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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Table 12: Reponses to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Responses to Parliamentary Committees

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food (SCAAF)

A Government Response was tabled in the Commons on April 16, 2007 in response to the SCAAF's report entitled Report on the Review of the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission conducted by COMPAS Inc. Legislation was introduced in the House of Commons on December 13, 2007 to amend the Canada Grain Act based on the SCAAF report, the COMPAS study, and the general policy direction of the government.

A report by the Committee entitled “Growing Forward” was tabled in February 2008, with a Government Response requested by July 16, 2008. This report was a result of extensive hearings across Canada, including Ottawa with recommendations to the Government with strong emphasis on primary production research and innovation.

The Committee also tabled a report entitled “Study on the Collapse of the Beef and Pork Sector Revenues” in December 2007. The Committee requested a comprehensive Government Response which was tabled on April 10, 2008. This was a unanimous report by the committee members, undertaken due to the income crisis suffered by the beef and hog farmers in Canada. It included calling for measures to enable immediate cash-flow to producers, measures to improve the responsiveness of Business Risk Management programs as well as recommending that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada review program funding as it pertains to the implications of ruminant specified risk material.

On February 27, 2008, the Committee reported back to the Commons on Bill C-33, An Act to Amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The Bill would enable the introduction of regulations with respect to the renewable content in fuels. It also provides for a periodic and comprehensive review of the environmental and economic aspects of biofuel production in Canada by a parliamentary committee and be reported to Parliament.

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

On June 16, 2008, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled its 18th report in the House of Commons, entitled “Chapter 4, Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada of the May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada.” This report, building on an audit of the CAIS program conducted by the Office of the Auditor General, made five recommendations to the department, including improving program transparency, program evaluation, and performance monitoring and reporting. A government response to the report, currently under development, must be tabled in the House of Commons on or before October 14, 2008.

Responses to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Office of the Auditor General (OAG )

Chapter 4 of the May 2007 OAG report related to AAFC's Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program.

An audit was conducted by the OAG at the request of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. It examined how the department processes applications for income support, ensures that all parties are respecting the various monitoring provisions set out in the federal-provincial-territorial agreements, and measures and reports its performance to Parliament.

AAFC agreed with the Auditor General's recommendations and is acting on them as part of its continued effort to improve delivery of farm financial support programs to clients across Canada.

The detailed May 2007 report and a listing of recommendations with departmental responses can be found on the Auditor General's website

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Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Table: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Responses to Parliamentary Committees

No recommendations were received for 2007-2008.

Response to the Auditor General (including the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development).

The Auditor General of Canada did not report on the activities of ACOA in 2007-2008.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development did not report on the activities of ACOA in 2007-2008.

External Audits

Officer of the Commissioner of Official Languages – 2007-2008 Annual Report.

http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/ar_ra_2007_08_e.php

 

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Canada Border Services Agency

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Table 3.17: The CBSA’s Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
 
Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) conducted a review of Chapter 5 (“Keeping the Border Open and Secure”) of the 2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada.

In February 2008, the PAC held a meeting to examine Chapter 5, which focused on the CBSA. The PAC met with the Assistant Auditor General and CBSA senior officials before tabling its report in May 2008.

The report made four recommendations:

  • The CBSA should provide the PAC with a status report on the implementation of the audit recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) by December 31, 2008;
  • The CBSA’s risk-management strategies should be reported in its Departmental Performance Report (DPR);
  • The CBSA should include a status report on the implementation of the Agency’s training models in its 2008-2009 DPR; and
  • The CBSA should review the examination fees process to ensure there are no additional charges levied for random inspections.

In addition, the PAC stated it was concerned with the CBSA’s ability to assign the needed resources to best manage the risks inherent in its mandate.

At the end of 2007–2008, the CBSA was working on its response to the PAC’s report, which it subsequently completed in early 2008–2009.


 


Response to the Auditor General of Canada
(including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
 
“Keeping the Border Open and Secure”
The OAG conducted an audit of CBSA operations between October 2006 and May 2007 that examined the extent to which the Agency’s approach to border management is based on threat and risk assessments and achieves the desired levels of border openness and security (2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 5, “Keeping the Border Open and Secure”). 

The audit covered the following:

  • strategic planning and risk management;
  • pre-arrival targeting of high-risk people and goods;
  • facilitation of low-risk people and goods; and
  • operations at the border.
The audit made 14 recommendations and was tabled in October 2007. The Agency’s response is included in the audit report.
“Detention and Removal of Individuals”
Between October 2007 and February 2008, the OAG conducted an audit of the CBSA’s management of the detentions and removals programs (2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 7, “Detention and Removal of Individuals”).

The audit examined the following:

  • Whether the CBSA and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) have clearly articulated their respective accountabilities for administering the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
  • Whether the CBSA manages and reports on the detention of individuals consistently, in compliance with its policies and standards and with due regard to economy; and
  • Whether the CBSA removes individuals from Canada consistently based on the risks they present and whether it does so cost-effectively.

The audit made three recommendations:

  • The CBSA, in conjunction with CIC, should develop and implement processes to ensure the quality of the temporary resident permits program;
  • The CBSA should develop suitable policies and procedures for detentions and removals to ensure risks, situations and individuals are treated in a consistent manner; and
  • The CBSA should improve the data and level of analysis to better manage detentions and removals.

The audit was tabled in May 2008. The Agency’s response is included in the audit report.

Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) Petition 223 – Green Procurement of Paper for Publications and Internal Use by Federal Departments
The CESD forwarded petition 223 to the CBSA in November 2007. The petition was from a Canadian resident who requested information from 27 departments and agencies on their commitment to implementing the Government of Canada’s green procurement policy. Specifically, the petitioner requested information concerning departmental and agency use of recycled paper for publications and internal documents. The Agency’s response, which was included in the Minister of Public Safety’s response, was provided in March 2008.

 


External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.)
 
None

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Canada Industrial Relations Board

Table 4–Response to Parliamentary Committees, and Audits and Evaluations for Fiscal Year 2007–08


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No recommendations were received.


Response to the Auditor General including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)
To follow up.


External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.)
The Office of the Auditor General looked at the controls applied by three small organizations, including the CIRB, for acquisition cards, contracting, executive travel, hospitality, executive compensation, and selected areas of human resources management. They also examined whether the entities’ management and control practices comply with government policies.

Three recommendations were formulated:

Recommendation 1–The CIRB should ensure that controls for procurement are applied rigorously and that transactions are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Treasury Board Contracting Policy and the Government Contracts Regulations.

CIRB Response 1–The CIRB agrees with this recommendation. All managers have recently successfully completed the Canada School of Public Service’s Authority Delegation online assessment course on procurement. All new managers are required to undergo similar training in procurement policy. The CIRB is currently staffing the position of Manager, Materiel Management and Administrative Services, and will ensure that the successful candidate is fully trained in contract management and procurement and rigorously applies the requisite policies and controls.

Recommendation 2–The CIRB should develop and implement human resources plans that clearly define the current and future human resources needs, that are integrated with the business plans, and that outline the strategies to fill current and projected gaps in the workforce.

CIRB Response 2–The CIRB agrees with this recommendation. The CIRB currently has a number of strategic plans and/or anticipated actions covering a range of human resources activities, such as employment equity, official languages and succession planning. It will now move to integrate those existing plans into an overall comprehensive plan linked to business objectives. This will be completed in the 2007–08 fiscal year.

Recommendation 3–The CIRB should ensure that performance pay awards are based on complete performance assessments.

CIRB Response 3–The CIRB agrees that there have been shortcomings with respect to the performance management process and the maintenance of comprehensive file records of all completed performance assessments. The CIRB will rectify the process immediately, in the current year, and will ensure that all completed performance assessments are maintained by its Human Resources Unit. The CIRB will continue to ensure that performance agreements and assessments are prepared in accordance with government guidelines.

More detailed information can be obtained at the following link:

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200710_02_e_23826.html

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Canada Public Service Agency

Table 13: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
During the period April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, the Agency contributed to two responses to Parliamentary Committee Reports, as follows:

Senate:

Response to the preliminary findings of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service – Not There Yet.

In spring 2007, the Agency was invited to provide feedback to the Committee regarding its preliminary findings on employment equity in the Public Service.

Responding in the form of a letter, the Agency noted both the progress achieved and the challenges remaining in moving toward a fully representative Public Service workforce.

The Agency reports to Parliament annually on this issue through the tabling of its Annual Report on Employment Equity.

Government Response to the Eighth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Relocation of Head Offices of Federal Institutions: Respect for Language Rights. Response tabled in October 2007.

Working in collaboration with Canadian Heritage, the Agency contributed to the overall response in highlighting the Government's adoption of the Implementation Principle on the Language of Work, a measure that safeguards the linguistic rights of employees who choose to move when a head office relocates from a bilingual region to a unilingual region. The Agency continues to monitor the use of the implementation principle.

Responses to Parliament (Senate Committees) can be located by contacting the Journals Branch of the Senate, or alternatively, by contacting the Agency's Communications Branch.

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Sustainable Development Strategy:

See Table 12 on the SDS. The Office of the Auditor General, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD), does annual audits of departmental SD Strategies. This year, the CESD audited the Agency's target for increasing its waste diversion from landfill. The report was to be tabled in Parliament in the fall but, due to the election, it was postponed until early December 2008.

Governance of small federal entities:

The Office of the Auditor General informed the Agency on July 13, 2007, of its audit of the governance of small federal agencies. The Agency received a draft of the audit on June 24, 2008, and its suggested amendments were reflected in the second draft of September 9, 2008. The audit report has not been tabled in Parliament yet due to the general elections in the fall, so we are unable to share any official documents at this stage.

External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
N/A

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Canada Revenue Agency

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
 
1. Government Responses (GR) are requested by Parliamentary Committees under House of Commons Standing Order 109 or under Rules of the Senate 131(2). Such requests are included in the reports tabled by the respective Parliamentary Committee.
 
In fiscal year 2007-2008, the Minister of National Revenue tabled the following comprehensive GR to a report from a Parliamentary Committee, on behalf of the Government:
Report 9 – Parliamentary Review of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Act: A Value Proposition or a Failed Experiment? (Adopted by the Standing Committee on Finance on December 12, 2006; Presented to the House on December 13, 2006)
 
 
Government Response: Ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance, “Parliamentary Review of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Act: A Value Proposition or a Failed Experiment” (Presented to the House on April 4, 2007)
 
 
(NB: As the committee's report was tabled during fiscal year 2006-2007, this information was previously included in the 2006-2007 Canada Revenue Agency Annual Report to Parliament.)
 
2. It is important to note, however, that in fiscal year 2007-2008, the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Public Accounts (referred to in Parliament as “PACP”) undertook two separate initiatives related to the practice of seeking “follow-up” information (referred to herein as ‘status reports') further to GRs previously tabled in Parliament:
  • a study to follow-up on past PACP Recommendations; and
  • the Committee's Sixth Report entitled “Departmental Answers to Questions About Government Responses (39th Parliament)” (tabled February 25th, 2008).
Within this framework, on an exceptional basis, the PACP Chair twice contacted the CRA via written correspondence in order to obtain current status reports to GRs previously tabled with PACP. These status reports are not GRs per se, but as they stem from previous GRs they have been included below.
 
(NB: The Government's position toward these exceptional requests was later articulated in a GR tabled by the President of the Treasury Board. Please see item 3. for further clarification.)
  • Letter dated August 20, 2007, from the Chair of the PACP to the Commissioner of the CRA, requesting a status report on the progress further to its GR to the Committee's Seventh Report (“Canada Revenue Agency – Collection of Tax Debt”).
    • Though the original request was terminated with the prorogation of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session, on September 14, 2007, on the resumption of Parliamentary business, the Committee renewed its interest/request on January 28, 2008.
    • The CRA provided its status report on February 22, 2008.
  • Letter dated March 13, 2008, from the Chair of the PACP to the Minister of National Revenue, requesting a status report further to the GR concerning recommendations in the Twenty-third Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts – Chapter 7 of the Auditor General's December 2001 Report (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency – International Tax Administration: Non-Residents Subject to Canadian Income Tax). In this letter by the Committee Chair to the CRA, reference is also made to the Auditor General's February 2007 Status Report.
    • The CRA provided the committee with the requested status report on May 30, 2008.
3. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the President of the Treasury Board tabled the GR to the Sixth Report (in July 2008), in which reference is made to the above-noted practice of the Committee Chair contacting Deputy Heads directly for status reports relating to GR. The Government noted that:
 
“…Government Responses are tabled in Parliament by the responsible Minister or Ministers and represent the collective position taken by the Government as a whole and as such are approved by Cabinet through its collective decision-making process. While public servants are often able to assist the Committee's evaluation of a Government Response by providing relevant information of a technical or factual nature, the Government believes it would not be appropriate to ask these officials to address perceived inadequacies with the positions taken in the Response. Rather, such requests are properly addressed to Ministers. The Government very much appreciates the recent correspondence from the Chair of the Committee indicating that future “follow-up” requests from the Committee will be directed to Ministers, and thanks the Committee for addressing its concerns on this point.”
 
 
4. In 2007-2008, various Parliamentary Committees did table reports wherein the CRA is mentioned. These include:
 
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
 
Final Report on: The Enquiry on the Funding for the Treatment of Autism (March 29, 2007)
Recommendation G: “The Department of Finance and the Revenue Canada Agency study the implications of income splitting for ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorders] families and issue a report to the Minister of Finance by June 2008.”
 
 
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP)
 
Sixth Report (Departmental Answers to Questions About Government Responses) – Tabled February 25, 2008
 
Recommendations: This report reviewed the performance of certain government departments, including the CRA, in fulfilling recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts over the course of the 37th and 38th Parliaments. There are four recommendations that relate to the CRA. For full recommendations please see link below.
 
 
Government Response (presented July 16, 2008 by the President of the Treasury Board)
 
 
Eleventh Report (The Public Accounts of Canada 2007) – Tabled March 5, 2008
 
Recommendation 2: “The Canada Revenue Agency modify its tax revenue estimation methodology by 30 September 2008. If this cannot be done by this date, the Canada Revenue Agency should explain to the Public Accounts Committee the reasons for the inability to meet this deadline and provide the Committee with a date by which this modification will be done.”
 
 
Government Response (presented July 16, 2008 by the President of the Treasury Board)
 
Response to the Auditor General
 
Canada Revenue Agency – Technical Training and Learning
 
 
Federal Loans and Grants for Post-Secondary Education—Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation
 

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Canada School of Public Service

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

The March 2008 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) - Chapter 9: Management Tools and Government Commitments - Strategic Environmental Assessment.

This audit included an assessment of selected courses offered by the Canada School of Public Service to determine whether they now cover strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as well as an assessment of the progress made in addressing a recommendation made in 2004.

In a 2004 report by the CESD - Chapter 4, it noted that more training was needed to support SEA efforts and recommended that, "The Canada School of Public Service assess how the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals could be referenced in the courses it offers to senior managers in the federal public service. At the very least, all policy courses should refer to the directive."

The 2008 report concluded that progress in addressing the recommendation to improve training on SEAs is satisfactory and that training and guidance on SEA has increased and is accessible in courses delivered by the Canada School of Public Service. No further recommendations were made to the Canada School of Public Service.

External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)

The Canada Public Service Agency - Audit of Communications with and Services to the Public in Both Official Languages in Offices Within Alberta

This audit, conducted by the Canada Public Service Agency, covered 33 offices and facilities in 12 federal institutions located in Alberta. The audit examined their compliance with and performance against the Policy on the Use of Official Languages for Communications with and Services to the Public, the Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites, and the Directive on the Use of Official Languages in Electronic Communications as it pertains to communications with and services to the public.

The audit made three recommendations to the Canada School of Public Service for which corrective measures have been implemented. The recommendations and corrective measures are as follows:

Recommendation: Take action in the Calgary office to ensure that the public is greeted in both official languages when arriving on site

Response: The Calgary office is not a walk-in access office; typical traffic consists of individuals scheduled for an appointment or actively taking a course. All officers at the Calgary office have been reminded by email to greet all visitors (appointment or ad hoc) in both official languages. Employees are bilingual where necessary and services are available in both official languages.

Recommendation: Take steps to ensure that all signs posted in the Edmonton office for the safety and security of the visiting public are in both official languages

Response: All permanent signs in the Edmonton office are in bilingual format. The Exit/Sortie signs have always been in place. Signs are provided by building maintenance through Public Works and Government Service Canada (PWGSC) and SNC Profac (building management); the School will ask them to ensure all signs, including temporary signs, are in bilingual format.

Recommendation: Translate the Alberta course catalogue and ensure its availability in both official languages.

Response: The Alberta course catalogue has always been a bilingual product; the same version is distributed to both the Edmonton and Calgary offices. However, the receptionist at that time may not have been aware the catalogue was in a bilingual format. Staff has since been reminded via email that the catalogue is bilingual and that copies are available in print and electronic formats.

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Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
  • During the reporting period, the Agency did not table any responses to Parliamentary Committee reports.
Response to the Auditor General
(including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
  • The Agency participated in a follow-up audit of the government's performance in implementing the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, completed by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) during the reporting period.
  • The Agency also participated in a CESD audit initiated during the reporting period of selected commitments contained in its 2007-2009 Sustainable Development Strategy.
  • No recommendations of the Auditor General or the CESD were addressed specifically to the Agency.
External Audits
(Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Government-wide Audit of Executive (EX) Appointments by the Public Service Commission
  • The objective of this government-wide audit is to determine whether EX appointment activities comply with the Public Service Employment Act and other applicable legislation and policies, and with the instrument of delegation signed with the Public Service Commission. The audit covers the period starting January 1, 2006 and ending December 31, 2006. The Public Service Commission plans to finalize this audit during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/cntadt-vrfact-eng.htm

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Canadian Forces Grievance Board

Table 3: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to the Auditor General

The Auditor General conducted performance audits on three small entities and reported the results in Chapter 2 of the October 2007 Report of the Auditor General. No recommendations were received. For more information, please consult the following website:
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_2007_2_e_23826.html

External audit

Audit of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board – A report by the Public Service Commission of Canada October 2007. For supplementary information on the department’s response please visit:
http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/cfgb-cgfc/index-eng.htm


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Canadian Grain Commission

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
Response to Parliamentary Committees
N/A
Response to the Auditor General
N/A
External Audits
N/A

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Canadian Heritage

Table 10: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

1 - Response to Parliamentary Committees
Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages,Communities speak out: Hear our voice. The Vitality of Official Language Minority Communities
The report, containing 39 recommendations, was tabled in the House of Commons on May 9, 2007.

The Committee initiated this study on the vitality of official-language minority communities in October 2006 and focused primarily on health and immigration issues. The Committee members travelled to Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Sudbury, Sherbrooke, Moncton, and St. John to hear from regional organizations. The study had three main objectives: to assess the results of the Action Plan for Official Languages, to speak to the Government on behalf of the communities concerning the next Plan, and to initiate a rapprochement of the communities for the success of new initiatives beginning in 2008. The recommendations concern health, immigration, and all of the issues that affect community development, including education, support for community organizations, infrastructure development, language clauses in agreements, justice, research, arts and culture, and economic development. Finally, the Committee recommended that the government create a high-level committee responsible for implementing the second phase of the Action Plan and that it adopt a comprehensive renewal approach.

The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages and tabled in the House of Commons on October 17, 2007.

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10472&SourceId=214800&SwitchLanguage=1

Eighteenth Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women,The Impacts of Funding and Program Changes at Status of Women Canada
The report, containing five recommendations, was tabled in the House of Commons on May 2, 2007.

