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Table 3: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
The following six audit activities impacting PCO were reported during 2008-09 by the Office of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. 2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada Chapter 1—Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies The audit looked at 13 fees established by six federal organizations responsible for a major portion of the fee revenue reported by the government. The audit examined how these organizations established the cost of the fee-related activity and determined the amount to be charged, and how the six organizations measured, monitored, and reported on the performance of fee-related activities. The audit also looked at related policy or guidance provided to departments and agencies by the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the scope and application of the User Fees Act passed in 2004. None of the report’s eight recommendations were addressed to the Privy Council Office. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_01_e_30697.html Chapter 6—Conservation of Federal Official Residences The audit examined the management practices adopted by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to ensure the conservation of official residences, including six residences in Ottawa-Gatineau and the Governor General’s secondary residence in the city of Québec. Audit work was conducted at the NCC, PWGSC, Transport Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as well as in PCO, which sits as an observer on the NCC’s Advisory Committee on the Official Residences of Canada. Although the audit found that the NCC has implemented sound management practices to ensure that the six official residences in Ottawa-Gatineau are conserved, it also reported that both Rideau Hall and 24 Sussex Drive require extensive repairs. While the audit made no recommendations, it noted that complete rehabilitation of 24 Sussex Drive, the Prime Minister’s residence, will require prolonged access (an estimated 12 to 15 months) and that asking the Prime Minister to move to a temporary residence must be considered as a practical solution to avoid the consequences of constant postponement of urgent rehabilitation work. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_06_e_30702.html 2008 December Report of the Auditor General of Canada Chapter 1—A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories The study was undertaken to inform parliamentarians about the mechanisms used by the federal government to transfer funds to the provinces and territories for general areas of spending, which in 2006-07 accounted for approximately $50 billion, just under 23 percent of total federal spending. These transfers are a major source of funding to Canadians for services such as health care, post-secondary education, and housing. The study disclosed that the extent of federal accountability for how the provinces and territories spend transferred funds depends on the nature and extent of conditions attached to the transfers, and that in cases where transfers have limited or no conditions, the provinces and territories have the flexibility to spend the funds according to their own priorities, with no legal obligation to account to the federal government for the spending. The study report contains no recommendations. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200812_01_e_31825.html Chapter 2—Governance of Small Federal Entities This audit was undertaken as a result of previous conclusions reached by the Auditor General and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts that central agency oversight and guidance for small entities was not working. The audit examined oversight, coordination, reporting and shared services arrangements by which central agencies of government oversee the management of small entities (considered in this audit to be federal organizations with fewer than 500 employees or annual approved expenditures of less than $300 million). Audit work was carried out in the Privy Council Office (PCO), the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), and the (then) Canada Public Service Agency, as well as in three federal departments and six small entities. Of the audit’s four recommendations, one called for PCO and TBS to improve guidance on portfolio coordination, in particular, to ensure that expectations are clearly set out and communicated to portfolio departments and entities. PCO committed to providing expanded principles-based guidance in early 2009 to assist entities in understanding their responsibilities, and noted that it had reintroduced more systematic, one-on-one briefing sessions with new deputy-level Governor-in-Council appointees, including on the subject of portfolio coordination. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200812_02_e_31826.html 2009 March Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada Chapter 1—National Security: Intelligence and Information Sharing This audit followed up on recommendations from previous audits of the Auditor General. The Auditor General found the Government’s overall progress satisfactory, and progress on 8 of the 12 recommendations from 2003 and 2004 satisfactory as well. The 12 recommendations include four that specifically mentioned PCO or the position of the National Security Advisor. Of these four, one received an unsatisfactory rating (information sharing), while three are considered satisfactory (coordination of national security issues, lessons learned and the creation of a government-wide secret communications system). PCO coordinated departments’ responses to the report and supported the preparation of a joint response to the Auditor General’s new recommendation on information-sharing in collaboration with Public Safety, Justice Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat. This response acknowledged the importance and complexity of information-sharing in ensuring national security, as well as PCO’s role in coordination and policy development. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200903_01_e_32288.html Chapter 2—The Governor-in-Council Appointment Process The focus of this chapter was to assess whether the Government implemented previous audit recommendations on the GiC appointment process in Crown corporations, small entities and the IRB (including 2000 and 2005 reports on Crown corporation governance, a 2003 audit of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, a 2006 audit of the Office of the Correctional Investigator and a 1997 audit of the IRB). The audit covers GiC appointments made to 43 Crown corporations, 52 small federal entities and the IRB between January 1, 2006 to September 20, 2008. The AG assessed the extent to which the appointment and reappointment processes were timely, transparent, and competency-based, and the extent to which appointees received appropriate orientation and training to perform their duties. The AG concluded that progress on timeliness of appointments and vacancy rates is unsatisfactory and has indicated that communications among stakeholders needs to improve. She acknowledged that the orientation and training of GiC appointees is functioning well. The AG made five recommendations, one of which states that PCO should complete its project to determine the optimal number of directors for each Crown corporation. The other four recommendations are directed at the Government (one of which is jointly directed to the IRB) and are aimed at improving communication, timeliness and vacancy rates. In its response, PCO has agreed to complete the project to identify the optimal number of directors for each Crown corporation and has indicated that it will continue to support the Government in the GiC appointment process. www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200903_02_e_32289.html

