Department Travel, Hospitality and Conferences Policy

Contact Person:
Dave Gudgeon
Financial Policy and Training
david.gudgeon@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Date last revised: April 2012

Table of Contents

Context

1. Policy Objective
2. Policy Statement
3. Application
4. Policy Requirements
   4.1 Occasions
   4.2 Government Employees as Recipients
   4.3 Event Planning
   4.4 Forms of Hospitality
   4.5 Meals
   4.6 Dollar Restriction
   4.7 Conference Attendance
   4.8 Approval
5. Roles and Responsibilities
   5.1 Deputy Minister
   5.2 Chief Financial Officer
   5.3 Departmental Managers
6. Delegations of Authority
7. Monitoring and Compliance
   7.1 Senior Departmental Managers
   7.2 Proactive Disclosure
   7.3 Duty to Accommodate
8. Definitions
9. References
10. Appendices
    10.1 Appendix A - Example for Workshop and Employee Appreciation Ceremony
    10.2 Appendix B – Frequently Asked Questions

Context

Departmental travel, hospitality and conference expenditures must be managed so that they demonstrate value for money.  Departmental employees must use the most economical options to minimize and/or reduce such costs whenever possible.  As the department’s accounting officer, the Deputy Minister is accountable for the management of the department’s travel, hospitality and conference expenditures.

The Chief Financial Officer supports the Deputy Minister by providing expert independent and objective advice on financial matters, including the establishment and maintenance of effective departmental systems of internal control.  Other senior departmental managers and all other managers are accountable for the travel, hospitality and conference expenditures falling within their areas of responsibility and the effective management of these expenditures.

1. Policy Objective

• To ensure that travel, hospitality and conferences are managed in an economical and consistent manner throughout the Department.
• To provide clear distinction between true conference fees (representing the department in an official capacity) versus training
•  To ensure that travel policy aspects are applied in accordance with the National Joint Council Travel Directive.

2. Policy Statement

The Department extends hospitality in an economical, consistent and appropriate way when it will facilitate the Department's operations or the Department's business when dealing with the private sector, or when it is considered desirable as a matter of courtesy.

Note: The authority to provide hospitality does not extend to seasonal holiday lunches, dinners or other activities.

Conference attendance and sponsorship should be directly related and clearly contribute to the attainment of departmental program objectives.  Attendance should be limited to the minimum necessary to meet departmental objectives; sponsorship should be exercised with probity and restraint in mind.  Where feasible, consideration should be given to coordinating participation to ensure that the Government of Canada is not over-represented and thus, subject to public criticism

Travel costs should be avoided whenever there is a reasonable and more economical alternative available, and deemed sufficient to meet the intended objective. Otherwise, the principles and requirements of the National Joint Council Travel Directive are to be respected.

3. Application

This policy will apply to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (hereinafter referred to as HRSDC, the “Department” or “Departmental”).

4. Policy Requirements

4.1 Occasions

The following must be read in conjunction with the Travel, Hospitality and Conference sections of the Departmental Delegations of Authority Manual (DOA).  Readers should note the approval level designated for each occasion.  Unless Deputy Minister (DM) approval has been given, offering hospitality is restricted within the Department to the following occasions:

4.1.1

Hospitality may be offered to non-government employees when:

• It is a matter of courtesy;
• Diplomacy or protocol; or
• Necessary to facilitate government business

4.1.2

All participants are government employees:¹

• Offering of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e. no food) to employees participating in work related conferences, meetings, workshops, recognition ceremonies or similar events who are requested by management to work through their breaks.
• Offering of food to employees participating in work related conferences, meetings, workshops, recognition ceremonies or similar events who are requested by management to work through their breaks.² 

¹ Government employee – Any person employed in a department or agency and anyone paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (e.g. receives a fee, honorarium or per diem allowance).

² Offering of food requires Senior Departmental Manager (Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Executive Head Services Management (EHSM) or equivalent level) approval.

