Corporate Plan Checklist for Analysts

Step 1:

1 Process Requirements

Corporate plans are highly confidential in nature. Draft versions of the plans must indicate their sensitive nature and be treated in a manner comparable to Memoranda to Cabinet and be subject to the same protective measures.

1.1 Responsible Minister's Signature

s.122(1) FAA^[1]

Does the plan have the appropriate Minister's signature?

 Yes    No

1.2 Timeliness

s.4

CP, B &S Regs^[2]

Corporate plan received on       by SCDC

Did the plan arrive at the responsible minister within the prescribed deadline (i.e., no later than eight weeks prior to the beginning of each financial year)?

If not, how late was it? ___________________________

 Yes   No

Did you see early drafts of the corporate plan in advance of its final submission?

 Yes   No

1.3 Official Languages

s.6(1) &(2) CP, B & S Regs

Is the submitted plan in both official languages except for graphs, tables and calculations or amendments?

 Yes   No

1.4 Title Page Requirements

s.122(6)

 FAA

Does the title page include:

a. The name of the parent Crown corporation;

 Yes   No

b. The title of the document;

 Yes   No

c. The planning period for the plan (for the corporate plans) or budget year (for budgets—operating, capital) covered by document; and

 Yes   No

d. Does the corporate plan title page accurately identify whether or not it has been amended?

 Yes   No

Step 2:

2 Contents of Corporate Plan

2.1 Executive Summary

TBS Guidelines^[3]

Does the plan's executive summary highlight:

a. Strategic issues requiring attention over the planning period;

 Yes   No

b. The corporation's major objectives;

 Yes   No

c. Planned strategies; and

 Yes   No

d. Anticipated major decisions facing the organization during the planning period.

 Yes   No

e. Does the summary identify key capital projects, new programs or activities, financing plans, new policies, etc.?

 Yes   No

2.2 Mandate

s. 122

FAA

TBS Guidelines

CG Guidelines^[4]

Does the plan of the parent Crown corporation include a statement of the reasons for which the Crown is incorporated, identifying its public policy role?

 Yes   No

Is there a statement of restrictions on the businesses or activities that the Crown may carry on, as set out in its charter?

 Yes   No

Did the parent Crown or its wholly owned subsidiaries conduct all business or activity in accordance with these restrictions?

 Yes   No

Are there elements of the plan that could lead to mandate creep (i.e., expansion of the mandate)?

 Yes   No

2.3 Corporate Profile

TBS Guidelines

Is there a short overview of:

a. The organization's history and structure; and

 Yes   No

b. The organization's vision, core businesses and strategy?

 Yes   No

Does the plan contain a description of key threats, opportunities and changes it is facing in its current environment, including competition faced in each major business program?

 Yes   No

2.4 Planning Period Objectives

s. 3

CP, B & S Regs.

s. 122(3)(b)

FAA

Is there a statement of the Crown corporation's objectives for each year of the five-year planning period?

 Yes   No

Is there a statement of the Crown corporation's strategy intended for use in achieving those objectives?

 Yes   No

2.5 Strategic Issues

s. 122(1) FAA

TBS Guidelines

Relating to the Crown corporation's strategy, does the plan include a description of:

a. The main risks that shape the strategy and may affect the acent of results;

 Yes   No

b. The internal process used to identify and mitigate those risks;

 Yes   No

c. The major assumptions used in preparing the plan; and

 Yes   No

d. The sensitivity of the plan projections to changes in those assumptions?

 Yes   No

Does the analysis provide a description of significant differences between recent actual (projected) results and planned performance?

 Yes   No

Are anticipated significant changes to current corporate policies or to the corporation's businesses, activities, management, internal controls, or operating practices highlighted?

 Yes   No

Are the strategic components of the plan (objectives, strategy and expenditures) properly aligned to deliver?

 Yes   No

2.6 Analysis of Public Environment

CG Guidelines

TBS Guidelines

Does the plan focus on key external elements that may impact on the organization's ability to implement its mandate including:

a. Level of competition faced by the organization;

 Yes    No

b. Market forces;

 Yes   No

c. Labour relations;

 Yes   No

d. Inflation levels;

 Yes   No

e. Interest rates; and

 Yes   No

f.  Legislative/Regulatory Environment?

 Yes   No

Does it identify both opportunities and threats in each of these areas?

 Yes   No

2.7 Identification of Results

s. 122 FAA

TBS Guidelines

Is there a statement of the Crown corporation's expected performance targets for the current year as compared to its objectives (for that year) set out in the previous corporate plan or amendment?

 Yes   No

Is there any indication of progress against key performance indicators/drivers or targets for the current year?

 Yes   No

Do these targets or indicators take into account their operating environment?

 Yes   No

Are they realistic and reasonable given industry standards?

 Yes   No

Does the plan include all the businesses and activities, including investments, of the corporation and its' wholly owned subsidiaries, if any?

 Yes   No

Is the information set out according to their major businesses or activities of the corporation and its' wholly owned subsidiaries, if any?

 Yes   No

2.8 Property Transactions

CCG regulations^[5]

s.99(2) FAA

For agent corporations:

Does the corporation intend to sell or otherwise dispose of real property?

 Yes   No

If yes…Does the proposed transaction meet the regulatory requirement?

