Citizenship and Immigration committee  We were much more concerned with the organization's productivity and its ability to make decisions. As I said, you have to allow from 10 to 12 months for a new appointee to become as productive as the one he is replacing. We send recommendations for reappointment to the minister mainly with that in mind.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Something like that.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Roughly, yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can't answer that at this point. As I indicated earlier, my staff and I are working on looking at the numbers, looking at some scenarios. We haven't progressed far enough down the road to be able to answer that question in detail.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would think we would need probably another couple of months, but again these are dynamic processes. One of our constraints—and Ms. Fraser did allude to it earlier—is that we are looking at what work could be done by public servants, rather than by GICs. However, particularly in the refugee protection division zone, where final decisions have to be made by Governor in Council appointees, there is a limit to what can be put on a public servant's desk.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There you're into the zone where the reappointment is the prerogative of the Governor in Council, so it is the Governor in Council's prerogative to decide who is reappointed to the board. From an operational point of view, there is no doubt that an experienced board member is able to deal with more cases than a person who is newly appointed, until such time as that person is up to speed.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm afraid I don't have that information with me, no.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I couldn't project what it would be. The number will increase, there's no doubt about that. The average time depends very much on the composition of the cases that are heard, and that changes significantly from year to year.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As of March 31, we have 58,000 RPD files on hand.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In some instances, that could be, but in other instances.... We don't actually process files on a first-in, first-out basis. For example, cases involving unaccompanied minors will be moved through the system much quicker than other cases. The average, depending on the cases that go through in a year, could be--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Getting close to it.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As I was indicating earlier, we expect to take in about 45,000 cases this year. In our report on plans and priorities, we project that we will be able to clear 21,000 cases this year.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, as I indicated earlier, there are two very formal parts of the process for the candidates. There's the written exam, which assesses four competencies, and then there's the interview process, which assesses six competencies. The interview is a behavioural-event interview. People are asked, “Tell us about a time when you...”, and they have to give very concrete examples from recent experience, which is usually felt to be within five years, that can be independently verified.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  First, I should clarify. Thank you for the promotion, but I'm actually not the chair of the IRB. I'm the executive director.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Your first question, in terms of what the chair said to the minister, I really can't speak to. I do know that the chair has indicated to the current minister, and indeed to his predecessors, the need for appointments, the impact of delaying appointments, and the amount of time it does take to train our members.