2005-2006 PWGSC Management Accountability Framework Self-Assessment

January 12, 2006

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) is a tool developed by Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) to provide federal departments and agencies with guidance in order to attain a high level of management performance. As a pro-active measure, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) conducted a MAF self-assessment using the framework that TBS has distributed to all federal departments and agencies. PWGSC's MAF self-assessment has been made available on-line, in keeping with the department's commitment to openness and transparency.

Description
This table displays the results of the Public Works and Government Services Canada 2005-2006 Management Accountability Framework Self-Assessment which provides a snapshot concerning the state of management of the Department.
MAF Element/Indicator (Organizations Consulted)	Detailed Indicator	Self-Assessment
Public Service Values 1.1 Leadership (Human Resources) (Communications) (Office of the Chief Risk Officer)	Leadership recognized internally and externally as demonstrating strong ethics and values behaviour, as evidenced by: Leadership communication with employees about expected ethical behaviour and public service values; Selection, evaluation, promotion and discharge of leaders based on their conduct with respect to PS values and ethics.	Executive Community: There have been several communications from the DM, Associate DM and DG responsible for Values and Ethics, as well as from HR and via The Source (PWGSC's Intranet), promoting PWGSC's Ten Point Integrity Plan, a series of Ethics posters, an Ethics Helpline, and the Ethics training being delivered at PWGSC. The Public Service Commission and/or the Deputy Minister vet all Executive appointments. All letters of offer include reference to the importance of Values and Ethics. The Deputy Minister takes the time to meet with new Executives to welcome them to the department and to emphasize the importance of values and ethics.
Public Service Values 1.2 Organizational Culture (Human Resources) (Office of the Chief Risk Officer) (Consulting and Audit Canada)	Organizational culture reflecting public service values and ethics, as evidenced by: Feedback from employees on fairness, respect, satisfaction and engagement; Departmental benchmark results and implemented improvements; Trends in management and program irregularities, regularly reported on and reviewed by management.	The Office of Chief Risk Officer will continue to provide functional leadership to ensure that branches and regions have appropriate resources, processes and tools for them to assess, mitigate and monitor risks of ethical lapses. A network of ethical leaders and officers has been established to share best practices, to provide feedback on ethical dilemmas and to help in communicating the messages regarding firm commitments by PWGSC senior management to nourish a work environment where values and ethics are respected and promoted. Statistics regarding the number and nature of ethical enquiries to Ethics Officers for advice and guidance are presented on regular basis to PWGSC's Audit, Assurance and Ethics Committee. Next Steps: PWGSC is exploring the development of a strategy to measure progress and performance of the Ethics Program. A research survey will be conducted to establish a baseline understanding of ethical awareness levels in the Department while renewing the communications strategy and tools to "tell the good news" about Ethics at PWGSC to internal and external audiences; A departmental survey will be conducted in 2006 on language of work to assess if the organizational culture is conducive to the use of both official languages. The results of the 2005 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) will be analyzed to determine the results against this indicator. Consulting and Audit Canada: The following activities have been undertaken in support of developing an organizational culture that focuses on values and ethics: Through up to 15 discussion groups with various regions and teams in the NCR, employees were engaged on the CAC Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Feedback on values, ethics and CAC's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct was collected and communicated to CAC senior management. A CAC Ethics Officer has been engaged. The Ethics Officer has developed CAC's 10-Point Integrity Plan. Internal audits and evaluations were conducted on CAC's contracting practices, and professional development program, and other key processes and recommendations were implemented as required. CAC's client survey process seeks feedback on "integrity" of personnel involved in projects. Managers follow-up whether ethical issues are identified by clients. Communiqué concerning the policy on conflict of interest has been sent to staff (target: annually).
Public Service Values 1.3 Guidelines and Recourse (Office of the Chief Risk Officer) (Human Resources) (Consulting and Audit Canada)	V&E policies, guidelines, standards, recourse and disclosure mechanisms in place and understood by all employees, as evidenced by: Customized codes of conduct, including standards of behaviour, consequences and rewards for exemplary behaviour; Effective communication, learning and orientation strategies for the Code of Public Service Values, for customized organizational codes and guidelines and for public service values and ethics in general; Appropriate, accessible avenues for employee advice, reports of wrongdoing and resolution of conflicts.	All letters of offer advise that employees must observe, as a condition of employment, the Code of Ethics and Values for the Public Service. Employees are asked to read the code and identify if they believe that they may be in a situation of real or perceived conflict of interest. The web site for the code is given in the letter. Orientation session for new employees includes a 30-minute session on Values and Ethics. As part of the PWGSC Ten point Integrity Plan, there are now Ethics Officers in every Branch of the Department and in each region. PWGSC employees in positions of ethical risk (as defined by the Integrated Risk Management Policy) must attend mandatory Ethics training. By March 31, 2006, 70% of target audience will have participated. The Audit, Assurance and Ethics Committee oversees and provides leadership regarding the implementation of the Departmental Ten-Point Integrity Plan, approach to the implementation of the Ethics Program in the Department. Significant financial and human resources have been allocated to the Ethics function in PWGSC. Ethics Officers were appointed to every branch, agency and region to assist them in the operationalization of the Ten Point Integrity Plan and the Ethics Program. They are also available to employees to provide guidance with ethical dilemmas, and to increase awareness through training and though the development of communication tools. Next Steps: developing a new Statement of Values for the Department as well as contributing the development of new guidelines for suppliers to communicate PWGSC's values and ethics guidelines and expectations while in a business relationship; reviewing and redevelopment of the Ethics course curriculum, i.e. by exploring alternate forms of course delivery using technology, to better target ethical decision-making at all levels, common ethical issues and dilemmas at PWGSC. formalizing a Departmental Fairness Monitoring Policy for contracting situations, developing a Policy Notification to guide staff in day-to-day use of the Fairness Monitor Policy Framework (FMPF), and managing the FM process on certain high-risk solicitations. Consulting and Audit Canada: The following activities have been undertaken in support of promoting Public Service Values and Ethics: An Ethics Officer is available to CAC employees for advice, reports of wrongdoing and resolution of conflicts. CAC developed its own Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct that is distributed to all employees. This code flows from and is considered additional to the Public Service Code of Ethics. All CAC employees with sensitive responsibilities are required to attend PWGSC's training on Values and Ethics. CAC's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is distributed to new employees and is accessible via CAC's intranet site. Information on CAC's Code and the web site address of the Code are contained in all MOUs between CAC and client departments. CAC's Ethics Officer conducted up to 15 discussion sessions on CAC's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. CAC employees have access to the services of the Department of Justice Federal Centre for Workplace Conflict Management.
Governance and Strategic Directions 2.1 Governance Legitimacy (Corporate Policy and Planning)	A legal framework of powers, duties and functions related to the institution (or its Minister) reflective and enabling of its objectives, as evidenced by: Programs and activities authorized by and in compliance with the law (e.g. constitutive legislation, the Financial Administration Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and other applicable statutes or regulations); A corporate process to identify areas where legal authority may be lacking or issues of lawfulness, including: a requirement that an assessment of the adequacy of the legal authority and lawfulness for new programs and activities be incorporated into the decision-making process when these programs and activities are developed; a process and work plan to review whether current programs and activities are authorized.	As PWGSC evolves and its mandate changes, PWGSC works closely with Legal Services to identify issues of authority and delegation as they arise. If new legislation or regulations are required to clarify an existing provision, such as the ability of PWGSC to delegate procurement authority to non-traditional departments or to broaden the scope of the PWGSC procurement authority, Legal Services works first with PWGSC to define the requirement and then with Department of Justice legislative drafters and administrative law experts to ensure that the requirement receives the necessary legislative authority. Amendments to PWGSC Act The Act to implement Budget 2005 proposes two key amendments to the PWGSC Act: An amendment to section 9 extends the exclusive powers of the Minister for the acquisition and provision of materiel to apply as well to services including construction services, but not legal services. The Act also proposed that section 9 be subject to any conditions that may be imposed by the Treasury Board or any regulations that the Treasury Board may make for the purposes of this section. An amendment to section 20 allows the Minister to enter into contracts despite section 32(1) of the FAA, i.e., to authorize the Minister to negotiate and enter into contracts on behalf of the Government of Canada and to make commitments to a minimum volume of purchases on its behalf. FAA Control Framework PWGSC has undertaken a number of measures to improve internal controls to ensure that proper oversight mechanisms have been put in place in compliance with the FAA. These measures relate to responsible employees, risk assessment, organizational structure, policies and procedures, segregation of duties and internal control activities. Collectively, they significantly enhance our internal control framework for the department. Responsible Employees All employees have been made aware of the importance of contracting and financial probity. They have been reminded to complete a conflict of interest declaration if they meet certain criteria. A Chief Financial Officer position is being established to ensure greater financial oversight as well as audit and verification of the accounts of the Department. Risk Assessment ADMs manage risk at the level of individual business lines. Since the Department acts as its own client on procurement activities, control activities have been put into place to assure a strict separation of duties between program management and contracting activity. Organizational Structure The Department's recent realignment has clarified accountabilities. Policies and Procedures of the Organization The Department's policy framework, which is largely based on that established by Treasury Board policies, is being streamlined in consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat. The financial policy and control framework is being updated to address issues of commitment control, budgetary control, and forecasting. Segregation of Duties: For expenditures of $25,000 or more, program managers shall not exercise expenditure initiation and contracting authorities on the same transaction. ADM, Acquisition Branch, is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the procurement process. As part of the mandate review of Consulting and Audit Canada, the Deputy Minister decided that, beginning in May 2005, procurement activities would be handled by PWGSC's Central Procurement Service Unit to enhance segregation of duties and further improve consistency of procurement practices throughout the Department. Internal Control Activities Departmental web sites provide, on a quarterly basis, information on travel and hospitality expenses incurred by senior PWGSC officials; and on contacts over $10,000, that were issued by, or on behalf of, PWGSC. External auditors annually audit the Revolving Funds Financial Statement including a review of key controls. Cost Audits are conducted on a sample of contracts managed by PWGSC Section 33 authority is delegated only to financial officers. A National Post Payment Quality Assurance Monitoring Process is conducted quarterly to ensure that this delegated authority is properly exercised. Review findings are presented to the Executive Committee and corrective action is taken at the program manager level. Authorities are delegated pursuant to a delegation instrument, signed by the Minister, setting out the authority that staff can exercise at various organizational levels. The instrument contains four schedules reflecting administrative, procurement, real property and Receiver General responsibilities of the Department. Each Branch Head must complete a quarterly review of delegation forms in their Branch to ensure that they are current and to the correct level. Effective FY 2004/05, officials with delegated financial authorities must attest in writing on their delegation of authority form that they have read and understood the authorities delegated to their position and the responsibilities associated with exercising these authorities and that due diligence is exercised when using these authorities. In 2004/05, administrative staff received mandatory training on S. 34, hospitality and travel policies. Mandatory training for managers on Ss. 32, 33 and 34 will continue in 2005/06. Individual branches and regions are ensuring that all delegated managers understand their authorities. In 2004/05, a new Policy on Commitment Control was implemented; and monitored by National Post Payment Quality Assurance Process.
