Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch Overview

Branch Background

The Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch (PACB) leads strategic policy and planning integration within the Department and across the Portfolio, coordinates Portfolio, Cabinet and Parliamentary business, and is the focal point for public communications and engagement.

PACB provides strategic communications advice and services and is responsible for departmental efforts related to consultation, stakeholder relations, and citizen engagement. It plays a lead role in shaping the Department’s international policy agenda through a strategic, evidence-based framework that identifies challenges and the countries and institutions that can help mitigate them. The Branch leads on cross-cutting policy issues related to international cooperation, Arctic policy, and frameworks for cooperation with like-minded countries.

PACB is composed of three Directorates: Strategic Policy, Research, Planning and International Affairs; Communications; and Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs and Executive Services. PACB also houses the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre), which provides leadership on the Government of Canada’s response to radicalization to violence. As of July 24, 2019, the Branch had 179 full-time equivalents. The Branch has an operating budget of $19.8M in 2019-20.

Key Files and Responsibilities

Canada-United States (U.S.) Relations and International Relations
PACB provides strategic advice on international issues of relevance to the Department and Portfolio, with a view to ensuring that engagement abroad furthers Canada’s domestic security. PACB facilitates international engagement by providing advice and support for the Minister’s participation in different international fora, and in meetings with other international counterparts and multilateral organizations.

Assisted by Public Safety’s Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, PACB supports the Minister’s relationships with U.S. counterparts, most frequently with the Secretary of Homeland Security, and tactically with U.S. Attorney General, who leads the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration. This is informed by Public Safety’s Counsellor and PACB officials’ engagement with the department and Portfolio agencies to provide a whole of portfolio view of bilateral cooperation. PACB also administers the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine and Air Transport Preclearance and the Preclearance Act, 2016, and plays the lead role in supporting the expansion of preclearance operations in Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada.

PACB is responsible for a number of annual ADM-level interdepartmental engagements that aim to advance Canada’s public safety priorities with key partners. These are the Canada-U.S. Executive Coordination Committee, the Preclearance Consultative Group, the Canada-Mexico Security Dialogue, and the annual meeting for the Declaration of Intent with Israel.

International Police Peacekeeping Program/Canadian Police Arrangement
PACB manages the International Police Peacekeeping Program and the Canadian Police Arrangement in cooperation with the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada, which support Canada’s commitment to international security through police participation in international peace support and stabilization missions.

Public Outreach
PACB is responsible for the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security, a forum for consultation with representatives of diverse ethno-cultural communities on national security issues. Together with the Minister of Justice, the Minister appoints Roundtable members, and has an opportunity to engage directly with them when they meet, typically three times annually. Additionally, PACB leads outreach events with Canadians, which provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of working with communities and to learn about their concerns.

Communications
PACB is responsible for strategic and operational communications services to the Minister, Deputy Minister and all Branches of the Department. The Branch coordinates the Government of Canada’s communication response for broad public safety and security issues ranging from major events to natural disasters (e.g., drug-impaired driving campaign, cyber safe tips, and the emergency management “Get Prepared” campaign). As part of this function, it provides support to the Government Operations Centre and develops and strengthens communications networks with provincial/territorial and international partners. Communications also works closely with key private sector partners to advance awareness of key messages in support of safety and security.

Strategic Policy, Research, and Corporate Planning
The Strategic Policy and Research Division leads the tracking of the Public Safety Portfolio mandate priorities and commitments, coordinates the Portfolio’s Federal Budget process and provides input on horizontal policy issues (e.g. the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework). It is responsible for the development and implementation of the Public Safety Data Strategy, facilitates research collaboration and coordination across the Portfolio and collaborative efforts between the Portfolio and the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics of Statistics Canada.

The Strategic Planning Division leads Public Safety’s corporate planning cycle and produces annual corporate products including the Departmental Plan and the Departmental Results Report. It is the center of expertise on risk management, performance measurement and experimentation. It also coordinates the annual response to the Management Accountability Framework assessment.

Cabinet, Parliamentary, Regulatory Affairs and Appointments
The Directorate manages the Portfolio’s Cabinet, Parliamentary, and Regulatory agendas, including Governor in Council and Ministerial Appointments. The Public Safety Portfolio’s Cabinet and Parliamentary business is typically one of the largest across the federal government.

PACB delivers Access to Information and Privacy programs for the Department and Ministerial Correspondence and Secretariat Services for the Public Safety Portfolio.

Countering Radicalization to Violence
Through the Canada Centre, PACB provides national leadership on countering radicalization to violence, including through implementation of the 2018 National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence; engaging with groups across diverse sectors, including through the National Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence; coordinating talent and expertise; and funding programs and research to better understand and more effectively counter violent radicalization.

Key Partners

In addition to key partners within the Department, the Portfolio, and the federal government, PACB works closely with other governments on issues of international cooperation, most notably the U.S. and other Five Eyes partners (United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand).

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