The Committee decided to study the impact of changes announced within Status of Women Canada in September 2006. From December 2006 to February 2007, the Committee members heard testimony and received a large number of submissions from individuals and organizations representing all regions of Canada, national and local groups, and some groups that receive the bulk of their funding from the Women's Program. The five report recommendations reflect the majority of the points of view expressed to the Committee. These involved asking Status of Women Canada to reconsider regional office closures, the abolition of the Research Fund, the promotion of equality in the wording of the revised mandate, and the terms and conditions of the Women's Program.

The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages, and tabled in the House of Commons on October 17, 2007.

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10477&SourceId=215392&SwitchLanguage=1

Seventeenth Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage,The funding crisis of the Canadian Television Fund
The report, containing six recommendations, was tabled in the House of Commons on March 21, 2007.

Further to the January 2007 decision of Shaw Communications Inc. and Québécor Média to withdraw their financial support for the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage launched a study of the issue. The Committee members heard testimony from the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and from representatives of the CTF, CBC/Radio-Canada, the CRTC, Shaw Communications, and Québécor Média, as well as from numerous representatives from the film and television industry and related professional associations. The Committee's recommendations support the work of the CTF and condemns the actions of Shaw Communications and Québécor Média. It recommended that the CRTC amend the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations to require payments to the CTF, that some provisions concerning the CTF be maintained, and that annual contributions to the CTF be established. It criticized the fact that the CRTC held its hearings into the future of the CTF in private.

The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages, and was tabled in the House of Commons on June 14, 2007.

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10467&SourceId=212907&SwitchLanguage=1

Eighth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Relocation of Head Offices of Federal Institutions: Respect for Language Rights
The report, containing ten recommendations, was tabled in the Senate on May 16, 2007.

Following the relocation of some federal institutions' head offices, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages decided to conduct a study on the impact of these decisions on the application of the Official Languages Act. During its study, the Committee met with the Canadian Tourism Commission, which moved its head office from Ottawa to Vancouver in 2005; with Farm Credit Canada, which moved its head office to Regina in 1992; and with Veterans Affairs Canada, which relocated its head office to Charlottetown in the early 1980s. The issues specifically involved communications with and services to the public, employees' language of work, the vitality of official language communities in a minority setting, and the promotion of linguistic duality. The Committee's recommendations identify the most effective and efficient means through which the government can ensure full respect of the rights provided in the Official Languages Act when relocating the head office of federal agencies from a bilingual region to a unilingual region.

The Government Response was signed jointly by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages and the President of the Treasury Board, and was tabled in the Senate on October 28, 2007.

Second (Interim) Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Understanding the Reality and Meeting the Challenges of Living in French in Nova Scotia—Fact-Finding Mission to the Acadian and Francophone Communities of Nova Scotia
The report, containing ten recommendations, was tabled in the Senate on October 5, 2006.

This report came further to a fact-finding mission to the Acadian and Francophone communities of Nova Scotia from September 19 to 23, 2005. It describes the issues raised by the communities during these consultations and points out three specific factors that contributed to halting the development of these communities: a demographic and historic factor, a political factor, and a factor related to the public administrative process. The Committee's recommendations call for the federal government's compliance with the Action Plan and Part VII of the Official Languages Act. It alsoencourages partnerships with the Nova Scotia minority communities, support for their development, the signing of a cooperation agreement as soon as possible, and a review of the Official Languages Regulations.

The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages, and the President of the Treasury Board, and was tabled in the Senate on June 20, 2007.

Fifth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Reflecting Canada's Linguistic Duality at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: A Golden Opportunity
The report, containing ten recommendations, was tabled in the Senate on March 1, 2007.

This study began with the testimony of Lise Bissonnette, Grand Témoin for the 2006 Turin Olympic Games. Subsequently, the Committee heard from some 40 witnesses, including partners in the organization of the Games, British Columbia Francophone groups, and Canadian Heritage and Sport Canada. The report recommends clarifying the roles of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue, the Fédération des francophones de Colombie-Britannique, and the Government of Quebec. It also recommends the appointment of a representative from the Francophone communities to the VANOC Board of Directors and for the collaboration of the federal government and VANOC with the Bell Globemedia/Rogers Media consortium to find a solution that will guarantee equitable access (as in equal quality) to 2010 Olympic Games programming for all Canadians. The Committee agreed, early in its activities, to examine the progress made by the partners in the organization of the Games, and intends to continue doing so. It is firmly determined to reconvene the partners within three years to determine the status of their commitment and progress made in the promotion of linguistic duality.

The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women, and Official Languages and the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, and was tabled in the Senate on August 18, 2007.

2 - Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Name of audit: Use of Public Funds by the Former Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec

This audit found that, of the more than $1.7 million paid to the former Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec between April 1, 1997 and March 31, 2007, approximately $1 million was spent on official duties. The audit was unable to determine whether the remainder, approximately $700,000, was spent on official duties. The audit recommended that the Department of Canadian Heritage initiate discussions with the former Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec to identify expenses that were ineligible for the grant and which should be reimbursed to the Department. It also recommended that the Department review the conditions for grant eligibility; establish, with the directors of the offices of Lieutenant-Governors, the policies that governing personal spending and expenses incurred as part of the duties of a Lieutenant-Governor; update the Lieutenant-Governor Briefing Book, adding a section on financial management and tax treatment of grants, and provide copies to Lieutenant-Governors; provide their staff with training on this topic; and ensure that Lieutenant-Governors publicly and promptly account for the use of the public funds.

The Auditor General tabled this audit on June 12, 2007.

Since the audit was tabled, the Department has worked closely with the offices of Lieutenant-Governors to address these recommendations. Clearer guidelines regarding eligible expenses that may be covered by the named grant were developed. These are now included in the Minister's letter approving the payment of the grant at the beginning of the fiscal year. They are also included in the newly revised Lieutenant Governor Briefing Book. In addition, the tax treatment of the grant has been clearly outlined in the Briefing Book in collaboration with the Canada Revenue Agency whose representatives have also made themselves available to the Department and to Lieutenant-Governors offices for ongoing consultation.

The Department continues to examine various ways to enhance the accountability of Lieutenant-Governors for the federal funding that they receive. In this sense, the Department has already taken steps such as a more rigorous application of the federal Policy on Transfer Payments and continued communication with the offices of Lieutenant-Governors.

Finally, the Department is awaiting for the results of the RCMP investigation to determine whether other measures may be required.

For more information on the department's response, please visit the link below.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/docs/200706Lieutenant-Governorqce.pdf

3 - External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Name of audit: Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Public Service and Ministers' Offices by the Public Service Commission

The Objective of this audit was to determine the extent of movement of public servants between the public service and ministers' offices; determine whether appointments of public servants returning from ministers' offices met the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER), PSC policies and other applicable legislation; and assess the risk to political impartiality.

The audit looked at 15 organizations, including the Department of Canadian Heritage, and covered the period from 1990 to 2006. It did not mention the Department specifically and included only one recommendation, which was directed to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). The recommendation proposes that TBS develop and recommend to the Treasury Board a policy governing the movement of public servants between the public service and Ministers' Offices to ensure that these moves are undertaken in a fair and transparent manner, upholding the principle of political impartiality, and are effectively monitored.

For more information,  please visit the link below.

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm

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Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

Table 3. Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No recommendations were received.

Response to the Auditor General including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)
No recommendations were received.

External Audits
No external audits were conducted.


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Canadian International Development Agency

Table 7: Response to parliamentary committees and external audits


Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
In July 2007, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development tabled Report 8 -Advancing Canada's Role in International Support for Democratic Development (adopted by the Committee on June 19, 2007, and presented to the House on July 11, 2007). CIDA was, jointly with DFAIT, responsible for preparing the Government Response to the Eight Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development: A New Focus on Democracy Support presented to the House on November 2, 2007.
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10475&Lang=1&SourceId=216092
Standing Committee on National Defence
In June 2007, the Standing Committee on National Defence tabled Report 1 - Canadian Forces in Afghanistan (adopted by the Committee on June 12, 2007, and presented to the House on June 18, 2007). CIDA was consulted in the preparation of the Government Response to the First Report of the Standing Committee on National Defence: Canadian Forces in Afghanistan that was presented to the House in October 2007.
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10470&Lang=1&SourceId=214688

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Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Table 5: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No responses, audits or evaluations for 2007-08 were provided to Parliamentary Committees by the Office of Audit, Evaluation and Ethics.
 
Response to the Auditor General (including the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) performed its annual audit of CNSC's financial statements. The OAG concluded that the financial statements were properly presented with respect to the financial position of the Commission on March 31, 2008, and that the results of its operations and cash flows for the year ended in accordance with generally accepted Canadian accounting principles. Furthermore, in the opinion of the OAG, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission complied, in all significant respects, with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Cost Recovery Fees Regulations pursuant to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.
 
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
No external audits were conducted during 2007-08.

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Canadian Space Agency

3.3.7) Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits for Fiscal-Year 2007-2008


Response to Parliamentary Committees

No recommendation was received during the period covered by this report.

Response to the Auditor General

No recommendation was received during the period covered by this report. However, a Status Update for 2006-2007 on the 2002 recommendations was produced.

To learn more about the Status Update, go to:
www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/publications/pr-2005_response.asp

External Audits

The Public Service Commission tabled an Audit Report for Calendar Year 2007.

To learn more about the Audit Report, go to:
www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/abt-aps/inta-veri/2008/riac-rcvi/index-eng.htm


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Canadian Transportation Agency

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
During the reporting period, there were no Parliamentary Committee recommendations on which the Agency was asked to respond.


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
During the reporting period, no recommendation of the Auditor General nor the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development was addressed specifically to the Agency.


External Audits (note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages).
No external audits were done during fiscal year 2007-2008.

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Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees

1st Session of the 39th Parliament

Report 15: Safeguarding Asylum – Sustaining Canada’s Commitments to Refugees

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration presented the report to the House of Commons on May 30, 2007. The report contained 38 recommendations on various refugee issues and included the following: the private sponsorship of refugees; the Refugee Appeal Division; cases where people seek sanctuary in churches; temporary suspension of removals; the IRB appointment process and backlogs; the Safe Third Country Agreement; Pre-Removal Risk Assessment; settlement issues affecting refugees; stateless refugees in the Philippines; and fees charged to refugees.

The Government of Canada’s response, which was tabled on October 17, 2007, can be found at the following link:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10469&Lang=1&SourceId=215511

2nd Session of the 39th Parliament

Report 2: Reclaiming Citizenship for Canadians – A Report on the Loss of Canadian Citizenship

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration presented the report to the House of Commons on December 6, 2007. The report contained a total of 13 recommendations which addressed the drafting of a bill to amend the Citizenship Act and immediate relief until this bill is adopted; enacting a new Citizenship Act; and what the Committee believes are systemic issues facing Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The Government of Canada’s response, which was tabled on April 3, 2008, can be found at the following link:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=13182&Lang=1&SourceId=233619

Response to the Auditor General

Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG)

No OAG audits specific to the Department were reported on in 2007–2008.

Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development – 2007 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

The overall audit objective was to determine the progress made by select departments and agencies in developing and implementing their sustainable development strategies. Recommendations made in the Commissioner’s October 2007 report were not directed at CIC.

For supplementary information on this report please visit:
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200710_e_26831.html

External Audits

Office of the Privacy Commissioner – Assessing the Privacy Impacts of Programs, Plans, and Policies

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner initiated a government-wide audit of Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) in October 2006. The main objective of the audit is compliance with policy. CIC was included in the scope of this audit.

For supplementary information on this report please visit:
http://www.privcom.gc.ca/information/pub/ar-vr/pia_200710_e.asp

Public Service Commission – Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers’ Offices

The audit examined the extent to which public servants move between the public service and ministers’ offices; and whether the appointments of public servants returning from ministers’ offices meet the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act and Regulations, Public Service Commission policies, and other applicable legislation. CIC was included in the scope of this audit.

The audit made one recommendation directed to the TBS. For supplementary information on this report please visit:
http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm

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Correctional Service Canada

Table 13 - Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
Information to be provided Executive Office and relevant sectors
 
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Correctional Service Canada was not subject to any recommendations by the Auditor General or the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development duringthe period under review.
 
External Audits
Correctional Service Canada was not subject to any recommendations by external organizations during the period under review.

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Courts Administration Service

Table 5: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
Not applicable


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada – Chapter 2 – Management and Control Practices in Three Small Entities

The Auditor General of Canada found that the Courts Administration Service has effective control procedures in place for acquisition cards, executive travel, and hospitality. However, its controls for contracting and its management of performance pay lack rigour. It also has difficulty finding enough people with the required skills and competencies to fill its positions on a timely basis. A significant number of its employees have been in acting positions for up to two years. Yet the Courts Administration Service has done virtually no planning to address these problems.

Courts Administration Service's response –

In 2006, the Service established a Contracts Review Committee to review contracts and their files on a quarterly basis in order to ensure that they comply with the Government Contracts Regulations, the Treasury Board Contracting Policy, and CAS internal policies and procedures. In 2005, the Service also established and staffed a senior contracting specialist position to ensure that controls were applied rigorously.

As a result of an earlier internal audit of human resources management, the Service has accessed approximately $933,000 in funding from the Canada Public Service Agency's strategic investment framework for six initiatives under the Public Service Modernization Act. A key initiative being funded is the development of a human resources plan across the organization. The Service is currently working with a consultant to develop an action plan, and in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 fiscal years, the Service will be putting this plan into action. A key component of the action plan will be the provision of training and tools to senior management in order to ensure the sustainability of the process.

The recommendation that the Service should ensure performance pay awards are based on complete performance assessments was also made in an earlier internal audit of human resources management. As a result, the Service now ensures compliance with the Performance Management Program of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and our own internal policies through the monitoring and annual report of the Performance Review Committee. To ensure awareness, all executives provide a written attestation of their compliance with policy.

Link to the 2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada – Chapter 2 – Management and Control Practices in Three Small Entities http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200710_02_e_23826.html



External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Staffing Management Accountability Framework for 2007-2008

Courts Administration Service was assessed against the Staffing Management Accountability Framework eleven leading indicators of long-term success for the reporting period April 2007 to March 2008. The organization received an acceptable rating for four of these leading indicators, i.e. delegation, merit, non-partisanship and fairness. An area of strength identified overall was in relation to the values of transparency and access in the manner in which employees of the organization are notified about staffing advertisements and notifications. In the seven remaining areas, i.e. Human Resources Planning, Human Resources Support Systems, Accountability for Results, Flexibility and Efficiency, Representativeness, Access and Transparency, the organization received a rating of "opportunity for improvement". Feedback from the Public Service Commission indicated that corporate-level and sector human resources plans and staffing strategies need to have department-wide staffing objectives expressed in measurable terms and variances from comparisons of actual to planned staffing activities documented and reported to senior management and actively addressed. The length of appointment processes, employment equity provisions in the internal and external advertised processes, the ratio of non-advertised appointments to total appointments and the under-representation of women also needs to be addressed in the HR Plans in measurable terms. HR plans and staffing strategies also need to be communicated to employees and managers. It was also indicated that a continuous learning curriculum for staffing advisors needs to be developed and the staffing services and infrastructure needs to fully meet management's assessment of overall needs.

The organization is presently working on a three year integrated business and HR plan and staffing strategies which will be finalized in the early fall of 2008. The HR Plan and staffing strategies will also be posted at this time on the organization's intranet site. The HR Plan will address the length of appointment processes, employment equity provisions, the ratio of non-advertised appointments to total appointments, and the under-representation of women in measurable terms. In relation to continuous learning curriculum for staffing advisors, the organization has developed learning plans and a coach is in place to train and develop employees in staffing.


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Department of Finance Canada

Table 8: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
None.
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
None.
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
None.

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Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Table 11-A: Responses to Parliamentary Committees


This table lists responses to parliamentary committees made by DFAIT pertaining to 2007-2008.

1. House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development:

  1. Report 2–Darfur (adopted by the Committee on June 21, 2006; presented to the House on September 20, 2006)

    Government Response: Second Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, "Situation in Darfur" (presented to the House on January 17, 2007)
  2. Report 4–Canada’s International Policy Put to the Test in Haiti (adopted by the Committee on December 12, 2006; presented to the House on December 13, 2006)

    Government Response: Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, "Canada’s International Policy Put to the Test in Haiti" (presented to the House on April 16, 2007)
  3. Report 8–Advancing Canada’s Role in International Support for Democratic Development (adopted by the Committee on June 19, 2007; presented to the House on July 11, 2007)

    Government Response: Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, "A New Focus on Democracy Support" (presented to the House on November 2, 2007)

2. Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights:

  1. Interim Report–Canada and the United Nations Human Rights Council: At the Crossroads (interim report "to examine and monitor issues relating to human rights and, inter alia, to review the machinery of government dealing with Canada’s international and national human rights obligations")

    Government Response: Twelfth Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, "Canada and the United Nations Human Rights Council: At the Crossroads" (presented to the Senate on November 14, 2007)

3. Standing Committee on International Trade:

  1. Report 7–Ten Steps to a Better Trade Policy: Recommendations (adopted by the Committee on March 29, 2007; presented to the House on March 30, 2007)

    Government Response: Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, "Ten Steps to a Better Trade Policy: Recommendations" (presented to the House on August 22, 2007)
  2. Report 8–Ten Steps to a Better Trade Policy (adopted by the Committee on April 24, 2007; presented to the House on May 1, 2007)

    Government Response: Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, "Ten Steps to a Better Trade Policy" (presented to the House on August 22, 2007)
  3. Report 3–A Study of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Negotiations (adopted by the Committee on March 3, 2008; presented to the House on March 11, 2008)

    Government Response: Third Report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, "A Study of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Negotiations"
    (The Government will table its response within the time provided by the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, 120 calendar days. Once tabled, it will be available at http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteeList.aspx?Lang=1&PARLSES=392&JNT=0&SELID=e24_&COM=13181.)

Table 11-B: Responses to the Auditor General

including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)


1. Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies–May 2008 OAG Report

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) looked at how the department establishes fees for consular services and determines the amount to be charged; they also looked at how the department measures, monitors and reports on the performance of fee-related activities.

The OAG concluded that Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada was allocating costs to the consular services fee beyond those included in the cost allocations supporting the original approval of the fee. After applying a methodology consistent with the original fee approval, the OAG identified a trend of surpluses. In their view, the department is at risk of appearing not to have determined the amount to be charged for the fee in a way that is consistent with a view to cost recovery, as its legislative framework requires.

The OAG recommended that DFAIT review its time-reporting practices and the allocation of costs and activities to the consular services fee to ensure that DFAIT remains consistent with the authorization for the fee and excludes the costs of services on behalf of other departments and agencies that are not part of the consular services fee. It also recommended that the department then amend its reporting to Parliament, as appropriate, and take any necessary action to adjust the fee in view of the trend of surpluses.

The department agreed that the costing methodology for the consular services fee needs to be reviewed but noted that cumulatively over the past five years, including the costs of the Lebanon evacuation in 2006-2007, there is a modest deficit from the consular services fee. Full details of the management responses can be found in the 2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 1: Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies (www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_200805_01_e_30697.html).

2. Management Tools and Government Commitments–International Environmental Agreements–March 2008 CESD Report

Canada has signed more than 100 international environmental agreements over the years, the Kyoto Protocol among them, committing it to act on crucial issues such as ocean pollution, fishery conservation and the protection of endangered species.

In 2004, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) reported that lead departments for the agreements they looked at had varying degrees of knowledge about whether they were achieving the objectives of the agreements. Some departments did not always know the environmental results they were achieving under the agreements or, in some cases, the results they were supposed to achieve. Nor were all the departments reporting on the results they had achieved.

