Greening Government Operations 2012-13

Surplus Electronic and Electrical Equipment Target

8.6 By March 31, 2014, each department will reuse or recycle all surplus electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) in an environmentally sound and secure manner.
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Existence of implementation plan for the disposal of all departmentally-generated EEE.   Yes Yes
Total number of departmental locations with EEE implementation plan fully implemented, expressed as a percentage of all locations, by the end of the given fiscal year.  100% 100%   

Strategies / Comments:

  1. Definition of Electronic and Electrical Equipment: Electronic Equipment refers to computers, monitors, printers, plotters, laptops, docking stations, televisions, most server and network equipment, most audio-visual equipment, scanners, fax machines, label printers, photocopiers, toaster-ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, and ovens.
  2. Definition and number of departmental locations: In the context of this target, locations are defined as the National Capital Region – headquarters (NCR), as well as Public Safety Canada’s regional presences.
  3. Key components of the EEE disposal process: Public Safety Canada disposes of all departmentally generated surplus electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) in a manner consistent with the Treasury Board Directive on Disposal of Surplus Material.
  4. Method for Tracking Equipment: Departmental assets are recorded in three departmental systems designed to capture complete information on each type of asset: Provance, an IT asset tracking system; CableSolve, a non-IT asset tracking system; and SAP, a financial capital asset tracking system. When the asset is received, relevant information is recorded in the appropriate tracking system and an asset tag is affixed.
In terms of meeting its obligation under the Treasury Board Policy on Government Security (PGS), Public Safety Canada has measures in place to ensure compliance, including physical security of departmental assets. The Public Safety Canada Security Policy and the Departmental Security Plan establishes requirements in this area.

Printing Unit Reduction Target

8.7 By March 31, 2013, each department will achieve an 8:1 average ratio of office employees to printing units. Departments will apply target where building occupancy levels, security considerations, and space configuration allow.
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Ratio of departmental office employees to printing units in fiscal year 2010-11, where building occupancy levels, security considerations and space configuration allow.  2:1*  
Ratio of departmental office employees to printing units at the end of the given fiscal year, where building occupancy levels, security considerations and space configuration allow.  8:1 8:1 

* This ratio was calculated by using the total number of printing devices and the number of employees. It does not differentiate between network and local printers.

Strategies / Comments:

  1. Definition of printing unit: In the context of this target, a printing unit is defined as an electronic device, which sends text or pictures onto paper. This includes desktop printers, network printers, and multifunctional printers (with photocopier, fax, and scanner functionality).
  2. Scope: The Printing Unit Reduction Target is applied to all office employees and printing units across Public Safety Canada – in the NCR and its regions.
  3. Method for determining number of printing units: The Information Technology functional unit at Public Safety Canada uses a tracking system (Provance) to maintain the accuracy of its inventory of organizational printing units in the NCR and in the regions.
  4. Method for determining number of office employees: Public Safety Canada determines its number of office employees using its Human Resources Management System (HRMS - PeopleSoft).
  5. Number of office employees subject to the target: At 2012-13 year-end, Public Safety Canada had 1095 FTE employees who were subject to this target.
  6. Implementation Strategies:
    • The Department continued to ensure adequate access to network printers to service each area; and
    • continued to reassess departmental printing requirements and to adjust the number and model of network printers.

Paper Consumption Target

8.8 By March 31, 2014, each department will reduce internal paper consumption per office employee by 20%. Each department will establish a baseline between 2005-2006 and 2011-2012, and applicable scope.
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Number of sheets of internal office paper purchased or consumed per office employee in the baseline year of 2010-11 FY 2010-11: 9,604.2  
Cumulative reduction (or increase) in paper consumption, expressed as a percentage, relative to baseline year selected 10% 41.03% (from 2010-11 baseline)

Strategies / Comments:

  1. Scope: At a minimum, this target will include internal consumption of 8½ x 11 inch, 8½ x 14 inch and 11 x 17 inch stock paper across Canada, including all regional offices. This target will omit external printing, including those contracted out to a printing supplier, printing which results from a contract with an external supplier of goods and services, as well as coloured paper purchased directly by acquisitions cards.
  2. Method for determining paper consumption: Public Safety Canada determines its paper consumption by calculating the amount of paper acquired centrally by the Department’s Corporate Management Branch and with acquisition cards in the regions.
  3. Method for determining number of office employees: Public Safety Canada determines its number of office employees using its Human Resources Management System (HRMS - PeopleSoft).
  4. Number of office employees subject to this target: At 2012-13 year-end, Public Safety Canada had 1095 FTE employees who were subject to this target.
  5. Implementation strategies include:
    • In 2012-13, all paper for the NCR facilities was purchased, stored and distributed centrally to ensure compliance with the recycled content certification requirements.
    • Paper usage was tracked by office floor and a monthly usage report was provided to Senior Management.
    • An annual status report was presented to Senior Management, detailing sustainable development initiatives, including paper usage and reduction statistics.

