AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Veterans Affairs Canada Departmental Plan

VAC's Departmental Plan is tabled in Parliament in the spring of each year. This report provides Parliamentarians and Canadians with information on the Portfolio's plans and priorities over a three-year period. Also included are financial tables showing planned resources required to achieve VAC's planned results. The Departmental Plan was formerly known as the Report on Plans and Priorities. Archived reports can be found here: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/e8ffbaa0-bbe1-4ffe-a569-fae726e4131b

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Petty Cash - October 2015

The Accountable Advances Regulations (AAR) permit departments to establish petty cash funds to assist in meeting specific operational needs. Each petty cash fund can be set up to a maximum of $2,000; individual transactions shall not exceed $200. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) currently has 78 petty cash funds in place. The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Directive on Accountable Advances states that the petty cash funds should only be used when it is more cost-effective than using acquisition cards or staff travel cards.

The objectives of this audit were to assess the management control framework and to assess compliance with the Accountable Advances Regulations and the Treasury Board Secretariat Directive on Accountable Advances.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Hearing Loss Decisions - December 2014

The Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Disability Benefits Program provides eligible Veterans and other qualified individuals with benefits under the Pension Act and the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act. Hearing Loss is the most claimed service-related medical condition under each of these Acts.

In September 2014, in response to findings presented to the Minister regarding the number of Hearing Loss claims being approved in one region of Nova Scotia, the Minister requested an audit of Hearing Loss decisions be conducted by VAC’s Audit and Evaluation Division.

The objective of this audit was to assess Veterans Affairs Canada’s compliance of Hearing Loss first decisions with applicable legislation, regulations, policies and processes. The scope covered Hearing Loss first decisions for Nova Scotia applicants that had a favourable or unfavourable decision rendered between April 1, 2012 and August 31, 2014.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Healthcare Professional Service Contracts - December 2013

Healthcare professional service contractors are individuals with “significant training, qualifications and expertise in a professional field.” With the support of Public Works and Government Services Canada, these contractors are used to obtain expert knowledge and to complement the existing workforce. 

At Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), these healthcare professional service contractors review or conduct assessments of Veterans' health needs for services or benefits as well as provide consultation with VAC staff. During the 2012/13 fiscal year, there were 55 healthcare professional service contracts for Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Doctors and a Dentist, excluding those at Ste. Anne’s Hospital.

The purpose of the audit was to provide assurance that the departmental activities relating to healthcare professional service contracts were conducted in compliance with VAC procedures, and Treasury Board (TB) policies and regulations. Overall governance and the payment process were also assessed. Fieldwork was conducted from April to July 2013.


Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Information Management Risk Assessment - August 2011

In January 2011, the Audit & Evaluation Division commenced a Risk Assessment of Information Management within the Department. The purpose of this Risk Assessment was to provide Senior Management with a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of information management within the Department to ensure that Veterans Affairs Canada had appropriately responded to all potential risks. A total of 14 entities relating to Information Management were analyzed utilizing risk assessment methodology developed by the Office of the Comptroller General.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Digitization of Service and Health Records - March 2017

Approval of a disability pension or award application requires the establishment of a relationship between the claimed disability or injury and service. Service and health records (SHR) that are held at the Department of National Defence (DND), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), or at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) are the primary means to establish this relationship.

The digitization of SHRs was implemented to improve internal processes and expedite service to Veterans seeking disability benefits.

The objective of the audit was to assess the management control framework, determine compliance with applicable policies and processes, and assess turnaround times and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Centralized Mail - April 2017

The Centralized Mail initiative was designed in 2011 to direct all incoming Veteran documents to a central location in order to reduce Veteran and staff confusion resulting from multiple address choices. The Centralized Mail project commenced in 2011 and was fully operational by April 1, 2016. Through a partnership with Public Services and Procurement Canada in Matane, QC, (PSPC Matane) documents are received there, digitized and uploaded to the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Client Service Delivery Network (CSDN) system. Approximately 1.5 million pages of mail were scanned in the 2015-16 fiscal year. 

The objectives of this audit were to assess the adequacy of the management control framework, assess compliance with VAC’s guidelines and business processes, and confirm turnaround times and identify opportunities to improve efficiency. 

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Business Continuity Planning - July 2014

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) involves 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 continuity plans outline the strategies, resources, and procedures required to restore critical services to the public, as quickly and effectively as possible.