Governance and Strategic Directions 2.2 Governance Structure (Corporate Policy and Planning)	A stable Management, Resources and Results Structure (MRRS) as the foundation for results-based management as evidenced by: Clearly defined, measurable strategic outcomes that reflect the organization's corporate mandate and vision; Clear results outcome statements that are linked to corporate/government-wide priorities; PAA sufficiently populated with results and financial information; Defined governance structure outlining the decision-making, mechanisms, responsibilities, and accountabilities of the department.	Defined Departmental governance structure clearly outlined on the Departmental Intranet (The Source) and available to all PWGSC employees. Enhanced Departmental performance measurement framework is now near completion. The 2004-05 DPR reports directly on the commitments made in the 2004-05 RPP. The 2005-06 RPP unveiled the Department's PAA structure and key performance indicators as per TBS guidelines. Future performance reports are expected to rigorously report on PAA performance measures and strategic outcomes, which will ensure consistency between the RPP and DPR. Clear strategic outcome statements linked to corporate and government-wide priorities have been established and published in the 2005-06 RPP, most notably the 2005 Federal Budget. The 2005-06 RPP includes the Departmental raison d'être and vision. PWGSC continues to make efforts to integrate the RPP, DPR, Business Plans, performance measurement and risk measurement into a consolidated approach towards achieving objectives. Populated all of the requirements for the Departmental PAA. However, we recognize that there is a need to strengthen PWGSC's Strategic Outcomes, particularly the measurement of Strategic Outcomes. CAC is currently undertaking a review of PWGSC's strategic performance information, which will assist the Department in establishing and refine a group of measurable Strategic Outcomes that reflect PWGSC's mandate and vision.
Governance and Strategic Directions 2.3 Effective Planning Function (Corporate Policy and Planning)	An effective planning function as evidenced by: Approved organizational strategy to integrate business and strategic planning, human resources planning, resource management, and performance monitoring; Established process and calendar for corporate planning and decision making; Operational plans and performance agreements aligned with and linked to strategic plans.	The amalgamation of Corporate Policy and Planning and the Priorities, Strategies and Risk Management Sectors in Winter 2005 has allowed for enhanced collaboration between the DPR/RPP group and the Business and Strategic Planning Group, resulting in more integrated planning and an enhanced quality of final products. Effective performance monitoring and review processes are established and functioning well. Resource and performance management are already integrated with the DM-lead business planning and resource allocation framework. There is a clear, strategic alignment of departmental initiatives with the government agenda, as evidenced in the 2004-05 DPR and the 2005-06 RPP. PWGSC clearly articulated its business planning framework and management principles that apply horizontally to all Branches. PWGSC's 2005-06 to 2007-08 Departmental Business Plan was released on October 17, 2005, and is available on the Department's Intranet (The Source) for all employees. As outlined in the Departmental Business Plan, PWGSC is focused on corporate priorities, rather than being sector, branch or issue driven and is focused on our top corporate priorities. HR planning was incorporated into the Departmental Business Planning in 2005-06. The Department's Planning Cycle is also available on The Source. A Mid-Year Review (MYR) is conducted each year to ensure that our priorities and resources are on track and to make mid-course adjustments as required. This is managed in a DM MYR Retreat with all ADMs and CEOs. PWGSC also conducted a Year-End Review (YER) for 2004-05. Branch Business Plans and this document were presented to the Departmental Operations Committee. The 2005-06 RPP officially unveils PWGSC's PAA structure and performance indicators. Future performance reports and business plans will continue to integrate PAA performance measures. Continuing to make progress in integrating HR planning with business planning. Performance agreements are derived from key commitments and accountabilities defined in the RPP/DPR. Future initiatives include developing PWGSC's HR Report Card to assist Branches and aligning and integrating the Business Plan performance measures into the Executive Dashboard.
Governance and Strategic Directions 2.4 Horizontal Initiatives (Office of Greening Government Operations - Greening Government) (Information Technology Services Branch - GOL)	Commitment and contribution to the results-based management of horizontal initiatives, as evidenced by: Leadership where appropriate; Active participation; Responsibilities for horizontal initiatives reflected (including leadership) in performance agreements.	Greening Government Operations: Leadership: Leadership is being actively demonstrated by PWGSC. PWGSC, with the help of other responsible departments will lead in achieving rapid progress on greening federal government operations. The Office of Greening Government Operations (OGGO) was established in April 2005, significant horizontal successes achieved since that date include: the consolidation of the interdepartmental governance structure to provide clear and focused leadership in this area (including an environmental scan of committees and their mandates to determine best governance model). the development of a Performance Management Framework to allow the government to collect the performance data necessary for continued improvement. This will reflect common performance indicators (integrated) and a common set of government-wide priorities. The development of a green procurement policy and plan to support implementation in 2006. OGGO's work directly supports the Minister and Cabinet/Parliament directions (including development of a Green Procurement Policy by 2006 in the 2004 Speech from the Throne speech), and greening operations is a corporate priority for PWGSC (Way Forward). Active Participation: PWGSC has been a leader/active participant in various greening government committees (horizontal collaboration) including: Green Citizenship Task Group, Federal House in Order/Climate Change, Facilities and Land Use Task Group, Green Procurement Task Group, Regulatory Compliance Task Group, chair of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Sustainable Development Committee, etc. As of 2005, new government office buildings will be constructed to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Standard. This standard will also be pursued in the case of new long-term leases. Green procurement initiatives have been pursued through Green Procurement training programs and the expansion of product profiles offered on the Green Procurement Network. Performance Agreements: Included in the DG, OGGO performance agreement. Responsibilities will be added to Director level as OGGO develops the right executive team and the new Directors are brought on board. Government On-Line (GOL): Leadership: Government On-Line (GOL) oversees the progression of putting the 130 most commonly used federal services on-line. PWGSC, the Government of Canada lead for GOL, continues to work with the 34 participating departments and agencies to ensure the momentum in horizontal, integrated and multi-jurisdictional efforts are maintained. The GOL Directorate is currently reviewing and validating the final GOL Departmental Reports for DMs'/Agency Heads' approval. Preliminary findings suggest we will meet our overall service maturity target (level 6.4) by the end of 2005. The final GOL Overview Report is expected to be tabled in Parliament in March 2006. In addition to capturing its achievements in 2005, the Report will provide a summary of the achievements and progress of the Initiative over the six-year period. In April 2005, for the fifth consecutive year, Canada ranked first among 22 countries for best e-government, according to Accenture's 2005 annual study. Through PWGSC's leadership and management of the Government On-Line Initiative, combined with the continued efforts and commitment of 34 participating departments and agencies, the Government of Canada remained a top provider of e-government for its leadership in customer service and its significant efforts in informing and educating citizens about on-line service delivery. The Government On-Line Initiative (GOLI) continues to monitor and provide oversight for investment projects, including Catalytic Projects, and to reallocate funding where necessary. Catalytic projects are aimed at transforming services to meet the evolving needs of Canadians, and to help realize the three Service Visions developed in 2004: for Canadians, for businesses, and international. Based on a draft GOL Evaluation Framework developed by the PWGSC Audit and Evaluation Branch (AEB), an assessment of the Initiative will be undertaken through an enhanced final Overview Report, Lessons Learned and the development of strategically focused tools for future use by departments and agencies to help them realize outcomes. This approach was supported by the Service Management Board in May and June 2005, and approved by a sub-committee of Deputy Ministers made up of former members of the TBSAC Information Management Sub-Committee (TIMS). The approach builds on existing products and mechanisms to help reduce the reporting burden by departments and agencies. Active Participation: In addition to leading this horizontal initiative, PWGSC is actively participating in this government-wide initiative and is responsible for meeting the 2005 maturity targets and deliverables of 7 GOL Services: Government of Canada Publications On-line Information and Communications Support Linguistic and Multicultural Services Online Procurement and Disposal Public Service Compensation Real Property Services Delivery Receiver General In response to the results and recommendations of the Office of the Auditor General's (OAG's) November 2003 Report, Chapter 1: Information Technology - Government On-Line, an Action Plan was developed and approved in April 2005, and submitted to the OAG. Work is in progress to deliver on the Action Plan. GOLI is working with the Government Information Services Branch and the Treasury Board Secretariat to assist in the take-up acceleration efforts by encouraging departments/agencies to increase awareness and use of on-line services: providing tools, gathering/sharing marketing best practices, promoting the use of performance measurement techniques, and releasing information on the Marketing On-Line Services website. Successfully completed migration of GOL web sites from TBS to PWGSC in August 2005; GOL reporting system was redeveloped to provide interim status report and for GOL annual reporting. Performance Agreements: Cascading commitments for GOL initiatives are reflected in the performance agreements of the CEO, ITSB and DG, GOLI, to meet GOL service objectives and ensure project close-out.
Governance and Strategic Directions 2.5 Portfolio Management (Corporate Policy and Planning)	An effective portfolio management structure and process is in place, as evidenced by: Clear direction, leadership and communications Information exchange, sharing of common/best practices Structured consultations on: priority-setting and decision-making, resource allocation and budgeting, policy development and planning Committee processes and an organized governance structure Integrative operational mechanisms and shared services Graduated portfolio-based approval processes Integrated mandate and common objectives	Although PWGSC is not a portfolio-based department, it provides a diverse portfolio of services through its Branches and SOAs. This is managed by a variety of services, including an Executive Committee, a Management Board, and a Departmental Operations Committee, which allows PWGSC to manage in a manner similar to a portfolio-based department. Business planning (including Mid- and Year-End Reviews) and financial planning processes are in place, which allows for structured consultations on priority-setting and decision-making, as well as resource allocation and budgeting. The Corporate Policy and Planning Sector (CPP) provides Portfolio Management services in respect of Defence Construction Canada (DCC). In this context, we have been tracking developments related to the Review of the Governance of Crown Corporations and participate in the Interdepartmental Portfolio Management Forum and the Program Analyst Network Meeting.
Results and Performance 3.1 Evaluation Function (Audit and Evaluation Branch)	An effective evaluation function, as evidenced by: Capacity of the evaluation function; The deputy head as chair of an active evaluation (and audit) committee(s); Risk-based evaluation plans; Management action plans to address evaluation findings/recommendations; Evaluation reports submitted to TBS and posted in a timely fashion (3 months); Performance information regularly audited or evaluated; Audit and Evaluation or other executive committee review of performance information.	Capacity: Senior Evaluators acquired. Additional classification and staffing activity underway. Revisions to Departmental Evaluation Policy under consideration. Evaluation Committee: Evaluation products are tabled at PWGSC's Audit, Assurance and Ethics Committee (AAEC) chaired by the Deputy Minister. Risk-based Evaluation Plan: Consultative, risk-based process was used to develop 2005/06-2007/08 Multi-Year Evaluation Plan approved by AAEC in April 2005. Mid-Year Update completed in September 2005. Management Action Plans: Evaluation Processes structured so that Evaluation Findings and Recommendations together with Action Plans are tabled at the AAEC. Evaluation Reports Submitted to TBS: All Final Evaluation Reports go to TBS approximately two months after tabling at AAEC. Performance Information: Examination of performance information is integral in the development of Evaluation products.
