Evaluation of the Grant to Compensate Members of the RCMP for Injuries Received in the Performance of their Duties - Summary

About the program

The objective of the grant is to provide financial and health care assistance to members of the RCMP and their families in the event of a service-related death and/or injuries/illness leading to a loss of quality of life.

In 2002, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) assumed full responsibility for the adjudication, calculation of benefits, and provision of disability pensions to all eligible RCMP clients. The RCMP transfers funds to VAC for the cost of Disability Pensions and Special Awards by way of an Interdepartmental Settlement.

The number of RCMP Disability Pension recipients has increased by 31% from 11,218 in 2013-14 to 14,656 in 2017-18. 93% of disability pension recipients are current or former RCMP regular and civilian members and 7% are survivors and dependants.

Grant expenditures increased from $132.1 million in 2013-2014 to $212.9 million in 2017-2018, a 61% increase. In 2017-18, 96% ($205.2 million) of the Grant was spent on disability pensions for current and former members and survivors, and the remaining 4% ($7.7 million) was spent on the payment of special awards.

What we examined

The evaluation assessed the relevance and performance of the Grant between April 2013 and March 2018. Multiple lines of evidence were analyzed to support the findings and recommendations of the report.

What we found

The evaluation found that there continues to be a significant and increasing need for the Grant. The number of RCMP clients and level of compensation have increased steadily during the period of this evaluation, with forecasts suggesting the number of RCMP members and their survivors receiving a disability pension will continue to grow.

The Grant is aligned with the RCMP Strategic Outcome "Incomes are secured for RCMP members and their survivors affected by disability or death" and with the Government of Canada high level outcome "Income security and employment for Canadians".

The overall roles and responsibilities of the RCMP and VAC related to the Grant's transfer and administration functions are clearly defined. Internally to the RCMP, individual (directorate) roles and responsibilities were also clear, however communication and information-sharing were lacking in key areas. The Grant's RCMP internal governance was also not clearly articulated.

Overall, the Grant is achieving its goal to provide financial and health care assistance to RCMP members and their survivors. However, the evaluation found the timeliness of services to RCMP clients decreased over the reference period. Secondary analysis of the 2017 Client Survey noted areas for service delivery improvement. In addition, the achievement of service standard targets gradually declined and targets are currently not being met. Additional funding has been provided through an annual fee increase to support VAC's capacity to provide services to RCMP clients.

Internal controls are in place for the financial activities of the Grant. The RCMP receives monthly and annual reports, while conducting its own ad hoc analysis relating to the Grant. However, the evaluation found that the RCMP was not using VAC disability data to its full extent.

What we recommend

Based on the findings of the evaluation, the following three recommendations were made:

  • Develop an internal governance model that clearly outlines the involvement of RCMP branches/ directorates in the administration and management of the Grant.
  • Enhance consultations between partners involved in the Grant to mitigate information gaps and inform decision making.
  • In addition to the efforts taken as a result of the recommendation from the 2013-14 evaluation, further explore the use of available VAC data to identify emerging areas of risk and support the prioritization and development of injury prevention measures.

For more information or to view the full report, please visit our Internal Audit, Evaluation and Review page.

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