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

The following six audit activities impacting PCO were reported during 2008-09 by the Office of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.

2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1—Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies

The audit looked at 13 fees established by six federal organizations responsible for a major portion of the fee revenue reported by the government. The audit examined how these organizations established the cost of the fee-related activity and determined the amount to be charged, and how the six organizations measured, monitored, and reported on the performance of fee-related activities. The audit also looked at related policy or guidance provided to departments and agencies by the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the scope and application of the User Fees Act passed in 2004. None of the report’s eight recommendations were addressed to the Privy Council Office.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_01_e_30697.html

Chapter 6—Conservation of Federal Official Residences

The audit examined the management practices adopted by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to ensure the conservation of official residences, including six residences in Ottawa-Gatineau and the Governor General’s secondary residence in the city of Québec. Audit work was conducted at the NCC, PWGSC, Transport Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as well as in PCO, which sits as an observer on the NCC’s Advisory Committee on the Official Residences of Canada. Although the audit found that the NCC has implemented sound management practices to ensure that the six official residences in Ottawa-Gatineau are conserved, it also reported that both Rideau Hall and 24 Sussex Drive require extensive repairs. While the audit made no recommendations, it noted that complete rehabilitation of 24 Sussex Drive, the Prime Minister’s residence, will require prolonged access (an estimated 12 to 15 months) and that asking the Prime Minister to move to a temporary residence must be considered as a practical solution to avoid the consequences of constant postponement of urgent rehabilitation work.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_06_e_30702.html

2008 December Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1—A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories

The study was undertaken to inform parliamentarians about the mechanisms used by the federal government to transfer funds to the provinces and territories for general areas of spending, which in 2006-07 accounted for approximately $50 billion, just under 23 percent of total federal spending. These transfers are a major source of funding to Canadians for services such as health care, post-secondary education, and housing. The study disclosed that the extent of federal accountability for how the provinces and territories spend transferred funds depends on the nature and extent of conditions attached to the transfers, and that in cases where transfers have limited or no conditions, the provinces and territories have the flexibility to spend the funds according to their own priorities, with no legal obligation to account to the federal government for the spending. The study report contains no recommendations.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200812_01_e_31825.html