4.2 Government Employees as Recipients

Certain limitations must be observed when offering hospitality to government employees:

4.2.1

The offering of hospitality to government employees during breaks (coffee and meal breaks) is limited to occasions where it is not desirable for employees to disperse during breaks.  Managers must exercise judgment and take the principle of economy into account by identifying appropriate occasions and ensuring that hospitality expenses are not incurred for regularly scheduled meetings between colleagues.

Note: The offering of food including lights snacks during break periods requires Senior Departmental Manager (ADM/CFO/EHSM or equivalent level) approval when all participants are government employees.

4.2.2

Federal government employees or contractors working for the federal government cannot be considered guests.

4.2.3

The number of employees should not be greater than the number needed to conduct government business.

4.2.4

Extending hospitality to spouses of persons officially attending a function must be restricted to situations where the presence of the spouse enhances the conduct of the function because of protocol and is subject to the following conditions.

• Expenses such as travel, theatre tickets, or tours may only be paid when the Deputy Minister/Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada or Minister has authorized them.
• Travel expenses of spouses must be reimbursed to the employees concerned.

4.2.5

Alcoholic beverages cannot be offered at events involving federal government employees only.

4.2.6

Any employee who is in receipt of hospitality must not seek reimbursement for meals or refreshments as part of a travel claim or other expense claim.

4.3 Event Planning

4.3.1

When organizing events, all cost-saving measures must be taken into consideration including:

• Teleconferencing or videoconferencing
• Avoiding travel related costs wherever possible
• Booking early (transportation, accommodations, facilities etc.) to advantage of discounted rates
• Keeping the number of participants to the minimum necessary to conduct the government business

The most economical alternative available that is deemed sufficient to meet the intended objective should be selected.

4.3.2

Government facilities should be used, where these exist and to the extent possible.

4.3.3

The following are four conditions that may set aside the requirement to hold the event in a government facility:

• The chosen facility can provide the services and infrastructure required for the event which government facilities cannot;
• Government facilities are not available in the geographic area where the event is to be held;
• Government facilities exist in the geographic area but are not available at the time of the event and the event timetable cannot be suitably altered; or
• The choice of a non-government facility can be shown to be cost-effective and withstand public scrutiny.

The selection of a non-government facility should be fully documented in a written justification paper and, where applicable, in seeking approval for an event.  The scope and details of the rationale should be commensurate with the cost and profile of the event as well as the complexities of the activities, and strategies for mitigating potentially adverse public perception must be included.

All expenditures related to conferences must be in accordance with the associated government legislation, policies, directives and procedures including hospitality and travel.

Where appropriate, managers are responsible to ensure that government procurement and contracting policies are adhered to.

4.3.4

The government commitment to equity for all Canadians should be taken into account when selecting a non-governmental facility for hospitality.

4.3.5

Hospitality in private residences or less formal settings must have the prior approval of the Minister, Deputy Minister or Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada.

4.4 Forms of Hospitality

4.4.1

Hospitality normally consists of meals and refreshments. In some circumstances, with the prior authorization of the Minister or Deputy Minister, hospitality may take other forms, such as tickets to theatre or sporting events, tours of the national capital.

4.4.2

Minister approval is required for the serving of alcohol.

4.4.3

When the purpose is to host a hospitality event (e.g. reception for foreign dignitary), official hospitality may also include other items such as room rental, equipment rental, decorations etc.  In these exceptional circumstances, all these costs related to the event should be included in the total cost of hospitality and therefore recorded under the hospitality line object.  As with other exceptional forms of hospitality, prior authorization from the Minister or Deputy Minister is required in these situations.

4.5 Meals

4.5.1

Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) should only be offered where meals are an integral part of the proceedings.

4.5.2

Meals should not be offered to employees during meetings of close colleagues working together on a regular basis.

4.5.3

Breakfast should only be offered in exceptional circumstances.

