Finance Branch Sectors

Financial Officers typically work in the following areas. Click on a sector to find out more!

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Financial Management Sector

  • Provides strategic and financial analysis, advice and guidance to both senior and line managers of their respective client organizations on a wide variety of topics including, business and financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting, variance analysis and performance measurement, accounting operations, delegation of authorities and financial systems and their use;
  • Participates in the establishment of budgets, monitoring of expenditures and financial review of actuals and forecasts with client managers;
  • Monitors Treasury Board decisions and other financial documents for potential impact on budgets;
  • Provides the Chief Financial Officer and business line managers with regular management reports and analysis of the financial situation;
  • Provides input into policies, best practices and procedures in development by their client organization, Finance Branch and/or central agencies; and
  • Participates as active members of their client organizations management teams.
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Budget and Investment Management Sector

Financial Planning and Reporting Directorate

  • Lead the financial planning and reporting exercises for the department such as the multi-year planning: Annual Reference Level Update, Report on Plans and Priorities , Main Estimates, budget allocation, Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Performance Report.
  • Establish, maintain and monitor reference levels (on a multi-year basis) as well as budgetary and authority.
  • Monitor the departmental financial situation and provide the Deputy Minister (DM), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and senior management with various reports (Departmental Management Report ), as well as ad hoc analysis and briefing material related to the departmental financial situation .
  • Provide strategic support and advice to the CFO and senior management on various planning, budgeting and reporting subject matters and prepares various briefing documents.
  • Provide expert advice pertaining to budgeting, financial planning and reporting towards the development of policies and procedures as well as supporting the implementation of the new integrated financial and material system (SIGMA) .
  • Direct special projects as required such as the Funding Model Review, revisions to the Program Activity Architecture , the Revolving Funds Mandate and Viability Reviews and participating in interdepartmental working groups regarding future-oriented financial statements.
  • Provides strategic support and secretariat services to the Financial Management and Corporate Planning Committee.

Cost-Based Management Directorate

  • Develops and implements departmental cost management framework, policy, systems, procedures and guidelines.
  • Conducts projects and studies related to costing of departmental activities, outputs, and outcomes.
  • Provides expert advice and training related to cost management.
  • Updates the Corporate Management Cost Allocation Model annually to establish the corporate management charges to the Revolving Funds and to establish corporate support rates for costing studies, Treasury Board Submissions, and Memoranda to Cabinet.
  • Produces departmental costing reports including the Departmental Activity Costing Report and the Departmental Financial Report on the Administrative Costs Chargeable to Canada Pension Plan.

Integrated Investment Planning Directorate

  • Provides support for the effective management of the investment planning function within Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), which includes developing and maintaining a departmental investment plan, exercising oversight in the implementation of the investment decisions and ensuring appropriate, ongoing measurement of investment performance; and
  • Directs and establishes procedures and business performance criteria for the review, assessment and challenge of the financial elements of all business and investment proposals for PWGSC Cabinet documents.
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SIGMA Operations Sector

On April 1, 2008, PWGSC implemented SIGMA – an integrated departmental financial and materiel management and reporting system based on Systems Application and Products (SAP) technology. The employees of the SIGMA Operations Sector are involved in a number of activities, including:

  • Working with clients to identify their requirements and implement solutions within the SIGMA system.
  • Establishing and maintaining master data and interfaces between SIGMA, other departmental systems, and other government departments.
  • Developing reporting tools, such as business intelligence solutions to meet client information requirements.
  • Conducting annual documentation and testing of IT General Controls of SIGMA and feeder systems using a risk-based approach, to ensure that controls are in place and comply with policy requirements.
  • Developing SIGMA training documents and course materials, and deliver training sessions to employees and future trainers.
  • Providing client support through the SIGMA Help Desk.
  • Maintaining an Intranet site to communicate system.
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Branch Planning and Management Services Sector

  • Functional leadership for the development and implementation of national strategic integrated Branch business and operational planning and reporting frameworks, processes and systems, ensuring integration with corporate planning and reporting processes.
  • Planning, organizing and directing the delivery of Branch responsibilities related to Corporate Services; including contract administration, financial, human resources, health and safety, security, business continuity and a suite of administrative services to support Branch operations.
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Financial Operations Sector

Corporate Reporting and Internal Controls Directorate

  • Encompasses functional and operational responsibilities. It provides guidance and direction on the departmental accounting, financial reporting and financial control framework;
  • Develops, implements and monitors departmental financial processes and procedures to ensure transactions are processed in accordance with legislative requirements and best practices;
  • Provides advice, direction and various tools to ensure that departmental control processes are applied efficiently and consistently across the Department;
  • Monitors financial transactions and accounting records and performs check and balances necessary to provide reasonable assurance that financial data are complete, accurate and recorded in accordance with central agencies and corporate requirements;
  • Produces departmental financial reports including the Public Accounts, Revolving Fund Statements and the Departmental Financial Statements;
  • Sustains the system of Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR); and
  • Provides coaching and training to ensure that accounting and control processes and related procedures are understood and adhered to.

Accounting Operations Directorate

  • Encompasses functional and operational responsibilities. It provides guidance and direction on the departmental accounting, financial reporting and financial control framework. It also supports organizations located in the National Capital Area in meeting their revenue and expenditures management responsibilities.
  • Develops, implements and monitors departmental financial processes and procedures to ensure transactions are processed in accordance with legislative requirements and best practices.
  • Provides advice, direction and various tools to ensure that departmental accounting processes are applied efficiently and consistently across the Department.
  • Provides financial support with regards to receivable, treasury and payable transactions.
  • Provides coaching and training to ensure that accounting and control processes and related procedures are understood and adhered to.

Financial Policies and Community Renewal Directorate

This Directorate consists of two groups:

  • Financial Management Policies: This group develops the departmental financial policy infrastructure and all associated frameworks, policies, standards, processes, and procedures to support and meet legislative requirements, government-wide financial management initiatives and departmental program and operational needs. This group also acts as the centre of expertise regarding departmental financial signing authorities and developing and maintaining tools for reporting all departmental delegations of authorities.
  • Community Renewal and Development: This group develops and implements recruitment, retention and development activities in order to develop and to maintain the human resource capacity necessary to support the Finance Branch.