CESD’s March 2008 status report examined the federal government's management of information on international environmental agreements to assess the progress it had made since 2004. They examined 20 international environmental agreements in four departments, including DFAIT. CESD assessed whether enough information is available for parliamentarians and other interested Canadians to judge whether Canada is meeting its environmental commitments to the international community. In this audit, CESD found that although the department has not maintained the comprehensive database, it is currently updating its Treaty Database (a listing that focuses on the formal aspects of all treaties Canada has signed, such as the in-force date, signatories and parties, and treaty text). Although the database stores information on the lead negotiating departments involved, this information is not publicly available. DFAIT noted that the Treaty Database contains less publicly available information than the international environmental agreement database that the department created in 1998. The existing system requires users to contact the department for this type of information.

CESD concurred that, although Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada has not maintained the comprehensive international environmental agreements database, they were satisfied that the Treaty Database includes enough information on international environmental agreements to allow Canadians to make further searches.

DFAIT responses can be found in the 2008 March Status Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Chapter 8: Management Tools and Government Commitments–International Environmental Agreements (www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_08_e_30134.html).

3. Human Resource Management–May 2007 OAG Report

The OAG examined whether the department plans for and manages its human resources in a way to ensure that it has the people with the right skills and competencies to carry out its mandate. The OAG concluded that the department does not have a comprehensive human resources plan and does not have the information it needs to identify the staffing levels, competencies and experience it requires now and in the future.

As a result of a lack of human resources planning, management of the workforce suffers from many deficiencies that put the attainment of departmental objectives at risk. Recruitment and promotion processes do not ensure that position requirements, in terms of numbers of vacancies filled or skills capacity, are met on a timely basis. Assignments to rotational positions result in a high number of people whose classification levels do not match the job requirements. The department is not paying enough attention to the management of locally engaged staff. There is little flexibility to compensate and provide incentives to staff for the hardship and cost of living of working in foreign missions.

DFAIT has begun to develop a planning process for its human resources that can support its long-term management needs. It has a number of good practices to build on, but a sustained effort is required to bring modern human resources planning and management into its culture. Proper human resources planning would contribute to closing the staffing gaps and responding to the department's immediate and longer-term needs.

DFAIT and the Treasury Board Secretariat agreed with the OAG’s observations and recommendations. Details of their responses can be found in the 2007 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 3–Human Resources Management–Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
(www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_200705_3_e_17478.html).


Table 11-C: External Audits

(Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.)


None were conducted during the 2007-2008 fiscal period.

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Department of Justice Canada

Table 8: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security

- Report 7 (39th Parliament, 1st Session)

Summary:
This report, entitled Rights, Limits, Security: A Comprehensive Review of the Anti-terrorism Act and Related Issues (Adopted by the Committee on March 20th 2007; Presented to the House on March 27th 2007), describes the Committee’s findings and recommendations intended to suggest the changes deemed necessary to improve the Anti-terrorism Act and related legislation.

Recommendation:
Sixty recommendations were put foreword by the Committee.

Response:
The Government responded to these recommendations. The response was presented to the House on July 18th 2007 and is available online via the links below.

Hotlink for English:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=213371

Hotlink for French: http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=2&SourceId=213370

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security

- Report 9 (39th Parliament, 1st Session)

Summary:
This report, entitled Subject matter of Bill C-279, An Act to amend the DNA Identification Act (establishment of indexes) (Adopted by the Committee on April 26th 2007; Presented to the House on April 30th 2007), states that the Committee in principle fully supports the intention underlying Bill C-279 and believes that the necessary steps must be taken, either by amending the DNA Identification Act or by providing for the establishment of a DNA human remains index and a DNA missing persons index, to help law enforcement agencies to search for and identify persons reported missing.

Recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the Government consider the advisability of bringing in the legislation necessary to establish missing persons indexes after the completion of federal-provincial-territorial discussions on its implementation.

Response:
The Government responded to this recommendation. The response was presented to the House on June 20th 2007 and is available online via the links below.

Hotlink for English:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=212790

Hotlink for French: http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=2&SourceId=212792

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security

- Report 10 (39th Parliament, 1st Session)

Summary:

This report, entitled Counterfeit Goods in Canada – A Threat to Public Safety (Adopted by the Committee on May 29th 2007; Presented to the House on June 4th 2007), describes the Committee’s findings regarding the effects of counterfeiting and piracy on the Canadian economy.

Recommendation:
Fourteen recommendations were put foreword by the Committee.

Response:
The Government responded to these recommendations. The response was presented to the House on October 17th 2007 and is available online via the links below.

Hotlink for English:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=215234

Hotlink for French:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10804&Lang=2&SourceId=215235

Standing Committee on the Status of Women

- Report 12 (39th Parliament, 1st Session)

Summary:
This report, entitled Turning Outrage into action to address trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Canada (Adopted by the Committee on February 13th 2007; Presented to the House on February 27th, 2007), describes the Committee’s study on trafficking of women, the vast majority of whom are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Recommendations:
Thirty three recommendations were put foreword by the Committee.

Response:
The Government responded to these recommendations. The response was presented to the House on June 15th 2007 and is available online via the links below.

Hotlink for English:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10477&Lang=1&SourceId=212908

Hotlink for French: http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10477&Lang=2&SourceId=212909



Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Chapter 5 of the May 2007 Report of the Auditor General, entitled Managing the Delivery of Legal Services to Government – Department of Justice Canada, found that DoJ has made progress in the management of litigation risk as well as in the management of legal agents. However, little progress has been made in improving current financial arrangement with client departments, resulting in lack of incentive to control costs and manage the increasing demand for legal services. It was also put forth that DoJ lacks information on its volume of work and the use of staff time, resulting in limited understanding of the cost effectiveness of legal service delivery. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=13197&Lang=1&SourceId=242780

Six recommendations and subsequent DOJ responses were put forward, as follows:

  • Recommendation 1: Justice Canada should complete its corporate strategic planning and develop strategies to meet its long-term goals.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the recommendation and will continue its efforts to implement planning frameworks and processes to meet its strategic outcomes. The Department created the Office of Strategic Planning and Performance Management in February 2005 to begin to strengthen the Department’s strategic planning and performance management capabilities, including integrated planning and strategic analysis, and performance measurement and reporting for the Department. The Department is also developing a corporate human resources strategy which encompasses the key strategic human resources priorities of the Department as well as other human resources management initiatives in support of government-wide priorities.
  • Recommendation 2: Justice Canada should examine the weaknesses noted in its management of legal agents used for civil work and take corrective action.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the Auditor General’s recommendation. The Department has an action plan to support the continued implementation of improvements to the management of legal agents. This action plan will address the issues raised by the Auditor General.
  • Recommendation 3: In addition to its current management of alternative dispute resolution initiative, Justice Canada should ensure that it clearly defines each initiative’s objectives, estimates the potential cost savings and formally reviews the outcome of initiatives against their objectives.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the Auditor General's recommendation, which is consistent with the recent review of the Department's dispute resolution initiative that has resulted in a new mandate focused on providing services to departments supporting long-term prevention and early resolution of disputes. These client-focused services include systems design, legal advisory support, and training, all of which are linked to the departmental priorities of improving practice management and managing the volume of litigation.
  • Recommendation 4: Justice Canada should define performance measures for its corporate priorities and improve its performance reporting to Parliament.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the Auditor General’s recommendation. The Department will incorporate measures from the Management Accountability Framework completed by the Treasury Board Secretariat into the Departmental Performance Report (DPR). A number of implementations have also taken place in the Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) the DPR in an effort to improve reporting to Parliament and to the public on initiatives and priorities. Also, as part of its efforts to improve reporting, the Department has implemented a practice whereby a committee of performance measurement specialists within the Department, as well as one external adviser, assess the quality of data used to arrive at management's assessments of the degree to which the Department is achieving its priorities each year. The results of these reviews are reported in the departmental performance report.
  • Recommendation 5: Justice Canada should develop a quality management system or systems for each of its practices to provide senior management with ongoing and reliable assurance that all services meet established minimum quality standards.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the Auditor General’s recommendation and will build on the elements of its quality work recognized by the Office of the Auditor General with a view to having a sound quality management approach.
  • Recommendation 6: Justice Canada needs to make improvements to its resource management. The Department should use information on workload volumes and costs for all of its legal services to better monitor trends, plan, set priorities, manage resources, analyze service delivery options, and identify opportunities for controlling costs; work with client departments to effectively plan, manage, and improve the cost-effectiveness of their financial arrangements with a view to managing demand for legal services and thereby reducing costs; and ensure that a senior manager with the necessary authority leads the improvement of management practices at the Department and oversees implementation of these changes.
  • Response: The Department agrees with the Auditor General’s recommendation. DoJ will continue the work underway to develop approaches to further develop its capacity to use management information to enhance management decisions, and regularize its cost recovery agreements with government departments. The Department is currently working on putting in place an initiative to better coordinate and integrate its law management practices. At the same time, the Department will review its management practices to identify and put in place corporate reports to provide management information to support departmental decision making. Senior management authority, to lead out work on management practices, will be strengthened.

Hotlink for Responses(En): http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200705_05_e_17480.html
Hotlink for Responses(Fr): http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Francais/parl_oag_200705_05_f_17480.html



External Audits
(Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
None during the reporting period; no recommendations were received.

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Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Table 13: Response to parliamentary committees, audits and evaluations

Response to parliamentary committees

No recommendations were issued by any Parliamentary Committees concerning the Agency during FY 2007-2008.

Response to Auditor General of Canada reports, including reports from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

The Agency was not the subject of any Office of the Auditor General (OAG) audits during FY 2007-2008.

External audits

These audits refer to the other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

During FY 2007-2008, the Agency commissioned an audit of compliance with official language contractual requirements by designated Business Development Centres and Community Futures Development Corporations.

This audit was conducted in accordance with a commitment made by the Agency in May 2005 to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in response to its audit report on the Community Futures Development Corporations and corporations benefiting community development.
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Environment Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to External Audits


Response to the Auditor General including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)
2007 October Report of the Auditor General - Chapter 3 - Inuvialuit Final Agreement

Summary: This audit examines the extent to which each department implicated in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada) has met a selection of its specific economic, environmental and wildlife obligations. Environment Canada is generally compliant with its obligations under the Agreement.

Recommendation: One of the audit recommendations (3.46) implicates Environment Canada, among others, noting that departments should develop systems and processes to monitor their compliance with the Agreement's contracting provisions. (Environment Canada has not issued a contract relevant to Section 16 since the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed).

Government Response to Recommendation 3.46 - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Parks Canada.

  • Agreed Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, in consultation with Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Works and Government Services Canada, will provide guidance to departments on the appropriate level of monitoring required to ensure compliance with this Agreement's and similar agreements' contracting provisions that are reflected in Treasury Board policy requirements.
  • It is important to note that an interdepartmental working group has been established by Treasury Board Secretariat for the development of an amendment to the Treasury Board Contracting Policy which will update the process for government procurement in the context of comprehensive land claims agreements. The amendment will clarify departmental responsibilities for monitoring and reporting requirements of Crown procurements undertaken in regions covered by comprehensive land claims agreements, including the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
  • It should be noted that while some departments have systems to monitor departmental compliance with the specific contracting provisions in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, not all departments do so on a systematic basis. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment Canada will develop or strengthen, where necessary, systems and procedures to meet any new monitoring and reporting requirements that may be established by the Treasury Board.
  • In addition, the five audited departments will give full consideration to this recommendation as they review and where necessary, enhance current systems and procedures to monitor the awarding of contracts to the Inuvialuit that are not subject to public tender, when they are capable of supplying the goods and services on a reasonable basis. Work on processes governing federal procurement to include provisions for contracting in national parks is already under way, and will be developed to capture the same information for other comprehensive land claims agreements.

For more information on Chapter 3, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_2007_3_e_23827.html

2007 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development - Chapter 1: Sustainable Development Strategies

Summary: The audit evaluates government performance related to departmental sustainable development strategies in three areas: government wide direction for sustainable development strategies, action on strategy commitments and the quality of selected 2007-2009 strategies. The audit is critical of Environment Canada's performance as the lead department on sustainable development strategies over the past ten years.

Recommendation: The audit contains only one recommendation that the federal government should carry out a thorough documented review of its current approach to the preparation and use of sustainable development strategies and should act on the results. Its review should take into account the original expectations for sustainable development strategies as articulated in A Guide to Green Government (1995), lessons learned over the past four sustainable development strategy cycles, and stakeholder views on key challenges and opportunities for the future.

Departmental Response: Environment Canada, as the department assigned responsibility for coordinating sustainable development strategies in September 2005, agrees on the government's behalf with the recommendation. A review of the current approach to sustainable development strategies is timely and could draw on over a decade of experience with the current approach and a growing body of experience and best practices internationally with regard to sustainable development strategies. Environment Canada, in collaboration with other departments, will conduct a thorough review which will identify means to improve the government's approach to sustainable development.

For more information on Chapter 1, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_2007_1_e_23837.html

2007 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development - Chapter 2: Environmental Petitions

Summary: This chapter is a retrospective that studies past experience to identify opportunities for enhancing the petitions process. The chapter describes the nature of environmental petitions and the extent to which some of them may have influenced the federal management of environmental issues in Canada.

Mention of departments including Environment Canada is generally factual, neutral and for the most part occurs in the context of actions they are taking and have described in a response to a petition. Environment Canada is noted to be the most petitioned department in government and to have received over 170 petitions since the inception of the process in 1995. Environment Canada, Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are mentioned positively as being departments that have developed guidance to facilitate the development of petition responses within and among departments. The report concludes that through the work on the retrospective, the CESD has identified opportunities for enhancing the petitions process and confirming the importance of continuing current auditing and reporting practices. The report does not make any recommendation.

For more information on Chapter 2, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_2007_2_e_23838.html

2008 March Status Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

 

Chapter 1-Chemicals Management-Substances Assessed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

 

This Chapter examined the progress made by Environment Canada and Health Canada in managing risk assessments under Canadian Environmental Protection Act , including the status of the 69 priority substances. It also examined the departments' initiatives for addressing new risk assessment priorities out of the 23 000 substances on the Domestic Substances List.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • The federal government has made satisfactory progress since 2002 in responding to the Commissioner's findings and recommendations regarding the management of risk assessments of chemical substances that could be toxic.
  • Risk assessments of priority substances that were underway in 2002 have been completed for the most part. However, the assessments of four of those substances have yet to be finalized - even though the departments have evidence that two of them are likely toxic and present risks to human health and the environment.
  • Health Canada and Environment Canada identified 4 300 substances that needed further assessment and the departments have adjusted the risk assessment process based on lessons learned from previous evaluations, set clear objectives and timelines, identified priorities, and are taking steps to ensure that they will have enough resources to do the work.

Recommendation 1.19: Environment Canada and Health Canada should make publicly available the list of those substances that have been assessed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 but are not listed in Schedule 1 of the Act and are being risk managed outside the Act. The list should also include information on what controls are in place.

 

Environment Canada's Response: Environment Canada accepts this recommendation and will make such a list available in 2008 through the Government of Canada's Internet Website for the Chemicals Management Plan and the CEPA registry.

 

For more information on Chapter 1, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_01_e_30127.html

 

Chapter 3-Chemicals Management-Federal Contaminated Sites

This chapter examined the progress that four departments-Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, National Defence and Transport Canada-made in addressing selected findings and recommendations from the 2002 Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Report. These departments are collectively responsible for approximately 89 percent of the contaminated sites under federal responsibility. The chapter also examined what Environment Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat did to provide central leadership in dealing with high-risk contaminated sites.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Satisfactory progress in managing its contaminated sites including the development of a Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan with the objectives of effectively eliminating the financial liability associated with its contaminated sites by 2020 and reducing the risks to human health and the environment.
  • The four departments audited are putting significant effort into managing their contaminated sites. They have cleaned up about 340 sites, and about 480 others are undergoing cleanup. During the audit, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat issued additional guidance to departments to help ensure that their planned actions are aligned with and will contribute to the federal objective of effectively eliminating the financial liability for known sites by 2020.
  • New regulations requiring departments to take action on their petroleum storage tanks were proposed in 2007-four years later than promised. Although the proposed Regulations will require tanks found to be leaking to be withdrawn from service immediately, their full effect will not come into force until four years after the Regulations are put in place. Tanks considered to be at high risk of leaking could remain in service until then.

No recommendations are made in this chapter.

For more information on Chapter 3, visit: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_02_e_30128.html

 

Chapter 4-Ecosystems-Federal Protected Areas for Wildlife

 

This chapter examined the progress made by Environment Canada in implementing the recommendations and observations made in Chapter 1 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development 2001 Report on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin related to protected areas. However, because the department manages protected areas on a national basis, the audit examined the management of these areas from a national perspective.

 

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Environment Canada has made unsatisfactory progress in addressing CESD recommendations on national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries. These areas are at risk.
  • Environment Canada has identified specific threats to each of its protected areas, but has not assessed whether conditions are improving or deteriorating at the sites, nor used the information collected to address threats on a priority basis.
  • Environment Canada has developed a national strategy to guide the management of sites in its protected areas network, but the strategy is not being fully implemented.
  • Environment Canada has not established explicit performance expectations against which progress can be assessed, and does not comprehensively monitor or regularly report on the condition and management of its network of protected areas.
  • According to its own analyses, Environment Canada has allocated insufficient human and financial resources to address urgent needs or activities related to the maintenance of sites and enforcement of regulations in protected areas.

In addition to addressing issues related to the ecological integrity of protected areas, the report discusses and draws attention to weaknesses in the enforcement of regulations (paragraphs 4.35 to 4.37)

 

Recommendation 4.49: Environment Canada should systematically assess its national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries to determine whether they are meeting the Department's criteria for protected areas and fulfilling their intended purpose. Based on its assessments, the Department should undertake timely action to maintain, restore, or delist sites as appropriate.

 

Environment Canada's Response: Recommendation accepted. Environment Canada continues to implement measures to manage national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries. The Department has developed a strategic framework for the management of its network of 143 protected areas, and an operations manual that establishes policies and procedures for the effective management of these areas.

Environment Canada is currently undertaking a review of its protected areas in conserving wildlife and protecting migratory birds, their nests, eggs, and habitat. This review, to be completed in the summer of 2008, will also include consideration of more effective means of monitoring and reporting on the state of these areas, and will help to inform necessary actions, contingent on available resources. An action plan with timelines will then be prepared during 2008-2009 which will provide guidance for example on priorities for updated site management plans, site improvements and delisting. In addition, Environment Canada will also update five site management plans during 2008-2009. Full implementation of the action plan will be contingent upon available resources.

For more information on Chapter 4, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_04_e_30130.html

 

Chapter 5-Ecosystems-Protection of Species at Risk

This chapter examined the progress made by Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada in implementing recommendations made in Chapter 1 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development 2001 Report on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin concerning the development of inventories and the development and implementation of recovery strategies for species at risk. Because issues related to species at risk are managed on a national basis, this status report examined progress from a national perspective.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Environment Canada has made unsatisfactory progress in responding to 2001 recommendations relating to the development of a comprehensive inventory and of recovery strategies for species at risk while Parks Canada has made satisfactory progress on this recommendation.
  • The three departments made unsatisfactory progress in responding to the 2001 recommendation relating to the development of recovery strategies and the departments have not complied with specific deadline requirements established by the Species at Risk Act. As of June 2007, recovery strategies should have been completed for 228 species at risk, but as of that date, recovery strategies completed address only 55 of those species.
  • Departments are also required under the Act to identify to the extent possible, critical habitat necessary for the survival or recovery of species at risk. As of June 2007, critical habitat had been identified for four of the 228 species at risk for which recovery strategies were due, and partially identified for twelve others.

No recommendations are made in this chapter.

For more information on Chapter 5, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_05_e_30131.html

 

Chapter 7-Ecosystems-Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin

In 2001, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development conducted an audit and recommended that Environment Canada clarify its roles and responsibilities and those of its partners, and develop and implement plans to complete actions for delisting areas of concern with particular attention to remediating contaminated sediment and treating municipal sewage.