Results and Performance 3.2 Financial Reporting (Finance Branch)	Accounting and reporting of financial activities consistent with Government policies, directives and standards, as evidenced by: Timely and accurate financial reporting including accuracy of public accounts plates and improvements achieved on the quality and timeliness of departmental financial statements; Quality of Central Financial Management and Reporting System (CRMRS) trial balance submissions, including materiality and number of errors and timeliness of corrections; Quality presentation and accounting for specified purpose accounts.	Public Accounts: Significant progress has been made with regards to timeliness and quality of year-end submissions. The Department has received an "A" rating on their Public Accounts Scorecard compared to a "D" rating in previous years. Financial Statements: Statements were submitted early. Adhered well to TBS accounting standards, with fulsome disclosure. CFMRS: Trial balance submissions were on time with no coding or control account errors encountered in the trial balance. The departmental specified purpose accounts are accounted for as per government accounting policies.
Results and Performance 3.3 Information and Decision-Making (Corporate Policy and Planning) (Chief Information Office)	Access to and use of integrated information for corporate decision making, as evidenced by: Integrated information from financial, human resources, payroll, and asset and real property management systems in support of senior management decision making and related to the achievement of strategic objectives; and Regular DM and senior management challenge of proposed investment decisions on the basis of integrated information from various sources, linked to strategic objectives.	PWGSC has made considerable progress on integrating performance measurement and reporting within strategic and business planning processes. The Departmental Management Report and Business Planning Framework facilitates alignment of resources both financial and HR to our key departmental and branch priorities and assists senior management in making strategic decisions. The Business Planning Framework also provides a mechanism to measure performance as ADMs/CEOs are required to report on performance/outputs, and risks/risk mitigation plans, through the Mid-Year Review (October) and Year-End Review (April), as well as the associated DM/Senior Management Retreats. The Corporate Policy and Planning Sector (CPP) plays a regular challenge function on matters pertaining to Strategic Investment Proposals (SIPs) and TB submissions/ MCs, making sure our resources are aligned to the highest departmental and corporate priorities. CPP also provides strategic advice regularly to the DM and Operations Committee on these investment proposals and consults with Central Agencies to ensure an integrated approach to decision-making. The ADM, Corporate Services, Human Resources and Communications Branch (CSHRCB) is responsible for reporting back to Operations Committee with regular updates on the SIPs, therefore CPP performs a constant tracking and monitoring role. The Real Property Investment Board (RPIB), chaired by the DG Accommodation Portfolio Management, reviews and challenges investment decisions based on a thorough review of information from various sources and makes recommendations to the ADM RPB. The Departmental Operations Committee approved the PWGSC IM/IT Roadmap in May 2005. The roadmap identifies strategies to support the department's objectives and strategic outcomes. One of the strategies identified in the PWGSC IM/IT Roadmap is to strengthen and clarify the department's IM/IT Governance structure, role and accountabilities and processes. This work is underway and is geared towards improving the department's investment decisions for IM/IT linked to PWGSC's strategic outcomes. Building on the work being carried out for the PAA, MAF and improved Branch business planning, the Department is in the process of implementing an Executive Dashboard to bring together a core suite of quantitative performance indicators to monitor progress within the activities of the sustaining agenda (PAA and on-going business) and qualitative progress reports on priorities and supporting strategies/initiatives within the change agenda to improve results. Further implementation of the Executive Dashboard will be rolled out in a phased approach over the next 9-12 months.
Results and Performance 3.4 Performance Reporting (Corporate Policy and Planning)	Planning and reporting systems to support executive decision-making as evidenced by: RPPs/DPRs reflective of information contained in MRRS; DPRs linked to RPPs; Electronic, meaningful real-time data linking resources and results.	The 2004-05 DPR reports directly on the commitments made in the 2004-05 RPP. The 2005-06 RPP unveiled the PAA and future performance reports will rigorously report on PAA performance measures and strategic outcomes.
Learning, Innovation and Change Management 4.1 Innovation and Change Management (Strategic Transformation Group)	Anticipation and management of significant organizational change, as evidenced by: Change management strategies at the corporate and "initiative" levels; Change management function, assignment of responsibilities and support to change management practices.	The Way Forward is a wide-ranging strategy led by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to find innovative ways to deliver services smarter, faster and at a reduced cost, and to improve how the Government of Canada does business. Communications strategy and materials have been developed on The Way Forward for major stakeholder groups. Townhalls, workshops, EX and middle manager conferences, and other national and regional events have taken place and are planned throughout the course of The Way Forward initiative's implementation. Phase I Change management strategic action plan and employee outreach strategy developed. Change management representatives appointed and engaged in each business line. Middle Managers' Community Network Council engaged to support change in the middle manager group. Regional transition teams have been established and are consulted on regional change issues. Departmental strategies addressing department, branch, and client department change management issues required at a strategic level for next phase of implementation. (Contract award late October 2005). Individual business lines are developing or refining actions plans to address requirements for process change, training, and change management activities tailored to the requirements of their employees and key stakeholders.
Learning, Innovation and Change Management 4.2 Organizational Learning (Human Resources) (Chief Information Office)	The organization learns from its results, as evidenced by: An organizational learning strategy incorporating regularly reviewed learning objectives, opportunities and requirements; A strategy to determine organizational knowledge needs, and to capture, manage and apply organizational knowledge to shape action and improve results.	A departmental Continuous Learning Policy is currently in the final approval stage. It establishes clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders regarding learning, education leave and educational assistance. The Policy is supported by Guidelines for education leave and educational assistance. We have departmental processes in place to determine organizational learning needs. Each year, the corporate learning group, after a strategic analysis of business plans, external trends and internal drivers, recommends corporate learning priorities and/or targets groups to HRC. Following that, a departmental call letter is sent in order to communicate the corporate learning priorities and the list of mandatory courses and remind employees and managers to complete their Personal Learning Plan and include language training (in the other official language) as developmental learning. HRC is provided with detailed regular reports on the learning investment (in time and in money). There are quarterly reports on time-spent learning (Minimum Training Investment) and an annual report on money spent regarding learning. PWGSC has learning targets on the percentage of eligible employees who have had the opportunity to have a learning plan, and the percentage of employees who have participated in 3 or more days of learning during working hours. These results are reported in the PWGSC dashboard. The Departmental Operations Committee approved the PWGSC IM/IT Roadmap in May 2005. The roadmap identifies strategies to support the department's objectives and strategic outcomes. One of the strategies identified in the PWGSC IM/IT Roadmap is to develop a business intelligence (BI) strategy for the department. This strategy aims to enable the department to harvest its corporate information and knowledge for improved decision-making, better alignment/tracking against corporate strategic objectives and improved responsiveness to PWGSC's clients.
Policy and Programs 5.1 Policy Framework (Corporate Policy and Planning)	A solid policy framework, as evidenced by: Consistency with departmental mandate; Alignment with the government-wide policy agenda; Appropriate horizontal linkages to the policy frameworks of other departments; Clarity to central agencies and other departments; and Utility in managing competing demands and allocating scarce resources.	PWGSC develops three types of policies: departmental, strategic and operational. Departmental Policy 003 sets out the process for developing departmental policies by functional authorities. The process requires consultation at the ADM level prior to Deputy Minister approval. Departmental Policies are posted on the department's Publiservice website. PWGSC strategic policy initiatives, such as The Way Forward, are elaborated and consulted at the Corporate level. The Corporate Branch ensures consistency with the departmental mandate and the government-wide policy agenda, appropriate consultations with other departments, central agencies and stakeholders, and the appropriate messaging. Over the past year, PWGSC corporate and branches have been working closely with TBS to ensure that The Way Forward and the TB Policy Renewal are aligned. PWGSC Branches develop and maintain operational policies, which must be consistent with the department's mandate, and central agency policies and regulations. Branches undertake stakeholder consultations, and approval is at the ADM level. These policies are posted on the department's Publiservice website. Branches are responsible for the development of their own policy frameworks, tailored to their specific businesses.
Policy and Programs 5.2 Strategic Policy Capacity (Corporate Policy and Planning) (Human Resources)	A solid strategic policy function and analytic capacity, as evidenced by: Ability to anticipate challenges and respond in a strategic rather than a reactive manner; Organizational model to harness distributed policy capacity; Strong and sustainable community of analysts; Policy development process grounded in fact-based analysis with reliable modeling and due regard to implementation and operational matters; Outcomes-focused policy and program development informed by past performance; Stakeholder engagement to effectively inform policy making without creating expectations that unduly constrain government decision-making.	The Corporate Policy and Planning Sector (CPP) tracks other government department strategic policy initiatives, advises PWGSC Branches of potential implications for their operations, develops a PWGSC response in consultation with Branches and represents that response at interdepartmental fora, and briefs the Deputy and Minister. Over the past year, CPP has clarified its processes: Corporate Policy identifies the Branch interests and a contact, and liaises with Branches to develop as appropriate a PWGSC response. CPP has been tracking the TB Policy Renewal over the past several years and has been working with branches to develop responses. Over the past year, PWGSC corporate and operational branches have been working closely with TBS to ensure that the department's operational policies and initiatives, in particular The Way Forward, are aligned with the TB Policy Renewal. Organizational Model CPP is responsible for providing a coordinating policy function. We sit on the RP Renewal Team that provides good insight into RP policy related activities. Information from other branches is provided on a more ad hoc basis. Community of Analysts While the Department participates actively in corporate development programs such as the Management Trainee Program and the Career Assignment Program, where participants often participate in central agency assignments that help to develop the policy capacity of the Department, more can be done to recruit and develop policy analysts. Stakeholder Consultations Stakeholders are consulted on a wide variety of policy issues, including the future vision of the Contracts Canada program, green procurement, innovation in construction, geomatics in the private sector, and public opinion research.
Risk Management 6.1 Legal Risk Management (Office of the Chief Risk Officer)	Adequate management of legal risk, as evidenced by: Ongoing/regular scanning of programs for legal risks, in a manner commensurate with the nature of the department's activities and mandate; Senior management engagement in LRM, including the active review, avoidance, mitigation and management of legal risks; Effective sharing of information on legal risks, including with Department of Justice and central agencies (in large part to create a whole of government perspective); Contingency planning to respond to risks that have materialized.	Risk management systems, processes and tools are in place to ensure that branches and regions scan their programs and initiatives for legal risks, assess and mitigate these risks (for example, by obtaining legal opinions on legal risks) as well as share best practices to manage them. An ADM-level Litigation Committee, chaired by the Chief Risk Officer, has been established to monitor legal risks associated with litigation issues. The Office of the Chief Risk Officer requests that branches and regions fully use Legal Services in assessing legal risks, and to reflect legal risks in their risk profiles.
