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Response to the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled: Canadian Musical Diversity Component of the Canada Music Fund.
- On December 8, 2009, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage tabled in the House of Commons a report entitled: “Canadian Musical Diversity Component of the Canada Music Fund”. The report contained three recommendations, mostly asking to restore the Canadian Musical Diversity Component within the Canada Music Fund and that additional funding be allocated to the
Canada Council for the Arts to further support specialized music. The Government Response, signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, was tabled on April 1, 2010. It indicated that “consultations with the music industry and [the] evaluation of the program illustrated that the Canada Music Fund needed to better respond to the challenges of the digital
and international markets”. The Response also mentioned that “the Canada Music Fund will continue to support a wide variety of Canadian music through a simplified structure”. Finally, the Response highlighted that with the renewal in 2009 of the Canada Music Fund, which includes $138 million in funding over five years , the Government has “delivered the
stability the Canadian music sector needs and have reduced bureaucracy, while increasing the visibility of Canadian music both in Canada and abroad”.
Link to the Government Response:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4405226&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2&Language=E
Response to the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled: Chapter 1, Gender-Based Analysis of the Spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada.
- On April 14, 2010, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled in the House of Commons a report entitled: Chapter 1, Gender-Based Analysis of the Spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada. The report contained five recommendations, including a request that Status of Women Canada provide an interim status report to the Committee by December 1, 2010 and
that central agencies provide stronger accountability, communication and reporting with respect to gender-based analysis being considered in policy development within federal departments and agencies. The report also asks the Government “to ensure that Status of Women Canada has sufficient resources to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the government’s GBA
practices”. The Government Response, signed by the Minister for Status of Women, was tabled on August 18, 2010. It indicated that “the Government is confident that the Departmental Action Plan on Gender-Based Analysis’ (GBA Action Plan) aims to accelerate the integration of GBA is making progress”. Regarding accountability, the Response indicated
that “GBA is a shared responsibility across the federal Government, with responsibility for performing and documenting the analysis and accounting for results resting with individual departments and agencies, with Deputy Heads being accountable for its implementation”. With respect to communication, the Response states that “SWC and central agencies are
committing to taking additional steps to delivering clear messages on the technical support available (i.e. guidance, tools) for departments through existing commitments in the GBA Action Plan”. Finally, as per the commitment made in the Response, SWC provided the Committee with an interim status report on the implementation of the GBA Action Plan in December 2010. The
report highlights that “SWC has been working with the federal organizations identified in the audit and others who are pro-actively fulfilling the expectations regarding the application of GBA and the creation of GBA framework elements”, and provides an update in terms of accountability, communications, reporting and resources. The report concludes that “allowing
sufficient time for SWC and Central Agencies to provide adequate support and build strong capacity throughout the government and its different professional communities is also critical if the practice of GBA is to become sustainable. These insights will be used to inform the management of subsequent phases of the implementation of the GBA Action Plan”.
Link to the Government Response:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&Language=E&DocId=4649580&File=0
Link to the Interim Status Report:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/Committee/403/PACP/WebDoc/WD4595936/Action_Plans/43-Status%20of%20Women%20Canada-e.htm
Response to the Second Report of the Standing Committee Foreign Affairs and International Development entitled: Canada’s Universal Periodic Review and Beyond – Upholding Canada’s International Reputation as a Global Leader in the Fields of Human Rights.
