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Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees

Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: The Right Pay for Valuable Employees

(Adopted by the Committee on April 30, 2009; presented to the House on May 4, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee considered the problems in the federal government's compensation system from the perspective of the public interest. Recommendations were made to the government to address the classification of compensation advisors, the upgrading of the compensation system's technological infrastructure, and the turnover rate in the public service.	The government has undertaken or will undertake actions with respect to most of the recommendations to ensure equity and timeliness of compensation for all employees in the federal public sector. The government introduced the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act as part of the Budget Implementation Act, 2009 and is also committed to developing an approach to modernize technology and processes to simplify the administration of pay for the Government of Canada. The 2009–10 Public Service Renewal Action Plan emphasized linking human resources needs with organizational business needs, one outcome of which would be more stability and fewer turnovers in the public service.	Government Response to the Second Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (Third Report of the Committee presented to the House during the Second Session of the 39th Parliament) (Presented to the House on September 14, 2009)

Standing Committee on the Status of Women: An Analysis of the Effects of the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act

(Adopted by the Committee on 18, 2009; presented to the House on June 19, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the government repeal the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act and replace it with a proactive federal pay equity law, as recommended by the Pay Equity Task Force (Task Force) in its 2004 report, Pay Equity: A New Approach to a Fundamental Right. The Conservative Party members of the Committee issued a Dissenting Opinion to the report. These members have many reservations about the recommendation put forward and are concerned that the draft report was written and discussed before the Committee had the opportunity to hear from all witnesses.	The Government Response indicates that the Government of Canada respects the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and that the government strongly believes the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act is the best means to proactively apply this principle to ensure that federal public sector employees receive equitable compensation. The Act makes pay equity an integral part of collective bargaining and wage-setting in the federal public sector and ensures that parties with responsibilities in wage-setting are accountable for achieving equal pay for work of equal value and that employees receive equitable compensation from the moment wages are set.	Government Response: Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, An Analysis of the Effects of the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act (Presented to the House on October 7, 2009)

Standing Committee on the Status of Women: Towards Gender Responsive Budgeting: Rising to the Challenge of Achieving Gender Equality  

(Adopted by the Committee on February 10, 2009; presented to the House on February 26, 2009 )

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the other central agencies, namely the Privy Council Office and the Secretariat, establish specialized units on gender analysis. The Committee recommended that senior government officials, namely deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, and director generals, be held accountable for their implementation of a true gender-based analysis in all government departments by tying their performance assessment, and thereby pay increases and promotions, to the implementation of gender-based analysis, including the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Secretary of the Treasury Board, and the Deputy Minister of Finance. The Committee recommended that the Secretariat develop a policy requiring departments to report on gender-based analysis through the Reports on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Reports by January 2009.	Since 2005, the Government of Canada has been working on the integration of gender‑based analysis into instruments of authority, e.g., Treasury Board submissions and the Management, Resources and Results Structure. There is now a complete inventory of all government programs, which can be searched to identify programs by subject including those explicitly identifying gender issues. Status of Women Canada, with support from the Secretariat and the Privy Council Office, has committed to assessing the performance of gender‑based analysis across the federal government and the effectiveness of gender-based analysis practices on a yearly basis to ensure that government policy and program development and budgets achieve gender equality goals and are gender-responsive.	Government Response: Second Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (recommendations contained in the 11th Report of the Committee presented to the House during the Second Session of the 39th Parliament) (Presented to the House on August 19, 2009)

Standing Committee on Accounts: Public Accounts of Canada 2008

(Adopted by the Committee on March 5, 2009; presented to the House on March 24, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that: i) the Canada Revenue Agency provide a plan to improve its methodology to calculate the allowance for doubtful tax receivables; and ii) the Canada Border Services Agency provide a detailed plan on how it will improve its tax revenue accounting systems. The Committee also recommended that the Comptroller General of Canada ensure that federal government departments have adequate internal control systems to prevent losses of public money and property and plans in place for recovering losses in the case of criminal offences; and that the government provide a firm timeline for implementing accrual appropriations.	i)  The Canada Revenue Agency developed and implemented a new methodology to estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts based on the age of tax accounts receivable during the 2007–08 year. ii) The Canada Border Services Agency has developed a project to improve its accounting systems. The Treasury Board submission went to the Board in June 2010. Several initiatives will result in improved internal controls over financial reporting. For example, policies on internal control, governance and internal audit have been approved and will now result in strengthened controls over financial reporting, oversight and governance. Significant progress has been made on the development of a plan for the staged approach to the implementation of accrual budgeting and appropriations.	Government Response to the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Public Accounts of Canada 2008 (Presented to the House on August 19, 2009)