Risk Management 6.2 Risk (Office of the Chief Risk Officer) (Consulting and Audit Canada)	Risk as an active factor in decision-making processes, as evidenced by: Evergreen executive committee assessment of corporate risks and the status of risk management (Corporate Risk Profile); An integrated risk management function (organizational focus) linked to corporate decision making; Protocols, processes and tools to ensure the consistent application of risk management principles throughout departmental decision making and delivery; and Continuous organizational learning about risk management and lessons learned from risks successfully identified and mitigated or not.	Implementation of Risk Management at PWGSC: Implementation of the IRMF is a management priority for PWGSC. Since 2003, the Department has made significant steps towards reinforcing the foundations upon which an effective Department-wide risk management function will be positioned and to link risk management to business planning, ethics, dispute resolution and internal audit. The Deputy Minister PWGSC recently established the Office of the Chief Risk Officer (OCRO) to manage the risks arising from the ongoing business transformation and supporting reforms. OCRO is actively playing the functional leadership role to help PWGSC demonstrate its commitments to quality assurance (as front-end piece of risk management) and effective integrated risk management throughout its operations. OCRO to provide functional leadership by becoming a Centre of Excellence for risk management, by building the capacity to quickly respond to emerging issues and by developing a risk management community within PWGSC branches and regions Building on our involvement in developing risk management strategies for the transformation agenda and to assist branches and regions in transferring the way they conduct their business, Issuing a risk management policy (November 2004) Incorporating critical risks and risk mitigation strategies into departmental and branch business plans. Requiring risk management as an accountability element for executive performance agreements. Developing departmental and branch risk profiles (June 2004) and maintaining risk profiles on a regular basis (updated in March/April 2005). Developing a Corporate Risk Information System (CRIS) application to identify, assess, mitigate and report on risks in a systematic approach and on an ongoing basis. Taking steps to ensure that employees have adequate skills and tools to assess and mitigate risks. Collaborating with Treasury Board Secretariat to develop a vignette on procurement in the federal government. PWGSC's Office of the Chief Risk Officer (OCRO): The OCRO, who reports directly to the Deputy Minister, will be responsible for identifying any risks that could derail the reforms or cost the government "financial or reputation" losses, including the risks of managing assets whose maintenance is often under-funded, such as bridges and dams. The OCRO is also expected to develop, through active monitoring, a way to assess errors and other irregularities to determine how widespread problems are. The OCRO brings together the related functions associated with risk management; contract claims advisory services, fairness monitoring, the ethics organization, as well as the internal disclosure function. The OCRO assists the Deputy Minister and PWGSC's Senior Management team in fulfilling executive accountability requirements with respect to risk management, quality assurance, fairness monitoring and internal disclosure. More specifically, the OCRO provides leadership and guidance in relation to: the implementation of the Management Accountability Framework and the Integrated Risk Management Framework requirements as set out by Treasury Board Secretariat while continuing to recognize risk management issues associated with specific program files and situations; the implementation of PWGSC's Ten Point Integrity Plan supported by rolling-out a ethics communication strategy, and a strong, value-driven ethics program that includes Ethics Officers in every Region, Branch and Special Operating Agency (SOA) to support employees and management in fulfilling their ethics action plans; the achievement of Departmental quality assurance objectives relating to management systems and business processes and practices; providing advice of a non-legal nature to management and procurement staff on disputes with private-sector suppliers and contractors related to the administration of contracts awarded by PWGSC; the use of Fairness Monitoring (FM) strategies and practices associated with PWGSC contracting situations; and receiving, reviewing and when necessary investigating disclosures and making recommendations to the Deputy Minister for decision and action concerning wrongdoing. Next Steps: In order to support PWGSC's ongoing efforts to improve the way it does business, to ensure discipline, good management and Canadians' trust in government, the OCRO's next steps will include: continuing to strengthen the risk management function across PWGSC, i.e., develop a framework for a Departmental Risk Management Committee, and undertaking the necessary measures to implement the Integrated Risk Management Framework; developing a new Statement of Values for the Department as well as contributing the development of new guidelines for suppliers to communicate PWGSC's values and ethics guidelines and expectations while in a business relationship; reviewing and redevelopment of the Ethics course curriculum, i.e. by exploring alternate forms of course delivery using technology, to better target ethical decision-making at all levels, common ethical issues and dilemmas at PWGSC; carrying out a research survey to establish a baseline understanding of ethical awareness levels in the Department while renewing the communications strategy and tools to "tell the good news" about Ethics at PWGSC to internal and external audiences; more firmly entrenching the PWGSC's internal disclosure function so its viability is recognized as part of the Department's culture; resurrecting and rejuvenating the existing "dispute resolution infrastructure"; formalizing a Departmental FM Policy and developing a Policy Notification to guide staff in day-to-day use of the Fairness Monitor Policy Framework (FMPF); and managing the FM process on certain high-risk solicitations. Consulting and Audit Canada The following activities have been undertaken in support of Risk Management: CAC's Corporate Risk Profile is updated quarterly and reviewed and approved by CAC's AEC committee. All CAC Consulting employees must complete a risk template at the initiation of a project for an external client to identify potential risks and mitigation strategies. CAC's Project Management course contains a component on risk management. A directed audit on the separation of duties released in February 2005 indicated that "CAC has established management controls, procedures and systems over the agency's contracting and expenditure activities which are similar in design to the controls, procedures and systems PWGSC's centralized procurement and finance functions use for the same activities, and which, if consistently applied, fulfill the spirit of TBS and PWGSC contracting policies." Further segregation of duties were achieved in May of 2005, when CAC's Central Procurement Unit was transferred to the Acquisitions Branch of PWGSC. CAC established a set of criteria which identified higher risk projects and subject them to a higher level of approval in order to ensure that risks associated with these projects are known to the agency and mitigated accordingly (for example, proposals for projects over $1M must be reviewed by the Agency Executive Committee). An agreement with the Department of Justice has been concluded for the delivery of a contract management course, in order to teach CAC staff to understand the procurement process and to mitigate risks associated with these activities. Brown bag sessions are held by employees who are retiring in order to share experiences and lessons learned, including risks associated with specific types of projects and strategies used to mitigate these risks.
People 7.1 Workplace (Human Resources) (Health, Safety, Security, Emergencies and Administration)	A workplace that is fair, enabling and healthy and safe in order to provide best possible services to Canadians as evidenced by: Fair employment and workplace practices and effective labour relations; Clear direction, collaboration, respect and support for employees' linguistic rights, diversity and personal circumstances in order to enable them to fulfill their mandate; Healthy and safe physical and psychological environment.	The PWGSC Human Resources Management (HRM) Framework is comprised of seven elements considered essential for the effective management of human resources. Through our Bilan Social, we have been measuring our results and progress against these elements and their indicators for the past several years. Strategies and plans are developed to address areas requiring strengthening, including the Official Languages Strategic Action Plan, the departmental Employment Equity Plan, and the departmental Continuous Learning Policy. The PWGSC HRM Framework is being reformatted into an HR Management Accountability Framework to be aligned with the PCMAF outcomes and measures. We will continue to report on our progress against the indicators in our annual Bilan Social. The 2003-2004 Annual Report of the Public Service Commission (PSC) recognized the PWGSC Bilan Social as a best practice. "Public Works and Government Services Canada's "Bilan Social" is a very good example of the integration of mandate, management of resources, consideration and impact on the workforce, with client-service outcomes and results for Canadians. It is a comprehensive annual HR report on the state of the department's workforce, which provides managers with qualitative and quantitative information related to HR management." Official Languages complaints remain a concern with 51 received in 2004-2005. Significant number of complaints concerning language of work. 2.1% of staffing appealed which is a significant decrease from the previous year. In 2004-2005, 93 complaints were received which was a decrease from the previous year. The new labour relations legislation was successfully implemented, including the establishment of new terms of references for consultation. Increased number of labour-management meetings: 6 national meetings occurred in 2004-2005. The results of the 2005 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) will be analyzed to determine the results against this indicator. PWGSC accommodations are safe, secure and comply with federal standards and codes to promote a healthy work environment. The Deputy Minister and the President of the Government Services Union co-signed the PWGSC Health and Safety Plans and Priorities 2004-2007 during the summer of 2004. The document sets out six environmental, health and safety objectives to be implemented over the next three years. In order to provide a supportive work environment, respectful of diversity, the Department has a Silent Room in a centrally located area for the use of PWGSC employees who need a quiet space for a few minutes of quiet reflection.
People 7.2 Workforce (Human Resources)	A workforce that is productive, principled, sustainable and adaptable, as evidenced by: The size, mix of skills and diversity of backgrounds to competently perform its duties; Reflective of Canada's population, respectful of Canada's official languages and performs its duties guided by the values and ethics of the Public Service; Renewable and affordable over time; Versatile, innovative and engages in continuous learning.	The PWGSC Human Resources Management (HRM) Framework is comprised of seven elements considered essential for the effective management of human resources. Through our Bilan Social, we have been measuring our results and progress against these elements and their indicators for the past several years. Strategies and plans are developed to address areas requiring strengthening, including the Official Languages Strategic Action Plan, the departmental Employment Equity Plan, and the departmental Continuous Learning Policy. Mix of skills Continue to move towards a more knowledge-based workforce. Diversity PWGSC continued to deliver its one-day Diversity at PWGSC course to departmental staff. This mandatory course is part of the Department's corporate learning priorities. An e-mail to encourage all employees to attend this course was sent to coincide with the deadline to submit learning plans. To date, 2,593 current employees have taken the course. Reflective of Canada See section on Employment Equity.
People 7.3 Employment Equity (Human Resources)	Progress in meeting Embracing Change objectives for visible minorities met, and workforce availability targets met for designated groups, as evidenced by: Demonstrated results in meeting Embracing Change targets for: recruitment promotions EX appointments Specific initiatives planned or underway to meet targets of WFA for: Women Persons with disabilities Aboriginal persons Visible minorities	Embracing Change (EC) Benchmarks are 1 in 5. Our results in 2004-2005 were as follows: Recruitment: 1 in 8 Acting appointments - Executive feeder group: 1 in 16 Entry into the EX feeder groups: 1 in 21 Entries into the EX group: 1 in 19 Participation in Management Development Programs: 1 in 3 The Department has developed a three-year Employment Equity Plan for 2005-2008 based on the new workforce analysis. EX development program for employment equity groups launched. Six employees were chosen. All are on language training or assignment. Off program placement at the EX level expected. Language training fund for feeder groups used to enhance language skills of designated group members. "Registry of Aboriginal Service Provider organizations" in place to support increased recruitment of Aboriginal peoples. A departmental priority system for indeterminate employees who have became disabled who can no longer perform the duties of their substantive position but can return to work in another suitable position. PWGSC has committed financial support for the first symposium presented by the Aboriginal National Network Initiative (ANNI) to be held in December 2005. The Department will also fund the participation of fifteen Aboriginal employees. PWGSC collaborates with the unions on EE. The JCEE is a national union-management committee that is the formal mechanism used to ensure management and union consultation and collaboration on EE plans and strategies. This year, the mandate and structure of the JCEE has been updated and membership has expanded to include all branches of the Department as well as all the unions as well. JCEE meetings take place every two months, and additional special meetings if necessary. The Department has named the CEO, ITSB as the departmental champion for EE. The importance of EE and Diversity is communicated through the one day orientation course offered to all new employees who join PWGSC. New employees are given orientation kits and handouts, which contain pertinent information on employment equity, including programs, services, information on the employment equity networks, and the self-identification questionnaire and booklet. Similar orientation sessions are provided to students joining PWGSC. The Department also offers a four-day orientation course to new managers. The course includes a section dedicated to helping managers understand their role with respect to employment equity and diversity. The Staffing Course for sub-delegated Managers, a mandatory course, includes sections on obligations and tools for implementing EE and Bias Free Selection. The Department, in collaboration with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), organized activities during the Aboriginal Awareness Week to raise awareness about First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures, highlighting their diversity and their splendour.