Chapter 2—Governance of Small Federal Entities

This audit was undertaken as a result of previous conclusions reached by the Auditor General and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts that central agency oversight and guidance for small entities was not working. The audit examined oversight, coordination, reporting and shared services arrangements by which central agencies of government oversee the management of small entities (considered in this audit to be federal organizations with fewer than 500 employees or annual approved expenditures of less than $300 million). Audit work was carried out in the Privy Council Office (PCO), the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), and the (then) Canada Public Service Agency, as well as in three federal departments and six small entities. Of the audit’s four recommendations, one called for PCO and TBS to improve guidance on portfolio coordination, in particular, to ensure that expectations are clearly set out and communicated to portfolio departments and entities. PCO committed to providing expanded principles-based guidance in early 2009 to assist entities in understanding their responsibilities, and noted that it had reintroduced more systematic, one-on-one briefing sessions with new deputy-level Governor-in-Council appointees, including on the subject of portfolio coordination.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200812_02_e_31826.html

2009 March Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 1—National Security: Intelligence and Information Sharing

This audit followed up on recommendations from previous audits of the Auditor General. The Auditor General found the Government’s overall progress satisfactory, and progress on 8 of the 12 recommendations from 2003 and 2004 satisfactory as well. The 12 recommendations include four that specifically mentioned PCO or the position of the National Security Advisor. Of these four, one received an unsatisfactory rating (information sharing), while three are considered satisfactory (coordination of national security issues, lessons learned and the creation of a government-wide secret communications system). PCO coordinated departments’ responses to the report and supported the preparation of a joint response to the Auditor General’s new recommendation on information-sharing in collaboration with Public Safety, Justice Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat. This response acknowledged the importance and complexity of information-sharing in ensuring national security, as well as PCO’s role in coordination and policy development.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200903_01_e_32288.html

Chapter 2—The Governor-in-Council Appointment Process

The focus of this chapter was to assess whether the Government implemented previous audit recommendations on the GiC appointment process in Crown corporations, small entities and the IRB (including 2000 and 2005 reports on Crown corporation governance, a 2003 audit of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, a 2006 audit of the Office of the Correctional Investigator and a 1997 audit of the IRB). The audit covers GiC appointments made to 43 Crown corporations, 52 small federal entities and the IRB between January 1, 2006 to September 20, 2008. The AG assessed the extent to which the appointment and reappointment processes were timely, transparent, and competency-based, and the extent to which appointees received appropriate orientation and training to perform their duties.

The AG concluded that progress on timeliness of appointments and vacancy rates is unsatisfactory and has indicated that communications among stakeholders needs to improve. She acknowledged that the orientation and training of GiC appointees is functioning well.

The AG made five recommendations, one of which states that PCO should complete its project to determine the optimal number of directors for each Crown corporation. The other four recommendations are directed at the Government (one of which is jointly directed to the IRB) and are aimed at improving communication, timeliness and vacancy rates.

In its response, PCO has agreed to complete the project to identify the optimal number of directors for each Crown corporation and has indicated that it will continue to support the Government in the GiC appointment process.

www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200903_02_e_32289.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)
Government-wide audit of executive (EX) appointments: Report published in October 2008. In this audit, the Public Service Commission (PSC) examined appointment processes to and within the Executive Group (EX) to ensure compliance with the new Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), with other governing authorities and policies, and with the instruments of delegation signed with the PSC and the appointment values. This audit examined appointments during the first year of implementation of the new PSEA (2006), which was also the first year of delegation to deputy heads of appointment authorities for EX positions. PCO was one of the departments covered by the audit and it responded to the audit’s findings as per the instructions of the PSC, including providing additional information and rationales, where required, for decisions within the staffing processes. www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/adt-vrf/rprt/2008/ex/index-eng.htm

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)

Government-wide audit of executive (EX) appointments: Report published in October 2008.

In this audit, the Public Service Commission (PSC) examined appointment processes to and within the Executive Group (EX) to ensure compliance with the new Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), with other governing authorities and policies, and with the instruments of delegation signed with the PSC and the appointment values. This audit examined appointments during the first year of implementation of the new PSEA (2006), which was also the first year of delegation to deputy heads of appointment authorities for EX positions. PCO was one of the departments covered by the audit and it responded to the audit’s findings as per the instructions of the PSC, including providing additional information and rationales, where required, for decisions within the staffing processes.

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2008-09

ARCHIVED - Privy Council Office

Archived Content

Table 3: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits