol.
equivalent
  • In institutions listed in Schedules I or IV of the FAA, the term "equivalent" refers to positions approved by the TB as equivalent to the positions of an assistant deputy minister, even though the title does not include the term "assistant deputy minister."
  • In institutions that do not appear in these schedules, “equivalent” refers to management positions where the level of authority exercised and organizational role are similar to those of an assistant deputy minister position (for example, the duties of a vice president in a Crown corporation), considering these institutions' individual administrative and operational structures.
evaluation (Évaluation)
In the Government of Canada, evaluation is the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.
Is, in the Government of Canada, the systematic collection and analysis of information about the outcomes of programs. The information is used to make judgments about a program's relevance, its results and cost-effectiveness as well as find alternative ways to deliver the program or to achieve the same results. Section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act requires that every department conduct, every five years, a review of the relevance and effectiveness of each ongoing non-statutory program of grants and contributions. This review is a form of evaluation which would be conducted in a manner that would be appropriate for the risk, complexity and materiality of the program.
Is, in the Government of Canada, the systematic collection and analysis of information about the outcomes of programs. The information is used to make judgments about a program's relevance, its results and cost-effectiveness, as well as find alternative ways to deliver the program or to achieve the same results. Section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act requires that every department conduct, every five years, a review of the relevance and effectiveness of each ongoing non-statutory program of grants and contributions. This review is a form of evaluation which would be conducted in a manner that would be appropriate for the risk, complexity and materiality of the program.
events (événements)

Involve gatherings of individuals (both public and/or non-public servants) engaged in activities other than operational activities of the department. Examples of events include, but are not limited to:

  • Management and staff retreats;
  • Participation in conferences;
  • Awards and recognition ceremonies; and
  • Departmental celebrations.
events of national or international scope

Some examples are: an exposition, a fair, an exhibition, a competition, a game or sporting event in Canada or abroad.

every reasonable effort
A level of effort that a fair and reasonable person would expect or would find acceptable.
evidence of identity (preuve de l'identité)

A record from an authoritative source indicating an individual's identity. There are two categories of evidence of identity: foundational and supporting.

(Source:Standard on Identity and Credential Assurance)

ex gratia payment (paiement à titre gracieux)
A benevolent payment made by the Crown used only when there is no other statutory, regulatory or policy vehicle to make such a payment. The payment is made in the public interest for loss or expenditure incurred where the Crown has no obligation of any kind or has no legal liability, or where the claimant has no right of payment or is not entitled to relief in any form.
exceptional staffing situations

The following are examples of staffing situations in which a candidate who does not meet the language requirements may be considered:

  • when the potential applicant pool is very limited due to the highly specialized nature of the duties and the knowledge needed for a position;
  • when the institution would receive an insufficient number of applications from members of one or the other official language community.
excluded employee (employé exclu)
Is a person who occupies a position that has been identified by the employer in accordance with the Public Service Labour Relations Act as not being represented by a bargaining agent because of the nature of the duties of the position.
excluded group employees (employés de groupes exclus)
Positions identified by the employer, in accordance with the Public Service Labour Relations Act, as not being represented by a bargaining agent because of the nature of the duties of those positions.
excluded information (renseignements exclus)
Is the information to which the Act does not apply as described in sections 68, 68.1, 68.2, 69 and 69.1 of the Act.
Is the information to which the Act does not apply as described in sections 69, 69.1, 70 and 70.1.
excluded manager/excluded employee (gestionnaire exclu/fonctionnaire exclu)
a person who occupies a managerial or confidential position.
excluded position (poste exclu)

Is a position identified by the employer in accordance with the Public Service Labour Relations Act as not being represented by a bargaining agent because of the nature of the duties of the position.

executive (cadre supérieure)
An employee appointed to the executive group (EX-01 to EX-05 levels), i.e., director, director general, assistant deputy minister or equivalent.
Executive (EX) Group (groupe de la direction, Groupe EX)
the occupational group as defined in the Canada Gazette, Part 1, March 27, 1999.
exempt bank (fichier inconsultable)
Is a personal information bank that describes files, all of which consist predominantly of personal information that relates to international affairs, defence, law enforcement and investigation, as outlined in sections 21 and 22 of the Act. The head of a government institution can refuse to disclose any personal information requested that is contained in an exempt bank.
exemption (exception)
Is a mandatory or discretionary provision under the Act that authorizes the head of the government institution to refuse to disclose information in response to a request received under the Act.
Is a mandatory or discretionary provision under the Act that authorizes the head of the government institution to refuse to disclose records in response to an access request.
expenditure (dépenses)
An amount charged against a departmental appropriation in the accounting period.
expenditure basis of accounting (appropriation accounting/modified cash/partial accrual accounting) (méthode de comptabilité axée sur les dépenses (comptabilité des crédits, comptabilité de caisse modifiée, comptabilité d'exercice partielle))
A basis of accounting that aligns with how Parliament authorizes departmental charging against an appropriation. Appropriation accounting differs in its presentation from accrual accounting in that transactions that do not require the use of an appropriation are not reported.
expenditure initiation authority (pouvoir d'engagement des dépenses)
The authority to incur an expenditure (to spend funds) or to make an obligation to obtain goods or services that will result in the eventual expenditure of funds.
expense (charge)
Decreases in economic resources, either by way of decreases in assets or increases in liabilities, resulting from the operations, transactions and events of the accounting period (Public Sector Accounting Standards, PS 1000.49)

Policy instruments starting with the letter F

favicon (favoricône)

An icon associated with a website or Web page that may be displayed in the address bar of the browser, next to the page's name in a list of bookmarks, and next to the page's title on a browser tab.

Federal Identity Program (FIP) (Programme fédéral de l'image de marque(PFIM))
The corporate identity of the Government of Canada that ensures that departments, programs, services, assets and activities are clearly identified to the public in Canada and abroad through the consistent use of departmental titles and symbols.
Federal Identity Program (FIP) ( (PFIM)) (Programme fédéral de l'image de marque)
The corporate identity of the Government of Canada that ensures that federal departments, programs, services, assets and activities are clearly identified to the public in Canada and abroad through the consistent use of departmental titles and symbols.
fee set by contract (frais établis par contrat)
A fee established under a contract between a department (as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act) and an external party.
field of application (domaine d'application)
The range of items, intended for internal and external use, that bear the Government of Canada signature or departmental signature and the Canada wordmark, including but not limited to stationery, forms, signage, websites and other electronic communications, communications products, personnel identification and motor vehicles.
financial arrangement (entente financière)
Is any arrangement between the government and outside parties that results in an actual or potential outlay of resources. Financial arrangements may include repayable contributions and loans.
financial authorities (pouvoirs financiers)

Include:

  • Certification Authority (Financial Administration Act, section 34)
  • Payment Authority (Financial Administration Act, section 33)

Includes:

Financial event (activité financière)
Is any activity that has financial consequences for the government of Canada.
financial event – (activité financière)
Is any activity that has financial consequences for the Government of Canada.
financial information (information financière)
Is any data or information and knowledge used in understanding, managing and reporting on the monetary aspects of any activity. Financial information is not limited to accounting data but includes aggregated information and knowledge developed and used to understand, manage and report on the monetary aspects of any activity.
financial management (gestion financière)
A continuum of finance-related activities undertaken to ensure sound and prudent use of public funds in an effective, efficient and economical manner.
financial management system (FMS) (système de gestion financière (SGF))
Any combination of business processes (end-to-end, automated and manual), procedures, controls, data and software applications, all of which are categorized as either program systems or central systems, that produces financial information and related non-financial information.
financial plan (plan financier ministériel)
A multi-year plan providing the basis for identifying the elements of the work and priorities to be delivered to achieve a department's mandate and programs. A financial plan supports the development of the in-year departmental budget and related allocations of resources.
financial reporting (rapport financier)
Internal and external financial reports and disclosures. Internal financial reporting can include financial information that supports decision making, risk assessment, planning, budgeting, resource allocations, accounting, performance assessments and reports. External reporting includes all financial statements, reports or disclosures, including those prepared for Parliament or designed to be made public.
fit-up (aménagement)

federally subsidized fit-up, for the purposes of this policy only, includes:

  • basic wall structures (painted);
  • a landscaped exterior with proper enclosures (fences);
  • kitchens, including sinks, cupboards and counters;
  • washrooms;
  • appropriate lighting and ventilation and
  • water and hydro connections (aménagement);
fixed contribution funding (financement pour une contribution fixe)
Is an option for providing transfer payments to Aboriginal recipients where a contribution can be based on a predetermined annual estimate of the funding required by a recipient to achieve the objectives of a transfer payment program. (See Appendix K: Transfer Payments to Aboriginal Recipients)
flag symbol (symbole du drapeau)
The flag symbol is a graphically modified version of the National Flag of Canada. The flag symbol is protected under the laws of Canada, and internationally under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
flexible contribution funding (financement pour une contribution souple)
Is an option for providing transfer payments to Aboriginal recipients where the recipient has met certain assessment criteria and where a transfer payment program that requires a two or more year relationship with a recipient to achieve objectives can be funded under a multi-year funding agreement. (See Appendix K: Transfer Payments to Aboriginal Recipients)
footer (pied de page)

The area at the bottom of a Web page that contains information that is persistent across a website, such as links to contact information and terms and conditions for the website.

foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT)
Technical information or intelligence derived from the collection, processing and analysis of foreign instrumentation signals by other than the intended recipient.
foreign recipient (bénéficiaire étranger)
Is a recipient that isaninternational organization or a foreign state.
foreign state (état étranger)
Is a state other than Canada or a department or agency of such a state.
forgiveness (renonciation)
The deletion of a debt related to a non-budgetary expenditure that extinguishes the debt, waives the right of Her Majesty to reinstate the debt, and permits both the Crown and the debtor to remove the debt from their accounts.
foundational evidence of identity (preuve de l'identité essentielle)
Evidence of identity that establishes core identity information such as given name(s), surname, date of birth, sex and place of birth. Examples include records of birth, immigration or citizenship from an authority with the necessary jurisdiction.

(Source:Standard on Identity and Credential Assurance)

full authority (pleins pouvoirs)
The authority that extends to the limit of the associated budget allocated to the position.
full calendar month of employment (mois civil complet d'emploi)
means the period from the first day of the month to the last day of the month inclusively.
full cost to government (coût total pour le gouvernement)
The sum of all costs (direct and indirect) incurred by the government in the supply of a good, service, property, or right or privilege.
full month of employment (mois complet d'emploi)
has the same meaning as full calendar month of employment referred to in some collective agreements.
functional specialist (spécialiste fonctionnel)
an employee who carries out roles and responsibilities that require function-specific knowledge, skills and attributes in a specific area. For the purposes of this standard, the functional specialists responsible implementing this standards are those who create or use geospatial data or who are responsible for systems that use geospatial data. They may include those working in scientific domains, real property, IM, IT, and others.
functional specialist : (spécialiste fonctionnel)

An employee who carries out roles and responsibilities that require function-specific knowledge, skills and attributes in the following priority areas: finances, human resources, internal audit, procurement, materiel management, real property, information management.

funding agreement (entente de financement)
Is a written agreement or documentation constituting an agreement between the Government of Canada and an applicant or a recipient setting out the obligations or understandings of both with respect to one or more transfer payments.