People 7.4 HR Planning (Human Resources)	A well-developed HR planning process integrated with business planning, as evidenced by: HR planning aligned with organization's strategic outcomes and integrated with business planning; HR planning that incorporates future needs, effective recruitment and retention, succession planning, learning and diversity.	A Departmental HR plan has been developed which establishes corporate HR priorities based on business needs and provides a work plan for departmental initiatives. It also guides Branches in the development of their own HR plans. The departmental planning cycle has been updated to increase the emphasis on the integration of HR and business planning. To support the integration and alignment of HR and business planning, PWGSC has adopted the Integrated HR and Business Planning Checklist as the department's recommended approach to conducting HR planning. The Integrated HR and Business Planning Tool kit from the PSHRMAC is being rolled out to over 500 managers across the country through half day workshops. To illustrate the HR planning process and the link to business planning, managers work through an exercise based on a Branch business goal The Branch business plan template includes the identification of HRM priorities and strategies to address any HRM gaps related to the achievement of the business goals. An HR plan template is being developed to serve as a guide to planning at all levels of the organization. The template requires that HRM priorities and strategies be linked directly to the achievement of business goals.
People 7.5 Official Languages, Language of Work (Human Resources)	Legislation and Policy on Official Languages in the workplace respected, as evidenced by: Composition of the workforce reflecting the presence of both official language communities of Canada; Incumbents of positions with bilingual requirements meeting those requirements; Use of the official language of their choice by employees in bilingual regions; Availability of communications, tools and products in both official languages in bilingual regions; Availability of training in both official languages.	Composition of the workforce reflecting the presence of both Official Languages communities of Canada: Participation deemed to be acceptable by PSHRMAC (54.8% Anglophone and 45.2% francophone) given mandate and location of our offices. Collaboration with the Quebec Community Groups Network to increase Anglophone participation in Quebec (3.8%) Incumbents of bilingual positions meeting those requirements: PSHRMAC considers overall capacity to be very good at 88.7%. Use of Official Language of choice by employees in bilingual regions: Audit findings suggest an increase in the use of French in a number of Sectors is needed. A strategy is being developed to increase the number of bilingual positions (re-identification) as well as the number of positions requiring a level C in oral interaction. Communications and services to the public in both Official Languages: Moved to demographic rules in 2003 giving PWGSC new obligations in regards to services to the public for an important number of our offices PSHRMAC confirms capacity has increased Official Languages Training: Central fund of $839K for part-time training to develop or retain language skills Central fund of $300K for private training of feeder group level employees The Learning Plan call letter reminds both managers and employees to include language training for career development purposes in employees' personal learning plans Long list of employees (205) waiting statutory language training from the Canada School of the Public Service remains an issue.
People 7.6 Performance Review (Human Resources)	An effective performance assessment process, as evidenced by: Performance agreements that: have specific outcomes and are results-based clearly identify expectations in line with Clerk's priorities require sound financial and human resource management Rigorous performance assessment process (e.g. quality and distribution of performance pay) and HR follow up.	The DM wrote mandate letters to each ADM and CEO outlining expectations for fiscal year 2005-2006 and emphasizing the importance of the Clerk's priorities. As part of the call letters to all ADMs, it was requested that all Branches convene quality review committees to ensure results-based measures and that measures are cascaded to the appropriate levels in each organization. More can be done in 2006 to ensure this happens in a consistent and timely way. A review of the quality of draft ADM agreements resulted in higher quality agreements at that level but also resulted in some delays in the approval process. Departmental review committee chaired by the DM held a meeting on May 17, 2005 to review quality and consistent application of the PMP. With regards to the distribution of performance ratings at the EX level, 15.8% of the 270 eligible Executives received surpassed ratings - this is the lowest percentage since the introduction of PMP in 1998/1999. (72.7% - met all, 7.3% met most, and 1.2% did not meet expectations.)
People 7.7 Readiness for PSMA Implementation (Human Resources)	New legislation and delegations of authority, policies and procedures in place, as evidenced by: Collaborative labour relations; Training, tool kits, guides and other supports available for managers and HR professionals; Current and future needs identified leading to their use in clear staffing criteria; Internal policies, procedures and monitoring to ensure consistent and fair implementation of the new Act.	Collaborative labour relations: strong labour/management consultation framework new Terms of Reference for consultation established with GSU (PSAC) departmental executive teams have been briefed on the changes to the PSLRA approximately 700 managers have attended updated labour relations training, awareness or information sessions all Labour Relations specialists have been trained a departmental Informal Conflict Management System (ICMS) was developed jointly with unions ICMS training has been delivered to over 300 managers throughout Canada the Office of Workplace Conflict Management (OWCM) was established prior to April 1, 2005 the OWCM is providing mediation services, with good results PSLRA/FAA Implementation Status Report: submitted to PSHRMAC early September PSHRMAC has not analyzed reports The Department evaluates implementation as successful PSEA Training, tool kits, guides and other supports available for managers and HR professionals: updated training for currently sub-delegated managers and Executives to began in November training for newly sub-delegated managers and Executives in development combination of PSC, CSPS and PWGSC training planned for HR staffing professionals guides and tools will be ready for delivery in January 2006 Current and future needs identified leading to their use in clear staffing criteria: departmental current and future needs identified in the Bilan Social and the Departmental HRM Plan Branches are developing HR plans that will identify current and future needs Internal policies, procedures and monitoring to ensure consistent and fair implementation of the new Act: mandatory departmental policies drafted - consultation underway with HR professionals, Managers and unions procedures in development monitoring framework drafted for consultation HRMS updated and tested ready to respond to PSC minimum reporting requirements review of draft SMAF measures underway (received from PSC on September 30) PSEA Readiness Report: submitted to PSC mid-September subsequent meeting with PSC Advisor to PWGSC PWGSC readiness same as for other large departments majority of work underway but not completed essential elements expected to be ready for coming-into-force still awaiting some important PSC direction, e.g. Regulations, final SMAF indicators
Stewardship 8.1 Capital Assets (Health, Safety, Security, Emergencies and Administration) (Information Technology Services Branch) (Real Property Branch)	Effective investment planning in capital assets, as evidenced by: Adequate information on condition and use of capital assets in support of investment planning; A long-term plan that integrates all capital asset classes (real property, materiel and IM/IT); and A clear linkage between asset and program delivery.	Departmental Policy on Asset Management is dependant on four pillars, specifically Finance, Informatics and Technical Services Branch (ITSB), Materiel Management and Real Property Services Branch (RPS). Materiel Management manages the departmental Asset Management System (financial asset sub-ledger to CDFS), and captures all necessary data from departmental asset custodians, and more specifically from ITSB and RPS asset systems. ITSB's Information Technology Asset Management Advisory Committee (ITAMAC), with Materiel Management providing an oversight function in their role as departmental asset manager, manages IT assets departmentally. RPS plans and manages the Department's portfolio of office building and other federal real property holdings in accordance with relevant TB policies, and does so through their Real Property System. Materiel Management manages the departmental vehicle fleet in accordance with industry Life Cycle standards. Existing business planning activities requires validation of asset requirements in the provision of program delivery, and is monitored on an on-going basis. Information Technology: A comprehensive IT Asset Management initiative has been launched to reduce the total cost of ownership and better control the life cycle management (service requests to disposal) of key IT assets such as desktops, software and other peripherals. This initiative has created a center of expertise that some other government departments are currently relying on to implement asset services in anticipation of getting qualified for the new shared services offering (e.g. Health Canada and DND). Telecommunications and Informatics Services and Operations Directorate (TISO) continues to improve asset management processes contributing to the development of 5 year infrastructure and capital plans. In fall 2004, TISO produced a 5-year infrastructure plan. The plan is being refreshed based upon accepted Enterprise Architecture methods and IT & common/shared service delivery strategies. PWGSC continues to face a funding pressure with regards to the infrastructure and capital plan. ITSB is currently working with the CFO to propose and define a source of funds for this initiative. TISO has been able to minimize hardware costs and software charges through workload consolidation. TISO has been very aggressive in contract negotiations with third party independent software vendors (ISV). Because of the recent growth of both PWGSC and Other Government Departments' (OGD's) workload, TISO has renegotiated three year Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs) with some of their major ISV's saving millions of dollars a year. TISO makes use of RFPs and RVDs to establish contracts allowing infrastructure refresh at optimum cost. Real Property: RPB continues to maintain an adequate and up-to-date information base on the condition and use of its capital assets to support effective investment planning. The National Investment Strategy (NIS) provides the framework under which RPB makes investment decisions on all real property assets in the custody of PWGSC. The condition of the assets is monitored annually through reports that serve as the basis for the repair plan (Building Management Plan) for each asset. From a planning perspective, these reports serve as the basis for Asset Management Plans (AMP), which are produced for each asset every five years. The AMPs are then used to produce Community Based Investment Strategies (CBIS) for about 30 urban centres across Canada. The CBISs are reviewed by Portfolio Managers every year and prepared on a five-year cycle. These planning documents inform the investment decision-making process at the regional and national levels. At the regional level, Strategic Action Plans (SAP) are used to guide capital asset investments. The forthcoming National Portfolio Management Plan (NPMP) will define a national approach to RPB's investments in its capital assets. PWGSC has not yet developed an integrated long-term capital plan extending to all capital asset classes. When we commented on this indicator in January 2005, we recommended that FABC take the lead on developing a long-term plan that integrates all capital assets. We reiterate that recommendation. There is a clear linkage between asset and program delivery. PWGSC's real property program holds assets to meet the demand for office accommodation. Real property assets that are no longer required are declared surplus. PWGSC's vacancy rate is low compared to industry. PWGSC carries vacant space while assets are being recapitalized (renovated) or on a short-term basis to satisfy unforeseen and emerging demand requirements. RPB is undertaking an external Real Estate Study to assess how best to manage our real estate portfolio, looking strategically at the economics of owning and leasing real estate for the purposes of accommodating federal government departments. The results of the study will be used to improve RPB's investment methodology to address such challenges as the funding shortfall related to asset recapitalization.
Stewardship 8.2 Financial Analysis (Finance Branch)	Solid financial analysis, as evidenced by: Frequent and accurate year-end forecasts and variance reporting (most especially at mid-year) showing the organization's true financial status; Analyses of high-risk areas in relation to reference levels by program activity and major funding approvals (real and projected) including anticipated funding pressures and re-profiling trends; and A reasonable history of carry forwards and lapses.	Year-end forecasts and variance reporting are communicated through the Departmental Management Report produced on a monthly basis starting in April and reviewed by the Financial Management and Comptrollership Committee; A mid-year review is scheduled for the third week of October 2005 to determine the branches' true financial status and also to reallocate funding from lower to higher departmental priorities; Daily monitoring of the cash situation was performed from April to June 2005 in anticipation of the postponement of Full Supply. The same monitoring is being performed in the Fall due to the potential federal elections which could jeopardize the Supplementary Estimates process. Significant reprofiling requests ($132M) have been submitted via the 2006-07 ARLU exercise to maximize the use of available funding throughout the various fiscal years. A review was conducted to provide detailed activity-based costing to support management decisions, such as reallocation of resources. The PWGSC Regular Operating Vote has incurred lapses averaging less than 4% over the last three fiscal years. Significant lapses have been reported for the Special Purpose Allotment (SPA) and Capital Vote over the same period.