4.5.4

All meal expenses for all participants must be coded to hospitality.

4.5.5

Senior departmental manager (ADM/CFO/EHSM level or equivalent) approval is required for all food (including meals and snacks) offered at an event where all participants are government employees.

4.6 Dollar Restriction

The table below reflects per person hospitality costs that would be provided over the course of a single day.  Allowances are set out in the National Joint Council Travel Directive.

¹ The Standard Cost per Person is the expected meal cost per person to be applied in normal circumstances, particularly for events involving federal government persons only.  The Standard Cost per Person cannot be exceeded without the proper approval as set out in the Delegations of Authority Manual.

²  Per person cost exceeding the Standard Cost and up to the Maximum Cost per person is to be applied in exceptional circumstances, justified by the type of event, the status and nature of participants and for reasons of courtesy, diplomacy and/or protocol.  The Maximum Cost per Person cannot be exceeded without the proper approval as set out in the Delegations of Authority Manual.

Example

Assuming the Treasury Board meal allowance for lunch is $13.00¹ 

Then, the Standard cost per person cost for lunch would be: $26.00 (2.0 x lunch allowance = 2 x $13.00 = $26.00)

The Maximum cost per person for lunch would be: $39.00 (1.5 x Standard per person cost = 1.5 x $26.00 = $39.00)

¹Treasury Board meal rates can change. Please check to ensure that you use the current rates.  They can be found at the National Joint Council Travel Directive.

4.7 Conference Attendance

Attendance at conferences is divided into two types of activities as follows:

A. Training
B. Conference Participation

A. Training

1. A.1 All conference attendance expenditures should be coded as training when the primary purpose is to enable participants to maintain or acquire skills or knowledge.
2. A.2 Where possible, conference attendance for training purposes should be listed on the employee’s learning plan.

B. Conference Participation

1. B.1 When the primary purpose is to officially represent the department or government, (e.g. guest speaker, exhibitor booth, or participation in organizing the conference), the fees should be charged to conference fees rather than training.
2. B.2 Conference fees and attendance should be limited to the minimum necessary to meet program objectives.
3. B.3 In some cases, the conference fees will be waived for speakers or conference organizers.  However, the delegation of authorities for travel expenditures must be respected in all cases.

4.8 Approval

4.8.1

All travel, conference and hospitality related expenses must be approved by the appropriate delegated authority prior to entering in any agreements with third parties.

4.8.2

With the exception of the Minister or Deputy Minister, an individual is not to be the recipient of hospitality that they approved.  In such circumstances, the approval of higher authority is to be obtained.   

Note: The Deputy Minister may delegate in writing to senior departmental managers at the associate deputy head level and above the authority to approve hospitality even when the individual approving is in attendance. For specifics, please consult the blanket authorization provided by the Deputy Minister for the current year.

4.8.3

Requests for Minister or Deputy Minister approval only:

• All events that require Minister or Deputy Minister approval (events over $1,500 and any exceptional form of hospitality) must be submitted to CFOB at least four weeks prior to the event start date using the standard templates available in the Accountability web site.
• HRSDC hospitality procedures may be found in the Accountability web site.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 Deputy Minister

The Deputy Minister is responsible for:

5.1.1

Approving the departmental total annual budgets for travel, hospitality and conferences.

5.1.2

Ensuring that there are effective departmental oversight and control mechanisms in place so that:

• There is an assessment at the planning stage of recurring events or activities to validate continued relevance, value for money, and the efficient and economical use of resources;
• Individual proposals for travel, hospitality and conferences are reasonable and appropriate and decisions support departmental objectives and priorities;
• Alternative means to avoid, reduce or minimize travel, hospitality and conference costs have been considered, including early bookings of travel and of facilities, using government facilities as a first choice, tele/videoconferencing whenever possible, as well as ensuring value for money when determining the location and the scale of events and the type and number of attendees;
• Expenditures with respect to the annual departmental budgets for travel, hospitality and conferences are periodically reviewed during the year, and managers with financial authorities have access to timely reporting to support effective monitoring and fiscally prudent decisions; and,The requirements for travel, hospitality and conferences set out in this policy and in Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences are applied.