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Governance of Small Federal Entities

(Adopted by the Committee on May 28, 2009; presented to the House on June 10, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the Secretariat provide a progress report followed by an action plan on how it intends to implement the recommendations contained in Chapter 2 of the Auditor General's December 2008 Report, including specific elements in its action plan to show how it will reduce the reporting burden on small federal entities and what issues it will address with respect to administrative shared services in small federal entities.	The management response to this chapter includes a full description of measures taken or intended with respect to each of the recommendations, including a list of specific measures that have been undertaken to reduce reporting requirements on departments, including small entities.	Government Response to the 14th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Governance of Small Federal Entities, Chapter 2 of the December 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (Presented to the House on October 7, 2009)

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories

(Adopted by the Committee on May 7, 2009; presented to the House on May 27, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the Government of Canada, when announcing transfers to provinces and territories, clearly explain whether there are ongoing conditions for the use of the funds and, if not, explain why not; and that when designing future trust agreements, to ensure that mechanisms are in place to verify results achieved.	The government makes every effort to ensure that the purpose, objectives and conditions associated with each transfer are clearly communicated. The government has established clear and precise eligibility conditions that must be met before a funding agreement is established and the funds transferred. For example, in the transfer of funds by individual federal departments, conditions are explicitly stated in agreements between the federal government and provincial or territorial governments, and can include financial and compliance audits, progress reports, program evaluation, and/or public acknowledgement of federal support for the program. To ensure that trust arrangements are clear and transparent, the government established new accountability mechanisms through a political commitment and public accountability approach. Actions to enhance public accountability have been taken through the new Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments and its supporting directive.	Government Response to the 11th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: "Chapter 1, A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories of the December 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada" (Presented to the House on September 28, 2009)

Standing Committee on on Public Accounts: Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies

(Adopted by the Committee on April 28, 2009; presented to the House on May 13, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee made six recommendations: (1) The Committee recommended that the Secretariat develop and present to the Treasury Board a comprehensive policy on the management of fees; and report progress on this initiative to the Committee by September 30, 2009. (2) The Committee recommended that the Treasury Board amend the Policy on Service Standards for External Fees to require departments to publicly report annually on the full costs, revenues, service standards, and performance results for all external fees; and that departments be required to regularly carry out and report on public consultations with those affected by fees. (3) The Committee recommended that the Secretariat clarify the method of comparing fee revenues to associated costs when updating its guidance on factors to consider in determining the amount of a fee; and that the Secretariat report progress on this initiative to the Committee by September 30, 2009. (4)  The Committee recommended that the Comptroller General work with departments to ensure that they are accurately calculating their costs associated with fees and report progress on this initiative by September 30, 2009. (5) The Committee recommended that Secretariat provide a list of all fees that are set by contract by September 30, 2009. (6)  Finally, the Committee recommended that the Secretariat clarify the review and reporting requirement for fees set by contract by September 30, 2009.	As per the recommendations of the Committee, the Secretariat tabled a response to all six recommendations on September 14, 2009. A summary of each of the six commitments follows: (1) The government completed an examination of the available guidance and policies relating to the practices supporting user fee management. (2) Further to the examination, the development of a comprehensive policy on user fee management will be initiated in 2010–11. (3) In May 2009, the Secretariat released the Guide to Establishing the Level of a Cost-Based User Fee or Regulatory Charge, which provides a consistent approach for departments when establishing an appropriate fee level. (4) In March 2008, the Secretariat released the Guide to Costing and continues to work with departments to promote its use in user fee and other financial management settings. (5) Given that fees set by contract are not subject to the reporting provisions of either the User Fees Act or the Policy on Service Standards for External Fees, the government initiated a plan to gather information on fees set by contract from individual departments. The government provided the compiled information to the Committee by December 31, 2009, as stated in the government's response. (6) The development of the new comprehensive policy will include within its scope, practices and reporting related to fees set by contract.	Government Response to the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, "Chapter 1, Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies of the May 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada" (Presented to the House on September 14, 2009)