The objective of this audit was to assess Veterans Affairs Canada’s compliance with Treasury Board requirements for Business Continuity Planning. The scope covered the status of Business Continuity Planning within the Department as at December 31, 2013.


Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Canadian Cannabis Survey (CCS) 2018-2022 Public Use Microdata File (PUMF)

From 2018 to 2022, the Canadian Cannabis Survey (CCS) data was collected annually among respondents 16 years and older across all provinces and territories. In 2018, data was gathered from May 15 to July 9 from 12,958 respondents; in 2019, data was gathered from April 4 to June 17 from 11,922 respondents; in 2020, from April 30 to June 22 from 10,822 respondents; in 2021, from April 7 to June 28 from 10,736 respondents; and in 2022, from April 4 to June 20 from 10,048 respondents. These datasets have been combined into a merged file (‘CCS_PUMF_2018to2022’) covering the first five years of data collection. The data collected are self-reported and generally focus on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding cannabis over the past 12 months. 

The Office of Cannabis Science and Surveillance releases the PUMF for CCS 2018-2022 to allow researchers, provincial governments and others to conduct their own analyses of this important data.  

Organization: Health Canada | Santé Canada
Audit of Veterans Affairs Canada's Telephony Service - June 2016

An effective and efficient phone system is crucial to providing Veterans, their families, and service providers with access to information from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) staff. The National Contact Centre Network (NCCN) provides a central point of contact for external callers to obtain general information and request benefits and services. NCCN Analysts either answer questions or immediately transfer callers to staff who can better respond to a caller’s inquiry.

The objective of the audit was to assess the management control framework, compliance with applicable policies and processes, and performance against the service standard. The scope of the audit includes telephony services between April 1, 2014 and July 31, 2015.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
2017–2018 Performance Measurement Framework

The Policy on Management, Resources and Results Structures requires the development of a departmental Performance Measurement Framework (PMF), which sets out the expected results and the performance measures to be reported for programs identified in the Program Alignment Architecture. The PMF is intended to communicate the overarching framework through which a department will collect and track performance information about the intended results of the department and its programs. The indicators in the departmental PMF are limited in number and focus on supporting departmental monitoring and reporting.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Single year data tables by facility – releases, transfers and disposals

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.


Each file contains facility-reported data listed by facility and substance for a given year. Data are presented in a table and can be filtered.


Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:

- Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html 

- Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html


Supplemental Information


More NPRI datasets and mapping products are available here: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/access.html


 Supporting Projects: National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Ten-year data tables by province, industry and substance – releases

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.


Each file contains annual total releases for the past ten years by media (air, water or land), broken-down by province, industry or substance. Files are in .CSV format.


The results can be further broken down using the pre-defined search available at the bottom of the NPRI Data Search webpage. The results returned by the NPRI search engine may differ from the numbers contained in the downloadable files. The online search engine’s results will display releases, disposals and transfers reported by facilities, but does not distinguish between media type (i.e. air, water, land). It also displays facilities reporting only under Ontario Regulation 127/01 and facilities submitting “did not meet criteria” reports.


Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:

- Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html 

- Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html


Supplemental Information


More NPRI datasets and mapping products are available here: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/access.html


 Supporting Projects: National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Maps of reporting facilities – total releases to water

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.  
  
  The files below contain a map of Canada showing the locations of all facilities that reported direct releases to surface waters to the NPRI. The data are for the most recent reporting year, by reported total quantities of these releases.   
  
  The map is available in both ESRI REST (to use with ARC GIS) and WMS (open source) formats. For more information about the individual reporting facilities, a dataset is available in a CSV format.  
  
  Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:  
  
  - Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html   
  
  - Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Maps of reporting facilities – total releases to air (non-CAC)

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.  
  
  The files below contain a map of Canada showing the locations of all facilities that reported releases to air (other than Criteria Air Contaminants (CAC)) to the NPRI. The data are for the most recent reporting year, by reported total quantities of these releases.   
  
  The map is available in both ESRI REST (to use with ARC GIS) and WMS (open source) formats. For more information about the individual reporting facilities, a dataset is available in a CSV format.  
  
  Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:  
  
  - Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html   
  
  - Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Maps of reporting facilities – total releases to land

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.  
  
  The files below contain a map of Canada showing the locations of all facilities that reported direct releases to land to the NPRI. The data are for the most recent reporting year, by reported total quantities of these releases.   
  
