The Programs and Activities of the Secretariat

The PAA is an inventory of all the programs and activities undertaken by the Secretariat. It groups related programs and activities together and links them logically to our strategic outcome: “Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results.” It is the foundation for integrated planning, including facilitating decisions about allocating and for the control of resources. It provides a framework to support governance, planning and decision-making by providing both financial and performance information.

For 2010-11, the Secretariat revised its PAA to reflect the machinery of government changes related to human resources management, and to better reflect the Secretariat’s programs and results. The new Management Frameworks program activity captures the foundational work that supports management excellence, including IT, security, regulation, and other management priorities of the Secretariat. A dedicated program activity for People Management functions was added to reflect the comprehensive role now played by the Secretariat in this domain. The former Expenditure Management and Financial Oversight program activity was split in two to describe these different activities more transparently: Expenditure Management includes the Estimates process, and Financial Management captures work related to financial and internal audit policy instruments.

The Secretariat’s six Program Activities are described below.

Visual depiction of the Secretariat’s 2010-11 PAA (PDF Version13.4kb).

Text version of visual depiction of the Secretariat's 2010-11 PAA

For more information, please consult the Policy on Management, Resources, and Results Structures.

TBS 2010-11 SO and PA Descriptions:

Strategic Outcome: Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results.

Program Activities:

Management Frameworks

The Management Frameworks Program Activity (PA) establishes guiding principles and expectations for public sector management. It includes setting government-wide policy directions in targeted areas such as governance, regulatory management, the Management Accountability Framework (MAF), service, information management and technology. Working with all federal organizations, the Secretariat provides leadership, challenge, and a community enablement function in areas related to policy development, compliance, performance reporting, and functional community development. This work includes new and emerging issues and priorities related to the management of the Public Service, and promoting a cultural shift in how government deals with risk and innovation. In turn, this work informs the policies in the Expenditure, Financial, and People Management program activities. This program activity is underpinned by a broad set of enabling legislation, including the Financial Administration Act (FAA).

People Management

The People Management Program Activity (PA) supports efforts across the federal public service to achieve strong leadership and a well managed workforce and workplace. These elements provide the foundation to drive employee engagement and a culture of excellence, leading to high quality policies, programs and services and a sustained and productive public service. In certain instances this program activity includes efforts that extend beyond the core public administration to separate employers and Crown corporations. This program activity undertakes direction-setting activities that include: developing and implementing people management related frameworks and policies; setting and monitoring departmental people management performance expectations; conducting research and analysis regarding the state of people management; and supporting the effective management of the leadership cadre. The program activity also provides public service-wide leadership on managing compensation which it shares with the Expenditure Management program activity and includes: collective bargaining and associated labour relations and establishing and maintaining the public service pension and benefits regime. The People Management program activity supports enabling infrastructure including the human resources functional community and the underlying business processes and systems, and is underpinned by legislation that includes: the Financial Administration Act; Public Service Employment Act; Public Service Labour Relations Act; Public Servant Disclosure Protection Act; Official Languages Act; and Employment Equity Act.

Financial Management

The Financial Management Program Activity (PA) promotes good financial management practices across government to ensure financial activities are carried out effectively and efficiently. Working with all federal organizations, the Secretariat delivers on this role by:

developing financial management, accounting, transfer payment and internal audit policies, directives and standards;
assisting departments by providing leadership, policy advice and guidance; setting performance expectations and monitoring performance;
capacity building and community development within the functional communities;
planning horizontal audits and conducting audits of small departments and agencies;
providing financial oversight and reporting; and,
advising central agencies and departments on financial authority issues associated with the Financial Administration Act (FAA) and Appropriation Acts, the primary pieces of legislation underpinning the Financial Management program activity.

Expenditure Management

The Expenditure Management Program Activity (PA) helps ensure alignment of resources to achieve government priorities in a way that maximizes value for money and provides a whole-of-government perspective on matters related to direct program spending. Working with all federal organizations that are subject to budget appropriation, this program activity undertakes the review, analysis, and challenge of plans and proposals involving departmental spending, expenditure forecasting and strategies, compensation management, and results-based management. This work, as well as the production of government Estimates documents and reporting to Parliament, is facilitated by the Expenditure Management Information System. This program activity forms part of the Expenditure Management System, the framework for the development and implementation of the Government's spending plans and priorities within the limits established by the Budget, which is implemented in coordination with the Department of Finance and the Privy Council Office. The primary piece of legislation underpinning the program’s activities is the Financial Administration Act (FAA).

Government-wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments

The Government-wide Funds and Public Service Employer Payments Program Activity (PA) accounts for funds that are held centrally to supplement other appropriations, from which payments and receipts are made on behalf of other federal organizations. These funds supplement the standard appropriations process and meet certain responsibilities of the Secretariat as the employer of the federal public service. The administration of these funds falls under the Expenditure Management and People Management program activities, but their financial resources are shown separately in the Program Activity Architecture (PA) for visibility and reporting purposes.

Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are:

Management and Oversight Services;
Communications Services;
Legal Services;
Human Resources Management Services;
Financial Management Services;
Information Management Services;
Information Technology Services;
Real Property Services;
Materiel Services;
Acquisition Services; and,
Travel and Other Administrative Services.

Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.