Green Meetings Target

8.9 By March 31, 2012, each department will adopt a guide for greening meetings.
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Presence of a green meeting guide Yes Currently under revision

Strategies / Comments:

  1. Definition of adoption: The guide will be reviewed by Public Safety Canada governance sub-committees, will be communicated to all staff, and will be posted on the Department's Intranet site.
  2. Scope: The Public Safety Canada Green Meeting Guide addresses all types and sizes of meetings and is intended to be used by meeting organizers and participants to reduce the environmental impacts of meetings hosted by the Department.
  3. Implementation strategies include:
    • In order to facilitate Green Meetings, the Department expanded Wi-Fi capability in the NCR;
    • increased the use of soft copies during meetings at Public Safety Canada (i.e. “eIndex” and presentations on the screen, e-records of decisions, e-meeting notes captured in an official departmental e-repository); and
    • introduced 200 electronic tablets for executives and managers to encourage and support electronic note-taking and information sharing, and to reduce paper usage.

Green Procurement Targets

8.10 As of April 1, 2011, each department will establish at least three SMART green procurement targets to reduce environmental impacts.

8.10.1  As of April 1, 2012, Public Safety Canada will ensure that 95% of toner cartridges purchased are remanufactured or recycled, where feasible
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Number of remanufactured or recycled toner cartridges, relative to total number of toner cartridges purchased 95% in FY 2008-09
Progress against measure in 2012-13 N/A* 95%

*This target has been adjusted to reflect that Xerox, which does not offer remanufactured toner cartridges, has been scoped out from the target. (Note – if Xerox toner cartridges must be purchased, PUBLIC SAFETY CANADA always recycles them).

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Scope: In 2012-13, the Department scoped Xerox toner cartridges from this target.
  3. Implementation strategies include:
    • Public Safety Canada continued to purchase toner cartridges centrally in the NCR to ensure the availability of inventory counts; and
    • whenever possible, based on contracting requirement, purchased remanufactured toner cartridges and sent all used toner cartridges in NCR for recycling.
8.10.2 As of of April 1, 2011, as an ongoing target, Public Safety Canada office computers will have an average of a four-year life cycle
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Average life of office computers in the Department Four-year average lifecycle (baseline fiscal year 2010-11)
Progress against measure in 2012-13 Four-year average life Four-year average life

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Scope: This target includes all Public Safety Canada office computers.
  3. Implementation strategies include:
    • A yearly renewal, on average, of 25% of the computer inventory ensured that the Department has the latest and most energy efficient technologies.
    • The Department tracked spending on assets, according to the existing system.
    • The Department created awareness with client groups through presentations.
8.10.3 By March 31, 2014, 95% of paper purchases will contain a minimum of 30% recycled content and/or have forest management certification or ECOLOGO of equivalent certification
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Volume of paper purchased that meets target requirements, relative to the total volume of all paper purchased N/A
Progress against measure in 2012-13 FY 2012-13: N/A 100%

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Implementation strategies include:
    • Public Safety Canada continued to purchase paper centrally in the NCR to ensure the availability of inventory counts and compliance with the recycled content certification requirements.

8.11 As of April 1, 2011, each department will establish SMART targets for training, employee performance evaluations, and management processes and controls, as they pertain to procurement decision-making.


Training for select employees
8.11.1 As of April 1, 2012, as an ongoing target, 90% of material managers, procurement officers and acquisition cardholders will have taken a green procurement course
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Percentage of material managers, procurement officers and acquisition cardholders that have taken a recognized green procurement training course 95%
Progress against measure in 2012-13 100% 100%

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Implementation Strategies include:
    • As a matter of policy, all new material managers, procurement officers and acquisition cardholders that have not completed the green procurement course are required to identify a Green Procurement training course in their individual learning plan; and
    • Public Safety Canada has developed and implemented a policy which prevents acquisition cardholders that have not taken a green procurement training course from using their acquisition card.
Employee performance evaluations for managers and functional heads of procurement and material management.

8.11.2 As of April 1, 2012, as an ongoing target, green procurement objectives will be included in 100% of the performance evaluations of managers and functional heads of procurement and material management
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Percentage of managers and functional heads of procurement and material management that have included green procurement objectives in their performance evaluations N/A
Progress against measure in 2012-13 100% 100%

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Implementation Strategies include:
    • The Department ensured that 100% of procurement officers, managers, and functional heads of procurement and material management include green procurement objectives in their annual performance expectations and evaluations.
Management processes and controls
8.11.3 As of March 31, 2014, a minimum of three management processes and controls will be greened
Performance Measure RPP DPR
Target Status  
Number of greened management processes and controls N/A
Progress against measure in 2012-13 1 2

Strategies / Comments:

  1. SMART: This target meets all the requirements of SMART criteria, including: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
  2. Implementation Strategies include:
    • In 2012-13, Public Safety Canada introduced 200 electronic tablets to executives and managers to encourage the use of electronic note-taking and information sharing, and to reduce paper usage; and
    • continued to roll-out Electronic Invoice Processing, which was established to demonstrate the opportunity for efficiency improvement in the receipt, processing, and control of invoices, and eventually to minimize paper usage. As part of this initiative, vendors are now encouraged to submit their invoices electronically.
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