This chapter examines the progress made by Environment Canada on these issues since the 2001 audit.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Environment Canada has made unsatisfactory progress on issues raised in the 2001 audit. The department has not ensured that criteria for delisting areas of concern are specified for each Canadian area of concern. While the Department has recently clarified some responsibilities, it still has not clearly specified who is responsible for carrying out all the required remedial actions, who will pay for those efforts and within what timelines the actions will be taken. Finally, it has not adequately assessed the extent to which each impairment in each Canadian area of concern has been restored and it has not reported progress to the International Joint Commission as it is required to do under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
  • After more than 20 years, only 2 of Canada's original 17 areas of concern have been delisted-the latest in 2003.

 

Recommendation 7.36: In order to fulfill its commitments under the Great lakes Water Quality Agreement, Environment Canada on behalf of the federal government, should establish and finalize arrangements with all relevant partners to ensure they implement the initiatives necessary to remediate contaminated sediment and to adequately treat municipal wastewater in Canadian areas of concern.

 

Environment Canada's Response: Environment Canada accepts the recommendation; however it is noted that implementation of actions to fully respond to this recommendation is dependant upon the commitment of partners.

By April 2008, Environment Canada will develop project plans for eight of the nine areas of concern where sediment management is required in order to remediate and delist the site (Port Hope Harbour is being addressed by Natural Resources Canada under a separate program due to the radioactive nature of the sediment in that location).

Environment Canada will then negotiate funding partnerships with all relevant partners (Ontario, local governments and other stakeholders) on a case-by-case basis. Sediment remediation will be completed in seven of the eight areas of concern by April 2012. Sediment remediation will begin in Hamilton Harbour by 2009 and the project will require approximately 10 years to complete.

By July 2009 Environment Canada will complete a review of improvements to municipal wastewater treatment required to remediate and delist areas of concern. Environment Canada will then negotiate a formal commitment of intent by all relevant partners (Ontario, local governments) to seek funding for infrastructure improvements through established federal and provincial funding programs.

 

Recommendation 7.39: When specifying targets for restoring beneficial uses and delisting Canadian areas of concern, Environment Canada should clearly define all the necessary actions, including who is responsible for carrying them out, the cost-sharing arrangements, expected dates to complete those actions, and expectations for progress reporting.

 

Environment Canada's Response: Environment Canada accepts the recommendation; however it is noted that implementation of actions to fully respond to this recommendation is dependant upon the commitment of partners.

By July 2008, Environment Canada will clearly define all necessary actions to remediate and delist remaining areas of concern, including who is responsible for carrying them out. Environment Canada will then negotiate concurrence of all relevant partners (Ontario, local governments and other stakeholders) on a site-by-site basis as an addendum to existing remedial action plans.

Due to the nature of the projects and the limitations of funding partners, cost-sharing arrangements for remedial actions in areas of concern are negotiated on a project-by-project basis. Terms and conditions of Environment Canada's Great Lakes Sustainability Fund stipulate a maximum of one third federal funding for projects for the remediation of areas of concern. Similar cost-sharing arrangements requirements are in place as part of Infrastructure Canada funding programs, whereby the amount of federal funding provided to an infrastructure project is generally matched by that provided by provincial and local or regional governments. Beyond this cost-sharing provision, as part of Infrastructure Canada funding programs, the maximum federal funding amount to be provided to the project is also specified thereby limiting the amount of the federal contribution to the project should cost overruns occur.

Expected dates for completion of actions leading to the remediation and delisting of areas of concern are included in the 2007-2010 Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin. The current agreement commits Canada and Ontario to completing all actions in four areas of concern by 2010. In negotiations of future agreements, Environment Canada will advocate for greater specificity in the timeframe in which remedial actions will be completed across all areas of concern.

Environment Canada will work with the Province of Ontario to ensure biennial public progress reports required under the 2007-2010 Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem regularly report progress and status of all Canadian and shared Canada-U.S. areas of concern.

For more information on Chapter 7, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_07_e_30133.html

Chapter 8-Management Tools and Government Commitments-International Environmental Agreements

This chapter examined the federal government's management of international agreements to assess the progress it has made since 2004. More particularly, it examined 20 international environmental agreements (Annex I) in four departments-Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada for the availability and clarity of the information about the agreements' objectives; the means established to meet the objectives; the current targets; and the reporting on progress.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • The government has made unsatisfactory progress in providing a complete and understandable picture of the results expected from Canada's international environmental agreements (IEA). While Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada generally make available information on Canada's obligations under the agreements, they provide less information on the programs and means in place to meet the obligations, expected achievements and results.
  • The government has made unsatisfactory progress in planning, monitoring and reporting on the extent to which Canada is meeting its commitments from the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. While the government has followed the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development approach to monitoring and reporting, it still has no longer-term plan for ensuring that it will be in a position to report significant progress on its commitments.
  • The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) is mentioned in the context of past CESD audits which reported in 2005 that Canada still had not developed an action plan to deliver results on Canada's WSSD commitments.

Recommendation 8.27: As lead departments responsible for international environmental agreements, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada should provide Parliament and Canadians with complete, understandable, and current information on objectives, means, expected results and results.

 

Environment Canada's Response: Environment Canada accepts the recommendation. Environment Canada has various reporting methods, ranging from annual departmental performance reviews, reports on plans and priorities and regular updating of Environment Canada's international engagements posted on public websites to monitor and convey progress achieved.

In response to the CESD's 2008 Report Chapter 8 recommendation, Environment Canada will use the Report on Plans and Priorities, the Departmental Performance Report and other Environment Canada websites to ensure information on Environment Canada-led international environmental agreements' objectives, means, anticipated results and results achieved are transparently and effectively reported to Parliament and to Canadians:

Report on Plans and Priorities

  • Environment Canada produces an annual Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) that provides parliamentarians and Canadians with a summary of the Department's plans and priorities for the next three years.
  • Information on Environment Canada's IEA activities, plans and priorities to be highlighted in the RPP.

Departmental Performance Report

  • Environment Canada produces an annual Departmental Performance Report (DPR) that provides parliamentarians and Canadians with a strategic overview of the Department's performance and achievements in the past fiscal year.
  • Information on Environment Canada's IEA results achieved against the expected results to be highlighted in the DPR.

Websites

  • Environment Canada regularly reports and updates IEA progress on respective Environment Canada's branch public websites, where appropriate, on IEA progress.
For example:
  • Further, the Canadian Biodiversity Information Network (www.cbin.ec.gc.ca/) includes information on Environment Canada's participation at international meetings, anticipated achievements and programmatic policies.

In addition, Environment Canada's International Affairs website is also in the process of being updated. Environment Canada will use the CESD's Chapter 8 recommendation where applicable. (Environment Canada's Branch Website update March 2009, International Affairs Branch International Website March 2008)

For more information on Chapter 8, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_08_e_30134.html

Chapter 9-Management Tools and Government Commitments-Strategic Environmental Assessment

In 1990, a cabinet directive made the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) the federal government's main tool for considering the impact of proposed policies and programs on the environment. Further, in 2004, public reporting became mandatory whenever a detailed SEA is completed.

This chapter examined progress made in implementing strategic environmental assessments since 2004.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Progress in addressing the 2004 audit observations and recommendations has been unsatisfactory. Despite improvements evident in some areas, there are weaknesses in accountability and transparency-areas fundamental to good management. The CESD found no evidence that a mechanism exists to hold departments and agencies to account when they do not appropriately apply the directive. Nor did the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development find that the Privy Council Office challenged departments and agencies on their application of the directive when they have submitted proposals to Cabinet.
  • Of the departments that the CESD reexamined that rated poorly in their last audit, the Canadian International Development Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have made satisfactory progress in developing and implementing SEA management systems while Health Canada's progress has been unsatisfactory.

The audit makes specific observations on several named departments. Environment Canada was included in the audit but is not specifically identified in the context of the findings.

No recommendations are made in this chapter.

 

For more information on Chapter 9,visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_09_e_30135.html

 

Chapter 10-Management Tools and Government Commitments-Greening of Government Operations

 

This chapter examines the progress made by the government to green its operations.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • The government's progress towards providing guidance on greening operations to departments preparing sustainable development strategies has been unsatisfactory. The government-wide targets for departments to use were either non-specific, reiterated previous objectives, or were left open to interpretation and departments were not required to use them.
  • The government has placed a lot of emphasis on its new commodity management approach to procurement. Given the time elapsed since this new approach was put in place, the CESD found that Public Works and Government Services Canada is making satisfactory progress in greening the commodities examined.
  • The principal focus of this audit is Public Works and Government Services Canada, and two recommendations are made to Public Works and Government Services Canada in this chapter. One implicates Environment Canada.

Recommendation 10.51: Public Works and Government Services Canada, in consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Environment Canada and other departments and agencies as appropriate, should revisit the authorities, roles, responsibilities and capacities for greening government operations, with a view to clarifying the leadership and responsibility for

  • the provision of central direction and guidance on greening government operations for sustainable development strategies;
  • the establishment of meaningful and aggressive government-wide targets for greening government operations; and
  • the development of a government-wide strategy for monitoring and reporting on greening government operations.

 

One recommendation in this chapter is made to Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) that includes Environment Canada in a consultative capacity. PWGSC' response is as follows:

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of responsible departments and agencies, agrees with the recommendation. Building on past successes, PWGSC, in consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Environment Canada and other departments and agencies as appropriate, will work to clarify authorities, roles, responsibilities and capacities around greening government operations with a view to clarifying the leadership and responsibility for

  • providing central direction and guidance on greening government operations, included in the context of sustainable development strategies;
  • developing benchmarks and meaningful and aggressive government-wide targets for greening government operations; and,
  • establishing performance measures and a government-wide strategy for monitoring and reporting.

 

This will draw on over a decade of experience and be informed by international best practices on greening government operations. Clarification of authorities, roles, responsibilities and capacities will be completed by March 2008.

This response has been developed in consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat and Environment Canada.

For more information on Chapter 10, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_10_e_30136.html

 

Chapter 12-Previous Audits of Responses to Environmental Petitions-Listing of Species at Risk

This is an audit of a response made to an environmental petition. The chapter sought to determine whether Environment Canada had made progress in addressing the development of guidelines for listing species at risk.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found:

  • Progress is unsatisfactory. Environment Canada has not finalized guidelines for dealing with cases in which the Minister does not follow the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada advice to recommend adding a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk. Although the Department has drafted guidelines, these are not publicly available, have changed over time, and are not applied consistently or systematically. In the meantime, 20 species have not been listed for federal protection for socio-economic reasons, and due to a requirement for additional consultation with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

Recommendation 12.11: Environment Canada should ensure that the draft guidelines for making recommendations to list species at risk are finalized, made publicly available, and implemented.

Environment Canada's Response: Recommendation accepted. Guidelines for the listing/delisting of wildlife species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) were approved in principle in September 2006 by the Deputy Heads Steering Committee for Species at Risk (Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada) and together with federal regulatory policy have guided subsequent decisions.

Due to evolving legislative and policy frameworks in provinces and territories, and the implications of this for SARA, the National Framework for Species at Risk Conservation (NFSARC) was developed and endorsed by the Canadian Council of Resource Deputy Ministers in September 2007. As a result, the guidelines for listing/delisting are being reviewed for consistency. Once this federal review is complete, the guidelines will be made public.

As of November 2007, 389 species assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) have been listed under SARA. Twenty species have not yet been listed. Environment Canada has responsibility for six of these and subsequent to meeting the Act's consultation obligations, is endeavoring to bring these forward for consideration in late 2008 or 2009.

Environment Canada is aware of the status of species, whether listed or not, based on data from a shared database populated by the responsible species manager (from either a province, a territory, Environment Canada or Fisheries and Oceans Canada) which is the prime data base for the COSEWIC follow-up reviews. This approach is an effective use of resources and reflects the shared responsibility for wildlife, consistent with the 2007 National Framework for Species at Risk Conservation.

For more information on Chapter 12, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_12_e_30138.html

Chapter 14-Previous Audits of Responses to Environmental Petitions-Genetically Engineered Fish

This is an audit of a response made to an environmental petition. The chapter sought to determine whether Fisheries and Oceans Canada had made progress in developing regulations and a policy framework on genetically engineered fish.

The audit found that:

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada had made unsatisfactory progress. Since the establishment of the 1993 Federal Biotechnology Regulatory Framework the department has made frequent commitments to develop regulations for transgenic aquatic organisms and although regulations are under development, the department has not yet put any regulations in place.
  • In 2001 in response to a petition, Fisheries and Oceans Canada committed to developing regulations under the Fisheries Act for aquatic organisms with novel traits, including genetically engineered fish. In 2004, in response to an audit, Fisheries and Oceans Canada indicated that it would develop a policy on transgenic aquatic organisms by the end of 2005. The department no longer intends to develop a policy, as it now recognizes that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA 1999) including the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) achieves the department's intended policy objective. Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials informed the CESD that the 2004 commitment to develop a policy was made without a full understanding of the applicable CEPA 1999 provisions.
  • The New Substances Notifications Regulations (Organisms) under CEPA 1999 prescribe the information that must be provided to Environment Canada prior to the proposed import to or manufacture in Canada of a new organism that is an animate product of biotechnology. Under the contained research and development exemption (under these regulations, research and development organisms are not required to undergo the same notification and risk assessment process. While researchers and developers are still required to meet the containment provisions, some weaknesses exist, including an incomplete knowledge of research and development activities because proponents are not required to disclose that they are conducting research; and there is no mandatory reporting of an accidental release (although such a breach is subject to Environment Canada's compliance and enforcement policy once Environment Canada becomes aware of the breach).
  • Environment Canada and Health Canada has, with Fisheries and Oceans Canada begun to consult with the regulated community about changes to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms). The first phase of the consultations will conclude in 2008, although no timeline for the revision of the regulations was provided.
  • Until the New Substances Notications Regulations (Organisms) are amended, the CESD contends that Fisheries and Oceans Canada should proceed to regulate.

Accordingly, one recommendation is made to Fisheries and Oceans Canada in this audit.

For more information on Chapter 14, visit: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_14_e_30140.html

Response to External Audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada
October 2007 Report by the Public Service Commission of Canada - Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices

The audit objectives were to determine the extent of movement of public servants between the public service and ministers' offices, and whether the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), Public Service Employment Regulations, Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) policies and other applicable legislation were met for appointments of public servants returning from ministers' offices. Another objective was to assess the risk to political impartiality.

The audit was limited to organizations subject to the PSEA and focused on persons who had been public servants before they went to work in ministers' offices and who returned from ministers' offices to the federal public service during the period from April 1990 to September 2006. As well, the audit focused on public service staffing actions with an elevated risk to political impartiality. Not included in the scope of this audit were ministers' exempt staffs who had not been public servants before starting in the minister's office and who therefore were entering the public service for the first time.

Environment Canada was one of the audited entities covered by the audit. The PSC identified two cases of inappropriate movement between the Minister's office and the public service involving individuals deployed into positions at Environment Canada.

One recommendation is made to the Treasury Board Secretariat to develop a policy governing the movement of public servants between the public service and minister's offices to ensure that these moves are undertaken in a fair and transparent manner, upholding the principle of political impartiality and are effectively monitored.

For more information on this audit, visit: www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm


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Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No responses to Parliamentary Committees were submitted in 2007-2008.
Response to the Auditor General including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)
FINTRAC continues to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General’s November 2004 value-for-money audit of the National Initiative to Combat Money Laundering. The report made a number of recommendations to strengthen the Initiative overall and to make FINTRAC more effective.
External Audits or Evaluations
Under Bill C-25, which amended the PCMLTFA in December of 2006, the OPC assumed oversight responsibility with respect to the measures FINTRAC employs to protect the information under its control. The Privacy Commissioner is obliged to conduct a review every two years and report the results of the reviews to Parliament. The first of these reviews started in 2007.

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Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Presented below are summaries of the Department's responses to the reports of Parliamentary Committees, recommendations made by the Auditor General and external audits that pertain to the Department's work.

 

Responses to Reports of Parliamentary Committees, 2007-2008


Report Link to Report and Government Response
The Government Response to the Fourth Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on Ensuring a Sustainable and Humane Seal Harvest

For over 30 years, Canada's commercial seal harvest in the Northwest Atlantic has been the target of campaigns to end the harvest of these marine mammals. In the 1970s and the 1980s, these campaigns resulted in the collapse of the international sealskin market. When Canada resumed the harvest with increasing quotas and catches in the mid-1990s, the anti-seal harvest campaigners stepped up their efforts to end the commercial harvest, and Canadian sealers and First Nations are now facing the very real possibility of a complete ban on the importation and use of seal products in Europe. Campaigns in recent years have been characterized by misinformation and appeals to emotions through the use of inflammatory images and language.

During its study, the Committee focused its attention on four aspects of the seal harvest: sustainability; humaneness; economic, social and cultural importance; and its role in achieving and maintaining an ecological balance within the marine ecosystem.
Report:

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/​CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10480&Lang=1&SourceId=206172

Government Response:

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/​committee/391/fopo/govresponse/rp3067100/391_fopo_rpt04_gr-e.html#Preamble

Sixth Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans: The Management of Atlantic Fish Stocks: Beyond the 200-Mile Limit

The Committee began a study into fisheries beyond the 200-mile limit in October of 2006. The Committee's study culminated with the tabling of this report on February 20, 2007. The report delves into a number of different areas, including the issue of bottom trawling in unregulated areas of the high seas, the possibility of prohibiting bottom trawling by foreign fishing fleets on Canada's continental shelf, the regulations and penalties applicable to Canadian fishermen vis-à-vis foreign fishing fleets on Canada's continental shelf, various provisions in the proposed amendments to the NAFO Convention text, and the level of Canada's surveillance and enforcement activity in the NAFO Regulatory Area (NRA). The Government Response was tabled in the Senate on June 22, 2007.

Report:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/fish-e/rep-e/rep06feb07-e.htm

Government Response:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/reports-rapports/200mile_2007/200mile_2007-eng.htm


 

Responses to Recommendations Made by the Auditor General, 2007-2008


Recommendation Link to Chapter and Response
May 2007 — Chapter 1 — Use of Acqusition and Travel Cards

Recommendation — Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, and National Defence should formalize training for regional and departmental coordinators and quality assurance personnel to ensure that information about all issues related to acquisition and travel card management within a department is understood by those personnel, and that the information is disseminated to program managers.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's response — Fisheries and Oceans Canada agrees. Over the next 12 months, the Department will implement a training program for card coordinators and quality assurance personnel, and will improve the departmental coordination of card management and of the quality assurance function. In addition, the Department will take the necessary steps to inform card coordinators of the availability on the website of training material and tools accessible to them.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200705_01_e_17476.html
October 2007 — Chapter 3 — Inuvialuit Final Agreement

Recommendation — In consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Parks Canada Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment Canada should develop and/or enhance systems and procedures to enable them to monitor their compliance with the Inuvialuit Final Agreement's contracting provisions. To ensure compliance, these systems and procedures should monitor each federal organization's activities for

  • notifying the Inuvialuit of contracts related to activities within the Region;
  • awarding the Inuvialuit all contracts that are subject to public tender and related to activities within the Region, when the Inuvialuit submit the best bid;
  • awarding the Inuvialuit a reasonable share of contracts that are not subject to public tender, that are related to activities within the Region, and for which the Inuvialuit are capable of supplying the required goods and services on a reasonable basis; and
  • providing the Inuvialuit with contracts that relate to activities within the Region's national parks and landmark, on a preferred basis.
Response — Agreed. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, in consultation with Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Works and Government Services Canada, will provide guidance to departments on the appropriate level of monitoring required to ensure compliance with this Agreement's and similar agreements' contracting provisions, as reflected in Treasury Board policy requirements.

