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Section IV: Other Items of Interest
Program Activity: Internal Services
The success of the Agency's efforts across its three program activities is closely linked to the ability to receive timely, effective and efficient internal services. The goal is to combine the efforts of the specialists across the various internal services functions, with the policy and program expertise throughout the Agency, to create an integrated well functioning organization that is well managed and able to sustain its initiatives and efforts across the Public Service.
Public Affairs/Communications Services
The Communications Branch provides a broad range of strategic and operational communications support to the Minister, the President, the Executive Vice-President, vice-presidents and employees across the Agency. The objective is to ensure that the Agency speaks with one voice and that this voice is clear and well understood, regardless of the client or target market. On an ongoing basis, this includes facilitating employee communications in collaboration with the management team of the Agency. The Communications Branch also provides parliamentary and public affairs support.
Over the coming year, the focus will be on developing and implementing a corporate framework for the Agency's communications. Within this framework, the following are priority areas:
- helping to establish and promote the Public Service as a workplace of choice as the Agency continues to support the renewal of the Public Service;
- implementing the Agency's web strategy, which focuses on providing relevant and timely tools and information about people management for managers and human resources professionals at all levels in the Public Service, and serving as a reliable source of data and information about the state of the Public Service; and
- developing communications strategies that will help the Agency communicate its policies, services and research to its audiences through appropriate, timely and open communications, which include publications, marketing, outreach activities and a toll-free enquiry service.
Management and Oversight Services
Strategic planning forms the core of effective management for any organization. It provides the vehicle to establish priorities, monitor progress, ensure results and accountability, essentially overseeing the smooth operation of the organization. The integration of business, financial and human resource planning makes it all the more important to get the strategic planning functions right.
While great emphasis is often put on the plan, the key to great planning is "planning." This dynamic process occurs throughout the year as the planning cycle moves through time. These efforts are informed by risk assessment, audit and evaluation activities, performance measurement and monitoring of performance throughout the year. Through project management, tracking of Agency activities and integration of all planning efforts into the governance and operations of the Agency, progress on the Agency's efforts can be monitored throughout the year, maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Agency operations.
Human Resources Management Services
The Agency's human resources management services provide a focal point for the development of integrated HR policy/advisory functions and programs, as well as the provision of operational human resources functions, strengthening of labour–management relations and the Agency's human resources planning capacity. Attracting and retaining key talent, as well as succession planning, are key internal areas of focus for the Agency in this planning period.
Other key priorities over the planning period include:
- ensure that the organizational structure supports the business lines of the Agency;
- simplify HR business processes and invest in automated solutions for management efficiency;
- build capacity and career progression for HR policy development, program design and core administrative support and HR specialists;
- develop new service standards for provision of HR services to internal clients; and
- improve the demographic information available to Agency managers to support effective integration of human resources planning with business planning.
Financial Management Services
Financial management services support the Agency and senior management stewardship and financial accountability responsibilities. This occurs by ensuring that the funds entrusted to the Agency are expended in accordance with government policy and on programs and services approved by Parliament, that managers with financial responsibilities have access to expert advice on finance and that appropriate controls are in place to protect the security of public funds. Some operational financial services are provided to the Agency under a shared services memorandum of understanding between the Agency and the Department of Finance Canada's Corporate Services Branch (CSB).
Current priorities include:
- enable managers to manage their financial resources by enhancing the delivery of accounting operations;
- prepare audit-ready financial statements to ensure transparency and accordance with generally acceptable accounting principles and financial accountability requirements;
- build a fee structure for services; and
- support the review of Treasury Board submissions.
Supply Chain Services
Procurement and contracting services are provided to the Agency under a shared services memorandum of understanding between the Agency and the Department of Finance Canada's Corporate Services Branch (CSB). Agency service contracts are reviewed by the TBS/Agency contract review committee. In addition, procurement and contracting in the Agency is centralized, with the exception of acquisition card purchases, and all procurement and contracting activity undergoes a full review by the Agency and CSB procurement specialists.