Stewardship 8.3 Information and IT Management (Information Technology Services Branch)	An IM/IT vision and strategy exist that are supportive of the organization's business strategy and government-wide directions, as evidenced by: A governance structure that includes program representation and is effective in priority setting of IM/IT investments and resources; IM/IT enabled projects that have effective governance and are executed well; Strategy and approved plans that reflect a GoC Enterprise approach to common IT services; Implementation of Management of Government Information (MGI) Policy strategy, based on an IM capacity assessment; and, Integrated privacy and security measures.	Governance structure: While the governance structure is under review with a view to introducing concepts of accountability, joint ownership, etc., it has already served to align numerous horizontal initiatives and identify opportunities for sharing and cost savings, through active engagement of the Business IS Council (BISC) and the IT Management Committee (ITMC). IM/IT enabled projects: Last year, Acquisitions Branch applied a Value Management approach, which is currently being adopted/adapted for Real Property as well. There has been a documentation of the process for re-use in PWGSC and a sharing of knowledgeable resources. The CIO at PWGSC now is an integral part of the evaluation process for IM/IT-related investment proposals for DM reserve funding. Strategy and approved plans: An integrated, department-wide IM/IT Strategy and Strategic Framework was developed in 2004-05. It was established using a business-driven approach, one that engaged all PWGSC Branches and Agencies to ensure its alignment with and support for business line needs and priorities. A pragmatic IM/IT Roadmap was then developed to give life to the Strategic Framework. Because it is business-focused, outcomes-based and linked to existing departmental pressures, it is seeing traction across PWGSC and once-discrete initiatives are now aligned. Implementation of MGI Policy strategy: An IM capacity check was conducted in the summer of 2004. Branches did specific IM strategies to strengthen IM capacity. These were amalgamated and became the input to the IM portion of the IM/IT Roadmap with priority given to IM governance, and the IM program for future planning, reporting and implementation (including increased alignment of initiatives) and the RDIMS business case. PWGSC has put significant funding into records clean-up activities and for upgrading tools for existing users. PWGSC has developed and is preparing to implement a departmental file plan which it sees as a foundation element for progressing the implementation of the MGI Policy as well as the broader suite of GoC policies / standards / guidelines that impact information. Integrated privacy and security measures: A transformation initiative is underway in ITSB to put in place new and enhanced organizational capabilities to position the branch to become a center of expertise for the management and delivery of shared IT services across government. As part of this initiative, a Project Management Office is under development within ITSB to optimize and harmonize project management practices and standards in the development and delivery of IM/IT services, including current project management practices with respect to privacy impact and security assessments.
Stewardship 8.4 Internal Audit Function (Audit and Evaluation Branch)	An effective internal audit function, as evidenced by: An appropriate infrastructure to effectively discharge its internal audit responsibilities as outlined in the Internal Audit Policy (governance structure and appropriate level of resources); A completed risk-based audit plan; and All reports including progress reports are submitted to TBS for follow-up activities.	Infrastructure: October 2005: the audit and consulting arms of Consulting and Audit Canada were separated into different organizations, with the auditing function remaining a separate SOA. November 2004: OAG assessed PWGSC Internal Audit as meeting internal audit standards Re-engineering of PWGSC Audit Assurance and Ethics Committee (AAEC) initiated in February-2005 Re-engineering of audit life cycle initiated November 2004 Approved Audit Plan prioritized audit projects: 36 approved for implementation; 14 audit projects did not proceed due to lack of funding (Investment in Internal Audit has decreased significantly over past six years) Risk-based plan: Consultative, risk-based process used to develop the multi-year audit plan for 2005/06 - 2007/08; The IA Business Plan for 2005-06 to 2007-08 was submitted to the AAEC January 25 for discussion and approved by the AAEC at the April 07 meeting. Audit Reports: All Final Internal Audit Assurance Reports go to TBS (approximately 2 months after tabling at the AAEC) - consulting audit reports are not submitted to TBS Progress reports on implementation of the IA Plan are periodically submitted to TBS.
Stewardship 8.5 Management of Transfer Payments (Real Property Branch) (Audit and Evaluation Branch)	Effective Transfer Payment Program management in place, as evidenced by: Timely renewal of transfer payment programs; Departmental internal audit plans include provision for the review of internal management policies, practices and controls of transfer payment programs; Regular audit of transfer payment programs and timely follow-up.	Both potential transfer payment projects (Harbour Park at Trois-Rivières and the three dams on the Ottawa River (Laniel, Kipawa, Des Quinze)) are on track to go to TBS before December 5, 2005.
Stewardship 8.6 Materiel Management (Health, Safety, Security, Emergencies and Administration)	An appropriate materiel management framework in place as evidenced by: Clear accountabilities consistent with organizational capacity; and Reliable life-cycle cost and performance information that supports decision-making.	An appropriate materiel management framework is in place consisting of infrastructure, policies and systems, as well as alliances with the departmental DFMS and program branches. ITSB's Information Technology Asset Management System, MMD's Asset Management Sub-Ledger (AMMIS/CDFS), and Real Property's Real Property Management System provide all necessary tombstone data to support program delivery.
Stewardship 8.7 Procurement and Contract Management (Acquisitions Branch) (Health, Safety, Security, Emergencies and Administration)	Risk-based approach to procurement and contracting management as evidenced by: Clear delegations of authority are tied to knowledge and capacity; Demonstrated compliance with delegated contracting authorities and conditions identified by Treasury Board policy; Explicit oversight, monitoring and on-going review of procurement and contracting function and processes (e.g. Contracts Review Committee, quality of contracting data, timely completion of contracts over $10,000 disclosure information, implementation of audit recommendations where applicable, etc); Methods for procuring demonstrate the most cost-effective end-to-end process.	PWGSC's Role as a Common Service Agency On balance, we have made solid progress in transforming procurement while at the same time strengthening our approach to day-to-day procurement operations, including contract management. Delegations of Authority: Acquisitions Branch (AB) is working with Accounting, Banking and Compensation Branch (ABCB) to finalize revisions to contracting authorities within the delegation instrument. These authorities are expected to be confirmed by the Minister before the end of December 2005. Each procurement officer received a Signing Delegation Instrument (Schedule 3) in which he/she received a delegated contracting authority that is specifically identified to his/her position. Delegations to specific organizational positions are being reviewed and updated, on an on-going basis, to ensure compliance with delegated contracting authorities and related conditions. Oversight, Monitoring and Ongoing Review: We have a Contractual Risk and Quality Control Division to help support a robust approach to risk management and quality control. We are also in the process of implementing a new business model, which has been influenced by a series of major reviews. We have introduced a policy notification on Task Authorizations, which clarifies respective roles and responsibilities and oversight requirements. Information on Contracts over $10K, is being disclosed on a regular basis on the PWGSC Internet site in accordance with central agency direction. We have conducted a review of all Advertising and Public Opinion Research Services (APORS) contracts awarded between July 2004 to June 2005 to document compliance and/or non-compliance with PWGSC Departmental contracting rules, regulations and policies. The results of the review for first 9 months have been provided in a report to the Director, CPD for appropriate action. The Automated Events Tracking and Warning System (AETWS) has been implemented across the Branch and in the regions to ensure greater attention to key contract activities and reinforce the contract function. Cost-Effective End-to-End Process: With the implementation of the new business model, combined with other continuing procurement reform initiatives, we will continue moving toward more effective and strategic processes based on consideration of all cost factors. A Rapid Buy Division was established for processing Low Dollar Value (<25K) transactions to carry out low dollar procurement in a more efficient and effective manner. A number of measures have been implemented with respect to Standing Offers (SOs): We launched the Standing Offer Index and made Standing Offers utilization Mandatory for 10 categories of products & services, as of April 1 2005 We performed price checks on existing standing offers in mandatory categories: The preliminary results have shown that generally best value is offered, although not in all cases. We had the SOs reviewed by the commodity teams. Reviews continue. Most mandatory categories are expected to have new SOs in place over the next year. We have established a New Standing Offer Directorate to improve SO process, policies and prices, as well as tracking savings. A Commodity Management Framework has been approved in principle by the ADM Acquisitions Branch Seven (7) Commodity Councils and fourteen (14) Commodity Teams have been established to oversee government-wide procurement to ensure effective procurement management. Progress is ongoing. The method of supply reviews are being integrated into the Commodity Councils. The draft of the First Quarterly Performance Report estimates $14.77M reduction in the cost of goods and services and $644K in administrative savings. PWGSC launched the Office of Small and Medium Business, which will help businesses understand niche markets, oversee all procurement plans over $10M to ensure that business needs are taken into consideration, as well as advise procurement staff on subcontracting plans and, wherever appropriate, see to it that small business is included in major crown projects. A Special Advisor to the Deputy Minister in the area of Acquisitions Business Transformation, has been appointed to lead a transformation of the federal government's $13 billion a year acquisitions business, in order to create the optimum value-for-money approach to meet the acquisitions needs of the Government of Canada. Internal Contracting Function: Departmental delegations are assigned to generic levels with higher authorities delegated to Materiel Management specialists. Training is provided on an on-going basis to ensure that employees understand their delegations. Internal policies are being reviewed and amended/developed as required to ensure that instructions are clear. A corporate procurement tool is being rolled out across PWGSC. Effective January 3, 2006, use of the procurement tool will be mandatory. The procurement tool will result in a standardization of processes across the Department and will provide PWGSC with a central repository of all procurement data. Data gathered as part of the disclosure of contracts over $10k is being used to identify areas of concern with respect to delegated authorities. The use of acquisition cards for low dollar transactions is promoted as a cost-effective procurement tool. It is mandatory at PWGSC that, when available, call-ups against standing offers be issued for all commodities.