It is important to note that an interdepartmental working group has been established by Treasury Board Secretariat for the development of an amendment to the Treasury Board Contracting Policy, which will update the process for government procurement in the context of comprehensive land claims agreements. The amendment will clarify departmental responsibilities for monitoring and reporting requirements of Crown procurements undertaken in regions covered by comprehensive land claims agreements, including the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

It should be noted that departments do have systems to monitor compliance with the specific provisions of their contracts and that they recognize the need to monitor contract obligations relating to the agreements. To this end, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Parks Canada Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment Canada will take measures to develop or strengthen, where necessary, systems and procedures to meet any new monitoring and reporting requirements that may be established by the Treasury Board within a year of their introduction.

In addition, the five audited departments will give full consideration to this recommendation as they review and, where necessary, enhance current systems and procedures to monitor the awarding of contracts to the Inuvialuit that are not subject to public tender, when they are capable of supplying the goods and services on a reasonable basis. Work on processes governing federal procurement to include provisions for contracting in national parks is already under way, and will be developed to capture the same information for other comprehensive land claims agreements.

This recommendation will be acted on by March 2009.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200710_03_e_23827.html
October 2007 — Chapter 1 — Sustainable Development Strategies

No recommendations for DFO.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200710_01_e_23837.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 3 — Federal Contaminated Sites

No recommendations for DFO.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_03_e_30129.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 5 — Ecosystems — Protection of Species at Risk

No recommendations for DFO.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_05_e_30131.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 6 — Ecosystems — Control of Aquatic Invasive Species

Recommendation — Fisheries and Oceans Canada should apply a systematic risk-based approach to early detection and develop the ability to respond rapidly when new invasive species are detected in order to prevent them from becoming established or to control them.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's response — Agreed. Fisheries and Oceans Canada acknowledges the need for a systematic, risk-based approach to early detection and rapid response and therefore accepts this recommendation.

Risk assessment is the foundation of a risk-based approach to any management program and aquatic invasive species are no exception. Since Budget 2005, when the Department received an annual budget of $2 million, the Department has put in place the building blocks to establish a systematic risk-based approach and has been working with Canadians to mitigate the impacts of aquatic invasive species.

One of the critical building blocks has been the creation of the Centre of Expertise for Aquatic Risk Assessment (CEARA). CEARA assesses the risk of existing and potential aquatic invasive species and their introduction pathways to guide other program activities.

With regard to a rapid response capacity, the Department alerts stakeholders and other jurisdictions in a timely fashion when a new nonindigenous species is discovered. The Department provides them with advice on appropriate response measures when required.

In response to this recommendation and to the extent permitted by current budgets, the Department will build upon its existing risk assessment, scientific research, and monitoring activities to implement a formalized risk-based approach to early detection of and rapid response to aquatic invasive species in partnership with other jurisdictions and stakeholders.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_06_e_30132.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 8 — Management Tools and Government Commitments — International Environmental Agreements

Recommendation — As lead departments responsible for international environmental agreements, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada should provide Parliament and Canadians with complete, understandable, and current information on objectives, means, expected results, and results.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's response — Fisheries and Oceans Canada agrees with the recommendation as it relates to the active and key international agreements in which the Department is already involved. Internationally, the Department supports activities designed to lead to more responsible management of high seas fisheries and the sustainability of high seas ecosystems by seeking improvements to international governance. It is in this spirit that Fisheries and Oceans Canada participates in the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.

On its websites, the Department will present up-to-date information with regards to the plans and measures taken by these organizations on environmental issues, and will define the roles of Canada with regard to them. The Department will also reflect the above information in a consistent fashion in its departmental reports to Parliament and to Canadians, such as the Report on Plans and Priorities, the Business Plan, the Departmental Performance Report, and relevant integrated fisheries management plans. These documents will be updated starting in the next fiscal year, while the websites will be updated in an ongoing manner and as a result of revisions to the above-mentioned documents.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_08_e_30134.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 9 — Management Tools and Government Commitments — Strategic Environmental Assessment

No recommendations for DFO.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_09_e_30135.html
March 2008 Status Report — Chapter 14 — Previous Audits of Responses to Environmental Petitions — Genetically Engineered Fish

Recommendation — Given its commitments and the history of this file, Fisheries and Oceans Canada should decide on a regulatory approach for genetically engineered fish and clearly communicate the rationale and timeline for implementation of this approach.

Response — Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) accepts the recommendation. DFO has decided that its regulatory approach for genetically engineered fish is to continue to work under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Environment Canada and Health Canada to contribute to the regulation of aquatic organism products of biotechnology, including genetically engineered fish, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999) and the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) [NSNR(O)].

The recommendation also suggests that Fisheries and Oceans Canada clearly communicate the rationale and timeline for implementation of this approach. The rationale for implementation of this approach is based on the fact that CEPA, 1999 provides a regulatory framework for animate products of biotechnology that is in place and is effective, and the NSNR(O) are currently already undergoing regulatory review. DFO's responsibilities under the MOU include undertaking risk assessments and assisting Environment Canada and Health Canada with administration of the Regulations. As DFO is already implementing this approach, no further timeline is required.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_14_e_30140.html

 

External Audits, 2007-2008


Name of External Audit Link to Report
Not applicable; DFO was not subject to any external audits in 2007-2008.  

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Health Canada

Table 10: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

The Common Drug Review - HESA Report released December 12, 2007; federal Response tabled April 8, 2008

Committee members heard testimony on the Common Drug Review's performance and mandate, from the pharmaceutical industry, patient groups, FPT governments, health professionals, academics, and CADTH officials. The Committee's report, released in December 2007, was generally positive about the role that the CDR plays in the public formulary listing process, while recognizing areas for improvement. The Committee made five recommendations pertaining to the issues of accountability, transparency, public involvement, appeals, and special processes for select types of drugs. The Committee recognized that the federal government is only a part owner of the CDR and as such called on the federal government to work with its PT counterparts to adress the recommendations. The federal response was tabled on April 8, 2008, in which the federal government acknowledged the importance of the issues raised in the report, and committed to discussing the report's recommendations with participating PTs, the CDR, and other stakeholders as appropriate. The response outlined federal perspectives on the recommendations, as a basis for those discussions.

Link to Report and Response

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Human Resources and Social Development Canada

TABLE 10: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


External Audits
Chapter 2
Federal Loans and Grants for Post-Secondary Education — Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation

Issue: The Department should strengthen the monitoring of private collection agencies; develop a sound performance measurement strategy; complete a summative evaluation; improve its reporting of key indicators of the Canada Student Loans Program in the Departmental Performance Report; and table the Annual Report in a more timely manner. The control structure for the Canada Study Grants does not provide the Department with adequate assurance that its eligibility criteria are being met.

The monitoring of the private collection agencies will be strengthened to ensure compliance with the administrative requirements of the Canada Student Loans Program. The Department will consolidate key indicators of progress of the Canada Student Loans Program and monitor program results. The conditions that the participating provinces and the Yukon must meet in order to be eligible for payment of funds awarded as Study Grants will be changed. The time frame within which the Department tables the Canada Student Loans Program Annual Report will be improved.

The government's response can be found at: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_200705_2_e_17477.html

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Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Canadian Polar Commission

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Parliamentary Committees

Government Response to the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, "No Higher Priority: Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in Canada".

The Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, "No Higher Priority: Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in Canada" was adopted by the Committee on February 8, 2007, presented to the House on February 12, 2007, and concurred by the House on June 19, 2007.

The Report included recommendations that INAC improve the following elements: the creation of positive outcomes through modern communication tools; the financial management of student funding; the data collection and tracking; the allocation and delivery of post-secondary education funding; the Indian Studies Support Program; and the access to post-secondary programming.

For further information, see the June 12, 2007 Government Response to the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, "No Higher Priority: Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in Canada".

Government Response to the Fifth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, "Negotiation or Confrontation: It's Canada's Choice".

In this Report, the Senate Committee made the following four recommendations: an increase in funds available for settlements; the establishment of an independent body within two years; adequate resources for the existing process; and the adoption of new guiding principles. The Government of Canada accepted these recommendations recognizing that the retooling of the Specific Claims Process requires careful consideration and a phased approach.

For more information on the Department’s response, see the June 13, 2007 Government Response to the Fifth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, "Negotiation or Confrontation: It's Canada's Choice".

Following the response, INAC has taken the following actions in order to address the Parliamentary Committee recommendations:

  1. An amount of $250 million per year has been identified for ten years for the resolution of specific claims.
  2. The Specific Claims Tribunal Act, which establishes an independent tribunal, was introduced in November 2007, received Royal Assent on June 18, 2008, and comes into force on October 16, 2008.
  3. A resource request is currently underway to ensure adequate funds are available for the specific claims process.
  4. The adoption of new guiding principles has occurred through the development of the legislation and also through changes to the government's internal processing of specific claim submissions.

Government Response to the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on "Aboriginal Housing".

The Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on "Aboriginal Housing" was adopted by the Committee on March 22, 2007 and presented to the House on March 29, 2007.

In this Report, the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on Aboriginal Housing recommends that the Department and its federal partners: commit to significantly increased annual investment in Aboriginal housing based on actual regional construction and repair costs; define specific roles and responsibilities of, and specific measures to be undertaken by, each department and agency at every stage; include comprehensive measures for capacity-building within Aboriginal communities in areas of construction and maintenance; define mechanisms and processes for federal-provincial-territorial collaboration with respect to programs and funding to meet off-reserve and Northern housing needs; and set clear target dates for implementation and completion of every stage.

For more information on the Department’s response, see the October 17, 2007 Government Response to the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on "Aboriginal Housing".

Following the response, INAC has taken the following actions in order to address the Parliamentary Committee recommendations:

Housing Operations

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Health Canada (HC), and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), developed the National Strategy to Address Mould in First Nation Communities. The objective of the National Strategy is to develop sufficient awareness and capacity among First Nation home occupants, communities, and institutions, so that they can prevent and remediate existing mould problems. The National Strategy received approval from senior officials from the above mentioned organizations and is currently undergoing co-ordination and planning for implementation.

Budget 2005

The Government of Canada invested $295 million over five years to help stabilize on-reserve housing conditions. This was a shared investment between (Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) — $192 million and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation — $103 million. As of March 2008, DIAND and CMHC data showed that funding from Budget 2005 allowed for the construction of 5,991 new units; the renovation of 2,299 units; and the creation of 5,119 new serviced lots.

First Nations Housing Market Fund

The First Nations Market Housing Fund (the Fund) officially opened for business on May 5, 2008. It is being run by a board of nine independent trustees jointly appointed by the Ministers of Human Resources and Social Development, and Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The Fund is being managed in the initial years by CMHC, however, the intent is to transfer it to First Nations control in the future.

In the initial year of operation, prior to the Fund generating any investment income, existing capacity development funding from both Indian Affairs and Northern Development and CMHC will be directed to market-based housing initiatives and will support any capacity training for First Nations as directed by the Fund trustees.

1996 Housing Policy

The Government of Canada's response to the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, prepared jointly by INAC and CMHC, committed to reviewing the 1996 On-reserve Housing Policy and to improving policy implementation by promoting the consistent use of housing plans by First Nations and by reviewing these plans. As part of an evaluation of Budget 2005 spending on First Nations housing, INAC’s Audit and Evaluation Branch undertook an assessment of the 1996 On-reserve Housing Policy. INAC and CMHC will respond to the research and policy recommendations of that assessment. In addition, INAC took steps toward improving the delivery and performance monitoring of its housing program by starting to develop a Housing Procedures guide to be implemented across all regions.

External Audits

Government response to the Auditor General of Canada and to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) on the October 2007 Report of the Auditor General on Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

The Report, tabled in the House of Commons on October 30, 2007, stated that the Department should develop and implement clear processes for ensuring the timely exchange of lands under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, and for cleaning up and returning control of parcels of land that are no longer required by the federal government. The Report also mentioned that INAC should clearly communicate the Government of Canada's contracting obligations in relation to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement to federal organizations; and provide guidance on how to fulfil their contracts. INAC should also meet its responsibilities related to the economic review: develop a strategic approach toward implementing Canada's obligations under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement; develop performance indicators to measure progress toward meeting the principles of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement; and publicly monitor and report progress to other signatories.

The Department’s response, prepared on behalf of the Government of Canada, stated that INAC accepted all recommendations and has developed an action plan to respond to the Auditor General’s recommendations. Furthermore, INAC is taking steps to ensure that the action plan is carried out, and will report regularly to the Office of the Auditor General as to the progress made on each recommendation.

INAC, in consultation with Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Works and Government Services Canada, also agreed to provide guidance to departments on the appropriate level of monitoring required to ensure compliance with this Agreement's, and similar agreements', contracting provisions, as reflected in Treasury Board policy requirements.

Government response to External Audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

No reports were held during the period.

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Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
• Nil
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
• Nil
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Public Service Commission - Government Wide Audit Concerning Appointments to the EX Group.
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Industry Canada

Table 8: Response to Parliamentary Committees, Audits and Evaluations


Response to Parliamentary Committees
Parliamentary tabling of the government’s comprehensive response to the recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) in its report entitled Manufacturing: Moving Forward – Rising to the Challenge:
  • The government responded to all 22 recommendations in the INDU report, covering taxation, energy, labour, trade, intellectual property rights protection and regulatory, infrastructure, research, development and commercialization policies. The response highlighted measures in Advantage Canada and Budget 2007, including an accelerated capital cost allowance for investments in new machinery and equipment, initiatives to cut red tape, investments in critical infrastructure and efforts to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible labour force in the world.
  • Industry Canada prepared the Government Response to the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Counterfeiting and Piracy are Theft. The government's response was tabled in Parliament on October 17, 2007.
  • Government response to the Standing Committee report on a free trade agreement with the Republic of South Korea. The report addressed the implications and potential impacts on Canada of a free trade agreement with South Korea. The report addresses sectors of the economy that are under the responsibility of Industry Canada, e.g., automotive sector. The government's response has not yet been released.

The Office of Consumer Affairs represented the Consumer Measures Committee (a federal/provincial/territorial committee of consumer protection officials) before the House Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in May 2007 to discuss federal and provincial initiatives to prevent and combat identity theft.

In June 2006, members of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry were authorized to research and report on rural poverty in Canada. FedNor made a presentation to the Committee on this subject in May 2007.


 


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) responded to petitions and tabled two reports in 2007–08: one on Sustainable Development Strategies (SDS) and one on Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Petitions
The environmental petitions process is a formal way for Canadians to bring concerns about the environment and sustainable development to the attention of federal ministers and obtain a timely response. The petitions process was created as a result of a 1995 amendment to the Auditor General Act. On behalf of the Auditor General of Canada, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development manages the petitions process and monitors responses to ensure that relevant questions and issues raised by Canadians receive a response from federal ministers.

Petition responses by Industry Canada (2007–08)
No. 184 – Determining Dangerous Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration (response April 16, 2007)
No. 186 – Options to the Practice of Burning of Flax Straw on the Canadian Prairies (response April 13, 2007)
No. 189 – Protecting Canadian Drinking Water (response May 10, 2007)
No. 197 – Exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation (response August 14, 2007)
No. 200 – Promotion of Sustainable Forest Industry through Competition Policy Reform (response September 14, 2007)
No. 205 – Environmental, Social and Economic Impacts of Biofuel Production in Canada (response September 27, 2007)
No. 208 – Impacts of Cellular Phone Towers and Antennas (response October 12, 2007)
No. 223 – Green Procurement of Paper for both Publications and Internal Use by Federal Government Departments (response March 29, 2008)

Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) conducted an extensive audit of departmental SDSs, with a particular focus on 10 departments, including Industry Canada. He tabled his report in October 2007. The Commissioner found that the SDSs are not realizing their potential to integrate sustainable development (SD) thinking into the way departments define their business and make decisions. The CESD found systemic weaknesses in the governance, authority, accountability and direction of SDSs, and believes that this is indicative of higher level problems that must be addressed at a government-wide level. He considers that departments had not analyzed and considered the environmental, social and economic consequences of their current or proposed policies, programs or activities when developing their SDSs. He is concerned that senior managers across government viewed the SDSs as a compliance exercise rather than a change management initiative.

Although Industry Canada received satisfactory ratings on four of five criteria, the Department’s SDS IV was not considered to be a substantive plan by the CESD. The Department received an unsatisfactory assessment because its targets were not considered to be adequately specific, measurable and time bound, and they were not published in the SDS IV. The Department provided evidence on how it is making progress on the quality of its targets, including by providing training to staff on how to set targets better. The Computers for Schools program was examined and its progress was found to be satisfactory.

Many of the recommendations in the report are directed at issues that must be dealt with at a government-wide level, rather than by Industry Canada specifically. Accordingly, the Department has not prepared a formal response to the CESD audit, but is working with other government departments in a review and overhaul of the current approach to SD Strategies in the federal government. It is expected that a new approach to undertaking SD Strategies will be in place by the tabling of SDS V, expected in December 2009.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
The CESD conducted an extensive audit of departmental implementation of the Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), with a particular focus on 12 departments, including Industry Canada. The report, which was tabled in February 2008, found:

  • There are weaknesses in accountability and transparency.
  • There is no mechanism to hold departments to account if they do not complete an SEA.
  • Most departments are not preparing public statements on their detailed SEAs, and when they are published they are difficult to find and do not contain sufficient information to assure stakeholders that environmental factors have been integrated in the decision-making process.
  • There are deficiencies in completing and tracking SEAs, as there is a less than 50 percent completion rate of the required SEAs across government.
  • There is a lack of consistency in most management systems.

On a positive note, the Commissioner found that training and guidance have increased.

In terms of moving forward, the Commissioner noted that senior management support and a well-functioning management system is essential for making progress on SEA. CESD also considers that the government-wide SEA evaluation, to be completed by December 2008, is important to guide the future course of SEA within the federal government.

While Industry Canada is not one of the organizations directly noted in the chapter, the Department had already addressed many of the issues that CESD raised in his report. As of April 1, 2007, Industry Canada became fully transparent in the manner in which it manages public statements on SEAs. The Department made its full SEA website publicly accessible and has a dedicated part of the site devoted to publishing public statements on detailed SEAs. This site is also linked to the website of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). The Department was the fifth government department to become fully accessible and transparent with respect to SEAs, but has not yet had occasion to publish a public statement on a detailed SEA. In September 2007, approval was given by the Directors General Policy Committee (DGPC) to modify Industry Canada’s management system for SEAs in order to centralize and improve tracking, monitoring and quality assurance. In October 2007, the Department launched a newly updated SEA training course. With the support of CEAA, the course was given to 20 Industry Canada employees.


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National Defence

Table 8a: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
In May 2007, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled its 15th Report on the subject of Chapter Five of the Auditor General of Canada’s November 2006 Report (Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP and Federal Public Service). The text of the report is available at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2955368&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1&Language=E.  The Department contributed to the Government Response to the Committee report that was tabled in Parliament on 17 October 2007.
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Office of the Auditor General (OAG)

During the reporting period, the Auditor General tabled four Chapters in Parliament that included recommendations directed at the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. In May 2007, she tabled both “Use of Acquisition and Travel Cards” and “Modernizing the NORAD System in Canada”. In October 2007, the Auditor General tabled “Military Health Care” and “Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting”. 

In the government-wide Chapter entitled “Use of Acquisition and Travel Cards”, the Auditor General concluded that departmental controls over acquisition cards were not being applied in a rigorous manner. Of particular concern was the inconsistent application of verification and certification controls required under the Financial Administration Act. Of the nine audit recommendations contained in this Chapter, one was directed at DND alone and three others were directed at all three participating departments. All four recommendations were accepted by the Department.