5.1.3

Approving departmental delegation of authority matrices relative to travel, hospitality, and conferences.

5.1.4

Disclosing the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for the department, through its website, including a brief description of the main variances from the previous year's actual expenditures.  The timing of this disclosure is to coincide with the tabling of the Departmental Performance Report.

5.2 Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for:

5.2.1

Providing the Deputy Minister with independent and objective recommendations on the annual budgets and related proposals, priorities and expenditures pertaining to the management of travel, hospitality and conferences.

5.2.2

Supporting the Deputy Minister and Senior Departmental Managers in putting in place and sustaining effective departmental processes, procedures and controls necessary to meet the requirements of this policy.

5.2.3

Ensuring that delegated financial authorities and associated responsibilities relative to travel, hospitality and conferences are clearly communicated, and adhered to by managers.

5.2.4

Ensuring that the information necessary to support periodic departmental reviews of these expenditures is provided to managers.

5.3 Departmental Managers

Departmental Managers with financial authorities are responsible for:

5.3.1

Ensuring within their areas of responsibility that:

• Recurring events or activities are assessed annually to ensure continued relevance, value for money based on past performance, efficient and economical use of resources;
• Individual proposals and expenditure decisions for travel, hospitality and conferences demonstrate that they are necessary to achieve departmental objectives and priorities;
• Alternative means to avoid, reduce or minimize travel, hospitality and conference costs have been considered whenever possible, including the use of early bookings of travel and of facilities, using government facilities as a first choice and tele/videoconferencing whenever possible, as well as ensuring value for money when determining the location and the scale of events and the type and number of attendees;
• Expenditures with respect to travel, hospitality and conferences are monitored throughout the year; and,
• The requirements for travel, hospitality and conferences set out in this policy and in Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences are applied.

6. Delegations of Authority

All travel, hospitality and conference expenses must be approved in accordance with the Departmental Delegations of Authority Manual.

All international conferences must be approved in accordance with the departmental International Travel Policy.

Deputy Minister approval is required to authorize the attendance of spouses of official representatives of the department at a conference when their presence is essential for reasons of protocol.  In such cases, personal expenses incurred may be reimbursed to the official representative in accordance with the National Joint Council Travel Directive.

7. Monitoring and Compliance

7.1 Senior Departmental Managers

7.1.1

Senior Departmental Managers are responsible to ensure that full records of hospitality expenses for each function are recorded. Information should include:

• The circumstances, including any requiring special authority;
• Whether the expenses are for breakfast, lunch, dinner, refreshments, or a reception;
• The cost;
• The location;
• The number of attendees, listed by category; and
• Approval by the appropriate delegated officials.

Note: CFOB will monitor compliance to this policy.

7.2 Proactive Disclosure

7.2.1

The total annual expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences for the department must be disclosed through the departmental website.  The timing of the disclosure must coincide with the tabling of the Departmental Performance Report.

7.3 Duty to Accommodate

7.3.1

This policy must be applied in conjunction with the Treasury Board Policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service.

8. Definitions

Conference - Refers to a congress, convention or a seminar or other organized or formal gathering where participants debate or are informed of the status of a discipline (e.g. sciences, economics, technology, management etc.).  Guest speakers are often part of such conferences that involve federal government and/or non-federal government persons.  Retreats, work-planning meetings and training seminars or courses that provide training are not considered as conferences.