  The map is available in both ESRI REST (to use with ARC GIS) and WMS (open source) formats. For more information about the individual reporting facilities, a dataset is available in a CSV format.  
  
  Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:  
  
  - Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html   
  
  - Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Maps of reporting facilities – criteria air contaminants

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's public inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.  
  
  The files below contain a map of Canada showing the locations of all facilities that reported direct releases of Criteria Air Contaminants to the NPRI. The data are for the most recent reporting year, by reported total quantities of these releases.   
  
  The map is available in both ESRI REST (to use with ARC GIS) and WMS (open source) formats. For more information about the individual reporting facilities, a dataset is available in a CSV format.  
  
  Please consult the following resources to enhance your analysis:  
  
  - Guide on using and Interpreting NPRI Data: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/using-interpreting-data.html   
  
  - Access additional data from the NPRI, including datasets and mapping products: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-pollutant-release-inventory/tools-resources-data/exploredata.html

Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada | Environnement et Changement climatique Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Evaluation of the Veteran's Independence Program (VIP) - August 2016

The evaluation of the Veterans Independence Program was conducted in accordance with the Veterans Affairs Canada Multi-Year Risk-Based Evaluation Plan 2015-20. The evaluation covers the time period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015, and was conducted between June 2015 and January 2016.

The objective of the Program is to assist eligible recipients to remain in their homes and communities as long as possible by providing financial assistance towards services which support and promote independence and health. Depending on circumstances and health needs, the Program can contribute to services such as housekeeping, grounds maintenance, personal care, access to nutrition, and health and support services. When home care is no longer practical, the Program assists Veterans to remain in their communities through financial support for intermediate care in community facilities (i.e., nursing home care). 

The evaluation focused on the housekeeping and grounds maintenance components of the Program because:

  * these two components combine for 77% of total program expenditures; and

  * significant changes were made to the method of payment for these components during the period of the evaluation.


Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Service Standards - July 2012

Treasury Board, which sets the guidelines for all government departments in Canada, defines a service standard as "a public commitment to a measurable level of performance [that] clients can expect under normal circumstances." These standards help Canadians by formalizing the kind of service that they can expect from any department. The standards also help VAC staff, by giving them targets to aim for—both in terms of their own performance, and of letting the public know what to expect. 

At present, Veterans Affairs Canada has twenty-two service standards, which cover all the key programs and services that the Department provides to Veterans. These service standards are published on the Website; in the future, the Department also plans to add the performance of each service standard.

The purpose of this audit was to assess the process for reviewing and developing service standards, as well as the accuracy of data being reported. The scope of the audit included all twenty-two standards, and covered practices in the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The audit started in October 2011, and the analysis was completed in February 2012.


Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Audit of Quebec District Office - October 2010

As part of the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of service delivery, a cyclical audit was conducted to review the activities of the Quebec District Office (DO), the management control framework and the information used for decision making purposes. The Quebec DO was selected based on criteria set by senior management.

The objectives of the 2009-2010 audit are:

  * Examine the application and implementation of new delegated authorities for Area Counsellors (ACs) (Fall 2009);

  * Verify the efficiency of the delivery of the rehabilitation program and the integrity of internal controls over its adjudication;

  * Verify internal controls over the award and delivery of Veterans Independence Program’s (VIP) home care services to Canadian Forces (CF) Veterans;

  * Assess the adequacy of the management control framework for long term care (i.e. oversight, functional direction, reporting and internal controls).

The audit focussed primarily on the implementation of the new delegation of authority at the Quebec DO and on delivery of the Rehabilitation, VIP and Long Term Care (LTC) Programs.


Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada Evaluation of Salute! - October 2011

In accordance with the Veterans Affairs Canada Evaluation Plan (2011 -2016) approved by the Departmental Evaluation Committee, the Audit and Evaluation Division was tasked with conducting an evaluation of Salute! VAC's Client Newsletter. Salute! is a quarterly, bilingual newspaper produced by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to provide Veterans and their families with information on departmental policies, programs and services. The newspaper was launched during Veterans' Week 2001 in response to requests to receive more information about departmental disability pension, health and income support programs that may be available to them. Salute! is part of VAC's Outreach Program and also provides information on commemoration activities, health promotion, and educational information that promotes well-being, independence and quality of life. It is the only outreach activity exclusively directed at the Veteran and other benefit recipients.

Organization: Veterans Affairs Canada | Anciens Combattants Canada