Ecanomics
DashboardProjectsDepartmentsAnalyticsAPI & Data
DashboardProjectsDepartmentsAnalyticsAPI & Data
DashboardProjectsDepartmentsAnalytics
© 2026 Ecanomics — Government spending, made visible.Methodology

Methodology

How Ecanomics sources, tracks, and verifies Canadian government spending data

Data Sources

Ecanomics aggregates data from official Canadian government sources. No proprietary or non-public data is used. All source documents are linked directly from each project's Detail page under "Official Documents & Sources".

TBSTreasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Project approvals, Treasury Board submissions, and departmental results reports.

OAGOffice of the Auditor General of Canada

Independent performance audits, value-for-money assessments, and special examinations.

PBOParliamentary Budget Officer

Independent fiscal and economic analysis, lifecycle cost estimates, and program expenditure forecasts.

open.canada.caOpen Government Portal

Proactive disclosure data, contract award notices, and departmental spending datasets.

CERCanada Energy Regulator

Energy infrastructure project decisions, compliance reports, and construction monitoring data.

How Budgets Are Tracked

Budget Lifecycle

Each project budget follows the Treasury Board of Canada's standard project lifecycle: Identification → Definition → Implementation → Close-Out. Budgets are recorded at their current approved baseline as published in Treasury Board submissions and departmental results reports.

Budget Change Log

Every approved change to a project's budget appears in the Budget Change Log on the project detail page. Changes are sourced from TBS supplementary estimates, proactive disclosure releases, and PBO cost estimates. Positive changes (overruns) are highlighted in red; savings in green.

Spent vs. Allocated

Spent-to-date figures reflect cumulative actual expenditures as reported in Departmental Results Reports and Public Accounts of Canada. For projects still in execution, figures may lag by one fiscal quarter.

Verification Process

All project data is verified against at least two independent government sources before publication. The verification process follows these steps:

  1. Primary source: Treasury Board project approval documents or departmental capital plans
  2. Secondary source: OAG performance audit, PBO analysis, or Proactive Disclosure dataset
  3. Cross-check: Parliamentary committee testimony, departmental results reports, or ministerial announcements
  4. Date stamped with the date of last known update — shown on each project page

The "Last Verified" date shown on each project page reflects when Ecanomics last confirmed the data against its primary source. Users should treat any project with a verification date older than 6 months as potentially stale and check the primary source directly.

How Auditor Scores Are Calculated

The Independent Audit score (1–10) reflects the findings of the most recent independent audit of the project, performed by the Office of the Auditor General, Parliamentary Budget Officer, or an equivalent independent body.

9–10
Exemplary
No significant findings; strong governance and financial controls
7–8
Good
Minor findings only; generally strong performance
5–6
Acceptable
Moderate concerns; management action plan required
3–4
Concerns
Significant deficiencies; remediation plan required
1–2
Critical
Systemic failures; immediate intervention required

Where multiple audits exist, the most recent assessment takes precedence. Scores are assigned by Ecanomics based on direct quotations from audit reports and are not official ratings of the auditing body.

Update Frequency
Quarterly
  • Departmental Results Reports
  • Proactive Disclosure (contracts >$10K)
  • Treasury Board submissions
  • Project progress milestones
Semi-annually
  • OAG performance audit chapters
  • PBO cost and fiscal analyses
  • Parliamentary committee reports
  • On-time rate calculations
Annually
  • Public Accounts of Canada (actuals)
  • Departmental plans (forecasts)
  • Annual reports to Parliament
  • Full project audit scores
On event
  • Major budget changes (supplements)
  • Schedule revisions (ministerial announcement)
  • Contractor changes (contract notices)
  • Project completion or cancellation

Disclaimer: Ecanomics is an independent civic transparency tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada. All data is sourced from publicly available government publications. While we strive for accuracy, users should verify critical information against primary government sources. For official project status, consult the relevant department directly.