Policy instruments starting with the letter G

geographic information (information géographique)
information concerning phenomena implicitly or explicitly associated with a location relative to the Earth. (Source: ISO 19101)
Goods and Services Tax Refundable Advance Account (GST RAA) (Compte des avances remboursables de la TPS (CAR TPS))
Statutory advance account used by departments to record all Goods and Services Tax and Harmonized Sales Tax payable on purchases of goods and services from external parties.
government institution (institution fédérale)
Is "any department or ministry of state of the Government of Canada, or any body or office, listed in Schedule I, and any parent Crown corporation, and any wholly-owned subsidiary of a Crown corporation, within the meaning of section 83 of the Financial Administration Act" (section 3). The term "government institution" does not include Ministers' Offices.
Is "any department or ministry of state of the Government of Canada, or any body or office, listed in the schedule; and, any parent Crown corporation, and any wholly-owned subsidiary of such a corporation, within the meaning of section 83 of the Financial Administration Act" (section 3). The term "government institution" does not include Ministers' Offices.
Government of Canada Websites : (sites Web du gouvernement du Canada)

Websites for which the Government of Canada is accountable. The types of websites include departmental sites, initiative sites, sub sites and Web applications.

Government of Canada websites and Web applications (sites Web et applications Web du gouvernement du Canada)

Websites and Web applications for which the Government of Canada is accountable. The types of websites and Web applications include departmental sites, initiative sites and sub-sites. Further definitions of the types of sites are provided below.

departmental site (site de ministère):

A collection of Web pages that collectively represents the department (e.g., Environment Canada's website).

initiative site(site d'initiative):

A group of Web pages that collectively represent an initiative of the Government of Canada. Initiative sites frequently have a different domain than from their departmental domain (e.g., www.youth.gc.ca is an initiative site).

sub-site(site secondaire):

A group of Web pages within a larger departmental or initiative site, where the collection of Web pages are intended for a particular audience and whose specific purpose is to feature a prominent program or service. Sub-sites may have a different sub-domain or domain from their departmental domain (e.g., www.army.forces.gc.ca is a sub-site).

Web application(application Web):

One or more Web pages that allow users to interact and perform specific transactions.

Websites and Web applications for which the Government of Canada is accountable.

government travel (voyage du gouvernement)
All travel authorized by the employer. The term is used to refer to the circumstances under which the expenses prescribed in the National Joint Council Travel Directive and other relevant travel requirements may be paid or reimbursed from public funds.
grant (subvention)
Is a transfer payment subject to pre-established eligibility and other entitlement criteria. A grant is not subject to being accounted for by a recipient nor normally subject to audit by the department. The recipient may be required to report on results achieved.
guarantees (garanties)
A promise to pay all or a part of the principal and/or interest on a debt obligation in the event of default by the borrower. A loan guarantee is a contingent liability of the government. (Public Sector Accounting Standards, PS 3310.03, PS 3310.04)

Policy instruments starting with the letter H

handling
Any process involving personal information, including collection, correction, creation, modification, use, retention, disclosure and disposition.
harmonization of transfer payment programs (harmonisation des programmes de paiements de transfert)
Is the alignment and/or integration of two or more transfer payment programs that contribute to similar objectives or serve the same recipients.
Is the alignment or integration of two or more transfer payment programs that contribute to similar objectives or serve the same recipients.
head (responsable)
Is the Minister, in the case of a department or ministry of state. In any other case, it is the person designated by the Privacy Act Heads of Government Institutions Designation Order. If no such person is designated, the chief executive officer of the government institution, whatever their title, is the head.
Is the Minister, in the case of a department or ministry of state. In any other case, it is the person designated by the Access to Information Act Heads of Government Institutions Designation Order. If no such person is designated, the chief executive officer of the institution, whatever their title, is the head.
head of communications (chef des communications)
The senior executive who is responsible for the management of the department's corporate identity and communications products and activities.
header (en-tête)

The area at the top of a Web page that contains information that is persistent across a website, such as the site title, visual identifiers, search, navigation bars and breadcrumbs.

holder or custodian (détenteur ou dépositaire)
The individual to whom an accountable advance has been issued or who is responsible for the advance.
home page (page d'accueil)

An entry page to a website. On a bilingual or multilingual website, it is displayed by selecting a language on the splash page.

hospitality (accueil)
Consists of the provision of meals, beverages or refreshments in events which are necessary for the effective conduct of government business and for courtesy, diplomacy or protocol purposes.
HTML data : (données HTML)

Semantic mark-up embedded in Web pages enabling user agents such as Web browsers and search engines to extract machine-readable content from Web pages intended for end-users, such as contact information, geographic coordinates, and calendar events automatically.

Policy instruments starting with the letter I

identity (identité)
A reference or designation used to distinguish a unique and particular individual, organization or device.
identity management (gestion de l'identité)
the set of principles, practices, policies, processes and procedures used to realize an organization's mandate and its objectives related to identity.
The set of principles, practices, processes and procedures used to realize an organization's mandate and its objectives related to identity.
imperative staffing

Staffing procedure for a bilingual position where only applicants who meet all the position's qualifications, including language skills, at the time of appointment can be appointed.

Implementation report (rapport de mise en oeuvre)
Is a notice issued by Treasury Board Secretariat to provide guidance on the interpretation and application of the Privacy Act and its related policy, directives, standards and guidelines.
Is a notice issued by Treasury Board Secretariat to provide guidance on the interpretation and application of the Access to Information Act and its related policy, directives, standards and guidelines.
imprest bank account (compte bancaire d'avance fixe)
A bank account located in a foreign country set up by the Receiver General for Canada in the name of a department, and funded through an advance issued in compliance with the Accountable Advances Regulations. Departments may make restricted deposits to and issue cheques from this account.
increment (augmentation)
eans the amount representing the difference between successive rates in the performance pay range, or $500 (augmentation);
incremental cost (coûts différentiels)
An increased cost to a supplier's appropriation resulting from an additional requirement to provide additional goods or services.
indemnification (indemnisation)
payment or reimbursement of amounts paid as a result of a judgment or a cost award against a Crown servant or as a result of a monetary settlement of a claim or an action made or brought against a Crown servant that is pre-approved by the approval authority based on the Department of Justice Canada's recommendation.
indeterminate (indéterminée)

Is the indefinite period for which a person is appointed.

Is the indefinite period for which a person is appointed pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act.
indirect collection
The collection of personal information from a source other than the individual to whom the information relates.
individual designated travel card (carte individuelle de voyage)
A credit card issued to government employees and designated personnel that may be used to pay for authorized government travel expenses.
Info Source (Info Source)
Is a series of annual Treasury Board Secretariat publications in which government institutions are required to describe their institutions, program responsibilities and information holdings, including PIBs and classes of personal information. The descriptions are to contain sufficient clarity and detail to facilitate the exercise of the right of access under the Privacy Act. Data-matching activities, use of the SIN and all activities for which privacy impact assessments were conducted have to be cited in Info Source PIBs, as applicable. The Info Source publications also provide contact information for government institutions as well as summaries of court cases and statistics on access requests.
Is a series of annual Treasury Board Secretariat publications in which government institutions are required to describe their organizations, program responsibilities and information holdings, including classes of records. The information is to contain sufficient clarity and detail to facilitate the exercise of the right of access under the Access to Information Act. The Info Source publications also provide contact information for government institutions as well as summaries of court cases and statistics on access requests.
Information Commissioner (Commissaire à l'information)
Is an Officer of Parliament appointed by Governor in Council.
injunction (injonction)
a court order directing persons or classes of persons to do or not to do a particular act or thing.
injury test
A test to determine the reasonable expectation of probable harm that must be met for certain exemption provisions of the Act to apply. The following sections of the Act provide for exemptions that are based on an injury test: 14, 15(1), 16(1)(c), 16(1)(d), 16(2), 17, 18(b), 18(c), 18(d), 20(1)(c), 20(1)(d) and 22.
input (Intrant)
The financial and non-financial resources (e.g., funds, personnel, equipment and supplies) used by organizations to implement policies, programs and other activities to produce outputs and influence outcomes.
instalments (versements)
Are partial payments of a grant.
institutions

Institution means:

  • Any institution subject to Parts IV, V and VI and section 91 of the OLA, except for the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, the office of the Senate Ethics Officer and the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. For a formal definition of “federal institutions”, see section 3 of the OLA; and
  • Any institution whose acts of incorporation provide for the application of the OLA (e.g. Air Canada and NavCanada). 

Institution means:

  • Any institution subject to Parts IV, V and VI and section 91 of the OLA, except for the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, the office of the Senate Ethics Officer and the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. For a formal definition of “federal institutions”, see section 3 of the OLA; and
  • Any institution whose acts of incorporation provide for the application of the OLA (e.g. Air Canada and NavCanada).

Institution means:

  • Any institution subject to Parts IV, V and VI and section 91 of the OLA, except for the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, the office of the Senate Ethics Officer and the office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.  For a formal definition of “federal institutions”, see section 3 of the OLA; and
  • Any institution whose acts of incorporation provide for the application of the OLA (e.g. Air Canada and NavCanada). 
interdepartmental settlement (IS) (règlement interministériel (RI))
A mechanism used to transfer funds between any two departments or agencies that operate within the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
internal control over financial management (contrôle interne en matière de gestion financière)
A set of measures and activities that provide reasonable assurance of the effectiveness and efficiency of the financial management activities of the department.
internal control over financial reporting (contrôle interne en matière de rapports financiers)
A subset of the system of internal control over financial management. Internal control over financial reporting is a set of measures and activities that allow senior management and users of financial statements to have reasonable assurance of the accuracy and completeness of the department's financial statements.
international organization (organisation internationale)
Is an intergovernmental organization of which two or more states are members.
interoperability (interopérabilité)
The ability of federal government departments to operate synergistically through consistent security and identity management practices.
interoperability : (interoperabilité)

For the purposes of this standard, Web interoperability is defined as the ability of different types of computers, platforms, devices, networks, and applications to work together effectively, without prior communication, to find, retrieve, understand, exchange, and re-use Web content in a useful and meaningful manner. There are three aspects of interoperability: semantic, structural and syntactical.
(Source: Adapted from Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Glossary)

interstitial page (page interstitielle)

A Web page displayed before a requested content page that provides information the user should know before proceeding.

inventory (inventaire)
A detailed, itemized list that describes the volume, scope, and complexity of structured or unstructured information resources of the department.

Policy instruments starting with the letter J

job (emploi)
a unique position, or a number of positions that are similar or identical and whose work is described by one work description.

Policy instruments starting with the letter K

key service

The Regulations list certain federal services to which specific provisions apply, namely, the following services within a Census Metropolitan Area: post office, employment or human resources centre, Income Security Programs office, tax office, Canadian Heritage office and Public Service Commission office. Within a Census Subdivision, the key services are the six services listed above, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments.