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Requested information on the progress of government action on 13 recommendations contained in the following reports:

Administration of the RCMP's Pension and Insurance Plans (Adopted by the Committee on December 6, 2007; presented to the House on December 10, 2007)

The Expenditure Management System at the Government Centre and the Expenditure Management System in Departments (Adopted by the Committee on February 12, 2008; presented to the House on February 25, 2008)

Protection of Public Assets - Office of the Correctional Investigator (Adopted by the Committee on February 12, 2008; presented to the House on February 25, 2008)

Large Information Technology Projects (Adopted by the Committee on February 14, 2008; presented to the House on February 25, 2008)

Passports Services - Passport Canada (Adopted by the Committee on February 28, 2008; presented to the House on March 5, 2008)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts requested information on the progress of government action on 13 recommendations contained in the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, presented to the House of Commons during the 2nd Session of the 39th Parliament.	The Secretariat provided an update on the actions taken to the commitments made to all 13 recommendations contained in the following Government Responses: Second Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, "Restoring the Honour of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Addressing Problems in the Administration of the RCMP's Pension and Insurance Plans" (Presented to the House on April 7, 2008) Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, "The Expenditure Management System at the Government Centre and the Expenditure Management System in Departments" (Presented to the House on July 16, 2008) Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, "Protection of Public Assets: Office of the Correctional Investigator" (Presented to the House on July 16, 2008) Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, "Large Information Technology Projects" (Presented to the House on July 16, 2008) Ninth Report of the Standing Committee of Public Accounts, "Passports Services B Passport Canada" (Presented to the House on June 6, 2008)	Progress report received from the Secretariat in October 2009 relating to the following studies: Chapter 9, Pension and Insurance Administration - Royal Canadian Mounted Police of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) Chapter 1, Expenditure Management System at the Government Centre and Chapter 2 Expenditure Management System in Departments of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) Chapter 11, Protection of Public Assets - Office of the Correctional Investigator of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) Chapter 3, Large Information Technology Projects of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) Chapter 5, Passports Services - Passport Canada of February 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (39th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Financial Management and Control - National Defence

(Adopted by the Committee on November 18, 2009; presented to the House on December 3, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the Treasury Board, in consultation with the Department of Finance Canada, consider raising the limit on the amount that National Defence can carry forward from one fiscal year to another.	The Government accepts this recommendation. The Department of Finance Canada and the Secretariat are reviewing National Defence's current carry-forward authority. The Secretariat will report back to the Committee if any changes are made to the current authority following this review.	Government Response to the Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts , Chapter 5, Financial Management and Control – National Defence of the Spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (20th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts) (Presented to the House on March 31, 2010)

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Managing the Delivery of Legal Services to Government - Department of Justice Canada

(Adopted by the Committee on February 12, 2009; presented to the House on February 25, 2009)

Summary of Report	Discussion of progress made to address recommendations	Link to the Secretariat's response
The Committee recommended that the Secretariat study the feasibility of reporting the Government of Canada's total costs for legal services.	The Secretariat has reviewed the existing reporting of the costs of legal services to Parliament and the possibility of the future use of the Management, Resources and Results Structure to further capture the costs of legal services. The Public Accounts of Canada 2007 and the Department of Justice's Departmental Performance Report provide details on the majority of these costs.	Government Response: Chapter 5, Managing the Delivery of Legal Services to Government – Department of Justice Canada of the May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (recommendations contained in the 17th Report of the Committee presented to the House during the Second Session of the 39th Parliament) (Presented to the House on June 19, 2009)

Response to External Audits

Government-wide audit of executive appointments by the Public Service Commission of Canada (October, 2008)

The audit^[1] focused on executive appointments made within the first year of implementing the Public Service Employment Act, from January to December 2006, and included 100 per cent of appointment processes of executives at levels four and five (which includes assistant secretaries) and 50 per cent of executives at levels one to three (which includes directors, executive directors and directors general).

The Secretariat did not have any significant issues, and a formal response was not required.

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[1] The Secretariat's results did not include the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer as the audit was conducted prior to the reorganization.

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