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Appendix: Other Accomplishments Aligned to Program Activities

Program Activity 1: Management Policy Development and Oversight

Advancing risk-based management approaches

In 2008–09, the Secretariat developed a risk management framework that sets out specific principles for managing risks within the federal government. The Secretariat aims to foster a culture of informed risk taking to achieve objectives and outcomes. In 2009–10, the Secretariat will seek approval of the framework and begin its implementation.

What is the impact? Achievements will enable a more consistent approach to risk management across government—supporting effective governance, management, business planning, and decision making. This helps ensure value-for-money and demonstrates sound stewardship and accountability in program delivery.

Oversight of IT-enabled projects and IT security

To improve the oversight and management of large IT-enabled projects, the Secretariat developed templates for business cases, project charters, and third-party reviews as well as other guidance products that are now being adopted by various government departments. The Secretariat also developed standards and common approaches for government security relating to individual screening, IT incident management, and proactive defence against cyber attacks.

What is the impact? A more consistent approach and level of rigour will be applied to a variety of informatics domains across government. This will provide individual departments and the Government of Canada as a whole with an improved ability to manage large IT-enabled projects and protect the security of government information.

Program Activity 2: Expenditure Management and Financial Oversight

Implementation of the Policy on Management, Resources and Results Structures

Implementation of the MRRS policy supports the development of a common, government-wide approach to the collection, management, and reporting of financial and non-financial performance information.

• Over 50 outreach activities were undertaken to promote the MRRS policy and its implementation, including federal government and international events, which led to increased awareness and capacity government-wide.
• Critical policy issues associated with MRRS implementation were identified and resolved with stakeholders.
• Departmental PAAs and associated PMFs were reviewed and rated in accordance with MRRS instructions.
• Due to delays in integrating non-financial performance data into Phase C of the Expenditure Management Information System (EMIS), efforts to monitor and report on departmental performance in real-time will continue to be hampered by a lack of full systems support. The eventual establishment of a fully integrated data system for financial and non-financial program performance information will strengthen Secretariat efforts to advance many aspects of Expenditure Management System (EMS) renewal.

What is the impact? With Steps 1 and 2 of the MRRS road map now completed, departments have the necessary program architectures and performance measurement tools to undertake strategic reviews in a thorough and robust manner. Experience over two years has demonstrated the importance of these tools for a successful strategic review process. Going forward, it is expected that departments will improve the quality of their performance information by collecting actual data on their indicators. Phase C of EMIS is of critical importance to this.

Program Activity 3: Government-wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments

Planned spending in this program activity relates mainly to Vote 20—Public service insurance.

Vote 20—Public service insurance

This vote, which supports the Treasury Board’s role as employer of the core public administration, is used for the following:

• public service pensions, benefits, and insurance, including payment of the employer’s share of health, income maintenance, and life insurance premiums;
• payments to or in respect of provincial health insurance plans;
• payment of provincial payroll taxes and Quebec sales tax on insurance premiums;
• costs associated with the pension, benefit, and insurance plans for employees engaged locally outside Canada; and
• the return to certain employees of their share of the employment insurance premium reduction.

Contingency funds are available to government departments if required, with expenditures identified under their program activities. The following votes are therefore excluded from the Secretariat’s planned spending:

Vote 5—Government contingencies

This vote provides the government with the authority and flexibility to meet unforeseen or urgent expenditures until parliamentary approval can be obtained. Most of the items in this vote are considered temporary advances to cover items that will be included in subsequent Supplementary Estimates for other departments and agencies and reimbursed when the associated appropriation act is passed.

Vote 10—Government-wide initiatives

This vote supplements other departments and agencies’ appropriations that support the implementation of strategic management initiatives across the public service. Historically, this vote has been used to support such initiatives as Government On-Line, comptrollership innovation and modernization, the Financial Information Strategy (FIS), employment equity, and program evaluation and internal audit.

Vote 25—Operating budget carry forward

This vote allows for routine operating budget carry-forward (OBCF) amounts, as established under the OBCF policy, to be transferred directly to departments and agencies, in a timely manner, once eligible amounts have been confirmed by the Secretariat and approved by Treasury Board ministers. The $1.2 billion in this vote, which represents no additional cost to the government, corresponds to the approximate amount of potential requirements that would otherwise have been presented in multiple Supplementary Estimates by departments and agencies.

Vote 30—Paylist requirements

This vote covers departments and agencies’ paylist shortfalls related to parental benefits, severance, and other allowances. To avoid discrimination in hiring practices, paylist costs related to these expenditures have been covered centrally since the introduction of the operating budget regime in 1993. This vote provides relief from cash management challenges departments and agencies face for these legal obligations.

Vote 35—Budget implementation initiatives

This new Treasury Board central vote is for the implementation of certain programs included in Budget 2009. For the period commencing April 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2009, Vote 35 will supplement other appropriations and provide applicable government organizations with appropriations for initiatives announced in Budget 2009. The appropriations will cover expenditures that are within the organizations’ legal mandates but not otherwise provided for, including new grants and increases in grant amounts listed in the Estimates.

 

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