Policy instruments starting with the letter L

law enforcement authority (organisme chargé de l'exécution de la loi)
A body sanctioned by a municipal, provincial or national government to enforce laws and apprehend those who break them.
law enforcement inquiry (enquête sur l'exécution de la loi)
An examination of law enforcement authority records, databases or databanks to determine whether an individual:
  1. Has a criminal record; and/or
  2. Is associated with a criminal organization or known criminals; and/or
  3. Is a dangerous offender; and/or
  4. Is known, suspected of, or has engaged in criminality.
lawful strike (grève légale)

Employees may lawfully strike if

  • the bargaining agent for their bargaining unit has chosen the conciliation method for the resolution of bargaining disputes, and
  • there is no collective agreement applying to their bargaining unit in force, and
  • seven days have elapsed from either, the receipt by the Chairperson of the PSSRB of the report of the conciliation board or conciliation commissioner, or the notification by the Chairperson to the parties of the Chairperson's intention not to establish a conciliation board or appoint a conciliation commissioner.
lead department (ministère principal)
is the department responsible for meeting the requirements of section 2 of this policy. If a number of user departments are interested in sharing the services of a single workplace day care centre, a lead department must be selected from the group;
leave with income averaging (congé avec étalement du revenu)
Is an authorized working arrangement whereby eligible persons are able to reduce the number of weeks worked in a specific 12-month period by taking leave without pay for a period of between 5 weeks and 3 months. Although pay is reduced and averaged out over the 12-month period, pension and benefits coverage (as well as the applicable premiums and contributions) continue at the pre-arrangement levels.
leave with pay (congé payé)
Is an authorized paid absence from work in accordance with the relevant collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment.
leave without pay (congé non payé)
Is an authorized unpaid absence from work, in accordance with the relevant collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment, while maintaining continuity of employment.
legal assistance (services juridiques)
includes the cost of the services of the Department of Justice Canada, a Crown agent or private counsel, as well as paralegal services and includes necessary travel costs, incidental costs and the use of essential expert witnesses.
loan (prêt)
A financial asset of the government represented by a promise by a borrower to repay a specific amount, at a specified time or times, or on demand, usually with interest.
loan guarantee (garantie d'emprunt)
A promise that the government will repay a lender (e.g., a bank or other financial institution providing credit or funding to another party) the amount guaranteed, subject to the terms and conditions of an agreement, if the borrower defaults. The guarantee will reduce the lender's risk and should enable the borrower to obtain a loan at a lower interest rate or obtain a loan that might not otherwise have been obtainable.
location (position)

A place where something is or could be located.

logo (logo)
A graphic mark, emblem or symbol adopted by an individual or organization to aid or promote recognition. Logos can be purely graphic or can feature the name of the organization in a special typeface (e.g., logotype).
lowest pay increment (augmentation de la rémunération en plus faible)
or the purposes of section 24 of the Public Service Terms and Conditions Employment Regulations shall be an amount equivalent to two increments in the performance pay range, or $1,000 (augmentation de la rémunération en plus faible);
loyalty to Canada (loyauté envers le Canada)
A determination that an individual has not engaged, is not engaged, nor is likely to engage in activities that constitute a "threat to the security of Canada" as defined in section 2 of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act.

Policy instruments starting with the letter M

machine-readable (lisible par machine)
In a form that can be used and understood by a computer.
main corporate store for a mobile operating system (dépôt organisationnel principal d'un système d'exploitation mobile)

Online store provided by the owner of a mobile operating system.

management leave (congé de direction)

Is a leave with pay granted by the deputy head to compensate an employee who is exempt from overtime payment but is required by management to work excessive hours or work/travel on a day of rest or on a holiday.

manager (gestionnaire)

For purposes of this directive, the term "manager" is understood to mean "people manager", defined as: an employee who is accountable for exercising delegated human resources authority (i.e. staffing and/or labour relations delegation). In addition to ensuring business results are delivered and overall management functions are carried out, a manager leads people, recognizes and rewards achievement, manages performance, develops people, manages change and promotes corporate values, ethics, and culture of the organization.

For the purposes of this directive, an employee who is accountable for exercising delegated authority over human resources (i.e., staffing and/or labour relations delegation). In addition, a manager ensures that business results are delivered and that overall management functions—including recruiting, resourcing and retaining staff—are carried out.
managerial or confidential position (poste de direction ou de confiance)

means a position:

  1. confidential to the Governor General, a Minister of the Crown, a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada or the Federal Court, the deputy head of a department or the chief executive officer of any other portion of the Public Service;
  2. classified by the employer as being in the executive group, by whatever name called;
  3. of a legal officer in the Department of Justice;
  4. of an employee in the Treasury Board;
  5. the occupant of which provides advice on staff relations, staffing or classification;
  6. the occupant of which has, in relation to staff relations matters, duties and responsibilities confidential to a position described in paragraph (b) or (c); or
  7. identified as such a position pursuant to section 5.1 or 5.2, the identification of which has not been terminated pursuant to section 5.3.
is a position that has been declared to be a managerial or confidential position by the Public Service Labour Relations Board.
mandatory exemption
An exemption provision of the Act that contains the phrase "shall refuse to disclose." The following sections of the Act provide for exemptions that are mandatory: 13(1), 16(3), 16.1, 16.2, 16.4, 16.5, 19(1), 20(1), 20.1, 20.2, 20.4 and 24.
material privacy breach
A privacy breach that involves sensitive personal information and could reasonably be expected to cause injury or harm to the individual.
media buy or placement (achat ou placement dans les médias)
The purchase of advertising time or space, e.g., for television, radio, newspapers, magazines, websites, cinemas or out-of-home media.
metadata

The Chief Information Officer Branch, Information Management Glossary – Subject: Metadata states: Term means "data about data", or specifically in the Web context, machine-understandable information to identify, locate, and/or describe Web resources. Equivalent traditional library standards include ISBN and ISSN (identification), shelf mark/call number (location), ISBD and AACR2 (bibliographic description), LC and DDC (subject classification), LCSH (subject headings), and MARC (machine-readable communication format).

metadata (métadonnées)
structured data about data used to aid the identification, description, location or use of information resources. (Source: Government On-line Metadata Standard)
metadata : (métadonnées)

The definition and description of the structure and meaning of information resources, and the context and systems in which they exist.

method of communication

Any correspondence, memorandum, book, plan, map, drawing, diagram, pictorial or graphic work, photograph, film, microform, sound recording, videotape, machine readable record, and any other documentary material, regardless of whether it's in physical, electronic or any other format, and any copy thereof.

minister (ministre)
Is the highest lawful authority for a department (minister, deputy head or governing body, e.g., Board of Directors) with respect to a decision to be made under the policy. For instance, in the case of a department listed under Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act, the minister is the actual minister, whereas in the case of some departmental corporations (listed under Schedule II, e.g., the Canadian Polar Commission), the minister may be its Board of Directors.
Is the highest lawful authority for a department (minister, deputy head or governing body, e.g., Board of Directors) with respect to a decision to be made under the policy. For instance, in the case of a department listed under Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act, the minister is the actual minister, whereas in the case of some departmental corporations (listed under Schedule II, e.g., the Canadian Polar Commission), the minister may be its Board of Directors.
ministers' exempt staff (personnel exonéré)
any individual appointed by a minister pursuant to section 128 of the Public Service Employment Act, or under a contract for services to a minister with terms and conditions equivalent to those individuals appointed pursuant to section 128.
minor amendments (modifications mineures)
Are amendments to terms and conditions of a transfer payment program:
  • other than amendments to any of the elements listed below:
    1. The program objectives
    2. The eligible activities, initiatives or projects
    3. The class of eligible recipients
    4. The maximum amount payable to a recipient
    5. The repayment of a repayable contribution
    6. The stacking limit
    7. Up-front multi-year funding
  • that are, in respect of any of the elements listed above, of a technical nature made solely for the purpose of correcting errors of wording or adding clarity to such element.
Are amendments to terms and conditions of a transfer payment program:
  • other than amendments to any of the elements listed below:
    1. The program objectives
    2. The eligible activities, initiatives or projects
    3. The class of eligible recipients
    4. The maximum amount payable to a recipient
    5. The repayment of a repayable contribution
    6. The stacking limit
    7. Up-front multi-year funding
  • that are, in respect of any of the elements listed above, of a technical nature made solely for the purpose of correcting errors of wording or adding clarity to such elements
mobile application gallery (répertoire d'applications mobiles)
The inventory of the Government of Canada's mobile applications.
mobile device (appareil mobile)

A portable wireless electronic device that enables the user to send and receive information. Examples of mobile devices are smartphones and tablets.

mobile operating system (système d'exploitation mobile)

A collection of software that manages the hardware and software resources of a mobile device. Examples of mobile operating systems are Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone.

multi-institutional privacy impact assessments (évaluations des facteurs relatifs à la vie privée multi-institutionnelles)
Is a privacy impact assessment that involves more than one government institution. (See definition of privacy impact assessment, below.)
municipalities or census subdivisions (municipalités et les subdivisions de recensement)
are those used to code the geographic locations of employees;

Policy instruments starting with the letter N

national interest (intérêt national)
The security and the social, political and economic stability of Canada.
need to know (besoin de savoir)
A criterion used by the custodian(s) of sensitive information, assets or facilities to establish, prior to disclosure or providing access, that the intended recipient must have access to perform his or her official duties.
neutral (Neutre)
Impartiality in behaviour and process, ensuring that official, professional, personal or financial relationships or interests do not have an impact on evaluations. Neutrality also requires that preconceived ideas, prejudices or biases do not affect the decision whether to evaluate; analysis; findings, conclusions, recommendations; and the tone and content of evaluation reporting.
new consistent use (nouvel usage compatible)
Is a consistent use that was not originally identified in the appropriate Personal Information Bank (PIB) description in the government institution's chapter in Info Source.
non-administrative purpose (fins non-administratives)
Is the use of personal information for a purpose that is not related to any decision-making process that directly affects the individual. This includes the use of personal information for research, statistical, audit and evaluation purposes.
non-imperative staffing

Staffing procedure for a bilingual position allowing the consideration of applicants who meet all essential qualifications except for the requisite language skills. The Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order and the Public Service Official Languages Appointment Regulations specify the circumstances in which non-imperative staffing is permitted.

non-partisan communications (communications non partisanes)

In the context of all Government of Canada communications products and activities, "non-partisan" means:

  • Objective, factual, and explanatory;
  • Free from political party slogans, images, identifiers; bias; designation; or affiliation;
  • The primary colour associated with the governing party is not used in a dominant way, unless an item is commonly depicted in that colour; and
  • Advertising is devoid of any name, voice or image of a minister, member of Parliament or senator.
In the context of all Government of Canada communications products and activities, “non-partisan” means:
  • Objective, factual and explanatory;
  • Free from political party slogans, images, identifiers; bias; designation; or affiliation;
  • The primary colour associated with the governing party is not used in a dominant way, unless an item is commonly depicted in that colour; and
  • Advertising is devoid of any name, voice or image of a minister, member of Parliament or senator.

Policy instruments starting with the letter O

occupant of an excluded position (titulaire d'un poste exclus)
means the incumbent or the person who is acting or has assumed wholly or substantially the duties and responsibilities of a position that has been declared to be a managerial or confidential position.
office

Any location where a federal institution provides services or information to the public. It can be a post office, a border port of entry, an information counter, a toll-free service telephone number, a train, boat or plane route or a commemorative plaque.

official languages unit

The official languages unit is a structure whose size and role are appropriate with regard to the institution's mandate. The unit may be a distinct unit, or it may be combined with another unit within the institution.

official social media account (compte de médias sociaux officiel)
An account on a social media platform used for official Government of Canada purposes such as communication, service delivery, collaboration and other purposes within the scope of an department's mandate.
official symbols of the Government of Canada (symboles officiels du gouvernement du Canada)
The Canada wordmark, the flag symbol, and the arms of Canada.
on-demand printing (impression sur demande)
Printing communications products, whether using in-house printers or contracted printing firms, when requested by an individual or as the need arises. On-demand printing does not require warehousing.
open data (données ouvertes)
Structured data that is machine-readable, freely shared, used and built on without restrictions.
open government (gouvernement ouvert)
A governing culture that holds that the public has the right to access the documents and proceedings of government to allow for greater openness, accountability, and engagement.
open information (information ouvert)
Unstructured information that is freely shared without restrictions.
operational activities (activités opérationnelles)

Are those activities undertaken to deliver departmental programs and services including departmental internal services.

For individuals, operational activities are those activities undertaken in the performance of their assigned tasks, as set out in position descriptions, terms of reference, statements of work or other like documents.

Any gathering of individuals, the purpose of which is not to conduct operational activities, shall be defined as an “event”.

organizational asset (actif organisationnel)
A high-value mobile asset (excluding motor vehicles), such as a vessel (e.g., ship) or aircraft, that requires frequent large dollar transactions to support its operation.
organizational profile (Profil de l'organisation)
Basic data used to identify organizations included in the institutional and corporate composition of the Government of Canada (e.g., name, appropriate Minister, enabling instrument, etc.).
original purpose
The purpose that was first identified when initiating the collection of personal information and that is directly related to an operating program or activity of the institution. A purpose that is not consistent with the original purpose is considered to be a secondary purpose.
other government department suspense account (OGD suspense account) (comptes d'attente d'autres ministères)
An account to which a transaction is posted on a temporary basis until its ultimate disposition is determined.
other individuals (autres particuliers)
Persons to whom government may need to provide access to sensitive information or assets, or access to facilities, through a formal arrangement that may include, but is not be limited to the following:
  1. assignments (e.g., Interchange Canada assignments, detachment personnel);
  2. contracts;
  3. locally engaged staff at Canadian missions abroad;
  4. domestic or international information-sharing agreements;
  5. participation in special events (e.g., census);
  6. volunteers (e.g., victim services / community policing volunteers);
  7. federal/provincial/territorial (FPT) agreements ; or
  8. critical infrastructure partnerships.
other orders of government (autres ordres de gouvernement)
Are Canada's provincial and territorial governments and provincial and territorial government entities.
other transfer payment (autre paiement de transfert)
Is a transfer payment, other than a grant or contribution, based on legislation or other arrangement, that may be determined by a formula. Examples of other transfer payments are transfers to other orders of government such as Equalization payments as well as Canada Health and Canada Social Transfer payments.
output (Extrant)
Direct products, services or similar stemming from the activities of an organization, policy, program or initiative, and usually within the control of the organization itself.
overtime (heures supplémentaires)

Is authorized time worked by a person in excess of the standard daily or weekly hours of work and for which the person may be entitled to compensation pursuant to the provisions of the relevant collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment.

Policy instruments starting with the letter P

parent (parent)
includes guardian;
partnering/collaborative arrangements (partenariats (partenaire) ou ententes de collaboration)
Joint activities or transactions that involve another government, a company, an organization, a group or an individual that has shared or associated objectives, with a written agreement to combine financial or in-kind inputs.
part-time (temps partiel)
Is the situation whereby a person is ordinarily required to work more than one third of but less than the normal scheduled daily or weekly hours of work established for persons doing similar work.
part-time worker (travailleur à temps partiel)
Is a person who is not ordinarily required to work more than one third of the normal scheduled daily or weekly hours of work established for persons doing similar work.
payable at year-end (créditeur en fin d'exercice)
  1. A debt incurred from work performed, goods received or services rendered before year-end; or
  2. A debt owing on, or before, year-end under a contract or similar arrangement; or
  3. An amount payable on, or before, year-end, resulting from transactions and events with other departments and Crown corporations. It also includes amounts payable as if they were debts under certain administrative arrangements, including memoranda of understanding with provincial, national or international entities and organizations. It also includes an amount payable under legislation in force at year-end.
payment authority (pouvoir de payer)
The authority to requisition payments according to section 33 of the Financial Administration Act.
Performance Information Profile (Profil de l'information sur le rendement)
The document that identifies the performance information for each Program from the Program Inventory.
performance management (gestion du rendement)
Helps employees understand their individual contribution to the business objectives of the government. It is a comprehensive approach that includes setting commitments, performance objectives and expected behaviours, assessing results, and providing continuous feedback and coaching. An effective performance management program aligns individual work with departmental and government–wide strategic and operational goals where strong performance is recognized and unsatisfactory performance is addressed promptly.
performance measurement strategy (stratégie de mesure de la performance)
Is the selection, development and ongoing use of performance measures for program management or decision-making.
person with the delegated authority (personne ayant le pouvoir délégué)

Is a person identified under the departmental delegation of authorities instrument for the application and administration of the terms and conditions of employment.

Is a person identified under the departmental delegation of authorities instrument for the administration of leave.
personal and central services

In bilingual regions, personal and central services are offered to all employees in the official language of their choice. These services are those that affect the employee on a personal level (their health and well-being, personal development, their career) or that are essential for the employee to perform their duties. Some examples:

Personal services:

  • pay and benefits services
  • career counselling services

Central services:

  • information systems services
  • legal services
personal information (renseignements personnels)
Is "information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form" (section 3). See section 3 of the Act for additional information.
personal information bank (fichier de renseignements personnels)
Is a description of personal information that is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. The personal information described in the personal information bank has been used, is being used, or is available for an administrative purpose and is under the control of a government institution.
persons appointed to the core public administration (personnes nommées à l'administration publique centrale)
Are persons occupying one of the following types of positions: indeterminate, term of three months or more, term of less than three months, casual worker, seasonal worker, as and when required, excluded, unrepresented, part-time, and part-time worker.
petty cash fund (petite caisse)
Cash kept on hand under an imprest system for the purpose of making small payments in cash. [Accountable Advances Regulations, section 2]
physical safeguards
The facilities and equipment that are used to protect personal information (e.g., locked storage rooms, locked filing cabinets).
pictorial view (format image)
a portrayal of geographic information as a digital image file suitable for display on a computer screen (Source: ISO 19128:2005, definition of map, p. v)
plain language writing (rédaction en langage clair et simple)
Writing that is easily understandable on first reading. Communicating in plain language may involve writing to a specific level of literacy or education.
political activity (activité politique)
Has the same meaning as established under Part 7 of the Public Service Employment Act for the purpose of this directive.
polygraph examination (test polygraphique)
An examination that uses questioning techniques and technology to record physiological responses which might indicate deception by an individual.
portability (Web) ([Web]) : (portabilité)

Extent to which Web content can be delivered and consumed on different platforms and devices.

position

The term “position” includes positions or functions.

position (poste)
the work requirements assigned by the respective manager that can be performed by one person.
Position Exclusion System (Système d'exclusion des postes)
is the system designated by the Treasury Board Secretariat to compile data on public service positions that have been identified as managerial or confidential positions. The data contained in the system is used by the employer and the bargaining agents to implement the union dues provisions set out in the relevant collective agreement.
predominantly
In the context of an exempt bank, means that more than half of the information in each file contained in the bank qualifies for an exemption under section 21 or 22 of the Act.
pre-retirement transition leave (congé de transition préalable à la retraite)
Is an authorized working arrangement whereby eligible persons who are eligible for an unreduced pension or are within two years of becoming eligible for an unreduced pension are able to reduce the length of their workweek by up to 40 per cent. The person's salary is reduced while the pension and benefits coverage (as well as the applicable premiums and contributions) are maintained at pre-arrangement levels.
presentation (présentation)

The visual representation of something.

primary domain name (nom de domaine principal)

The domain name that represents a website's primary purpose and that is commonly used to access and identify the website.

principle of proportionality

Principle taken from the Regulations according to which a federal institution with several offices in a given Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) or a Census Subdivision (CSD) must provide services in both official languages in the number of offices equal to or greater than the proportion that represents the minority compared to the total population in the CMA or CSD.

The following provisions of the Regulations concern the principle of proportionality: paragraphs 5(1) (b), (c), (g), (i), and (m).

The Regulations stipulate that the following factors must be considered in the choice of offices that provide communications and services in both official languages: the distribution of the language minority population in the region, the function of the offices, as well as their clientele and their location in the region.

Example of the Application of the Principle of Proportionality

Fictional CMA:

  • Total population: 147,655
  • Minority population: 41,850
  • Percentage: 28.3

Almost 90% of the French-speaking population of the CMA is found in three of the seven localities that make up the CMA: 48% of the French-speaking population lives in the principal city, 22% in locality A and 20% in locality B.

Under the principle of proportionality, if 10 of the offices of a given institution offer the same services, the number of these offices that have to provide their services in both official languages should be calculated as follows: 10 x 28.3% = 2.8 or 3 offices. When the application of proportionality results in a fraction (e.g. 2.8) rather than a whole number, the figure has to be rounded to the next higher whole number. This is because the regulatory provision requires that, in comparison to the total number of the institution's offices in the area, the number of offices offering their services in both official languages must be at least equal to or greater than the proportion of the total population that the minority represents. (If the result had been 2.3 or 2.5 out of 10, the number of offices would likewise be three.)

Since a large number of the members of the minority population live outside the principal city, it would be inappropriate to designate three offices in that city as the ones required to serve the public in both official languages.

Thus, it would perhaps be more appropriate to provide services in both official languages at two offices in the principal city and one in either locality A or B, or to offer services in both official languages at one office in each of these three localities.

The final decision will also have to take into account the function of the office and results of the consultation with the minority population.

When the principle of proportionality is applied in a CSD instead of a CMA, the number and location of offices required to provide services in both official languages are determined the same way.

privacy breach
The improper or unauthorized creation, collection, use, disclosure, retention or disposition of personal information.
Privacy Commissioner (Commissaire à la protection de la vie privée)
Is an Officer of Parliament appointed by Governor in Council.
privacy impact assessment (évaluation des facteurs relatifs à la vie privée)
Is a policy process for identifying, assessing and mitigating privacy risks. Government institutions are to develop and maintain privacy impact assessments for all new or modified programs and activities that involve the use of personal information for an administrative purpose.
privacy notice
A verbal or written notice informing an individual of the purpose of a collection of personal information and of the government institution's authority for collecting, including creating, using and disclosing the information. The notice, which must reference the PIB described in Info Source, also informs the individual of his or her right to access, and request the correction of, the personal information and of the consequences of refusing to provide the information requested.
privacy practices
All practices related to the creation, collection, retention, accuracy, correction, use, disclosure, retention and disposition of personal information.
privacy protocol (protocol relatif à la protection des renseignements personnels)
Is a set of documented procedures to be followed when using personal information for non-administrative purposes including research, statistical, audit and evaluation purposes. These procedures are to ensure that the individual's personal information is handled in a manner that is consistent with the principles of the Act.
privacy request (demande de renseignements personnels)
Is a request for access to personal information under the Act.
process (processus)

Series of user actions where each action is required in order to complete an activity.

For further information and examples please consult the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary

Series of user actions where each action is required in order to complete an activity.
For further information and examples please consult the definition for "process" in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A.

procurement item (objet d'approvisionnement)
Represents the good and/or service acquired by departments and agencies.
program (programme)
Is a group of related activities that are designed and managed to meet a specific public need and are often treated as a budgetary unit.
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
Program Inventory (Répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all of the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's Core Responsibilities and Results.
program of grants and contributions (Programme de subventions et de contributions)
Refers to the definition of “program” in subsection 42.1(2) of the Financial Administration Act, which defines program as a program of grants or contributions made to one or more recipients that are administered so as to achieve a common objective and for which spending authority is provided in an appropriation Act
program or activity (programme ou activité)
Is, for the purposes of the appropriate collection, use or disclosure of personal information by government institutions subject to this policy, a program or activity that is authorized or approved by Parliament. Parliamentary authority is usually contained in an Act of Parliament or subsequent Regulations. Parliamentary authority can also be in the form of approval of expenditures proposed in the Estimates and as authorized by an appropriation Act. Also included in this definition are any activities conducted as part of the administration of the program.
program outcome (Résultat du programme)
A change or consequence attributable to outputs or to which outputs or other outcomes of the program contribute. Program outcomes may be a hierarchy of short-, medium-, or long-term, and are generally more directly influenced by departments and within their immediate control than Departmental Results. Program outcomes are found at the Program level, whereas Departmental Results are found at the Core Responsibility level.
progress payments (paiements proportionnels)
Are payments due and made under the terms of a contribution funding agreement after the performance of part of the obligations of the contribution agreement.
property : (propriété)

A specific aspect, characteristic, attribute, or relation used to describe a resource.

protected or restricted area or facility (secteur ou installation à accès protégé ou restreint)
An area or facility that is surrounded by a barrier or zoned as Operations, Security and High Security, where access is limited to individuals who have a valid security screening status or clearance.
provincial tax or fee (PTF) (taxe ou droit provincial)

Any tax or fee, other than the provincial sales tax, described as follows:

  1. Any tax of general application payable on a value, price or quantity basis by a purchaser, lessee, user or consumer of tangible personal property or services subject to the tax in respect of the sale, rental, consumption or use of the property or services, except to the extent that the tax is payable in respect of property or services acquired for resale, lease or sublease;
  2. Any fee of general application payable by an owner, user or lessee of any vehicle or item of mobile equipment drawn, propelled or driven by any kind of power in respect of the registration of the vehicle or item or the licensing or certification thereof or in respect of the transfer or renewal of any registration permit, licence or certificate issued for the use of the vehicle or item; and
  3. Any tax of a like nature to a tax described in paragraph (a) or any fee of a like nature to a fee described in paragraph (b) that is from time to time prescribed.
public

Any person, group of persons (professional associations or others) or organization or company (other than a Crown corporation) in Canada or abroad, any representative of another level of government communicating with or receiving a service from an institution, excluding officers and employees of institutions subject to the OLA when carrying out their duties.

Any person, group of persons (professional associations or others) or organization or company (other than a Crown corporation) in Canada or abroad, any representative of another level of government communicating with or receiving a service from an institution, excluding officers and employees of institutions subject to the OLA when carrying out their duties

public (public)
All audiences, including employees of the Government of Canada and Canadians living or travelling abroad, who require information about Government of Canada decisions, policies, programs and services.
public engagement (activités de mobilisation du public)
See consultations
public money (fonds publics)

All money belonging to Canada received and collected by the Receiver General or any other public officer in his or her official capacity or any person authorized to receive or collect such money. Public money includes the following:

  • Duties and revenues of Canada;
  • Money borrowed by Canada or received through the issue or sale of securities;
  • Money received or collected for or on behalf of Canada; and
  • All money that is paid to or received or collected by a public officer under or pursuant to any act, trust, treaty, undertaking or contract, and is to be disbursed for a purpose specified in or pursuant to that act, trust, treaty, undertaking or contract. [Financial Administration Act, section 2]
public opinion research (recherche sur l'opinion publique)

The planned, one-way systematic collection, by or for the Government of Canada, of opinion-based information of any target audience using quantitative or qualitative methods and techniques such as surveys or focus groups. Public opinion research provides insight and supports decision making. The process used for gathering information usually assumes an expectation and guarantee of anonymity for respondents.

Public opinion research includes information collected from the public, including private individuals and representatives of businesses or other entities. It involves activities such as the design and testing of collection methods and instruments, data collection, data entry, data coding, and primary data analysis.

The following are not considered public opinion research for the purposes of the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and its supporting instruments:

  • Consultations or engagement activities;
  • Program evaluation projects included in the Departmental Evaluation Plan;
  • Usability testing;
  • Behavioural or factual research;
  • Literature reviews or reviews of secondary sources;
  • Secondary data analysis;
  • Factual verification of performance of services or delivery of goods in contract situations;
  • Employee exit interviews;
  • 360-degree employee-manager reviews; and
  • Assessment of training or information sessions, either in person or online.
public property (biens publics)
All property (including data), other than money, belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada. [Financial Administration Act, section 2]
public service (fonction publique)

Has the meaning given to that expression in the Public Service Superannuation Act.

Has the meaning given to that expression in the Public Service Superannuation Act.
public service collective agreements implementation order (ordonnance d'application des conventions collectives dans la fonction publique)
Is the instrument by which deputy heads are authorized and directed to exercise and perform such powers and functions of the Treasury Board as may be required to give effect to and administer the provisions of a collective agreement.

Policy instruments starting with the letter Q

qualified (qualifié)
Officially recognized as being trained, experienced and/or holding appropriate professional designation to perform a particular job.

Policy instruments starting with the letter R

reasonable assurance (assurance raisonnable)
A high degree of confidence that internal controls achieve intended objectives recognizing that external factors and inherent risk can impact and thereby limit the ability to provide absolute assurance of an individual's reliability or loyalty.
receivables (comptes débiteurs)
Financial claims incurred through the tax system or arising from accrued revenues transactions, expenses overpayments and other recoverable payments that will result in a future inflow of cash.
reception (réception)
A function over a prolonged period of time, where food may be served for the purpose of sustaining attendees and where a meal may or may not be served afterward.
recipient (bénéficiaire)
Is an individual or entity that either has been authorized to receive a transfer payment or that has received that transfer payment.
recipient audit (vérification du bénéficiaire)
an independent assessment to provide assurance on a recipient's compliance with a funding agreement. The scope of a recipient audit may address any or all financial and non-financial aspects of the funding agreement.
reciprocal taxation agreement (RTA) (accord de réciprocité fiscale (ARF))

An agreement between the federal government and the government of any province or territory that provides, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, for all or any of the following matters:

  1. The payment by Her Majesty in right of Canada of any provincial tax or fee imposed or levied under a law of that province that would be payable by Her Majesty in right of Canada if that law were applicable thereto;
  2. The payment by Her Majesty in right of that province of any tax or fee imposed or levied under the Excise Tax Act that is payable by Her Majesty in right of that province and the waiver of the right to a payment in respect of that tax or fee provided in subsections 68.14 or 68.19 of that Act;
  3. The payment by Her Majesty in right of Canada to that province or the assignees of that province of amounts determined under the agreement in respect of amounts paid by Her Majesty in right of that province and amounts paid by persons identified in the agreement as or on account of any tax imposed under the Excise Tax Act;
  4. The payment by Her Majesty in right of Canada of interest on any amount equal to any provincial tax or fee imposed or levied under a law of the province that would be collected by Her Majesty in right of Canada if that law were applicable to Her Majesty in right of Canada where those amounts have not been remitted or paid to the province at the rate and in the manner and at the time provided for in the applicable law of the province; and
  5. The collection and the remittance by Her Majesty in right of Canada of any provincial tax or fee imposed or levied under a law of the province that would be collected pursuant to that law by Her Majesty in right of Canada if that law were applicable to Her Majesty in right of Canada.
reclassification (reclassification)
a change to either or both the occupational group and level of a position resulting from significant change in the work. A reclassification may be upward or downward.
record (document)
Is "any documentary material regardless of medium or form" (section 3).
refreshments (rafraîchissements)
Include beverages or food (e.g. light snacks) or both, served between meals.
refund (remboursement)
is an amount of money owing to a bargaining agent and/or an employee as a result of union dues being deducted in error or directed in error.
regularly and widely-used work instrument and electronic systems

For example, the following work tools or instruments are available in both official languages in bilingual regions:

  • manuals and handbooks of policies, procedures and directives;
  • handbooks and documentation needed to deliver services to the public or to employees; and
  • lexicons, official institutional publications, forms and templates that employees consult and other similar tools that they use in performing their duties.

Note that this list is not exhaustive. The institution is responsible for deciding on a case-by-case basis whether work instruments meet the definition of "regularly and widely used."

With regard to computer systems, those provided to employees as information sources or work tools must allow navigation and access to information in either official language; the information must also be available in the official language of the user's choice.

  • This includes software applications, such as an office automation suite (word processor, electronic document management, spreadsheet, e-mail, etc.) made available to employees to perform their duties.
  • In general, this does not include specialized software such as that used by system managers and support technicians to install, configure, maintain and manage the underlying software and hardware infrastructure that makes the institution's software suite available to employees.
  • Regularly and widely used information technology systems, including software packages, acquired or produced by or on behalf of institutions after January 1, 1991, are available in both official languages.
Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS)
A tool used for regulatory reform that assesses the impact of a proposed regulation on the quality of the environment and on the health, safety, security, and social and economic well-being of Canadians.
related expenditures (dépenses afférentes)
Expenditures charged against a departmental spending authority that supports the program that produces revenues where the department has the authority to use revenues to offset related expenditures.
release (communication)
Make publicly available online in a downloadable format
relevance (Pertinence)
The extent to which a program, policy or other entity addresses and is responsive to a demonstrable need. Relevance may also consider if a program, policy or other entity is a government priority or a federal responsibility.
relevant collective agreement (convention collective pertinente)

Is the collective agreement for the bargaining unit to which the person is assigned or would be assigned were the person's position represented or not excluded. For positions classified as PE and OM, the relevant collective agreement is that applying to the Program and Administrative Services Group. For positions classified as PO-IMA and PO-TCO, the relevant collective agreement is that applying to the Technical Services Group.

Is the collective agreement for the bargaining unit to which the person is assigned or would be assigned, were the person's position represented or not excluded. For positions classified as PE and OM, the relevant collective agreement is that applying to the Program and Administrative Services Group. For positions classified as PO-IMA and PO-TCO, the relevant collective agreement is that applying to the Technical Services Group.
reliability status (cote de fiabilité)
Indicates the successful completion of reliability checks; allows regular access to government assets and with a need to know to PROTECTED information.
The minimum standard of security screening for positions requiring unsupervised access to Government of Canada protected information, assets, facilities or information technology systems. Security screening for reliability status appraises an individual's honesty and whether he or she can be trusted to protect the employer's interests. Security screening for reliability status can include enhanced inquiries, verifications and assessments when duties involve or directly support security and intelligence functions. Reliability status may also be referred to herein as a security status.
reliable source
A source of information or a data holding that is deemed to be accurate and up-to-date and that can be trusted and relied on for the purposes of collecting or validating personal information.
relied upon (technologies that are) (dépendre [des technologies])

The content would not conform if that technology is turned off or is not supported. (Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary)

remission (remise)
The deletion of a debt related to a budgetary expenditure that involves the cancellation of or release from an otherwise enforceable debt, tax, fee or penalty.
remittance agency (organisme de remise)
An organization outside the federal Public Service to which federal government institutions remit money on behalf of employees (e.g. charitable organizations, financial institutions and insurance administrators).
remuneration (rémunération)

Is pay and allowances.

requestor (requérant)
Is a person who is requesting access to personal information about himself or herself or who has requested that a correction be made or a notation attached to his or her personal information.
resource alignment review (Examen de l'alignement des ressources)
Cyclical or targeted exercises that consider the alignment with priorities, resources, and results of government programs in support of management excellence, good expenditure prioritization and innovation.
respendable revenues (revenus disponibles)
A type of revenue that, once received, increases the departmental spending authority. A department requires specific authority from Parliament to respend revenues. Respending authority is derived from the Financial Administration Act (FAA), subsection 29.1(1); the FAA and an Appropriation Act, subsection 29.1(2); legislation specific to a department (e.g., enabling and/or program); or other specific legislation.
responsible minister (ministre responsable)
Is the minister who is required, for the department, to sign submissions to the Treasury Board and Memoranda to Cabinet.
restricted and identifiable clientele
  1. The services specifically target a restricted clientele. The expression “restricted clientele” designates clientele of an office that has been given the mandate of providing certain services exclusively to a specific group or category of clients. The services that are covered by the restricted clientele provisions are services not available to the general public since they are intended only for clients, or their representatives, that make up a specific group that is defined in a statutory document or a government policy. This would be the case, for example, with businesses or entities carrying out activities in a regulated sector that are registered or that must secure a licence in accordance with federal legislation.

    The institution must be able to show that the services in question are intended for a stable clientele, whose composition can be clearly specified. As a general rule, the clientele of an office cannot be considered a restricted clientele if the number of clients to whom an institution provides the type of services described above corresponds to more than 1% of the total population of Canada as defined in subsection 4(2) of the Regulations. 

  2. The clientele is identifiable. The term “identifiable” means that the name of each client and the official language in which he or she prefers to be served can be determined. The institution has an up-to-date list of its clients.

restricted authority (pouvoirs restreints)
Spending or financial authorities limited by applicable legislation, policies and directives. Such authorities are also limited by specific departmental restrictions included in the delegation of spending and financial authorities documents.
review committee (comité de révision)
eans a committee established by the deputy head to review the performance of all employees in levels for which performance pay ranges have been approved (comité de révision).
revolving funds (fonds renouvelables)
Funding mechanisms in which revenues remain available in order to finance continuing operations without fiscal year limitations. In the Government of Canada, revolving funds are used as alternative means of providing funding for specific purposes. The use of revolving funds is appropriate for large, distinct activities that provide client-oriented services where costs can be financed from revenues over a reasonable business cycle.
risk (risque)
The uncertainty that can create exposure to undesired future events and outcomes. It is the expression of the likelihood and impact of an event with the potential to impede the achievement of an organization's objectives.
royal canadian mounted police (Gendarmerie royale du Canada)

Has the same meaning as "force" in the Public Service Superannuation Act.

Policy instruments starting with the letter S

schema (encoding schema []) : (schéma d'encodage)

Machine-processable specifications which define the structure and syntax of metadata specifications in a formal schema language.
(Based on Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Glossary)

seasonal worker (travailleur saisonnier)
Is the term used for persons performing duties of a seasonal nature.
secondary navigation (navigation secondaire)

Local navigation that helps users move within a section of a site.

Section 11 of the OLA

Notices, advertisements or other texts that the institution is required or authorized to publish pursuant to an Act of Parliament must comply with the publishing requirements set out in Section 11 of the OLA.

Once it is determined that an Act or regulation to which an institution is subject requires the publication of a notice or advertisement, Section 11 applies, regardless of whether there is significant demand.

security and intelligence functions (activités de sécurité et de renseignement de sécurité)
Functions that contribute to the safety of Canadians and the national security of Canada. These activities include efforts to detect, investigate and collect intelligence regarding threats posed by criminal organizations, malicious cyber actors, hostile intelligence organizations, foreign interference in Canadian affairs, or individuals engaged in criminality, espionage, terrorism or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and taking appropriate measures to prevent and protect against these threats while enforcing Canadian statues and supporting Canada's national interests.
security assessment (évaluation de sécurité)
An appraisal of an individual's loyalty to Canada and, so far as it relates thereto, the reliability of an individual. (Source: Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, section 2)
security clearance (cote de sécurité)
indicates successful completion of a security assessment; with a need to know, allows access to classified information. There are three Security Clearance levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret.
security clearance (autorisation de sécurité)
The standard of security screening for all positions requiring access to Government of Canada classified information, assets, facilities or information technology systems. Security screening for a security clearance appraises an individual's loyalty to Canada and their reliability as it relates to that loyalty. Security screening for security clearance can include enhanced inquiries, verifications and assessments when duties involve or directly support security and intelligence functions.
security control (mesure de sécurité)
An administrative, operational, technical, physical or legal measure for managing security risk. This term is synonymous with safeguard.
security deposit (dépôt de garantie)

Includes:

  • A bill of exchange that is payable to the Receiver General and certified by an approved financial institution or drawn by an approved financial institution on itself;
  • A government guaranteed bond; or
  • Such other security as may be deemed appropriate by the contracting authority and approved by the Treasury Board. [Government Contracts Regulations, section 2]
security incident (incident de sécurité)
Any workplace violence toward an employee or any act, event or omission that could result in the compromise of information, assets or services.
security screening (filtrage de sécurité)
Any measure resulting in a high level of assurance that an individual can be granted specific access privileges within the context of the federal government.
The process of conducting a security screening activity and evaluating an individual's reliability and/or loyalty to Canada in support of a decision to grant, grant with a waiver, deny, or revoke a reliability status, security clearance or site access clearance.
security waiver (dispense de sécurité)
A condition attached to the granting of a security status or clearance that details restrictions related to an individual's eligibility to access to sensitive information or assets, and facilities. A security waiver may be used when, despite concerns encountered in the security screening of an individual, a risk management decision is made to engage the individual on the basis that the duties cannot be performed by another.
self-sustaining corporation (société financièrement autonome)
A Crown corporation that is judged to be able to finance its operations and capital programs from internally generated funds and from funds that it could raise in the capital markets on its own credit.
senior departmental managers (cadres supérieurs du ministère)
For the purposes of the Policy on Financial Management, senior departmental managers are typically departmental managers who report directly to a deputy head and are accountable for effective financial management within their areas of responsibility.
sensitive information (information délicate)
Information categorized as protected (Protected A, Protected B or Protected C), classified (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) or compartmented (Signals Intelligence, Talent Keyhole).
server message page (page de messages du serveur)

A Web page that notifies a user of a problem on the Web server.

set-off (compensation)
The reduction of a claim by deducting the amount of a valid compensating claim. A set-off by the federal government may be enacted by a specific statute or regulation or under the authority of section 155 of the Financial Administration Act.
severability (prélèvements)
Relates to the principle under the Act in which the protection of information from disclosure must be limited to the portions of information or material that the head of the government institution is authorized or obligated to refuse to disclose under the Act. The principle applies to records that are the subject of an access request.
signals intelligence (SIGINT) (renseignement électromagnétique – SIGINT)
Technical information or intelligence composed of (individually or in combination) communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT).
significant non-contracted public opinion research projects (projets de recherche sur l'opinion publique d'importance qui ne font pas l'objet d'un marché)

Research projects that:

  • Support legislation, regulations or litigation;
  • Support government or departmental priorities;
  • Address the development of new government policies, programs, services or initiatives;
  • Touch on issues that are of high public interest or sensitivity; or
  • Relate to any other important or high-risk issue.
site access clearance (autorisation d'accès aux sites)
The standard of security screening for other individuals who are not employees, when duties do not require access to information but do require access to protected or restricted areas or facilities. Site access clearance is conducted when loyalty to Canada is the primary concern.
site access status (cote d'accès aux sites)
The standard of security screening conducted for other individuals who are not employees, when duties do not require access to information but do require access to protected or restricted areas or facilities. Site access status is conducted when reliability is the primary concern.
site navigation bar (barre de navigation du site)

A global navigation bar that helps users move from section to section across an entire website, typically, via navigational elements such as links.

situational awareness (connaissance de la situation)
Having insight into one's environment and circumstances to understand how events and actions will affect business objectives, both now and in the near future. Having complete, accurate, and current SA is essential in any domain where technological complexity, decision making, and the well-being of the public interact. Because incident management involves predictions and forecasts, SA in the area of IT requires an understanding of the interrelationships between critical services and information, safeguards supporting IT infrastructure and processes, and evolving threats.
Social Insurance Number (SIN) (numéro d'assurance sociale (NAS)
Is a number suitable for use as a file number or account number or for data-processing purposes, as defined in subsection 138(3) of the Employment Insurance Act. For purposes of paragraph 3(c) of the Privacy Act, the SIN is an identifying number, and is therefore considered to be personal information.
social media platform management tool (outil de gestion de plateforme de médias sociaux)
A mandatory tool for departments to register and manage official social media accounts on various platforms through a single interface.
sophisticated IT security incident (incident complexe de sécurité des TI)
An event, usually initiated by sophisticated threat actors, that is complicated to detect and recover from, causes harm to GC networks and systems, and affects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.
sophisticated IT security threat (menace complexe à la sécurité des TI)
An entity or entities that make use of advanced technologies and tradecraft to penetrate or bypass protective systems and security technologies without being detected.
special access (accès spécial)
Compartmented information which is derived from sensitive sources, such as SIGINT or Talent Keyhole, in accordance with international bilateral agreements, which requires, as a prerequisite, Canadian citizenship and a Top Secret security clearance, and which is authorized through a formal indoctrination process.
special purpose financial reporting framework (référentiel à usage particulier)
Accounting standards and guidance designed to meet the financial information needs of specific users as opposed to the common financial information needs of a wide range of users. (Introduction to public sector accounting standards .13)
special purpose money (fonds destinés à des fins déterminées)
Monies received or collected from outside parties and deposited in the Consolidated Revenue Fund pursuant to subsection 21(1) of the Financial Administration Act. The money may be disbursed only for the purpose specified in the instrument (i.e., act, trust, treaty, undertaking or contract) under which it is received. There has to be a direct link between monies received and monies disbursed, including any interest that may be authorized.
special working arrangements (modalités de travail spéciales)
Is, for the purpose of this directive, pre-retirement transition leave and leave with income averaging.
spending authorities (pouvoir de dépenser)