- On November 3, 2010, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development tabled in the House of Commons a report entitled: Canada’s Universal Periodic Review and Beyond – Upholding Canada’s International Reputation as a Global Leader in the Fields of Human Rights. The report contained twelve recommendations asking to
“improve the system currently in place for monitoring, reporting, implementing and enforcing Canada’s international human rights obligations and that these reforms take place transparently”. The Report also asked that “the Government of Canada table each UPR report concerning Canada’s human rights record and any UN treaty body reports on the same
subject in Parliament and that each of these reports be referred to an appropriate parliamentary committee for study”; and that ”the Government of Canada expand the mandate of the Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights to include ongoing consultations with civil society and aboriginal organizations”. The Government Response signed by the Minister of
Canadian Heritage and Official languages was tabled in the House of Commons on February 28, 2011. It indicated that “the Government of Canada is committed to the domestic implementation of its international human rights obligations and to demonstrating its progress through effective results-based reporting”. “The Government of Canada is taking measures to ensure
the effective implementation of Canada’s international human rights obligations by enhancing its own existing mechanisms and procedures. To this end, the Government of Canada is currently developing an approach to raise greater awareness of international human rights obligations in the federal public service. The Government of Canada is also in the process of identifying all
existing interdepartmental and intergovernmental committees and working groups that discuss issues relating to human rights, to ensure that officials can easily make links and share appropriate information more widely and efficiently.” Finally, “the Government of Canada will strive to further increase transparency and accountability with regard to implementation and
reporting, and to build on its progress to date in improving the process for ongoing civil society and Aboriginal organization consultations.”
Link to the Government Response:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4989669&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3
Response to the Third Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages entitled Implementation of Part VII of the Official Languages Act: We Can Still Do Better.
- On June 17, 2010, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages tabled its Third Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages entitled Implementation of Part VII of the Official Languages Act: We Can Still Do Better which included 10 recommendations. The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
and tabled in the Senate on December 7, 2010. The report points out that real progress has been made since 2005 in fulfilling the commitment to the development of official language minority communities and the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. “However, it indicates that institutions are slow to act and that the Government must provide
more guidance”. In its response, “the Government shows that its actions and commitment are fully in line with the intent of the Committee’s recommendations in its report. The Government wishes to reassure the Committee that it will continue to provide guidance and active support to all federal institutions, to assist them in honouring their obligations towards
official language minority communities and the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society”.
The Government Response is not available online.
Response to the Second Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled The Impact of Approval and Payment Delays on Department of Canadian Heritage Recipient Organizations.
- On December 2, 2009, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled its Second Report entitled The Impact of Approval and Payment Delays on Department of Canadian Heritage Recipient Organizations which included 10 recommendations. The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and tabled in the House of Commons on
April 1, 2010. “The report acknowledges that the Department has undertaken a number of positive measures to ease the impact on client organizations, but suggests that corrective actions are still required to maintain the Department’s commitment to community development”. “The Committee also emphasized the need to reduce the administrative burden placed on
client groups” when applying for funding. In its response, the Department of Canadian Heritage shows that it has developed a two-year action plan to address concerns about the impacts of approval delays. The action plan includes a number of administrative reforms to ease and simplify the process some of which have already been implemented in 2009-10. The Department “is
committed to providing greater stability and certainty for its client organizations”.
Link to the Government Response: http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4404863&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2
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Fall 2010 - Chapter 4—Managing Conflict of Interest
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201010_04_e_34287.html#appa
The objective of this audit was to find out whether the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and five selected departments had provided the tools public servants need to meet the federal government’s responsibilities for managing conflict of interest. Canadian Heritage (PCH) was selected, as an example of a small department focused on issuing grants and contributions.
Four of the six recommendations on implementation of conflict of interest measures in selected departments were addressed to PCH. PCH agreed and responded to all recommendations by developing a management action plan.
Status Report
June 2011 - Chapter 3—Internal Audit
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201106_03_e_35371.html#appa The focus of our audit was to find out whether departments, agencies, and the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada had acted upon the
commitments they made in response to the observations and recommendations of our 2004 report. The audit examined whether departments and agencies had set up independent audit committees, as the Policy requires, and whether the committees were carrying out the responsibilities that the Policy and related directives and guidelines set for them. The following four key aspects
were looked on a sample of 12 departments and agencies including Canadian Heritage (PCH): reporting relationship, risk-based plans, reporting practices and completion of an external quality assessment review. The one recommendation addressed to all departments selected, was in relation to the external quality assessment that should be conducted as requested by Internal Audit Policy.
PCH agreed and responded with a management action plan. PCH’s rating system to identify adequate controls was recognized as a best practice.
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