The Official Languages Branch of the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat of the Privy Council Office is responsible for overall implementation of the Horizontal Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (HRMAF).
An interdepartmental committee is working to
develop an appropriate reporting structure and to plan the implementation of the
Evaluation Strategy, including establishing the necessary links to the Post-Censal
Survey, evaluations and audits related to federal initiatives in the Action Plan
and the Official Languages Program in general.
In the longer term, under the authority of the Committee of Deputy Ministers on Official Languages, formal processes, specific mechanisms and milestones will be established to ensure the effective execution of the HRMAF. Elements will include:
· continued involvement with partners, stakeholders and, in particular, minority language communities through regular consultation cycles;
· ongoing development of horizontal strategies for resourcing, coordinating and monitoring the Official Languages Program to:
► strengthen partnerships among key institutions;
► provide mechanisms to ensure consistency in the application of official languages policies and programs,
► put in place support mechanisms for ongoing information sharing among federal institutions, including mechanisms for the systematic collection of data and for the sharing of best practices; and
► strengthen government measures to conform to the Official Languages Act.
As well, key elements of the implementation will include:
· use of networking (in person and using information technologies) in support of enhanced communication, coordination, monitoring and reporting activities; and
· periodic review and assessment of the effectiveness of the HRMAF.
In summary, this HRMAF provides a structure for integrating vertical
and horizontal responsibilities. It will give program and policy makers a means
of measuring whether the Government of Canada’s Official Languages Program is
achieving its desired results and a means of assessing the program based on
objective data about what is working and what is not.
The reporting process has some
major challenges. Among them are the size of the coordination exercise and the
wide difference between accounting structures among federal institutions. The
success of this enterprise will depend on partners’ full support and
participation, including timely sharing of information. It is with this support
that the HRMAF will be fully functional and effective.
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