Consist of three elements:

  • Expenditure initiation authority
  • Commitment authority (FAA, section 32)
  • Transaction authority
splash page (page d'entrée)

A Web page at the root of a website where users can select the language of the website.

sponsor (parrain)
One who conducts and/or arranges for the security screening of individuals with whom there is a need to share sensitive information which the Government of Canada is taking measures to protect, and who vouches for the security status or clearance of those individuals to other departments or agencies which may have a need to share sensitive information with the same individuals.
stacking limit (limite sur le cumul de l'aide)
Is the maximum level of total Canadian government funding authorized by the terms and conditions for a transfer payment program for any one activity, initiative or project of a recipient.
standard screening (filtrage ordinaire)
A type of security screening activity conducted when duties and access to information, assets or facilities are not related to and do not directly support security and intelligence functions. Standard screening applies to most duties or positions and other individuals with whom there is a need to share sensitive information.
standardization (uniformité)
Is the establishment of common processes, systems or procedures for the management and delivery of transfer payments.
standing advance (avance permanente)
An accountable advance issued in a specified amount for an indeterminate period and replenished to that specific amount each time an accounting for expenditures is made. [Accountable Advances Regulations, section 2]
statistical report (rapport statistique)
Is intended to provide up-to-date statistics on the operation of the legislation. The reports allow the government to monitor trends and to respond to enquiries from Members of Parliament, the public and the media. The reports also form the statistical portion of government institutions annual reports to Parliament. The forms used for preparing the report are prescribed by the designated minister, as provided under paragraphs 71(1)(c) and (e) of the Privacy Act.
Is intended to provide up-to-date statistics on the operation of the legislation. The reports allow the government to monitor trends and to respond to enquiries from Members of Parliament, the public and the media. The reports also form the statistical portion of the government institutions' annual reports to Parliament. The forms used for preparing the report are prescribed by the designated minister, as provided under paragraphs 70(1)(b) and (d) of the Access to Information Act.
strategic reviews (examens stratégiques)
Are comprehensive reviews of government spending designed to ensure that all programs are effective and efficient, are focused on results, provide value for taxpayers' money and are aligned with government priorities. They examine each organization's programs as reflected in its Program Alignment Architecture over a cycle approved by Cabinet. Strategic reviews identify areas where adjustments are needed to improve the performance of programs, which could include approvals to continue, amend or terminate terms and conditions for transfer payment programs, and they identify proposals to reallocate resources from the lowest-priority, lowest-performing programs to other priorities within the organization or to meet other government priorities.
strike (grève)
includes a cessation of work or a refusal to work or to continue to work by employees, in combination, in concert or in accordance with a common understanding and a slow-down of work or other concerted activity on the part of employees that is designed to restrict or limit output.
structured information (information structurée)
Digital information residing in fixed fields within a repository.
substantive equality

Substantive equality is achieved when one takes into account, where necessary, the differences in characteristics and circumstances of minority communities and provides services with distinct content or using a different method of delivery to ensure that the minority receives services of the same quality as the majority. This approach is the norm in Canadian law. Please also see the Analytical Grid (Substantive Equality).

success criteria (critères de succès)

For each guideline, testable success criteria are provided to allow WCAG 2.0 to be used where requirements and conformance testing are necessary such as in design specification, purchasing, regulation, and contractual agreements. Additional information on WCAG levels can be found in Understanding Levels of Conformance and WCAG 2.0 Layers of Guidance.

sufficient and advisory techniques (techniques suffisantes et techniques recommandées)

For each of the guidelines and success criteria in the WCAG 2.0 document itself, the working group has also documented a wide variety of techniques. The techniques are informative and fall into two categories: those that are sufficient for meeting the success criteria and those that are advisory. The advisory techniques go beyond what is required by the individual success criteria and allow authors to better address the guidelines. Some advisory techniques address accessibility barriers that are not covered by the testable success criteria. Where common failures are known, these are also documented. See also Sufficient and Advisory Techniques in Understanding WCAG 2.0. (Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, WCAG 2.0 Layers of Guidance.)

supervisor (superviseur)
For the purposes of this directive, an employee who has the responsibility for day–to–day supervision of other employees, e.g., assign work, set priorities, assess performance, and approve or recommend approval of leave.
supporting evidence of identity (preuve à l'appui de l'identité)
Evidence of identity that corroborates the foundational evidence of identity and assists in linking the identity information to an individual. It may also provide additional information such as a photo, signature or address. Examples include social insurance records; records of entitlement to travel, drive or obtain health insurance; and records of marriage, death or name change originating from a jurisdictional authority. (Source:Standard on Identity and Credential Assurance)
system (système)

Organized collections of hardware, software, supplies, policies, procedures and people, to capture, transmit, store, retrieve, manipulate, or display information resources in support of an organization's day-to-day operations.

system : (système)

Organised collections of hardware, software, supplies, policies, procedures and people, to capture, transmit, store, retrieve, manipulate, or display information resources in support of an organisation's day to day operations.

Policy instruments starting with the letter T

technical safeguards
Information technology measures that are used to protect the facility, the equipment, and the support system where personal information is recorded and stored (e.g., electronic access control devices, audit controls).
technology (Web content) (technologie Web)

Mechanism for encoding instructions to be rendered, played or executed by user agents

Note 1: As used in these guidelines "Web Technology" and the word "technology" (when used alone) both refer to Web Content Technologies.

Note 2: Web content technologies may include markup languages, data formats, or programming languages that authors may use alone or in combination to create end-user experiences that range from static Web pages to synchronized media presentations to dynamic Web applications.

Example: Some common examples of Web content technologies include HTML , CSS, SVG, PNG, PDF, Flash, and JavaScript.

(Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary.)

technology (Web content): (technologie Web)

Mechanism for encoding instructions to be rendered, played or executed by user agents

Note 1: As used in these guidelines "Web Technology" and the word "technology" (when used alone) both refer to Web Content Technologies.

Note 2: Web content technologies may include markup languages, data formats, or programming languages that authors may use alone or in combination to create end-user experiences that range from static Web pages to synchronized media presentations to dynamic Web applications.

Example: Some common examples of Web content technologies include HTML, CSS, SVG, PNG, PDF, Flash, and JavaScript.
(Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary)

temporarily struck-off strength (temporairement rayé de l'effectif)
is the action that is taken to temporarily stop the pay activity of an employee for reasons such as extended leave without pay, suspension or seasonal lay-off, or to temporarily stop the pay activity status of an employee pending the processing of a struck-off strength pay transaction.
term of less than three months (période déterminée de moins de trois mois)
Is a specified period of less than three months for which a person is appointed pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act.
term of three months or more (période déterminée de trois mois ou plus)
Is a specified period of three months or more for which a person is appointed pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act.
terms and conditions (modalités)
s a document, approved by the Treasury Board or a minister, which sets out the parameters under which transfer payments may be made for a given program. In relation to terms and conditions:
continuation (continuation)
Means a decision to continue using terms and conditions with or without minor amendment.
amendment (modification)
Means a decision to amend or modify terms and conditions.
termination (résiliation)
Means a decision to terminate terms and conditions so that no further funding agreements will be entered into for that transfer payment program.
s a document, approved by Treasury Board or a minister, which sets out the parameters under which transfer payments may be made for a given program. In relation to terms and conditions:
continuation (continuation)
Means a decision to continue using terms and conditions with or without minor amendment.
amendment (modification)
Means a decision to amend or modify terms and conditions.
termination (résiliation)
Means a decision to terminate terms and conditions so that no further funding agreements will be entered into for that transfer payment program.
third-party distribution platform (plateforme de distribution par des tiers)
A digital platform that allows users to browse and download apps that are developed by third-party providers.
threat (menace)
An event or act, deliberate or accidental, that could cause injury to people, information, assets or services.
threats to the security of Canada (menaces envers la sécurité du Canada)
  1. espionage or sabotage that is against Canada or is detrimental to the interests of Canada or activities directed toward or in support of such espionage or sabotage,
  2. foreign influenced activities within or relating to Canada that are detrimental to the interests of Canada and are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person,
  3. activities within or relating to Canada directed toward or in support of the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious or ideological objective within Canada or a foreign state, and
  4. activities directed toward undermining by covert unlawful acts, or directed toward or intended ultimately to lead to the destruction or overthrow by violence of, the constitutionally established system of government in Canada,
but does not include lawful advocacy, protest or dissent, unless carried on in conjunction with any of the activities referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d).
(Source: Canadian Security Intelligence Act)
time off with pay (temps libre payé)
Is, for the purpose of this directive, a paid absence from work (for a short duration as defined in Appendix A of this directive) for one of the three following reasons: time off for voting; time off owing to adverse climatic or environmental conditions; and time off for personal medical and dental appointments.
total Canadian government funding (total de l'aide financière gouvernementale canadienne)
Is the total funding available to a recipient from federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments for any one activity, initiative or project of that recipient.
Is the total of funding available to a recipient from federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments for any one activity, initiative or project of that recipient. (Total Canadian government funding is calculated in accordance with Appendix C: Total Canadian Government Funding and Stacking Limits.)
tracking system
Is an electronic or paper-based internal case management system used in ATIP offices to track access requests and document their processing.
training (formation)
Fees paid for formal learning activities, which include a curriculum and established learning objectives, and where the primary purpose is to enable participants to maintain or acquire skills or knowledge.
transaction authority (pouvoir d'exécuter une opération)
The authority to enter into contracts, including acquisition card purchases, or sign off on legal entitlements (e.g., employment insurance payments).
transfer payment (paiement de transfert)
Is a monetary payment, or a transfer of goods, services or assets made, on the basis of an appropriation, to a third party, including a Crown corporation, that does not result in the acquisition by the Government of Canada of any goods, services or assets. Transfer payments are categorized as grants, contributions and other transfer payments. Transfer payments do not include investments, loans or loan guarantees.
transfer payment program (programme de paiements de transfert)
Is a program or a component of a program supported by transfer payments.
trant (subvention)
Is a transfer payment subject to pre-established eligibility and other entitlement criteria. A grant is not subject to being accounted for by a recipient nor normally subject to audit by the department. The recipient may be required to report on results achieved.

