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Section I – Overview

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2008-2009 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for Public Appointments Commission Secretariat.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2008–2009 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

  • It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat guidance;
  • It is based on the Secretariat’s strategic outcome(s) and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
  • It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information;
  • It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
  • It reports finances based on approved planned spending numbers from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Christine Miles
Deputy Executive Director
Public Appointments Commission Secretariat

Raison D’être

The Public Appointments Commission Secretariat’s role is to provide advice and support with respect to the development of the Public Appointments Commission and once the Commission is established to assist it with the development and implementation of a Code of Practice, with its audits and with the preparation of its annual report to the Prime Minister and to Parliament.

Organizational Information

The Public Appointments Commission Secretariat is within the portfolio of the Prime Minister, reflecting the prerogative of the Prime Minister with respect to Governor-in-Council appointments.

From April 2007 to November 2007, there were no personnel in the Public Appointments Commission Secretariat. A skeleton staff of two, a Deputy Executive Director and an Administrative Assistant, were assigned at the beginning of November 2007.

Voted and Statutory Items Displayed in the Main Estimates

(thousands of dollars)



Vote or
Statutory Item

Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording

2008–09
Main Estimates

2007–08
Main Estimates

25

Program expenditures

945

945

(S)

Contributions to employee benefit plans

122

129

 

Total Secretariat

1,067

1,074


Planned Spending of Secretariat and Full-time Equivalents


(thousands of dollars)

Forecast
Spending
2007–08

Planned
Spending
2008–09

Planned
Spending
2009–10

Planned
Spending
2010–11

Oversight of Governor-in-Council appointments

1,074

1,067

1,067

1,067

Total Main Estimates

1,074

1,067

1,067

1,067

Total Planned Spending

1,074

1,067

1,067

1,067

Plus: Cost of services received without charge

116

149

149

149

Total Spending of Secretariat

1,190

1 216

1 216

1 216

Full-time Equivalents

2

4

4

4


Summary Information

Financial Resources (thousands of dollars)


 

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

Main Estimates

1,067

1,067

1,067

Planned Spending

1,067

1,067

1,067


Human Resources (full-time equivalents)


 

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

Main Estimates

4

4

4

Planned

4

4

4


Priorities of Secretariat


Name

Type

1. Support the Commission

Ongoing

2. Build the organization

Ongoing

3. Develop the Code of Practice

Ongoing

4. Monitor, audit and report

Ongoing


Priority Statement

Planning environment

The Secretariat was created to support the Government in achieving its objective of a more open, transparent and competency-based selection process for Governor-in-Council appointments to agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations. The Secretariat will continue to lay the groundwork for the establishment of the Public Appointments Commission, which is provided for in the Federal Accountability Act.

Priority 1: Support the Commission

Once commissioners have been appointed, the Secretariat will provide policy and operational support to the chair and members.

Priority 2: Build the Organization

In order to support the Commission once established, the Secretariat is implementing the plans for its organizational structure including fulfilling planning and reporting obligations under Section 1.1 of the Financial Administration Act.

Priority 3: Develop the Code of Practice

The Secretariat will continue to research best practices, conduct literature reviews, consult with federal departments, agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations and with other levels of government in Canada and abroad to develop, for the early consideration of the Commission, a Code of Practice for Governor-in-Council appointments. Once established, the Code would also address audit and reporting obligations.

Priority 4: Monitor, audit and report

The Federal Accountability Act requires the Commission to monitor the application of the code of practice, audit related activities, and provide the Prime Minister with an annual report for tabling in both Houses of Parliament. The role of the Commission is to ensure selection processes within federal organizations are efficient and respect the intent and principles of the Code of Practice. It also needs to ensure organizations are in a position to meet the needs of the Governor-in-Council with regard to the timelines and integrity of the selection process.

The Secretariat will develop a performance management framework and establish the appropriate reporting procedures required to gather the necessary data for the preparation of the annual report.

Program Activities by Strategic Outcome



(thousands dollars)

Expected Results

Planned Spending

Contributes to the following priority

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

Strategic Outcome:

To ensure fair competency-based processes are in place for the recruitment and selection of qualified individuals for Governor-in-Council appointments across agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations

Priorities 1, 2, 3 and 4

Oversight of Governor-in-Council appointments

Ensured fair and competency-based processes are in place for the recruitment and selection of qualified individual for Governor-in-Council appointments

1,067

1,067

1,067

Supports all priorities

Total

1,067

1,067

1,067

 

Plans and Priorities of Secretariat

The Secretariat was created to support the Government in achieving its objective of a more open, transparent and competency-based selection process for Governor-in-Council appointments to agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations. The Secretariat will continue to lay the groundwork for the establishment of the Public Appointments Commission, which is provided for in the Federal Accountability Act. Once the Commission has been appointed, the Secretariat will provide direct policy and operational support.

Based on consultations conducted in fiscal year 2006-2007, the Secretariat is working on defining the principles and practices that will form the base of a future Code of Practice. This Code of Practice would, when implemented, provide for greater consistency and transparency of the Governor-in-Council appointment processes and would help ensure that appointments are based on key principles. It would also be flexible enough to allow appointments to be made in ways that reflect the wide variations in mandate and scope of agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations. This work requires research into Canadian and international best practices on public appointment procedures.

The Secretariat is developing procedures to produce the Commission’s annual report, which would include statistics and information on the public appointment processes; audit and complaint processes; and a performance management framework. In the development of these tasks, the Secretariat works with key stakeholders including the Senior Personnel and Special Projects Secretariat of the Privy Council Office.