Conferences normally:

• Impose an entry/registration fee, although this is not always a prerequisite requirement for registering as a participant;
• Have a pre-set agenda;
• Have presentations or panel discussions by subject matter experts;
• May have exhibits of subject matter related items by organizations operating in the subject matter field;

For the purposes of this policy, a conference does not include:

• Participants do not have to be members of a particular organization.
• Program-oriented work planning meetings;
• Technical advisory committee meetings where the participating employees are directly involved in resolving problems related specifically to work normally assigned to them;
• Training seminars, courses and other gathering whose primary purpose is to enable participants to maintain or acquire skills or knowledge; or

Workshops on various departmental or government systems

Note: The use of the term “conference” in documentation such as brochures and websites in relation to a gathering is not necessarily an indication that the gathering is a conference.  The information should be reviewed against the definition criteria contained in this policy.

Conference Participation - Participation in a conference occurs when an employee directly participates by representing the department or the government in an official capacity, as an exhibitor, or guest speaker.

Exceptional forms of hospitality - Offered to guests of government departments, include tickets to theatre or sports events, tours, flowers, gifts.

Government employee – Any person employed in the department and anyone paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (e.g. consultants, contractors etc.).

Meals – Breakfast, lunch and dinner only.

Refreshments – Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks.

Reception- An extended period between when attendees arrive and when the meal is served.  A reception might also serve the purpose of sustaining attendees during the wait before a meal.  Reception food may also be served with no main meal afterward if circumstances dictate.

Senior Departmental Manager - For the purpose of this policy, senior departmental managers are defined as managers reporting directly to a deputy head and/or the most senior regional departmental managers.

Training - An organized, disciplined way to transfer the knowledge and know-how including the development of employees that is required for successful performance in a job, occupation or profession.  It is ongoing, adaptive learning, not an isolated exercise.  It includes courses, seminars, workshops and conferences normally taken during working hours.

9. References

Delegations of Authority Manual

HRSDC hospitality procedures in the Accountability web site

National Joint Council Travel Directive

Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences

Policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service

10. Appendices

10.1 Appendix A - Example for Workshop and Employee Appreciation Ceremony

Scenario:

• A program-related workshop and appreciation ceremony will be held at a local hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.  The total estimated cost for the workshop and appreciation ceremony is $2,500 (see below for the breakdown).
• Lunch will be provided.
• Coffee and snacks will be supplied for a morning break.
• There will be a total of 50 participants attending.  Of those 50 participants, 30 will be on travel status and 10 will be from their headquarters area and 10 non-government guests.
• Following the workshop, an appreciation ceremony will be held to recognize exceptional work from an employee.
• The employee will be given an award costing $200.
• Beverages and light snacks will be offered at the appreciation ceremony.

Process:

It is important to prepare an estimate of the itemized costs of the workshop to help ensure the costs are reasonable and to ascertain the level of delegated authority approval required for each expense.  It is important to note that all estimated non-salary expenses that require the approval of the Minister or Deputy Minister should be submitted prior to the event date.

To assist in this process, the following is a step by step process required to meet these objectives.

Step 1: 

Itemize all hospitality costs for workshop separate from the function costs of the appreciation ceremony.

Note: The cost for all meals and breaks, regardless of the participant's status (i.e. travel, non-government guest) or the location of event, should be applied to Hospitality.

Step 2:

Use the appropriate line object code to record the costs from the workshop and the appreciation ceremony. 

In this case, the cost for the workshop and appreciation ceremony should be applied to the line object codes for following accounts: 

Step 3:

Group expenses by the financial authority required for expenditure initiation.  In this example, the grouping would be as follows:  

¹ The offering of food (including snacks during break periods) requires the approval of the ADM/CFO/EHSM or equivalent when all participants are government employees.

² The Deputy Minister may delegate in writing to senior departmental managers at the associate deputy head level and above the authority to approve hospitality even when the individual approving is in attendance. For specifics, please consult the blanket authorization provided by the Deputy Minister for the current year.

Step 4:

Obtain prior approval for the expenses in accordance with the Delegations of Authority Manual.  Check to ensure that you verify against the latest version of the Delegations of Authority Manual for all non-salary expenses.  Be sure to reference the hospitality restrictions in the operations and maintenance section of the Delegations of Authority Manual.