Stewardship 8.8 Project Management (Real Property Branch) (Information Technology Services Branch)	Risk-based project management approach as evidenced by: An integrated, achievable up-to-date long-term capital plan or planning document in place that is being implemented (linked to the organization's key priorities); Explicit project management accountability framework, that addresses decision-making and oversight and effective monitoring and ongoing review; Properly resourced projects (e.g. project management capacity, appropriately trained officials); Demonstrated compliance with delegated project approval requirements and conditions identified by Treasury Board.	Real Property Branch PWGSC will be returning to TB Ministers this fall to outline their approach to improving project planning and management. The deck will deal with both internal improvements, such as the National Project Management System, and a whole-of-government approach, which would require collaboration with TBS in enhancing their own planning framework. RPB has identified a contact for follow-up actions on submissions. RPB has also identified an OPI for follow-up actions on TB Conditions. Projects continue to be aligned with corporate priorities through a series of integrated planning documents, including Asset Management Plans (AMP), Community Based Investment Strategies (CBIS), Regional Investment Strategies (RIS), Strategic Action Plans (SAP), and the forthcoming National Portfolio Management Plan (NPMP). Every project and contract is also covered by a Risk Management Plan, as reinforced through the new National Project Management System (NPMS). There continues to be a shortage of Project Leaders in the NCA. In the short term, RPB is dealing with this challenge by initiating a Project Leader competition this fall. In the medium term, for 2006-07, RPB will initiate a succession plan program to allow for more junior, entry-level Project Leader positions within the organization to lead projects with various levels of complexity. The capacity for Project Managers is also an issue in the NCA. Although a competition is being developed to address this challenge, it will not help in the short term. RP NCA's short-term priority is to ensure that project management staff are assigned to priority projects. They will continue to work with PTP and AFD to review other alternatives. The National Project Management System (NPMS) is the framework to be used for complying with all TB policies, conditions, and requirements. This Project Management Framework includes Business Rules for project management and reporting. The roll-out of the NPMS is planned for January 2006 in advance of the NPMS Policy, which is to be in place by April 1, 2006. The training of Project Managers is to commence in February 2006. A joint private and public Cost Predictability Task Force (CPTF) was formed in response to several project tenders being more than 30% over budget. The CPTF will finalise their recommendations by March 2006. We are currently reviewing the cost implications for recent projects greater than $1M with a view to refining project management processes. Major Crown Projects Governance and adherence to the Major Crown Project Management Policy continue to be two areas under review. Recommendations will be developed and brought to departmental senior management for consideration. Emphasis will be placed in the near term on adherence to the National Project Management System for Major Crown Projects. All projects are under review to ensure an MOU document is in place with key stakeholders. We recently executed the MOU for the Skyline project between PWGSC, CFIA and AAFC. Tools are being developed to support a national MCP program with appropriate reporting, performance monitoring and quality assurance. Parliamentary Precinct The MOU clarifying the individual and collective roles, responsibilities and accountabilities was signed by PWGSC and Parliamentary Partners on July 28, 2005. An MC recommending adjustments to the 2001 LTVP, along with a request to review the program, was tabled and approved by Cabinet in May 2005. The MC also gave PPD the authority to proceed with the West Block renovations, as well as with urgent repairs to the Confederation Building and Centre Block. In December 2006, a revised LTVP and governance options will be presented to Cabinet for approval. A PPA submission for the West Block Renovation Program was approved in the June 2005 and provided the authority to proceed with Phase 1 of the program. Subsequent EPA submissions for Phase 1 will be submitted in two parts, in February 2006 and in the summer of 2006. The Parliamentary Precinct Review Committee, which meets regularly, provides departmental oversight on projects and initiatives at the Parliamentary Precinct. It provides support and reviews risk management plans, mitigation strategies, monitors progress of key results, reviews financial and resource situations and provides advice to the ADM RP and the Associate Deputy Minister. A management review of the LTVP and the BCC program has been completed and was found compliant with the Financial Administration Act and applicable Treasury Board and PWGSC policies. It also concluded that Treasury Board's Capital Project Policy requirements are fully met and that the BCC Program is well managed. An action plan is being developed to deal with any corrective actions required, many of which have been implemented ITSB The Project Management Offices (PMOs) within ITSB take a risk-based Project Management approach to all Product, Services, and Infrastructure projects. This accountability framework and methodology rigour will be enhanced in ITSB projects, through the use of the Service Lifecycle Management Framework (SLMF) methods, processes, and deliverables. Through this framework, standardized processes, deliverables, governance, reporting, and gating mechanisms provide for internal and external stakeholders input, oversight, and involvement in the decision-making process. As an example, use of the SLMF framework will be mandatory for all Product Management & Development activities in support of external-facing services. The SLMF framework, with standard methods and processes, directs how the following are performed within a project: Definition and approval of candidate products and services Development and implementation of new services and supporting infrastructure Client implementation Management and oversight The management control framework provides the link between the strategic and tactical direction provided by the governance chain, and the delivery of these objectives by the program team. The framework comprises a set of management roles, committees and processes that provide operational oversight and control of the program. This framework facilitates the enactment of governance objectives and decisions, communication of program performance, and escalation of issues. Governance of the program is provided primarily through multiple decision-making committees of ITSB and its clients. These committees include the Branch Operations Committee (BOC), which covers the operational and project based decision-making process, the Transformation Executive Committee (TEC) which has oversight of the ITSB Transformation project and the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) which is the primary information sharing and broad scoped governance body in ITSB. The governance structure is being completely reviewed, as ITSB is moving towards becoming the IT Shared Service Organization for the Government of Canada. In the case of Secure Channel, the Secure Channel Review Board (SCMB), the Senior Review Board (SRB) and, reporting to it, the Alignment Management Committee (AMC) are the key committees. These management committees ensure timely change management and risk and issue resolution, and provide a consistent filter and conduit for escalation of issues and risks to the appropriate committees. The management committees provide, among others, the following key generic functions: Hold decision-making authority for tactical/operational issues that do not impact scope, schedule, cost, or risk of the program (i.e., do not affect Task Authorizations (TA) or program-level risks) Filter and recommend actions and issues for the AMC Act as a Change Control Board (CCB) with escalation to the AMC Provide risk resolution with escalation to the AMC The Branch Project Management Office, through the use of a Monthly Operations Report and the ITSB Project Dashboard (both currently being developed), will provide Senior Management with a consolidated view of the Branch performance against projects from sectors within the branch. The Project Dashboard is one example of how ITSB is working to improve Corporate Performance Reporting. The Project Dashboard is critical to the successful implementation of the PAA and the MAF as well as ensuring an effective feedback mechanism for project reporting. The Dashboard currently contains the status of five reporting elements: Overall Project Status Budget Schedule Scope Risk Status Within our Product Management & Development Sector, the Service Lifecycle Management Framework (SLMF) Program Oversight Method formally defines the detailed regular reporting process and reports. Examples of these detailed reports include: Milestones and Roadmap Executive Dashboard Projected Client Take-up view and Program Timelines Operations & Financial Performance and Service Levels Risk Reporting ITSB strives to resource its major projects with project management personnel trained and educated in the appropriate project management framework, methods, techniques, and toolkits in use within ITSB. A number of resource pools exist from which ITSB can obtain Project Management resources including competitively awarded contracts for Project Management Institute certified project managers, public servants formally trained in project management as well as individuals who are currently undergoing certification and manage projects as a part of their training. The Branch Project Management Office (BPMO) is currently being set up as the Centre of Expertise (CoE) for Project Management and will help ensure that projects within the branch are staffed with qualified project management individuals. Within the new ITSB organization, a project detailing both Strategic and Tactical Human Resource planning is underway and project management training is a key focus area for continued recruitment and ITSB personnel development (training) plans. The Institute (an ITSB organization providing Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) education, professional development and training to government professionals) is developing an IT Project Management Professional Certification, which will be recognized by the Project Management Institute (PMI) to replace the current IT Project Management Program. This is being done to meet the Government of Canada's functional requirements. ITSB regularly reports on our obligations to meet project approval requirements and conditions identified by Treasury Board through regular reporting on ITSB - TB Submissions with Conditions. This report includes whether the conditions were met, how they were met and any related documentation. As well, as a part of the actual conditions placed on the approved TB Submissions, there are typically strict reporting requirements that are adhered to.
Stewardship 8.9 Quality of TB Submissions (Corporate Policy and Planning)	Quality TB submissions, as evidenced by: Draft submissions regularly vetted through common departmental quality control to ensure consistency, clarity and conciseness; Accurate, substantiated and comprehensive financial components; and Frequency with which TB conditions are imposed.	The Cabinet and Treasury Board Submissions Directorate of CSHRC Branch co-ordinates a tracking and monitoring process for Submissions. There is strong and continuous interaction between Corporate Services, Finance and Legal Services to review content and to provide a quality assurance function during the development of TB Submissions. The department has experienced an extremely high volume of submissions compared to last year within a more compressed time frame. This was due to a number of environmental factors including the insecurity of tenure of the minority government and the financial fallout from ERC decisions and Budget 2005 commitments that were premised on a return of investment approach that collided with the absence of funding sources for the required initial investments. It has been difficult to engage TBS in certain cases that have no identified source of funds. This lack of engagement has been a challenge many of our large, critical initiatives. Because Budget 2005 also gave significant funding to departments such as DND, there has been an increase in the number of PWGSC submissions (approx. 10% more cases than in the same time last year). Despite the number of case and the more complex strategic nature of the submissions themselves, we have maintained a consistent throughput time. There is a required sign-off by the Senior Financial Office to ensure accurate, substantiated and comprehensive financial components prior to consideration by the Deputy Minister and Minister. TB Secretariat's workload issues have caused delays in the preparation and review stages of submission development. It has been our experience that TBS has been more diligent in its challenge role, and this combined with our desire for condition-free decisions sets the stage for protracted periods of review, negotiation and revision. The goal of our efforts is a clean TBS recommendation and a condition-free TB decision, but statistics on the number of conditional decisions are evidence of how difficult this goal is to reach under the current climate.
Stewardship 8.10 Real Property (Real Property Branch)	An implemented real property management framework to meet its obligations under TB Real Property policies, as evidenced by: An organizational structure which includes clear accountabilities and appropriate delegations; Integrated support systems; and An information management framework to provide complete and accurate inventory data.	RPB presented a proposed new organizational model to Departmental Operations Committee on May 4, 2005. Two functional mapping sessions were completed in the summer. A planning and visioning session was held in the first week of October to help RPB move forward with the organizational model. RP has created an IM/IT strategic group to ensure that new initiatives integrate with the current suite of systems. It has also implemented a governance framework to review policy, planning and IM/KM proposals. An Enterprise Architecture initiative has been funded this year to set the stage for a strategy to align RPB's national systems with the Way Forward vision. By March 2006, the Business Architecture will be completed. This is the first phase of four in the Enterprise Architecture Program. As a result of the RP IM/IT strategy completed in 2004/2005, the data integrity framework was identified as an initiative to be completed after the Enterprise Architecture initiative. A project to create a single inventory of buildings was started in 2005. This initiative will lay the groundwork for eliminating all other databases documenting the inventory of buildings from RPB national systems. PWGSC certified the completeness and accuracy of the data it provides to the Directory of Federal Real Property in February 2005. The responsibility for updating the Federal Contaminated Sites inventory has been transferred to the Office of Greening Government Operations (OGGO).
Stewardship 8.11 TB Conditions (Corporate Policy and Planning)	Organizational compliance with conditions imposed by TB, as evidenced by: Timeliness of compliance; Adequate engagement with TBS; and Appropriate reporting.	It is recognized that this is an area of improvement for PWGSC. Timeliness of compliance has been difficult in 05-06 due to a number of factors including the rapid evolution of a number of major files, for example: LTVP, GoCM, and STSI (which was transferred with outstanding conditions unresolved). The increased workload associated with the number of submissions has stressed TB Secretariat's resources to be point of them having difficulty keeping up with the volume of submissions let alone providing adequate engagement during the process.