In the Chapter “Modernizing the NORAD System in Canada”, the Auditor General reported that NORAD Modernization cost significantly more than originally planned, it took considerably longer than anticipated to be completed, and projected savings have yet to materialize. The Department accepted the three audit recommendations presented by the Auditor General in this Chapter. 

In the Chapter “Military Health Care”, the Auditor General reported that, although CF members are satisfied with the health care they receive, the DND/CF has little information available to demonstrate how well the system is performing or the quality of care being provided. The military health system costs almost twice as much to operate as provincial health care systems and the Department is unable to show that the cost of maintaining current service levels is operationally necessary. The Auditor General also reported that the DND/CF is unable to demonstrate that its military health care professionals are licenced/certified or that they have maintained their qualifications to practice. The Department agreed with all eight of the Auditor General’s audit recommendations.

When the Auditor General tabled her government-wide Chapter on “Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting” in October 2007, she concluded that DND willingly circumvented key security-related procedures in order to reduce costs and avoid project delays during the construction of the Above Ground Complex in North Bay. As a result of failing to identify security requirements prior to initiating the contract, contractors without security clearances had access to both the building plans and the worksite during building construction. The Auditor General also stated that, of the 8,500 DND construction and maintenance contracts awarded by Defence Construction Canada since April 2002, approximately 99% were let without verifying the contractors’ security clearances. Of the ten audit recommendations included in this Chapter, only two involved the DND/CF and both were accepted.

These four Chapters, including departmental responses to the Auditor General’s recommendations, can be accessed on the Auditor General’s website at the following link: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_lpf_e_1193.html

Commissioner Of The Environment And Sustainable Development

In March 2008, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development tabled a Report in Parliament that contained two government-wide Chapters that made reference to the Department of National Defence. Both of these audits followed-up on significant observations and key recommendations that were previously reported to Parliament in 2002. The two Chapters were entitled: “Federal Contaminated Sites” and “Environmental Petitions: Military Dumpsites”. The Commissioner reported that the federal government has made satisfactory progress in addressing the issue of contaminated sites. He also concluded that National Defence has made satisfactory progress in responding to the Military Dumpsites Petition. Only the Petitions Chapter contained a recommendation directed at the DND/CF and it was accepted. These two Chapters can be found on the Commissioner’s website at the following link: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_e_30125.html

External Audits

(Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)

No non-OAG external audits specific to the DND/CF were reported on during 2007/08.  

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister(Policy) Group

Table 8b: Response To Parliamentary Committees, And Audits And Evaluations


Recommendation Government Response/Commitment Status
1st Report of the Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN), 39th Parliament, 1st Session, "Canadian Forces in Afghanistan"

Original report: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2560007&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

Government response: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2830673&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

5. DND should review the need for some sort of flexible decompression programme for soldiers going home on mid-tour leave. National Defence currently runs an end of tour Third Location Decompression program and soldiers on a six month tour receive 18 days of mid-tour leave, where the day before the leave begins is spent at an intermediate staging base. However, there is no evidence to suggest that either a mid-tour or end-tour decompression program significantly impacts a soldier's chance of developing, or recovering from, an operational stress injury. Also, instituting a mid-tour decompression program would create logistical and operational concerns. National Defence is continuing to evaluate the benefits of the end of tour Third Location Decompression program. While there remains no empirical evidence to suggest that either a mid-tour or end-tour decompression program significantly impacts a soldier's chance of developing or recovering from an operational stress injury, the vast majority of those who have experienced the program believe that it eased the re-integration process both for themselves and their families. Exposure to the mental health program has also led the majority to express a realization that there is nothing wrong with seeking help. A review of the decompression program has been established to evaluate its benefits with a view to updating the re-integration policy and potentially the structure and scope of the program itself.
6. The government should recognize the critical and growing work done by the Operational Stress Injury Social Support Network and support it with appropriate funding and other resources, so that it can keep up with the growing need of caring for returning Afghanistan Veterans and their families. The Government recognizes the critical work being done by the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) network. Since the launch of the OSISS network in February 2002, National Defence funding for OSISS initiatives has increased every year. In fiscal year 2007-2008, the Government approved a 25% increase in Department's funding for OSISS, bringing the total to $2.6 billion.
12. The Minister of National Defence should appear at least four times a year before the Standing Committee on National Defence, to provide a televised situation report, outlining the status, activity and effect of all Canadian Forces operational missions being conducted at the time. The Government recognizes and supports the principles of ministerial accountability and responsibility to Parliament, including responding to parliamentary committee questions on the Government's policies, programs and activities. The Minister of National Defence has always worked to accommodate committee requests for appearances and will continue to do so in the future. However, designating a specific number of appearances in advance would be arbitrary and, depending on the tempo of CF operations and developments in Afghanistan, may not be the most effective way to provide information to the Committee. The Minister of National Defence appeared twice during the reporting period to discuss Canadian Forces operational missions, including Afghanistan.
13. In the months during which the Committee is not traveling and in which the Minister does not appear, a Canadian Forces senior officer should continue to appear before the Committee to present a briefing on the mission status, activity and effect of all ongoing Canadian Forces operational missions since the last report and provide a view of what can be expected in the next month. National Defence will continue to provide CF operational briefings to the committee. Senior DND/CF officials provided four briefings to NDDN over the reporting period. Timing between each briefing varied due to parliamentary breaks, Committee travel, etc.
16. The Standing Committee on National Defence should visit the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan at lease once annually, at an appropriate time, in order to review the status of the mission at that time and any progress being made. The Government supports the idea of annual visits in principle. However, operational and security considerations may affect the timing of any visit, and approval for travel must be sought by the House of Commons. The Committee visited Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008. Both visits; however, fell outside of the reporting period of this DPR.
19. The government should increase the Canadian Forces contributions to Afghan National Army training so that, as the Afghan National Army grows and matures, higher level collective training of new Kandaks can be conducted prior to real operations. The Government recognizes the importance of increasing its contribution to Afghan National Army (ANA) training and the conditions are right for Canada to redouble its training and mentoring initiatives, and to focus that effort on achieving results in Kandahar Province to reinforce our security, development and reconstruction achievements. However, decisions regarding future levels of Canadian contributions to ANA training will be determined by the ANA's progress and capacity, CF operational requirements, and assistance being provided by allies. DND has since been designated as the lead department for ANA capacity building in accordance with the Government of Canada Six Priorities in Afghanistan. Capacity building has increased considerably with an additional ANA battalion (Kandak) assigned for mentoring in Kandahar. As well, Canada increased its mentoring role by assuming responsibility for two additional Kandaks that had been mentored by US Forces. Through these mentoring efforts, one Kandak has reached its full capability milestone, meaning it can plan and conduct operations with limited International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) support. This is a first in Regional Command South. An additional Kandak and the brigade headquarters have both reached capability milestone two, which means they still require some ISAF support. DND continues its work mentoring the Kandaks and the brigade headquarters of the 1st Brigade of 205 Corps to improve their capabilities in planning, training and operations. This will build long-term and enduring capacity in the ANA to provide security for the Afghan population and to enable the Afghan National Government to expand its governance and services.


Recommendation Government Response/Commitment Status
11th Report of SCOPA, 39th Parliament, 1st Session, “Chapter 2, National Defence—Military Recruiting and Retention of the May 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada”

Original report: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2560007&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

Government response: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2830673&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

2. That the Department of National Defence report progress in the implementation of its action plan to strengthen the recruitment and retention of military personnel in its annual Departmental Performance Report, beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2007. The Department should also report progress in implementing its national recruiting attractions plan as well as its strategic guidance on national recruiting. In making this information available to Parliament, the Department must make clear reference to the outcomes that are being achieved. The Department of National Defence will ensure that the information identified in this recommendation is included in its annual Departmental Performance Report beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2007. The National Attractions Plan is embedded in the CF Recruiting Group's Annual Operations Plan, which has been published for the past three years. Recruiting targets for fiscal years 2006-07 and 2007-08 were achieved and the Strategic Guidance on National Recruiting was published in Feb 2007.
3. That the Department of National Defence establish a formal commitment to process applications for membership in the Canadian Armed Forces within thirty days, ensure that all applicants are made aware of that commitment and report its progress in meeting those goals in its annual Departmental Performance Report. The Government will continue to explore additional opportunities to streamline applicant processing and is progressing with the development of a robust performance measurement system based on the Treasury Board framework for service standards. Progress in meeting the goals identified above will be included in the annual Departmental Performance Report for the Department of National Defence, beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2007. Attainment of the goal for applicant processing of 30% completed in 5 days and 70% in 30 days continues to be a significant challenge. Improvements were made in applicant service, eliminating waiting time and in the prioritization of processing. Applicant processing was previously a rigid process where an applicant had to succeed at one step before proceeding to the next step or in other words, the processing was done sequentially. The Commanding Officers of Recruiting Centres have been given the authority to conduct parallel processing in order to maximize the use of their resources at any given time and ensure concurrent activity. For example, the credit check and criminal records name check as part of the Enhanced Reliability sub-process were generally done at the end of the process. Due to improvements from the service provider, CO's now conduct this activity at the outset of the process, thus ensuring concurrent activity.
5. That the Department of National Defence record and evaluate the results of its advertising activities, report the results in its annual Departmental Performance Reports beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2007, and make the appropriate changes to its advertising campaign and related expenditures. The Government is committed to evaluating the results of its new television advertising campaign dedicated to recruiting, and will institute appropriate changes as required. The Government also agrees to report the results of its current advertising campaign in the Department of National Defence annual Departmental Performance Report, beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2007.

As part of its evaluation, the Government will identify and analyze all factors related to recruiting in order to leverage them for future success. The Government will utilize the remaining time in the current fiscal year to assess the true impact that the new advertising campaign is having on attracting more Canadians to join the Canadian Forces.

In accordance with the Government of Canada Communications Policy, under Section 23, all major advertising campaigns are evaluated to assess their effectiveness in achieving the stated objectives. In fiscal 2007-2008, two evaluation studies were completed (Fall 2007 and Winter 2008) to assess the performance of the fall and winter recruitment advertising campaigns. The studies provide "recall" statistics, a common measurement for television advertising.
  • Unaided recall was in the order of the industry standard of 20%.
  • Aided recall was 44% and 48% with the general population and 53% and 55% with our primary audience of 17-24 year olds.

In addition to these evaluation studies, traffic through the various recruitment points of contact was also used to assess the effectiveness of recruitment advertising. This measure includes recruitment website visits, visits to recruitment centres, phone calls to the 1-800 line and e-mail. An additional metric introduced this year was the online "chat with a recruiter". Fiscal 2007-2008 saw 6,522,514 unique visitors to the recruitment website. CF recruiters responded to over 25,000 e-mails, participated in 12,000 chat sessions and received almost 15,000 online applications, all initiated through the website.

8. The Department of National Defence determine the rate of attrition for female members of the Canadian Forces and, in its exit surveys, seek to establish which factors prompt female members to leave the Forces before full service is completed. The results, along with corrective measures taken to encourage women to complete their full service should be reported in the Department's annual Performance Reports, beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2008. A comprehensive survey analysis that will be conducted in the fall of 2007 will allow the Government to better understand the reasons female members of the Canadian Forces decide to leave the military. Should trends be identified that indicate a need for change, the Government will initiate appropriate corrective measures. The results of this survey analysis, together with any corrective measures undertaken, will be reported in the Departmental Performance Reports, beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2008. Female Attrition Rate from the CF
Fiscal Year Officers Non-Commissioned
Members
2001-2002 4.7% 6.9%
2002-2003 6.5% 6.7%
2003-2004 6.6% 6.5%
2004-2005 5.4% 6.3%
2005-2006 6% 6.2%
2006-2007 5% 8.1%
2007-2008 6.7% 9.8%

The rates are still similar between men and women. The male officer rate was 6.8% and the male NCM rate was 9.6% for fiscal year 2007/2008.

9. The Department of National Defence begin to report the results of the exit surveys it conducts among members of the Canadian Forces in its Departmental Performance Reports beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2007. References to the methodology and scope of the surveys should be included. The Department of National Defence will ensure that the information identified in this recommendation is included in its annual Departmental Performance Report. However, since the comprehensive analysis of survey results will not commence until the fall of 2007, the reporting of these results can only begin with the report for the period ending 31 March 2008. Data collection began in late 2007 and will continue into summer 2008 in order to provide a large enough sample size for valid analyses.
10. That the Department of National Defence establish a target for the maximum acceptable rate of attrition of its trained effective strength and monitor the performance of the package of measures it has instituted to meet that target. The Department should begin to report its progress in its annual Departmental Performance Report beginning with the report ending 31 March 2007. The Government will include data regarding attrition rates in the Department of National Defence annual Departmental Performance Report beginning with the report ending 31 March 2007. However, the data will be based on trend analysis as opposed to pre-determined targets. Although external recruiting targets for fiscal years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 were slightly exceeded, attrition exceeded its projections, which in turn resulted in a growth of 628, falling slightly below the forecasted 800-1,000 forecasted for fiscal year 2007-2008. The Regular Force attrition rate was 9.0% - still within the margins of healthy attrition for force renewal (6.5-10%). The intake and training plans were adjusted to account for a higher forecasted attrition rate. Attrition is higher at the normal gates of 20-25 years of service because more people as a percentage of the force are reaching this gate. This is a combined result of the downsizing years when recruiting was stopped, the fact that many 'baby boomers' are at retirement age and the hot economy. Of note, the Afghanistan operations have had no impact on attrition and may indeed be contributing to retention for those in the 5-20 years of service cohort. Attraction and recruiting campaigns were adjusted to focus on stressed occupations and recruiters and the Army, Navy and Air Forces leadership continued to work to implement targets recruiting plans for occupation based 'get well' action. The authorized Total paid strength target of 68,000 will be achieved in fiscal year 2010-2011.


Recommendation Government Response/Commitment Status
15th Report of SCOPA, 39th Parliament, 1st session, “Chapter 5 of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service)”

Original report: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2955368&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

Government response: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3077631&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

5. That the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Treasury Board Secretariat include, in their annual Departmental Performance Reports, references to the Integrated Relocation-Program as it relates to their employees. Information on the numbers of employees using the Program, the costs, and the extent to which the purposes of the Program are being achieved must be included. This performance information must be included in DPRs beginning with Reports for the period ending 31 March 2008. The Government accepts this recommendation. The purpose of the Integrated Relocation Program (IRP) is to relocate CF personnel and their families in the most efficient fashion and at the most reasonable cost to the public while having a minimum detrimental effect on the employee and family, and on departmental operations.

The CF authorized the service provider, Royal Lepage Relocation Services (RLRS), to effect relocations for 15,700 personnel during fiscal year 2007-08. Records indicate that the administration fees paid to RLRS for providing relocation services totalled just under $28.5 million, including GST. The summation of the flow through costs for reimbursements made to CF personnel for relocation benefits were slightly greater than $225 million.

The CF IRP policy manual was completely re-written in fiscal year 2007-08 with the aim of making it shorter, less complex and easier to read and understand. In partnership with other client departments, work has begun in the process of re-tendering the relocation contract through PWGSC to be effective November 2009.


Sources: Assistant Deputy Minister(Policy) Group and Chief Military Personnel
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National Research Council Canada


Table 3-9:  Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits for 2007–08

Response to Parliamentary Committees

NRC did not participate in any Parliamentary Committees in 2007-08 that required a response.

Response to the Auditor General

There were no OAG performance audits completed in 2007-08. Significant progress has been made by NRC in implementing the recommendations of the previous year’s audit. Overall, very positive progress has been made by NRC in implementing the OAG’s recommendations.  All six of the recommendations made subsequently in the OAG’s February 2007 Status Report have been assessed as either being fully (four) or substantially (two) implemented.  Related accomplishments include:

  • Revised role of Council and membership profile;
  • Approved Corporate Business Plan;
  • Draft Human Resources Branch Business Plan pending SEC approval by March 31, 2008;
  • Development of the Management, Resources and Results Management Structure (MRRS) for NRC including key performance indicators and targets; and
  • Development of the Balanced Scorecard aligned to the Corporate Business Plan.

Work still requiring progress includes recommendations pertaining to the collection and reporting of performance data and research project management.  However, significant activity is being undertaken to address them. 

External Audits

None.


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Natural Resources Canada

12. Internal Audits


1. Name of Internal Audit 2. Audit Type 3. Status 4. Completion Date
NRCan Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Audit Assurance Completed January 2007
Audit of Compliance with the Export and Import of the Rough Diamonds Act Assurance Completed March 2007
Audit of Health and Safety Program in Laboratories Assurance Completed March 2007
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework at the Pacific Forestry Centre Assurance Completed May 2007
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre Assurance Completed June 2007
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework at the Sidney Sub-Division of the Geological Survey of Canada, Pacific Division Assurance Completed August 2007
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework at the Atlantic Forestry Centre (AFC) Fredericton Assurance Completed August 2007
Audit of the Management Control Framework for Membership Fees Assurance Completed October 2007
Audit of Specified Purpose Accounts Assurance Completed October 2007
Audit of Net Voted Revenue Assurance Completed October 2007
Horizontal Audit of Transfer Payments Assurance Completed October 2007
Audit of Improved Efficiency of New Commercial Buildings (IENCP) and Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP) Assurance Completed November 2007
Internal Audit of Hospitality Report Assurance Completed December 2007
Audit of Voice Telecommunications Assurance Completed December 2007
Follow-Up Audit of Accounting for the Costs and Liabilities Related to Contaminated Sites Assurance Completed December 2007
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework of the Earth Sciences Sector at the Geological Survey of Canada – Atlantic Assurance Completed December 2007
Audit of Management of Cash Flow Assurance Completed February 2008
Audit of the Financial Management Control Framework at the Laurentin Forestry Centre (LFC) Assurance Completed March 2008
5. Electronic Link to Report: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/dmo/aeb/aeb-rpts-2007-e.htm

13. Internal Evaluations


1. Name of Evaluation 2. Program Activity 3. Evaluation Type 4. Status 5. Completion Date
Port Hope Area Initiative Energy Summative Complete June 2007
Energy Infrastructure Protection Division (EIPD) Energy Summative Complete August 2007
The Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative Sustainable Forest Summative Complete November 2007
Value to Wood Program Sustainable Forest Summative Complete June 2007
Canada Wood Export Program Sustainable Forest Summative Complete June 2007
Transportation Science and Technology Energy Summative Implementing N/A
Built Environment Science and Technology Energy Summative Implementing N/A
Earth Sciences Exploration for Energy Earth Sciences Summative Implementing N/A
Mines and Minerals Science and Technology Minerals and Metals Summative Implementing N/A
CFS Climate Change Minerals and Metals Summative Implementing N/A
6. Electronic Link to Report: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/dmo/aeb/aeb-rpts-e.htm
7. Electronic Link to Evaluation Plan: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/dmo/aeb/aeb-rpts-e.htm

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Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

Table 4: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits



Response to Parliamentary Committees
No recommendations were received for the current reporting period.
 
Response to the Auditor General, including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
No recommendations were received for the current reporting period.
 
External Audits*

*Refers to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

The agency has nothing to report for the current reporting period.

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Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Table 4: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages

In its May 2007 report on the relocation of head offices, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages asked the Commissioner of Official Languages to study horizontal management of official languages and make recommendations.

  1. The Commissioner charged an expert in this field, Donald J. Savoie, with the mandate of assessing the current official languages management structure in the federal administration and provide advice with regard to coordination. In March 2008, Professor Savoie submitted his practical advice and guidance on the horizontal management of official languages to the Commissioner of Official Languages. The Commissioner has relied primarily on Professor Savoie's work to take stock of horizontal governance in his 2007-2008 Annual Report. The Commissioner also made three recommendations for improving horizontal management of official languages.
  2. Professor Savoie’s report was tabled before this parliamentary committee on June 9, 2008.
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Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada


Response to Parliamentary Committees

N/A


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

 

Further to the Report to Senior Management, an action plan for the Office Information Commissioner was provided to the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on January 21, 2008. http://www.infocom.gc.ca/publications/pdf_en/AG_AP.pdf

 

External Audits

N/A



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Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada

Table 5: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
Not applicable during 2007-2008.
 