10.2 Appendix B – Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the process for extending and paying hospitality transactions?

Be reminded that consideration should first be given to other alternatives (e. g. teleconferencing, videoconferencing etc.) in order to minimize costs. Once it has been decided to extend hospitality at an event, prior approval of the hospitality costs as per the hospitality restrictions in the operations and maintenance section of the Delegations of Authority Manual must be obtained and the expenditure must be coded in the appropriate screen of the Corporate Management System (CMS).  Where possible, hospitality events should be held in government-owned facilities and justification must be provided when this is not the case.  See also the Accountability web site.

Q2. If there is a hospitality function and the persons that would normally authorize the function are in attendance - who would sign as the authorizing officer?

Since the person who would normally sign as the authorizing officer will be in attendance and in receipt of hospitality, approval must be obtained by the employee’s supervisor.
This is in accordance to section 2.1.3 of Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences, “With the exception of the Minister or deputy head, an individual is not to be the recipient of hospitality that they approved.  In such circumstances, the approval of higher authority is to be obtained.”

Note: The Deputy Minister may delegate in writing to senior departmental managers at the associate deputy head level and above the authority to approve hospitality even when the individual approving is in attendance. For specifics, please consult the blanket authorization provided by the Deputy Minister for the current year.

Q3. Who has the approval authority for the offering of food (including snacks) to government employees?

In accordance with Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences, Senior Departmental Manager (ADM/CFO/EHSM or equivalent level)¹ approval is required for the offering of food during events where  all attendees are government employees.  This includes all snack foods (e. g. muffins) that may be served during coffee breaks.

Hospitality to be offered in private residences or less formal settings must have the prior approval of the Deputy Minister of HRSD, Deputy Minister of Labour or Senior Associate Deputy Minister of HRSD/Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada

¹  ADM – Assistant Deputy Minister
   CFO – Chief Financial Officer
   EHSM – Executive Head Services Management

Q4. Who can approve when the expenses exceed the Standard or Maximum per person cost?

Deputy Minister approval is required for costs exceeding the Standard per Person Cost.  Minister approval is required for costs exceeding the Maximum per Person Cost.

Costs should only exceed the Standard per Person Cost in exceptional circumstances and must be justified based on the type of event, the status and nature of the participants and for reasons of courtesy, diplomacy and/or protocol.

Q5. A manager will be presenting an appreciation award (value $250) to an employee for his exceptional work in completing a demanding and complex project.  The presentation will take place following a monthly staff meeting.  Beverages will be provided (cost $50).  Should all the expenses (award and beverages) be applied to Pride and Recognition?

No.  Only the cost of the award should be applied to Pride and Recognition.  Since, the beverages were offered as a matter of courtesy and did not constitute part of the award to the employee they must be accounted for separately.  Therefore, the cost for the beverages should be applied to Hospitality.

Q6. Should all costs related to an event be considered as hospitality?

If the purpose of the event is operational, for example training, workshops, planning retreats, meetings etc. then the additional costs for the event (e. g. room and equipment rental etc.) would not be included as part of the cost of the hospitality.  Meals provided to employees and paid for by the department are always considered hospitality.

When the purpose is to host a hospitality event (e. g. reception for foreign dignitary), official hospitality should also include other items such as room rental, equipment rental, decorations etc.  In these exceptional circumstances, all these costs related to the event are included in the total cost of hospitality and recorded under the hospitality line object.  As with other exceptional forms of hospitality, prior authorization from the Minister or Deputy Minister is required in these situations.

Q7. If the employee pays for the cost of the meal is that considered hospitality?

No.  Meals are only charged to hospitality when the department pays for the meal directly (i.e. when the department provides hospitality).

Q8. Under what type of situation can an employee be reimbursed for meal expenses within their area of work (meal expenses within Headquarters)?