To simplify the contracting process and improve contracting services to Agency clients, the Agency will establish its own in-house contract review committee. The goal is to streamline Agency processes and simplify administrative internal activities with better use of technology.
The Agency has committed to the development of a green procurement guide as indicated in the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategies (SDS). The guide is intended to provide those employees with purchasing responsibilities with information on what is required to "green" departmental purchases. Criteria are included for appraising the environmental benefits of items under consideration for purchase, recognizing that other non-environmental criteria will enter into the decision-making process. The guide does not impose strict regulations requiring the use of costly or inadequate items simply due to their environmental qualities.
Facilities/Asset Management Services
Facilities management will be critical over the planning period. The shortage of office space, facilities improvement and the need to strategically relocate parts of the Agency and consolidate space occupied by the Agency will be a focus over the next few years. The Agency will develop a long-term accommodation plan to bring together as many parts of the Agency as possible in one location to promote integration and horizontal management of Agency programs and to reduce long-term accommodation costs.
Information Management/Information Technology Services (IM/IT)
As of September 2007, the Agency's Chief Information Office (CIO) function was transferred to the Strategic Infrastructure and Information Management (SIIM) organization within the Strategic Infrastructure, Organization and Classification Sector. Systems support is provided to the Agency under a shared services memorandum of understanding between the Agency and the Department of Finance Canada's Corporate Services Branch (CSB).
In 2008–09, priorities for SIIM will include:
- implement the IM/IT Governance Framework;
- promote IM awareness and the use of RDIMS;
- participate in the development of directives on staffing and contracting tool development/acquisition that have an IM/IT component; and
- develop and implement a project management framework, with an associated standardized system development life cycle.
Internal Audit Services
The 2006 MAF assessment of the Agency's internal audit function concluded that this was an area where "Attention was required." Reflecting this, the function became a priority area in 2007–08 to ensure that key improvements were put in place to strengthen the Agency's audit activities.
As a first step, the Agency has now established a high level Internal Audit Committee. Further, the Agency has made significant progress in obtaining approval that its organization be accorded "Small Department/Agency (SDA) Status" for internal audit purposes under the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit. As part of this arrangement, the Agency's basic audit requirements will be met through the activities of the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG), which will assume functional responsibility to meet the Agency's needs in this area. To complement this, the Agency will be seeking representation on the OCG's independent SDA Audit Committee, with the transition of the full migration of the audit function to the OCG to be completed by April 1, 2009.
In addition, within the Agency, the independence of the audit function during the transition period has been further strengthened by transferring organizational responsibility in this area (along with the evaluation function) to the Agency's Strategic Policy, Planning and Research Sector, which will also be responsible for liaison with the OCG and the Office of the Auditor General. As a key step in the transition process, the updating of the existing short-term Risk-Based Audit Plan is under review and will be submitted to the Internal Audit Committee prior to approval by the President and transmittal to the OCG. In parallel with these above developments, work-in-progress continues with the Agency's existing audit work.
Evaluation Services
The Agency's evaluation function is to be strengthened significantly during the 2008–09 period. Whereas, in previous years evaluation activities were intermittent and distributed on an "as-needed" basis linked to individual sectors within the Agency, they are now being realigned organizationally, within the framework of the Agency's Strategic Policy, Planning and Research Sector. This realignment will greatly strengthen the strategic nature of the evaluation function and, as well, enable it to exploit economies of scale accompanying consolidation.
A major effectiveness measurement (evaluation) undertaking for 2008–09 will be the development of a large horizontal (government-wide) evaluation of various parallel people-management initiatives—undertaken as part of the implementation of the Public Service Modernization Act and involving a wide range of delivery partners across the federal government. It is estimated that it will take as long as 18 months to complete all of the results measurement work covering the various measures involved. In parallel, a set of short-term leading indicators of long-run PSMA successes is also being developed. Much of this combined work will flow into the upcoming (PSMA-linked) legislative review process.