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Not applicable during 2007-2008.
 
External Audits
 

During 2007-2008, the Canada Public Service Agency conducted two audits of OSFI:

  1. An “Audit of Active Offer of Communications with and Services to the Public in Both Official Languages”, which included 51 federal institutions located in the National Capital Region. The audit involved visiting OSFI’s offices and service points to verify whether:
    • employees greet the public in both official languages during business hours;
    • signage is in both official languages and whether written messages are of equal quality;
    • the presence and visibility of the official languages symbol indicating the availability of communications and services in English and French; and,
    • documentation published by the federal government and made available to the public is presented in both official languages in such a way as to respect the equal status of English and French.

    With the exception of the greeting, which was expressed in English only, the auditor noted that OSFI was compliant in all the other components of active offer. It was recommended that management take steps to ensure that the public is greeted in both official languages. That action has been taken.

  2. An audit on the use of Canada’s two official languages, to determine whether employees have the opportunity to be supervised in the official language of their choice. The audit targeted National Capital Region employees and was distributed within all federal government departments and agencies.  At time of writing this 2007-2008 Departmental Performance Report, OSFI had not yet received a report on the audit findings and recommendations.

 


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Parks Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits



Parliamentary Committees
There were no recommendations to Parks Canada Agency from Parliamentary Committees in 2007-2008.

The Auditor General

The Auditor General Audit of Inuvialuit Final Agreement (Chapter 3 – Tabled October 2007)
After 10 years of negotiation, the federal government and the Inuvialuit signed an agreement in 1984. This agreement sets out a number of obligations for the parties in order to achieve the principles expressed by Inuvialuit and recognized by Canada to participate equally and meaningfully in the economy and society of Canada’s North and the nation; to protect and preserve the wildlife, environment and biological diversity; and to preserve Inuvialuit cultural identity. Only the recommendation 3.46 involves Parks Canada Agency. http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200710_03_e_23827.html

CESD Status Report on Protection of Species at Risk (Chapter 5 – Tabled March 2008)
Follow up of an audit done in 2001 by the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development. Progress shown on two recommendations is unsatisfactory.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_05_e_30131.html

The Auditor General Audit of the Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies (to be tabled May 2008)
There were no recommendations for Parks Canada Agency.


External Audits
The Office of the Auditor General completed an external audit of the 2006-2007 Financial Statements of Parks Canada Agency.


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Privy Council Office

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees

N/A

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200710_e_23823.html (English)

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Francais/parl_oag_200710_f_23823.html (French)

Chapter 2—Management and Control Practices in Three Small Entities

This audit examined controls applied by three entities (the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Canadian Forces Grievance Board, and the Courts Administration Service) for acquisition cards, contracting, executive travel, hospitality, executive compensation, and selected areas of human resources management, as well as whether the entities’ management and control practices comply with government policies. While the final audit report notes that PCO sets the terms and conditions of employment for Governor-in-Council appointees, the report did not contain any recommendations addressed to PCO.

2007 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200710_e_26831.html (English)

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Francais/parl_cesd_200710_f_26831.html (French)

Chapter 1—Sustainable Development Strategies

In this audit, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development examined whether Environment Canada and the Privy Council Office made satisfactory progress implementing key recommendations for improvement from the Commissioner’s previous reports; whether selected departments and agencies implemented specific commitments from their 2004-06 sustainable development strategies; and whether the 2007-09 strategies of selected departments represent substantive plans for helping them progress toward sustainable development. Only one recommendation resulted. Environment Canada (as the department assigned in September 2005 the responsibility for coordinating sustainable development strategies) developed a response in consultation with the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and Public Works and Government Services Canada. In this response, Environment Canada agreed on the government’s behalf with the recommendation and indicated that a review of the current approach to sustainable development strategies is timely and could draw on over a decade of experience with the current approach and a growing body of experience and best practices internationally. Environment Canada committed to complete, in collaboration with other departments, a thorough review by October 2008 that will identify means to improve the government's approach to sustainable development strategies.

Response:

English - http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200710_01_e_23837.html#ch1appa

French - http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Francais/parl_cesd_200710_01_f_23837.html#ch1appa

2008 March Status Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_e_30125.html (English)

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Francais/parl_cesd_200803_f_30125.html (French)

Chapter 9—Management Tools and Government Commitments—Strategic Environmental Assessment

This audit, a follow-up to past OAG audits, was done to determine whether selected departments and agencies have made satisfactory progress in addressing selected recommendations, observations, and commitments made to implement the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. The OAG noted improvements in some areas, but assessed overall progress as “unsatisfactory.” The final audit report did not contain any recommendations addressed to PCO.

External Audits by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)

October 2007 Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm (English)

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-fra.htm (French)

The audit was done to determine the extent of movement of public servants between the federal public service and ministers’ offices, and whether the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act, Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER), PSC policies and other applicable legislation were met for appointments of public servants returning from ministers’ offices. Another objective was to assess the risk to political impartiality. While PCO staffing actions were included in the scope of this audit, the final audit report did not contain any recommendations addressed to PCO.

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Public Health Agency of Canada

Table 10–A Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids


The Standing Committee on Health tabled a report on March 27, 2007 entitled, Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids. The report outlined the seriousness of childhood obesity in Canada and identified 13 recommendations to address concerns related to childhood obesity.  The report is available at: link http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10481&Lang=1&SourceId=199309

The Government of Canada’s response to the report was prepared by the Health Portfolio, with contributions from several other government departments and agencies and was tabled on August 22, 2007. The response is available on the web at: link http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10481&Lang=1&SourceId=213785

Acknowledging that there is still much work to be done, the response outlined many of the Government of Canada’s current initiatives related to childhood obesity. Given the complexity of the issue of obesity, the recommendations address areas within the mandates of numerous federal departments.

Initiatives undertaken by the Agency in 2007-08 to respond to the recommendations include:

  • With provincial and territorial governments, establishing national physical activity targets for children and youth [addresses recommendation 1];
  • Providing Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth, funding a ParticipACTION social marketing campaign, supporting SummerActive and WinterActive initiatives and investing in a campaign to promote the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit [recommendation 2];
  • Continue supporting data collection and reporting on children’s physical activity levels, eating behaviours and weight status [recommendation 5];
  • Supporting knowledge exchange among researchers, practitioners and policy makers to improve awareness of issues related to body weight and health and on trade, health and agri-food policy, with a particular focus on childhood obesity [recommendation 6];
  • Implementing the Project Evaluation Reporting Tool as a requirement for national physical activity and healthy eating projects (including those which target children) to measure their effectiveness [recommendation 7];
  • Assessing links and opportunities for collaboration with other government departments such as Infrastructure Canada and Human Resources and Social Development Canada;  establishing a Health Portfolio Steering Committee [recommendation 8];
  • Supporting a March 2008 conference on Obesity and the Impact of Marketing on Children, participating in an international study, and commissioning of a report on marketing to children to inform the Government of Canada’s assessment of the effectiveness of self-regulation of marketing to children [recommendation 9];
  • and Collaborating with Health Canada on a joint communications strategy to promote the physical activity and nutrition scientific background papers for the WHO School Policy Framework [recommendation 12].

Table 10–B Children: The Silenced Citizens



The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights tabled a report in April 2007 entitled, Children: The Silenced Citizens, Effective Implementation of Canada’s International Obligations with respect to the Rights of Children. The report outlined Canada’s international obligations with respect to the rights and freedoms of children, and calls for the establishment of a policy framework for the ratification and implementation of Canada’s international human rights obligations. The report can be found at: link http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/huma-e/rep-e/rep10apr07-e.htm

The Government of Canada’s response to the report, prepared by the Department of Justice with contributions from the Health Portfolio and other government departments and agencies, was tabled on November 15, 2007. Acknowledging that there is still much work to be done, the response outlines many of the Government of Canada’s initiatives related to children’s rights.

The Government’s response to the Senate affirms that Canada is committed to:

  • Meeting its international human rights obligations concerning children;
  • Supporting healthy child development;
  • Combating exploitation and violence against children; and
  • Protecting vulnerable children.

On behalf of the Minister of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada co-leads with the Department of Justice federal government efforts on matters concerning the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Agency promotes children’s health and well-being through a variety of measures.

Health promotion programming was and continues to be successfully delivered to pregnant women, children and families at risk for poor health outcomes through community-based early intervention programs, such as the Community Action Program for Children, the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program, and Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities.

The Nobody’s Perfect parenting education and support program helps parents recognize their strengths and implement positive parenting principles. Canada’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder initiative helps to prevent alcohol-affected births and provides Canadians with identification, screening, and diagnostic tools. The Family Violence Initiative promotes public awareness of the risk factors of family violence; strengthens the criminal justice, housing and health systems’ capacity to respond; and, supports efforts to identify effective interventions.

Youth engagement practices in relevant policy development areas are actively promoted to support policies/programs that effectively address the needs of Canada’s youth. To this end, the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement, one of four Agency-sponsored Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being, works with youth, youth service providers, researchers and governments to encourage youth participation in meaningful activities, as well as efforts to combat bullying and improve prevention programs at a local level.

A new Inter-departmental Working Group on Children’s Rights, co-chaired by the Agency and the Department of Justice, has been created to promote a whole-of-government approach to children’s rights, and to encourage linkages among departments with policies affecting children. By ensuring regular discussion of children’s rights and related issues, this committee will continue to promote awareness and understanding of the obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child among federal officials.


Table 10–C Report of the Auditor General of Canada – May 2008 Chapter 5—Surveillance of Infectious Diseases—Public Health Agency of Canada



The Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) published Report of the Auditor General of Canada – May 2008 Chapter 5 Surveillance of Infectious Diseases available at link http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_05_e_30701.html in May 2008. The focus of this audit was to determine whether the Agency had set objectives and priorities for surveillance based on the public health threats of infectious diseases, and the extent to which it had defined its roles and responsibilities in this area.  As well, the audit reviewed whether the Agency had obtained, analyzed, and reported information on selected existing infectious diseases as well as emerging ones.  The audit was also used to determine whether the Agency was meeting its new international obligations under the International Health Regulations.  Finally, the auditors examined the Agency’s progress on selected recommendations from their past reports.

Within the Public Health Agency, the work was focused on the centres responsible for infectious diseases and emergency preparedness, including the laboratories directly involved in surveillance.  Given the close links between animal and human diseases, the OAG also considered surveillance activities carried out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The OAG Report outlined four key concerns regarding surveillance of infectious diseases by the Agency:
•    Weaknesses related to strategic direction, data quality, results measurement, and information sharing that were noted in previous OAG audits still remain;
•    While the Agency relied heavily on the good will of provinces and territories for surveillance information, there are gaps in information-sharing agreements;
•    In the event of a public health emergency, critical arrangements need to be sorted out; and
•    The Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have not jointly determined which of the animal diseases that could affect the health of people are the highest priority for surveillance, and which of the two agencies will carry out surveillance of what diseases.

The OAG Report provided twelve recommendations for the Agency.

The Agency has committed to take action to address the concerns raised in the report and has already moved forward by developing a surveillance strategy and establishing the Surveillance Integration Team to improve and better integrate surveillance activities across the Agency.


Table 10–D Public Service Commission of Canada Audit



In October 2207, the Public Service Commission released an audit Report on the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices.

The objective of this audit was to determine whether the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act, Public Service Employment Regulations, PSC policies and other applicable legislation were met for appointments of public servants returning from ministers' offices and to assess the risk to political impartiality. The PSC examined the movement of 58 public servants between the federal public service and ministers' offices. Public Health Agency of Canada was covered by this audit.

The PSC Report could be found at : link http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm


 Table 10–E Government-wide Audit on Executive Appointments



The objective of the government wide audit is to determine whether EX appointment activities comply with the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), other applicable legislation and policies, and with the instrument of delegation signed with the Public Service Commission (PSC). 

The period covered by the audit is January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 and includes appointment activities conducted under the current Public Service Employment Act. Organizations to which authority for EX appointments has been delegated are being audited. The Canada Public Health Agency of Canada is such an organization.

The sample comprises 50% of appointment activity at the EX-01 to EX-03 levels and 100% of EX-04 and EX-05 levels. At the Agency and for the period under review, this represents six appointments at the EX-01 to EX-03 levels and none at the EX-04 and EX-05 levels. 

The PSC’s government-wide Audit Report is to be tabled with Parliament in October 2008.


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Public Safety Canada

Table 7: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees Government Response Link
Seventh report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security – 60 recommendations (Justice lead – Public Safety Canada input) Committee undertook a review of the provisions and operation of the Anti-terrorism Actand related issues, notably security certificates. The Committee recommended not considering evidence that was extracted through torture, and called for a special counsel to assist in such cases where the limited disclosure of information makes it difficult for affected persons to defend their interests. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?
COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=213371
Ninth report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security – 1 recommendation (Public Safety Canada lead) Committee recommended that the Government consider the advisability of bringing in the legislation necessary to establish missing persons indexes after the completion of federal-provincial-territorial discussions on its implementation. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.asp?
COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=212790
Tenth report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security 14 recommendations (joint response from Public Safety Canada, Industry, Justice and International Trade) Committee found counterfeiting of goods to be a growing phenomenon in Canada, one that increasingly involves goods that present health and safety hazards for consumers. Note: The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) also tabled a report in the House with respect to counterfeiting of goods two weeks after the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security tabled their report. The response provided to INDU was identical to the response to the above mentioned report. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?
COM=10804&Lang=1&SourceId=215234
Twelfth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration – 25 recommendations (joint response from Public Safety Canada and Citizenship and Immigration) Committee recommended that the Government amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide for a special advocate in proceedings in Federal Court to determine the reasonableness of a security certificate and to provide that permanent residents and foreign nationals shall not be removed to their countries of nationality or habitual residence if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they would be at risk of torture. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?
COM=10469&Lang=1&SourceId=213794
Twelfth report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women – 32 recommendations (Justice lead, Public Safety Canada input) Committee recommended that the Government take certain steps to combat human trafficking. http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?
COM=10477&Lang=1&SourceId=212908

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Public Service Commission of Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees

The PSC did not provide input into government responses to Parliamentary Committees during 2007-2008.

Response to the Auditor General

Modernization of Human Resources Management - Managing the Reforms (Chapter 3 of the February 2005 Report of the Auditor General of Canada)

In 2007-08, the PSC made significant changes to its Staffing Management Accountability Framework (SMAF) that describes the expectations and indicators for departments and agencies. The new SMAF puts more focus on improved short-term outcomes concerning flexibility and efficiency results and staffing values, as well as key change areas needed for long-term success of the PSEA. The new SMAF together with the Departmental Staffing Accountability Report are used for annual monitoring of departmental staffing activities and are integrated with the PSC's broader evaluation framework it established to prepare for the five-year review of the current PSEA. Both the annual monitoring activities and evaluation framework will be used to further establish meaningful performance measures, gather critical benchmarking data, and contribute to the continuous improvement of its ongoing oversight activities. In 2007-08, the PSC piloted a new PSC Survey of Staffing that is better aligned with the current staffing regime and the five-year evaluation framework. Also, in 2007-08, the PSC worked with central agencies to better coordinate human resource reporting for the federal government and further work is planned for 2008-09. Like all departments, the PSC uses the RPP/DPR to inform Parliament of its progress, although the Annual Report is the main vehicle for reporting on implementation of reforms under the new Act.

Response to the Public Service Commission on External Audits

In carrying out its audits of staffing activities of departments and agencies, the PSC assesses the integrity of departmental staffing activities and makes recommendations for improvements to deputy heads. The results of these audits are reported to Parliament. In these audits, the PSC may also identify areas for improvement to the PSC's own operations. In the fall of 2007, the PSC committed to making adjustments to its prioirty administration system as reported in its Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices. In the fall of 2006, there were three audits in which the PSC made commitments to improve areas of its own operations. These commitments were reported in the audits of Acting Appointments to and Within the EX Group; Readiness for the New Public Service Employment Act and Follow-up Audit of the Military Police Complaints Commission.

The PSC has taken steps to ensure that these commitments are respected. Progress on action plans to remedy weaknesses is monitored by the Internal Audit Directorate and the Internal Audit Committee. The Audit, Evaluation and Studies Branch is responsible for conducting follow-up audits, which are reported in accordance with its Branch standards.

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Public Works and Government Services Canada

Table 13: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
Standing Committee on Public Accounts
2007 May Report
Chapter 5- Relocation Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service of the November 2006 Report on the Auditor General of Canada
This report focused on the tendering progress of the Integrated Relocation Program (IRP).
Recommendation That the contracts for the Canadian Forces, and for RCMP/Federal Public Service relocation services be re-tendered for commencement in November 2009, and that the current contracts not be extended.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation. 
Recommendation 2- That Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the Department of National Defence (DND), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) develop detailed action plans for the implementation of each of the recommendations in Chapter 5 of the Auditor General’s Report of November 2006 that apply to them. Copies of these plans must be submitted to the Committee no later than 30 September 2007.
Government
Response
The Government accepts this recommendation and the consolidated action plan is attached as an Annex to this Response.  The action plan indicates the progress to date in fully implementing all of the recommendations contained in Chapter 5 of the November 2006 Auditor General’s Report.
Recommendation 3- That PWGSC, TBS, DND and RCMP report their progress in achieving commitments made in response to recommendations made by the Auditor General that apply to them to the Public Accounts Committee no later than 30 September 2007.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation and had prepared an action plan which indicates the progress to date in fully implementing all of the recommendations contained in Chapter 5 of the November 2006 Auditor General’s Report.
Recommendation 4- That the recommendations made by the Auditor General and accepted by the departments be fully implemented prior to the initiation of a new tendering process for the Integrated Relocation- Program.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation, and as indicated in the attached Action Plan, the ten recommendations contained within Chapter 5 of the Auditor General’s Report have been addressed and will be fully implemented prior to the initiation of the new tendering process.
Recommendation 5- That the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Treasury Board Secretariat include, in their annual Departmental Performance Reports, references to the Integrated Relocation-Program as it relates to their employees.  Information on the numbers of employees using the Program, the costs, and the extent to which the purposes of the Program are being achieved must be included.  This performance information must be included in DPRs beginning with Reports for the period ending 31 March 2008.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation.
Recommendation 6- That PWGSC use information generated by monitoring the performance of the Integrated Relocation Program in the development of the next Request for Proposals issued for the Program’s contracts.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation.
Recommendation 7- That PWGSC works closely with TBS and its client departments to develop a certification process designed to ensure the accuracy of data provided for inclusion in the Requests for Proposals and ensure that such a process is in place prior to the tendering of the next contracts for the Integrated Relocation Programs.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation.
Recommendation 8- That DND and the Canadian Forces (CF) establish a target date of no later than 30 September 2007 for the completion of the review of relocation files and for full compensation for all CF members who have been inappropriately charged for property management services. That the Government of Canada take steps to full recover funds from Royal LePage Relocation Services (RLRS) and that PWGSC report progress in this effort in its departmental performance report.
Government Response The Government accepts this recommendation and a review of all property management transactions since November 2004 has been completed. These transactions occurred under the current contract. The review found that 16 members were charged a rate in excess of the ceiling rate for this service. These members have been fully reimbursed by RLRS. A review of all property management transactions under the previous contract has also been completed. The results of this review need to be discussed with various stakeholders before follow-up action is taken. The work will be substantially completed by September 2007.
Recommendation 9- That Treasury Board Secretariat provide the Standing Committee on Public Accounts with a full explanation for the failure to provide the Auditor General and her Office with information on the logic model used to generate estimated business volumes for property management services during the audit of the Integrated Relocations Program.  This explanation must be given to the Committee no later than 30 September 2007.
Government Response TBS has reviewed all documentation and minutes in the sharing of the information with the Office of the Auditor General. The documentation on file indicates that the Office of the Auditor General was informed at all times that the numbers used for the section on Property Management Services of the Request For Proposal were constructed in the absence of complete or relevant data and were based on a number of assumptions (logic) made by the interdepartmental group. The assumptions made by the interdepartmental group were based on the knowledge and data available during the development of the RFP.  The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat also confirms that the numbers used in the Request for Proposal were not actual business volumes but rather estimates for the sole purpose of bid evaluation.
For more information of this report, the recommendations and the government’s response, please see:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10466&Lang=1&SourceId=211193
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10466&Lang=1&SourceId=214863