Meal expenses incurred within the headquarters area shall not normally be reimbursed.  However, employee meal expenses, with receipts, may be reimbursed under the travel policy up to the limit of the applicable meal allowance, in the following situations:

• When employees are required to work through or beyond normal meal hours and are clearly placed in situations of having to spend more for the meal than would otherwise be the case;
• When employees are required to attend conferences, seminars, meetings or public hearings during the weekend or holidays;
• When employees are required to attend formal full-day conferences, seminars, meetings or hearings and where meals are an integral part of the proceedings;
• When employer representatives are involved in collective bargaining proceedings;
• When intensive task force or committee studies are enhanced by keeping participants together over a normal meal period; or
• When the reimbursement of meal expenses is clearly reasonable and justifiable as a direct result of an employee's duties.

Q9. Is it acceptable to give a small token of appreciation (e. g. flowers, gift basket, book etc.) to a guest speaker at a government function?

As a matter of protocol, small tokens of appreciation may be given when a non-government employee renders a service without remuneration such as a guest speaker at a government function.  These tokens may be considered as a normal form of hospitality provided that they are items of minimal resale value such as flowers, chocolates, gift basket, book or similar.  The cost of the item should be added to the total hospitality cost of the event to determine the level of approval required in accordance with the delegation of authority for hospitality.  While tokens of appreciation may be offered as a normal course of business, managers are expected to apply sound public service values and place a strong emphasis on responsible spending on with regard to what is being offered.

Other items of greater resale value or items that have a set monetary value (e. g. gift cards) are considered to be exceptional forms of hospitality.  Exceptional forms of hospitality require the approval of the Minister or Deputy Minister.

Requirements:

• Given as a matter of protocol.
• Recipient must be non-public servant.
• Have minimal resale or fair market value.
• Withstand the test of public scrutiny.

Q10. What is the Difference between Training and Conference participation?

Training is an organized, disciplined way to transfer the knowledge and know-how that is required for successful performance in a job, occupation or profession.  It is ongoing, adaptive learning, not an isolated exercise.  Example: attendance at a session during the FMI week conference.

Conference participation is when the primary purpose is to officially represent the department or government as an officer, resource person or member of the conference secretariat (e. g. guest speaker, maintain an exhibitor booth, or participate in the organization of the conference).

Note: Historically, most conference attendance in the department is for training purposes.

Q11. Can Gifts be given out to Participants during Government Held Conferences?

The practice of giving official gifts or mementos should only occur on occasions where official hospitality is required (e. g. where the giving of gifts furthers international relations or when foreign visitors or delegations are hosted in Canada).

Unless official hospitality is being offered, items handed out to participants should be considered as promotional items.  Be reminded, that written justification must be provided explaining the rationale for the items.

Q12. How many employees can attend a conference?

Attendance at a conference should be limited to the minimum necessary to meet departmental objectives.  Management approval for conference attendance for training purposes is based on the same factors as any other training request and should be related to the employee’s learning plan.

Q13. I am going to a conference that includes a closing ceremony (dinner and gala).  There is an extra fee related to the gala attendance.  Can I go and how should the cost of the gala be coded?

If there is a separate cost to attend the gala over and above the cost to attend the conference then the dinner or gala cost must be treated as a separate hospitality expense subject to the hospitality restrictions in the operations and maintenance section of the Delegations of Authority Manual.

If a dinner or gala is part of the conference cost (i.e. not a separate cost) then the conference fee should be coded to either training or conferences depending on the purpose for attending (e. g. training or in an official capacity).

Q14. I have received approval to go to conference in Paris, France from the Deputy Minister.  Due to personal reasons, I can no longer go.  Can my Director authorize another employee to go in my place?

Yes, provided there is no significant impact related to the change of employee.  The assessment of impact should be justified and documented.  Any significant amendment (e. g. more attendees, itinerary, increased cost, etc.) requires resubmission to the Deputy Minister for approval.