 Yes   No

3 General Principles

3.1 Strategic Direction

TBS Guidelines

CG Guidelines

Does the plan report on the organization's activities, strategic issues, and plans?

 Yes   No

Is there an assessment of the organization's current strategic position including an analysis of the organization's business and operating environments?

 Yes   No

Does it report on how well objectives in previous plans were achieved?

 Yes   No

Is there an analysis of the organization, including an overview of the organization's history, principal businesses or programs?

 Yes   No

3.2 Stewardship

TBS Guidelines

CG Guidelines

Is there a discussion of the principal risks inherent with the organization's activities and its external environment?

 Yes   No

Are there systems in place to monitor and manage these risks affecting how well the Crown fulfils its mandate?

 Yes   No

3.3 Public Policy Objectives

TBS Guidelines

CG Guidelines

Does the plan take into account the trade-offs between the public policy and commercial objectives of the organization?

 Yes   No

3.4 Public Transparency and Visibility

Does the Corporate Plan provide the corporation's business and objectives in a language and a level of detail suitable for the interested public?

 Yes   No

3.5 Governance Issues

Review of Governance Framework^[6]

Does the plan:

a. Identify clear lines of accountability within the organization;

 Yes   No

b. Provide transparency on how the organization functions;

 Yes   No

c. Identify how the organization promotes and upholds ethical behaviour and values;

 Yes   No

d. Address how conflict of interest issues are addressed at the board level, at the management level, at the employee level; and

 Yes   No

e. Elaborate on the role of the board and various committees of the Board?

 Yes   No

In the last year, has the Minister recommended or issued to the corporation a statement of priorities?

 Yes   No

If yes…

 Yes   No

 Yes   No

4 Operating Budgets

4.1 Source of Funds

?

s.127 FAA

Is the corporation appropriations-dependent?

 Yes   No

If yes…Is this fact taken into account with financial projections of future revenues?

 Yes   No

Is the corporation planning on increased revenues through appropriations that have not been confirmed by the government with a budget announcement?

 Yes   No

Are there revenues credited due to transfers of resources (funding) from other federal institutions such as grants & contributions, etc.?

 Yes   No

Has the corporation indicated its intent to borrow money during the planning period?

 Yes   No

Is the recommendation from the Minister of Finance required before the plan is submitted for GIC approval?

 Yes   No

If yes…has the signed letter from the Minister of Finance been included in the Corporate Plan submission package?

 Yes   No

4.2 Financial Statements

s.123 FAA

s.3 & 4

CP, B & S Regs.

TBS Guidelines

In relation to the financial year of the corporation immediately preceding the current year, and as projected for the current year, does the plan's operating budget include:

a. Statement of financial position (income and retained earnings) for each year;

 Yes   No

b. Statement of changes in financial position, including cash flows for each year;

 Yes   No

c. Where the financial year-end of the corporation is other than March 31 and the corporation intends to seek appropriations from the CRF during the first four years of the planning period, is there a statement of changes in financial position for the Government of Canada fiscal year for which the appropriation is to be sought;

 Yes   No

d. A Balance Sheet for each year;

 Yes   No

e. The number of employees for each year, including the number of person years, full-time equivalents or full-time employees;

 Yes   No

f.  Quantitative information for each year measuring the Crown corporation's performance against its objectives for that year;

 Yes   No

g. Are the financial projections reasonable and realistic; and

 Yes   No

h. Is the structure of expenditures in line with core activities?

 Yes   No

4.3 Capital Budgets

124(1) FAA

Does the plan contain the capital budget for the following financial year of the organization?

 Yes   No

124(2) FAA

Does the capital budget of the parent Crown corporation include all businesses and activities, including investments of the corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries, if any?

 Yes   No

124(3-4) FAA

Is the capital budget multi-year in nature?

 Yes   No

Does the budget set out information according to the major businesses or activities of the corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries, if any?

 Yes   No

4.4 Restriction on Capital Expenditures or Commitments

124(5) FAA

s.4, 5 & 6 CCG Regs.

Does the plan notify the responsible Minister and the President of the Treasury Board of restricted transactions to be carried out by the corporation since the last corporate plan submission in accordance with section 124(5)?

 Yes   No

In the instances where the corporation is an agent of the Crown, does the Corporate Plan disclose its plans for significant disposals or acquisitions, including leases?

 Yes   No

Does this involve property transactions for an agent corporation?

 Yes   No

Does the corporation intend to sell or otherwise dispose of real property?

 Yes   No

If so, does the proposed transaction meet the regulatory requirement?

 Yes   No

Step 3:

5 Corporate Plan Summaries

125 FAA

s.7 CP, B & S Regs

TBS Guidelines

Does the summary of the corporate plan contain only approved elements of the plan?

Sensitive materials contained in the corporate plans such as commercially confidential information is severed in accordance with FAA, Part X, section 153(1)

 Yes   No

6 Amendments

6.1 Amendments to the Corporate Plan, Budget

s. 5& 6 CP, B & S Regs. (revised Sept. 04)

Is this an amendment to a Corporate Plan, Operating Budget, and Capital Budget?

 Yes   No

If the original information is not available, does the parent Crown corporation give reasons for the unavailability of that information?

 Yes   No

Is the amendment provided to the appropriate Minister in both official languages, except in the case where the amendment is to a graph, table or calculation in the plan?

 Yes   No