 


Responses to the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Auditor General
2007 May Report
Chapter 1—Use of Acquisition and Travel Cards
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the government has an appropriate management control framework over the use of acquisition and designated travel cards and if the government knows whether it is achieving the intended benefits from these programs.
Recommendation 1.25 Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) should provide departments and agencies with operational guidelines pertaining to the provisions of the contract with the travel card service provider, including guidelines pertaining to the responsibility of the government for unpaid travel card balances.
1.67 Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and PWGSC should monitor developments regarding the evolving practices of acquisition and travel card programs to identify the benefits versus the incremental costs.
1.76 TBS and PWGSC should establish a forum for sharing best practices for acquisition cards across government.
Departmental Response http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200705_01_e_17476.html
Auditor General
2007 October Report
Chapter 1- Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting
The audit focused on how PWGSC delivers its Industrial Security Program and how it carries out its role as the lead contracting authority for the government.
Recommendations 1.51 PWGSC should ensure that before it awards a contract, it has received from the client department a completed Security Requirements Checklist identifying the necessary security requirements, or a certification that there are none.
1.52 PWGSC should ensure that it completes the development and approval of standard operating procedures for the Industrial Security Program and that they are consistently followed.
1.59 PWGSC should ensure that the Industrial Security Program has adequate resources to meet its program objectives.
1.60 PWGSC should ensure that its secure information technology environment for the operations of the Industrial Security Program is certified, as mandated by the Government Security Policy. It should also review its departmental business continuity plan to determine whether it makes adequate provisions for the Industrial Security Program.
Departmental Response http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_2007_1_e_23825.html
Auditor General
2007 October Report
Chapter 3—Inuvialuit Final Agreement
The audit examined the federal government's implementation of its obligations in relation to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. Specifically, federal government activities designed to meet a select number of specific federal obligations were examined. The audit included the Parks Canada Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, and PWGSC, each of whom have responsibilities with respect to specific obligations under the Agreement.
Recommendations 3.46 In consultation with TBS, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, PWGSC, the Parks Canada Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment Canada should develop and/or enhance systems and procedures to enable them to monitor their compliance with the Inuvialuit Final Agreement's contracting provisions.
Departmental Response http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_2007_3_e_23827.html
CESD
2007 October Report
Chapter 1—Sustainable Development Strategies
The CESD set out to determine whether Environment Canada and the Privy Council Office made satisfactory progress implementing key recommendations for improvement from previous reports; whether selected departments and agencies implemented specific commitments from their 2004–2006 sustainable development strategies; and whether the 2007–2009 strategies of selected departments represent substantive plans for helping them progress toward sustainable development.
Recommendation No recommendation directed at Public Works and Government Services Canada.
CESD
2008 March Report
Chapter 9—Management Tools and Government Commitments—Strategic Environmental Assessment
The objective of the audit was to determine whether selected departments and agencies have made satisfactory progress in addressing selected recommendations, observations, and commitments made to implement the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals.
Recommendation No recommendation directed at PWGSC.
CESD
2008 March Report
Chapter 10—Management Tools and Government Commitments—Greening of Government Operations
The overall objective was to assess the progress made by selected departments in responding to the underlying issues derived from certain recommendations, observations, and commitments made in prior years with respect to certain aspects of greening government operations.
Recommendations 10.51 PWGSC, in consultation with TBS, Environment Canada, and other departments and agencies as appropriate, should revisit the authorities, roles, responsibilities, and capacities for greening government operations, with a view to clarifying the leadership and responsibility for:
  1. the provision of central direction and guidance on greening government operations for sustainable development strategies;
  2. the establishment of meaningful and aggressive government-wide targets for greening government operations; and
  3. the development of a government-wide strategy for monitoring and reporting on greening government operations.

10.69 PWGSC should develop the integrated comprehensive commodity management plans required by the Commodity Management Framework to ensure that it maximizes its greening efforts while respecting other government priorities for procurement.

Departmental Response http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_200803_10_e_30136.html - ch10hd3e
Response to the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC)
Public Service Commission of Canada
2007 October Report
Audit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Secretariat – Canadian Section
The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the NAFTA Secretariat – Canadian Section, has an appropriate framework, systems and practices for managing staffing activities; and the Secretariat's staffing transactions comply with the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), relevant policies, and the delegation instrument signed with the Public Service Commission (PSC). Audit activities consisted of interviews with human resources specialists from Shared Human Resources Services of PWGSC, PSC representatives, and Secretariat managers responsible for staffing.
Recommendation No recommendation directed at PWGSC.
Response to the Commissioner of Official Languages
Commissioner of Official Languages
2007-2008 Annual Report to Parliament

 

Each year, the Commissioner takes a close look at the performance of federal institutions in their implementing of the Official Languages Act.  The Commissioner analyzes their performance in terms of the various parts of the Act, paying special attention to Part IV (Communications with and Services to the Public), Part V (Language of Work) and Part VII (Advancement of English and French).
Recommendation No recommendations were directed specifically at PWGSC. 

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RCMP External Review Committee

Table - Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Report #2 Chapter 9

Restoring the Honor of the RCMP: Addressing Problems in the Administration of the RCMP’S Pension and Insurance Plans ‑ tabled December 10, 2007

Committee members heard testimony on the issue problems in the administration of the RCMP’s pension and insurance plans. Witnesses included those involved in the administration of the plans, current and former government Ministers, senior RCMP management, audit and police investigators, and representatives of the RCMP’S civilian oversight bodies.

The Committee made 31 recommendations to counter the contracting and accounting irregularities, improve the administration of the plans, improve whistle‑blower protections and enhance oversight, including that the Government of Canada amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to provide the Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee with adjudication powers whose decisions are binding and final (recommendation 9).

The Government's response was supportive of a number of the recommendations and indicated that other recommendations, including recommendation 9, would be further reviewed.
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
No recommendations were received.
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Nil
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Table 10: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits FYI 2007-2008


Response to Parliamentary Committees
N/A
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1— Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting

The Government of Canada uses a wide range of classified and protected information and assets to help govern the country. The audit examined how the federal government ensures the security of sensitive information and assets that it makes available to industry in the course of contracting. The Government Security Policy and its related operational and technical standards prescribe safeguards to help make the contracting process and internal government operations more secure. These safeguards are designed to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, availability and value of information and assets and to assure the continued delivery of services.

For more information, visit:

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_2007_1_e_23825.html

Chapter 7—Management of Forensic Laboratory Services—Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Forensic Laboratory Services (FLS) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provides forensic analysis services for criminal cases to Canada's law enforcement community, which includes Canadian police agencies, Crown Counsel and other federal, provincial and municipal agencies. It operates laboratories in six cities across Canada. In 2005, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness heard conflicting testimony on the performance of the Forensic Laboratory Services. The Committee subsequently asked the Auditor General of Canada to audit the performance of the FLS and the status of DNA cases and service requests. Examined were the timeliness of service delivery by the FLS, the quality management system, consultation with clients and performance reporting to Parliament. We did not audit the quality of the forensic science and offer no opinion, positive or negative, on the validity of scientific analysis used.

For more information, visit:

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_oag_200705_7_e_17482.html#ch7hd3a be

External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
RCMP Pension and Insurance Plan Investigation

The investigation provided a comprehensive review of the allegations made relating to reports of mismanagement or irregularities in the administration of the RCMP's pension and insurance plans.

For more information, visit:

http://publicsafety.gc.ca/rcmppension-retraitegrc/iircmp-grc-en.asp#rp


Canada Firearms Centre

Table 9-B – Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits FYI 2007-2008

Below is a list of responses to parliamentary committee reports, reports of the Auditor General of Canada and external audits that pertain to the department's work for FY 2007-2008, along with a link or reference to more information.


Response to Parliamentary Committees
N/A
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
N/A

Table 10: Canadian Firearms Program: Federal Government Costs and Anticipated Planned Spending Requirements

In response to Recommendation 4.27 of the May 2006 Auditor General Report on the Canadian Firearms Program, direct and indirect costs are defined as follows:

  • Direct Costs: represent those reimbursed by CAFC to its partners for services/activities provided in support of the Program and agreed upon through a Memorandum of Agreement.
  • Indirect Costs: certain costs of the Canadian Firearms Program incurred by federal partners that are not reimbursed by CAFC (see Auditor General Report – Definitions). Indirect costs can be sub-divided into two categories: those costs incurred and not reimbursed by the Centre. An example would be collective bargaining salary increases that are passed on to departments by TBS or, overhead costs for ministerial or infrastructure support. Secondly, indirect costs can be those that are received without charge such as accommodation and employee benefits to, for example, the Public Service Dental Plan.

Organization
($ millions)
Past Expenditure
(1995-1996 to 2006-2007)
2007-2008 Expenditures
Direct Costs:
Canada Firearms Centre
726.1
46.7
Royal Canadian Mounted Police 2
117.2
0.0
Other Federal Government Departments (costs reimbursed by CAFC):
Canada Border Services Agency
22.3
1.7
Department of Justice
2.0
1.2
Public Works and Government Services Canada
1.8
0.0
Human Resources Development Canada3
32.7
0.0
Transfer payments to Provinces
202.0
12.5
Contribution payments to Aboriginal Communities, Other Communities
2.0
0.2
Total Direct Costs:
1106.1
62.3
Indirect Costs not reimbursed by Canada Firearms Centre:
Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada
1.5
0.2
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
4.3
0.0
Royal Canadian Mounted Police – NWEST
8.5
0.0
Canada Border Services Agency
7.4
0.0
Correctional Service Canada
45.5
9.4
National Parole Board
6.0
0.9
Department of Justice
11.1
0.0
Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada
0.4
0.0
Public Works & Government Services Canada
16.9
1.9
Other
11.0
1.7
Total Indirect Costs:
112.6
14.1
Total Program Costs
1,218.7
76.4
Net Revenues (1)
(128.4)
(7.1)
Net Program Costs
1,090.3
69.3
Notes:
2 Reflects direct costs reimbursed by DOJ/CAFC prior to May 17, 2006 to the RCMP. Starting with 2006-2007, direct and indirect costs incurred by the RCMP in support of the Firearms Program will be included within CAFC’s direct operating costs.
3 HRDC no longer provides support services to CAFC for the Central Processing Site in Miramichi, N.B.
1. Revenues are credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and are not available as offsets to operating expenditures. Note: Please refer to Table on Horizontal Initiatives for explanations of expected results, planned spending and indirect costs not reimbursed by CAFC as reported by the Centre's federal partners to substantiate estimated planned spending requirements related to the delivery of their portion of the Firearms Program. Expenditures are rounded to the nearest one hundred thousand, e.g. $75,000 is rounded up to $0.1 million and $45,000 is rounded down to $0.0 million.

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Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Table 5: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No responses were submitted to Parliamentary Committees, as committee recommendations were not received by SSHRC during the 2007-08 fiscal year.


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Responses to the Auditor General were not submitted by SSHRC, as this was not applicable during the 2007-08 fiscal year.


External Audits
SSHRC did not participate in any external audits during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
 
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Status of Women Canada

Table 6: Response to Parliamentary Committees

In 2007–2008, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women tabled 13 reports, including two that required a Government response:
Response to Parliamentary committees table, part 1

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10477&Lang=1&SourceId=215391

Response to Parliamentary committees table, part 2

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=10477&Lang=1&SourceId=214785

Response to Parliamentary committees table, part 3

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The Correctional Investigator Canada

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
N/A
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
N/A
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Audit by the Public Service Commission of Canada
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Transport Canada

Table 13: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
2008 March Status Report of the Environment and Sustainable Development – Chapter 6 – Ecosystems – Control of Aquatic Invavise Species

 

This audit is a follow-up to determine whether the two departments (Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada) made satisfactory progress in response to the recommendations from the 2002 audit of the federal government’s management of invasive species. Transport Canada is responsible for regulating and controlling ballast water on commercial ships in Canada.  The 2002 recommendations were for Transport Canada to define best management practices for ship ballast water and establish regulations requiring the application of those practices and to develop and implement a means to monitor, maintain records, and report annually on compliance. http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_06_e_30132.html

2008 March Status Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development - Chapter 8—Management Tools and Government Commitments—International Environmental Agreements

Canada has signed more than 100 international environmental agreements over the years, the Kyoto Protocol among them, committing it to act on crucial issues such as ocean pollution, fishery conservation, and the protection of endangered species.  For this status report, the OAG examined the federal government’s management of information on international environmental agreements to assess the progress it has made since 2004. Four departments were examined - Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200803_08_e_30134.html

 
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
Public Service Commission (PSC) Audit of the Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers’ Offices.

The government-wide audit assessed the extent of movement of public servants between the public service and ministers’ offices; and whether the staffing requirements of the Public Service Employment Act, the Public Service Employment Regulations, PSC policies and other applicable legislation were met for appointments of public servants returning from ministers’ offices.  The audit also assessed the risk to political impartiality.  Transport Canada was one of a number of departments included in this audit.  The audit covered the period April 1990 to September 2006, during which the PSC identified 157 persons who had been public servants before working as a minister’s staff and who returned to the federal public service.  The audit covered staffing practices under the previous PSEA, and the new legislation, which took effect December 31, 2005.

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2007/mbmo-mecm/index-eng.htm#n4


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Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Financial Table 5: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
No Parliamentary Committee formulated recommendations to the TSB during the reporting period.
Response to the Auditor General
The Auditor General conducted an audit of the TSB financial statements and issued an unqualified opinion.
External Audits Conducted by the Public Service Commission or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
The Public Service Commission conducted a government-wide audit of the staffing of the EX positions. This audit included some TSB files. The report of this audit has not yet been published. In 2007-2008, the Commissioner of Official Languages did not conduct any audit of the compliance of the TSB with its obligations in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Other External Audit (Marine Investigations)
The International Marine Organization (IMO) published in October 2007 the results of its June 2007 audit of the flag, port and coastal State obligations of Canada in relation to the mandatory IMO to which our country has acceded. One part of the audit was on the marine casualty investigation obligations carried out by the TSB and Transport Canada Marine Safety obligations under the conventions and as per resolution A 973 (24). All the observations made on the TSB were positive and no recommendations were formulated to the organization. A copy of this report can be found on Transport Canada's site

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Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Table 7: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Government Response to the Twelfth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

As has been the case for the previous seven years, the Auditor General issued a "clean" opinion on the financial statements. The Government of Canada continues to demonstrate leadership in financial reporting, and the Committee commends the Government of Canada for the consistent quality of its financial statements.

In addition to her opinion on the financial statements, the Auditor General usually raises issues that concerned her during the course of the audit in a section called "Other Matters." These issues are not reservations of her opinion on the fairness of the financial statements but are of importance to Parliament and to the future financial reporting of the Government of Canada. This is the second year in which the Auditor General expressed no pressing concerns.

The report recommends that the Government of Canada present to Parliament a model of accrual budgeting and appropriations.

Government Response to the Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

In accordance with the Auditor General Act, the Auditor General tables her reports in the House of Commons several times per year. To preserve the privilege of parliamentarians to receive the information before it is made available to the general public, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) holds an in camera session with parliamentarians and a media lockup on the tabling date. On numerous occasions, however, information about select audits has been leaked to the media before these briefings and before the tabling of the reports in Parliament.

The report recommends that the Treasury Board of Canada, in consultation with the OAG, adopt a strong policy (including sanctions) regarding security requirements for handling of draft reports.

Government Response to the Sixteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Each spring, departments table annual reports on plans and priorities (RPP) to explain how they intend to use the funds voted to them by Parliament for the coming fiscal year. The RPP contains numerous performance indicators and targets that departments use to track how well they are doing.

Each fall, departments table annual departmental performance reports (DPR) that are intended to demonstrate the results they have achieved with the funds that Parliament provided in the previous fiscal year. DPRs demonstrate how departments are doing against the performance targets set out in their RPPs.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts has a mandate to review the RPP and DPR of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG). The Committee has made a regular practice of reviewing these documents because it has an important role to play in holding the Auditor General and her Office to account for their performance on behalf of Parliament and the citizens of Canada.

The report recommends that the Secretariat review the implementation level of Auditor General report recommendations; establish a clear bargaining mandate and envelope whereby the OAG would be permitted to negotiate with its union bargaining units independently; and improve departmental performance reports for the use of parliamentarians and committees.

Government Response to the Nineteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

The Treasury Board is a committee of the Privy Council with a statutory base set out in the Financial Administration Act. The Treasury Board, supported by its Secretariat, functions as the government's management board and oversees the operations of the entire federal government. It performs this oversight role from three perspectives: expenditure management, management performance oversight, and as the principal employer of the core public administration.

The Public Accounts Committee decided to conduct a study into the roles and responsibilities of the Treasury Board and its Secretariat and the tenure of deputy ministers.


Title Description

Audit-Movement of Public Servants between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices

Government-wide audit

Audit of the Movement of Public Servants Between the Federal Public Service and Ministers' Offices

Initial scoping report for government-wide audit

Audit―EX Appointments

Government-wide audit

Audit―Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)

Government-wide audit


Table 8: Response to the Auditor General of Canada, including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)

2007 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1―Use of Acquisition and Travel Cards
Chapter 3―Human Resources Management―Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1―Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting

2007 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Chapter 1―Sustainable Development Strategies

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Western Economic Diversification Canada

Table 9: Response to Parliamentary Committees, and Audits and Evaluations

This section includes the internal audits and program evaluation reports issued by WD.

Challenges for 2007-2008

  1. Challenges in implementing the new policy on Internal Audit.
  2. Establishing an external audit committee.
  3. Establishing a wrongdoing/internal disclosure function.
  4. Strengthening staff capacity of audit and evaluation by staffing both audit and evaluation positions.

Internal Audit

WD audits its programs and operations to ensure that they are in compliance with established policies, procedures and government regulations. Audit reports are issued to WD management with conclusions on performance and recommendations for improvements. Audits provide assurances and conclusions based upon professional standards of evidence, analysis and reporting.

Evaluation and Impact Assessments

WD also conducts assessments of the relevance, success and cost-effectiveness of its programs and initiatives. These evaluation reports provide WD management with relevant, timely and objective information to guide decision-making. Evaluation and impact assessment reporting is critical to help demonstrate the results achieved from departmental programs and initiatives.
Response to Parliamentary Committees
None – There were no recommendations during 2007-2008 from Parliamentary Committees.
 
Response to the Auditor General of Canada, including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD)
Environmental Petition 223-Green procurement and use of recycled paper by federal government departments.  Petition was received November 2007.  This petition is about the federal government’s commitment to implement a green procurement policy.  The following link provides WD’s response to the petition:  http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/pet_223_e_29419.html - wd
Chapter 1, Sustainable Development Strategies by the OAG October 2007
Chapter 9, Sustainable Development Strategies by the OAG June 2007
SDS Audit, Draft Project Report for WD, June 2007
Chapter 10, Environmental Petitions Retrospective Study and Annual Report, June 2007
 
External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.)
None