Citizen-Focussed Service 9.1 External Service Delivery Strategy (Government Information Services Branch) (Service Integration Branch) (Consulting and Audit Canada)	Client centred external service delivery strategy that drives efficiencies, respects client privacy rights and reflects an enterprise view of government services and that results in effective external service delivery, as evidenced by: Review of key public-facing services to achieve measureable improvements in responsiveness to client needs, effectiveness and value for money; partnerships with other programs, organizations or jurisdictions to achieve more client-centric or cost-effective service delivery or to align program rules and regulations (e.g. MOUs/service level agreements in place when partnerships established); Measurement of the cost-effectiveness of delivery by channel and migration of clients to lower cost channels where appropriate; and Measurement of client satisfaction in a transparent way (e.g., reporting to clients and Parliament) using the Common Measurement Tool, and use of the results to guide continued improvement in client satisfaction.	Way Forward Strategy: The Way Forward is a department-wide strategy with a clear focus on generating cost- and related efficiencies in three key areas: Buying Smarter: Our target is to save $2.5 billion over five years on total government procurement by leveraging our purchasing power, consolidating what we buy on behalf of the government and using technology to simplify the buying process. In support of this objective, PWGSC will cut by 50% the time it takes to buy goods and services, and will reduce its internal procurement costs by 10%. Exploring Savings in Real Estate: We are aiming for cost savings of $925 million over five years in this area by managing our portfolio better and improving the application of standards for office space. We will do this without reducing the visibility of the Government of Canada in regions and communities, and in keeping with our commitment to environmental excellence. Harnessing the Potential of Information Technology: PWGSC's "Shared IT Services Agenda" is part of the government's overall initiative to deliver IT infrastructure services in a more coordinated and efficient manner. It rests on the premise that a government-wide, coordinated approach to managing IT services can yield better, faster, more cost-effective results for clients and taxpayers. A key enabling technology is the centrepiece of the government's IT infrastructure: the Secure Channel. Infrastrucure such as the Secure Channel provides the backbone for increased efficiency, security, and privacy, both internally and externally, while applying common standards across government. Service Delivery to the Public: A Treasury Board decision (May 16, 2005) has directed that PWGSC GISB external delivery services be coordinated with the GoC's Service Canada initiative and subsequently an OIC (September 12, 2005) transferred the responsibility for PWGSC-Public Access Programs to HRSD-Service Canada. Government of Canada Exhibition Program continued use of visitor surveys as principal tool for measuring client satisfaction new methodologies and questions introduced to address gaps in existing data and previous surveys 2004 Quantitative Follow-up survey explored issues beyond visitor satisfaction surveys provide good trend data for visitor satisfaction Independent program evaluation conducted in 2005 concluded that visitor satisfaction surveys provided statistically reliable data given sample size and aggregate level of analysis Public Access Programs Continued respect for clients' privacy rights by conducting Privacy Impact Assessments for 1 800 O-Canada, Publiservice and Canada Site. Continued collaboration with other governments (e.g. UK, France, Netherlands) sharing lessons learned and innovative ideas to improve services and service delivery. Continued designation as worldwide leader towards client-centric service delivery (Accenture Government Benchmarking Report) for the fifth year in row. Canada On-Line Services Canada Site and Publiservice are improving the measurement of client satisfaction by conducting their first Client Satisfaction Surveys, which are aligned with the Common Measurement Tool. Canada Site continues to engage citizens through qualitative and quantitative satisfaction measurements, including focus group testing and client feedback results. These results are used to guide continued improvement of the site. Publiservice conducts regular on-line client surveys to determine information and service needs. Canada Enquiry Centre 1 800 O-Canada continues, in concert with Service Quality Measurement Inc., to measure client satisfaction. It has been recognized as a world-class service by SQM for the 4th year in a row for its overall client satisfaction rating. Service Delivery to Government of Canada Clients: For the Service Integration Branch (SIB) Industrial Security Sector, work is proceeding on the development of risk-based performance standards to track, monitor and manage performance in the future. Significant progress has been made during this fiscal year to restructure the Industrial Security program to have a more client centric focus. On The Way Forward front as part of a validation process for information captured from clients during the Acquisitions lead spend analysis exercise, letters of agreement were sent to 57 clients from the ADM SIB requesting a formal commitment to partner with PWGSC to advance procurement reform. Of these letters, over 30 clients have already responded positively to working closely with PWGSC to advance procurement reform. Positive responses continue to be received from other clients as letters seeking commitment are issued in conjunction with the delivery of their Spend Analysis reports. Within the letters, a number of commitments are outlined for both PWGSC and client departments. Supporting these commitments is critical to the success of the procurement reform initiative. On a parallel track, two customer satisfaction surveys have been conducted to serve as a benchmark for the quality of our service delivery and where we need to improve. The results have been tabled at Operations Committee and Service Integration has consequently developed an action plan and framework to improving client satisfaction in the short and long term. This plan articulates business line branch roles and responsibilities, governance structure, customer engagement strategy and immediate actions that need to be taken to address significant service quality issues. As a final point, work is advancing steadfastly on the departmental roll-out of CDI plus which will help to more succinctly capture of myriad of client issues, permit the early identification/resolution of issues, facilitate horizontal trend analysis/identification and allow for the development of client centric strategies to optimize client satisfaction and PWGSC service delivery. Consulting and Audit Canada Note that CAC does not provide service to citizens but rather to federal government departments and agencies and on request to other public sector organizations. The following activities have been undertaken in support of client focussed service: CAC developed and implemented an Electronic Client Satisfaction Survey System consistent with the Common Measurement Tool with a view to improve the quality of CAC's performance information, to better measure client satisfaction, identify problems for follow-up by managers and to identify key areas for service improvement. CAC's FMA provides AEC with monthly updates on CAC's financial performance including cost effectiveness of the services provided, and corrective measures are taken as required. CAC is able to use the results of the Pricing and Positioning Study to assess demand and relevance of services. Regional client management strategies are in place for certain high volume clients. Service standards are defined in MOUs and for certain corporate services.
Citizen-Focussed Service 9.2 Government-wide Services (Information Technology Services Branch)	Internal service delivery supportive of enterprise-wide (Government of Canada-wide) approach (e.g. shared and common services and infrastructure in IT, HR, Finance, Materiel), as evidenced by: Commitments met on using Secure Channel services (timing and transaction volumes); Active participation in enterprise-wide initiatives and adoption of Shared service and systems.	Secure Channel: Currently, 129 organizations are connected to SC Network (SCNet) and over 9,500 users subscribe to the SCNet dial service. To date there are 19 Departments and 36 programs using SC application services. Of the 36 programs, 29 subscribe to SC authentication services (ePass) with over 914,000 ePasses issued. By the spring of 2006, it is estimated that an additional 7 GoC departments and an additional 25 programs will be using ePass, some of which will serve as portals that will activate subsequent services. PWGSC has received Letters of Agreement attesting to the commitment of these departments and work to integrate many of them with SC is currently underway. Additional Letters of Agreement are pending signature by another 10 departments and an additional 25 programs. By the end of the 2006-07 fiscal it is expected that a total of 36 departments and 121 applications will be using SC authentication services Also based on the ePass service, the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) Record of Employment (ROE) application has generated over 1.2M ROEs to date with over 20,000 businesses now registered using ROE Web. Via Secure Channel (SC), the GoC extends common infrastructure solutions to other jurisdictions and trusted partners as well. PWGSC is currently engaged in joint venture discussions with provincial governments concerning a variety of sectors (e.g., policing, health, and banking). Pilot projects, currently underway with the provinces, could lead to unprecedented multi-jurisdiction collaborations. TBS and PWGSC are working together to change the Common Service Policy. PWGSC has identified five (5) Secure Channel mandatory services for the current round (0-12 months). The Mandatory services initiative will accompany the SC Business Case schedule for completion on Dec. 16, 2005. Shared services and systems: In August 2004, 14+ departments were involved in workshops conducted by ITSB with the focus on Shared Service development in the areas of Data Center Consolidation and Distributed Computing. A service overview was developed as well as 3-level maturity model. In the Fall of 2004, Public Policy Forum (PPF) conducted surveys on Shared Service development within the GoC. As well, the CIO Council met to develop strategies to improve IT & common/shared service delivery. An enterprise-wide Information Management (IM) Service, RDIMS was launched in Sept. 2004, which is seen to be the first Shared Service offering. Preparation work leading to the announcement of a new organization design nears completion; this announcement represents a key milestone on the path to the establishment of the IT Shared Services Organization. The Functional Design Phase of IT-SSO implementation has been completed. Build of the structural model with Corporate HR has progressed as planned. Draft IT-SSO Operating Governance Framework, Foundational Principles and Terms of Reference have been completed. Work is in progress in the areas of Identification and Qualification of Wave 1 Departments for the IT-SSO. Introductory calls and meetings with potential Wave 1 Department Executives have been completed. Processes, roles and responsibilities, tools and training material for both Identification and Qualification Phases have been developed. Pre-qualification data gathering is underway. Final preparations continue internally, in readiness for the official start-up of the Qualification Phase with Departments. Within the Service Management Improvement Program (SMIP), development work is now completed on the checkpoint binders representing the various disciplines within the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Framework. ITIL training of staff is ongoing. Significant improvements have been made to internal processes and tools. An updated Enterprise/TISO Service Catalogue has been completed, bilingual and web enabled. A generic Service Migration Plan has been completed, applying the Service Maturity Framework model. A Products & Services Lifecycle Management Framework has been developed. A Pricing and Costing Framework has also been developed, and awaits approval. For the Data Centre Consolidation (DCC) initiative, the service definition, costing & planning for 13 Enterprise-Level IT-SSO services has been completed. For Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), a draft DCE services roadmap has been completed, including service description & availability for both short and long term. Detailed content and cost estimates have been developed. Overall HR Strategy and HR Tactical Plan for the IT-SSO have been completed. Additionally, a Regional Forum has been created to support broader participation. A Management of Change approach has been developed, including pilot workshops to validate effectiveness, Web site development, promotional material, communications planning, and an orientation approach for new/transferring employees. Regular bi-lateral meetings with TBS (CIOB) have been established to strengthen trust and the building of a joint partnership with PWGSC/ITSB as we move forward with the Information Technology Shared Services agenda. Our collaborative approach includes vision and strategy discussions on Policy, Standards, Architecture, Funding Strategies, Key Commitments, Roles and Responsibilities.
Citizen-Focussed Service 9.3 Official Languages for External Service Delivery (Communications) (Human Resources)	External communications in both official languages, as evidenced by: Availability of communications, tools and products in both official languages, for external services to clients.	New indicator. This is an area where we feel we can still improve and one where we will continue to focus our attention in the coming year. Communications products are made available to the public in both official languages and steps have been taken by Acquisition Branch, with the support of the Translation Bureau, to ensure the quality of procurement documents prepared by PWGSC for MERX and to invite OGDs to use professional services for the linguistic QA of their own procurement documents available from MERX. Capacity of regional offices has increased following move to demographic rules in 2003 and we are committed to continually increasing that capacity PWGSC assumes common service provider role for advertising as confirmed by the OCOL in recent correspondence.
Citizen-Focussed Service 9.4 Service Delivery and User Fees (Corporate Policy and Planning)	Compliance with service delivery and user fee requirements, as evidenced by: Performance information for all user fees to which the Act applies; it is based on the DPR (or an alternative report employed by the department) and observations of departmental compliance with the User Fees Act relative to the disclosure of service standards.	Performance information for all User Fees is reported in the Departmental Performance Report (DPR). PWGSC has no fees for which formal service standards have been established.
Accountability 10.1 Authorities and Delegations (Finance Branch)	Compliance with approved financial authorities and delegations, as evidenced by: Issues being identified through departmental contacts, Internal Audit reports, OAG reports, by Program Sectors, and through review of media reports or other relevant sources of information.	Financial controls rests ultimately with those officers who are delegated payment authority pursuant to FAA section 33. These controls provide assurance of the adequacy of the section 34 accounts verification and that a process is in place and is being properly and conscientiously followed. In 2004, the following assurance functions were fully integrated to ongoing operations: Quarterly Review of Financial Delegations where Branch Heads are required to certify that all delegations forms relating to their area of responsibilities have been reviewed and that any required amendments are being actively addressed. FAA Section 34 compliance which assesses the adequacy of accounts verification performed by managers. This process is monitored by a post-payment review process called the National Account Verification Framework, which provides a common methodology to select, collect and report on statistical samples and where results are reported to senior management and other concerned parties on a quarterly basis. The error rate has been steadily decreasing. Training on managerial financial responsibilities under Section 32 and 34 has begun in 2004 and it is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2005-06. The Branch, in conjunction with Human Resources Branch is also developing new learning tools for managers on financial and procurement authority and responsibilities. All issues identified through OAG/internal audit reports are thoroughly reviewed and action plans are prepared and monitored to address any audit observations.