ARCHIVED - Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade - Supplementary Tables

1. Financial Management and Control and Risk Management—2011 June Status Report (Chapter 1)

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) conducted a Follow-up Audit of Financial Management and Control and Risk Management during the summer and fall of 2010.

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada (OCG) within the Secretariat, and selected departments have made satisfactory progress in implementing selected recommendations and addressing relevant observations reported in the OAG 2006 May Status Report, Chapter 1, Managing Government: Financial Information, and its 2003 April Report, Chapter 1, Integrated Risk Management. This audit assessed the progress of implementing the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) model and establishing an integrated risk management framework within DFAIT. The final report was tabled on June 9, 2011.

The audit found that financial management capacity has increased across government. Departments have made efforts to recruit, train and develop financial officers and managers with the required qualifications and experience. The proportion of chief financial officers with professional accounting designations has grown from 33% in 2002 to 82% in 2010.

The OAG made several recommendations. Full details of the department’s responses can be found on the OAG website at www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201106_01_e_35369.html#appa.

2. Audit of Internal Audit—2011 June Status Report (Chapter 3)

The Follow-up Audit of Internal Audit in Large Departments and Agencies was conducted by the OAG during the summer and fall of 2010.

The audit objective was to assess the progress that the government has made in addressing the concerns raised in Chapter 1, Internal Audit in Departments and Agencies, of the OAG 2004 November Report. The Office of the Chief Audit Executive received an overall rating of “generally conforms,” the highest of three possible ratings. The final report consolidating the results of all departments and agencies included in the OAG’s audit was tabled in Parliament on June 9, 2011.

The audit also found that the 24 largest departments and agencies—which account for about 95% of the government’s total assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses—have established independent departmental audit committees that include individuals with impressive qualifications from outside government. The impacts of those committees and the strong support from senior management have contributed to strengthening internal audit in government.

DFAIT did not receive any recommendations concerning this audit. Full details of the report can be found on the OAG website at www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201106_03_e_35371.html.

3. Expenditures for the 2010 G-8 and G-20 Summits—2011 Spring Report (Chapter 1)

The audit of federal spending for the G-8 and G-20 summits was conducted during the summer and fall of 2010. This audit assessed DFAIT’s planning and budgetary management related to its role in the summits. The final report was tabled in Parliament on June 9, 2011.

DFAIT did not receive any recommendations concerning this audit.

Full details of the report can be found on the OAG website at www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201104_01_e_35220.html.

1. Study on Use of Temporary Help Services in Public Service Organizations (by the Public Service Commission)

The study included DFAIT and explored the use of temporary help services in 11 Public Service organizations; its results were published in October 2010. While the study recognized the role of temporary help services in addressing organizations’ short-term resourcing needs, the overall conclusions were that:

• Temporary help services were being improperly used to address long-term needs.
• Temporary help services provided a source of recruitment into the Public Service, as many of the study organizations’ temporary help service workers later became employed in the same organization in which they had held their contract.
• Expenditures for temporary help services increased considerably over the past decade.
• More guidance and monitoring are required to ensure that uses of temporary help services respect the values and objectives of the Public Service Employment Act.

Full details of the study report can be found on the Public Service Commission website at www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2010/th-at/index-eng.htm#toc5.