Policy instruments starting with the letter U

unilingual regions

Any region that is not in the list of bilingual regions.

union dues (cotisations syndicales)
are mandatory fees payable to the relevant certified bargaining agent.
unlawful strike (grève illégale)

Strikes under any other circumstances are unlawful. Specifically, section 102 of the PSSRA prohibits employees from striking where

  • they are not included in a bargaining unit for which a bargaining agent has been certified by the PSSRB (i.e. employees who are managerial or confidential exclusions from their bargaining unit, and those who are not represented by a bargaining agent), or
  • their bargaining agent has chosen arbitration as the method for resolving bargaining disputes, or
  • their bargaining agent has chosen conciliation as the method for resolving bargaining disputes and has subsequently elected pursuant to section 61(1) of the PSSRA, for the Alternate Dispute Resolution Process, for all terms and conditions in dispute, or
  • their bargaining agent has agreed, pursuant to section 90 of the PSSRA to be bound by the recommendations of the conciliation board, or
  • they occupy a position that has been designated under Section 78 of the PSSRA as having duties that are or will be necessary in the interest of the safety or security of the public, or
  • there is a collective agreement in force which applies to their bargaining unit, or
  • the seven-day period following the receipt by the Chairperson of the PSSRB of the report of the conciliation board or conciliation commissioner, or the notification by the Chairperson to the parties of the Chairperson's intention not to establish a conciliation board or appoint a conciliation commissioner, has not elapsed.

Note: The law provides various remedies for dealing with unlawful strike activity including declaration of unlawful strike (PSSRA 104), application for consent to prosecute (PSSRA 107), actions for civil damages, injunctions and disciplinary action.

unrepresented employee (employé non représenté)
Is a person appointed to a position that is not represented by a bargaining agent.
unrepresented position (poste non représenté)

Is a position that is not represented by a bargaining agent.

is a position that is not represented by a bargaining agent.
unstructured information (information non structurée)
Digital information that is often created in free-form text using common desktop applications such as e-mail, word-processing, or presentation applications.
up-front multi-year funding (financement pluriannuel initial)
Is funding approved and payable to a recipient to meet expenditures for more than one year when an appropriation for the full amount has been obtained.
user department (ministère usager)
refers to a single department or group of departments whose employees have indicated an intention to use a centre. Funding arrangements are determined by the user departments involved (paragraph 2.4);
user fees (frais d'utilisation)
Includes regulatory charges and fees set by contract unless specified otherwise.
user-centred design (UCD) (conception axée sur l'utilisateur)

An iterative process for creating websites that involves users to ensure that the final product is usable by the intended audience.

Policy instruments starting with the letter V

value for money (optimisation des ressources)
Is the extent to which a program demonstrates relevance and performance. Relevance is achieved by addressing a demonstrable need that is appropriate for the federal government and is responsive to the needs of Canadians. Performance is achieved by using taxpayer resources well, producing program outputs in an affordable manner, and achieving outcomes consistent with program objectives.
value for money (optimization des resources)
Is the extent to which a program demonstrates relevance and performance. Relevance is achieved by addressing a demonstrable need that is appropriate for the federal government and is responsive to the needs of Canadians. Performance is achieved by using taxpayer resources well, producing program outputs in an affordable manner, and achieving outcomes consistent with program objectives.
vendor – (fournisseur)
Is any organization or individual who supplies goods or services to the Government of Canada, or for which an accounts payable will be established. 
vendor information – (information des fournisseurs)
Is any data or information used in understanding, managing and reporting on organizations or individuals who supply goods or services to the Government of Canada and other organizations and individuals for which an accounts payable will be established.
vendor record – (fichier des comptes fournisseurs)
Is the dataset used in departmental financial and materiel management systems to uniquely identify and to consistently record and maintain information about organizations or individuals who supply goods or services to the Government of Canada and about other organizations and individuals for which an accounts payable will be established.
video content provided exclusively for reuse by media for broadcast purposes (contenu vidéo fourni exclusivement pour être réutilisé et diffusé par les médias)

Video content provided exclusively for reuse by media for broadcast purposes (e.g. B-roll, etc)

The video content must be clearly identified as being provided exclusively for reuse by media for broadcast purposes.

volume printing (impression de masse)

A predetermined number of printed communications products, including publications, that require warehousing. Departments undertake volume printing only in the following situations:

  1. A printed version is specifically required under legislation, regulations or parliamentary procedures;
  2. The product informs the public about key information related to health, safety or security issues;
  3. A printed version is required to meet the specific needs of the target audience;
  4. The size or format of the product does not allow for printing using commonly available printers;
  5. An existing contract for printing, warehousing or distribution services, put in place prior to the Procedures for Publishing taking effect, cannot be cancelled, or the cost of cancelling the contract exceeds the benefits; or
  6. The minister or the person designated in Schedule VI (Part III, Column II) of the Financial Administration Act requests the printing.
volunteer (bénévole)
an individual who provides services directly to or on behalf of departments, without compensation or any other thing of value in lieu of compensation, other than reimbursement for expenses actually incurred. Such persons may serve as individuals or as members of groups such as non-profit organizations (as defined for purposes of the Income Tax Act).
vote netted revenue (revenus nets en vertu d'un crédit)
An alternative means of wholly or partially funding selected programs or activities that produce revenues.
vulnerability (vulnérabilité)
An inadequacy related to security that could increase susceptibility to compromise or injury.
vulnerable person (personne vulnérable)
A person who, because of his or her age, a disability or other circumstances, whether temporary or permanent,
  1. is in a position of dependency on others; or
  2. is otherwise at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed by a person in a position of trust or authority towards them.
(Source: Criminal Records Act)
vulnerable sector check (vérification des antécédents en vue d'un travail auprès de personnes vulnérables)
Pursuant to the Criminal Records Act, an examination of law enforcement authority records, including record suspensions for sex offences, databases, or databanks to assist departments and agencies in assessing the suitability of individuals in positions of trust or authority over vulnerable persons including children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. A vulnerable sector check involves the query of the following:
  1. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's National Repository of Criminal Records, including pardoned criminal files associated with sexually based criminal offences;
  2. Canadian Police Information Centre Intelligence and investigative databanks; and
  3. Police services records management systems where the applicant has resided.

Note: Information in relation to record suspensions obtained as a result of conducting a vulnerable sector check can only be used to screen individuals for positions of trust or authority over vulnerable persons.

Policy instruments starting with the letter W

waiver (dispense)
A form of debt deletion involving only the interest and/or administrative charges related to a debt and done in accordance with sections 9 and 12 of the Interest and Administrative Charges Regulations.
Web analytics
The collection, analysis, measurement and reporting of data about Web traffic and user visits for the purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage.
Web content (contenu Web)

Information and sensory experience to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent, including code or markup that defines the content's structure, presentation and interactions. (Source: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary)

Web content management system : (système de publication et de gestion du contenu Web)

A suite of software tools for managing and publishing Web content.

Web feed: (flux Web)

A Web feed is a data format used for providing users with content that is new or is substantially changed or reviewed frequently. Content distributors syndicate a Web feed, thereby allowing users to subscribe to it. Making a collection of Web feeds accessible in one spot is known as aggregation, which is performed by an aggregator. A Web feed is also sometimes referred to as a syndicated feed. The two main Web feed formats are RSS and Atom.

Web Map Service WMS (service de cartographie Web)
an Internet-based service that allows clients to display maps and/or images with a geographic component and whose raw spatial data files reside on one or more remote WMS servers. The WMS conforms to the OpenGIS Web Map Server Interface specification (GeoConnections, Glossary & Acronyms)
web page (page web)

A non-embedded resource obtained from a single Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent.

Note 1: Although any "other resources" would be rendered together with the primary resource, they would not necessarily be rendered simultaneously with each other.

Note 2: For the purposes of conformance with these guidelines, a resource must be "non-embedded" within the scope of conformance to be considered a Web page.

For further information and examples, please consult the definition for "Web page" in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A.

A non-embedded resource obtained from a single Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent.

  • Note 1:Although any other resources" would be rendered together with the primary resource, they would not necessarily be rendered simultaneously with each other.
  • Note 2:For the purposes of conformance with these guidelines, a resource must be "non-embedded" within the scope of conformance to be considered a Web page.

For further information and examples, please consult: Web page, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary)

A non-embedded resource obtained from a single Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent

Note 1: Although any "other resources" would be rendered together with the primary resource, they would not necessarily be rendered simultaneously with each other.

Note 2: For the purposes of conformance with these guidelines, a resource must be "non-embedded" within the scope of conformance to be considered a Web page.

For further information and examples please consult: Web page, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary

Web page : (page Web)

A non-embedded resource obtained from a single Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent.

Note 1: Although any "other resources" would be rendered together with the primary resource, they would not necessarily be rendered simultaneously with each other.

Note 2: For the purposes of conformance with these guidelines, a resource must be "non-embedded" within the scope of conformance to be considered a Web page.For further information and examples, please consult: Web page, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Appendix A: Glossary

Web pages

For a definition of a Web page, please refer to the Standard on Web Usability.

web presence (présence Web)
The user-centric, mobile-optimized website that organizes Government of Canada content by themes. The Government of Canada web presence is commonly known as Canada.ca.
Web usability (facilité d'emploi des sites Web)

The extent to which specified users can find, understand and use information and services online. Web usability can be measured through the effectiveness and efficiency with which users can complete defined tasks online.

websites (site de ministère)
p>The Standard on Web Usability defines a Website as:

Websites for which the Government of Canada is accountable. The types of Websites include departmental sites, initiative sites, sub sites and Web applications.

Further definitions about the types of sites are provided below:

  • Departmental site (site de ministère): A collection of Web pages that collectively represents the department (e.g., Environment Canada's Website).
  • Initiative site (site d'initiative): A group of Web pages that collectively represent an initiative of the Government of Canada. Initiative sites frequently have a different domain than the departmental domain (e.g., www.youth.gc.ca is an initiative site).
  • Sub site (site secondaire): A group of Web pages within a larger departmental or initiative site, where the collection of Web pages are intended for a particular audience and whose specific purpose is to feature a prominent program or service. Sub sites may have a different sub-domain or domain than their departmental domain (e.g. www.army.forces.gc.ca is a sub site).
  • Web application (application Web): A Web application is one or more Web pages that allow users to interact and perform specific transactions.
work authorization (autorisation de travail)
A contractual document, issued by the Communication Procurement Directorate of Public Services and Procurement Canada that instructs the agency of record to purchase advertising media space, time or both from media suppliers.
work description (description de travail)
a document approved by the respective manager that describes the work requirements of a position or a job. A work description contains all the information that the appropriate classification standard requires for its evaluation.
workplace violence (violence dans le lieu de travail)
An action, conduct, threat or gesture that can reasonably be expected to cause harm, injury or illness to an employee in the workplace.
wrap-up costs (coûts de remise à neuf)
are those associated with preparing the space for a new tenant, should the day care centre close.
write-off (radiation)
An accounting action that reduces the amount of accounts receivable of a department or agency regarding a debt, or a part of a debt, that has been determined to be uncollectible. It does not forgive the debt or release the debtor from the obligation to pay; neither does it affect the right of the Crown to enforce collection in the future.
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