Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
On this page
- Response to parliamentary committees
- Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
- Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Response to parliamentary committees
Report 7 - Labour Shortages, Working Conditions and the Care Economy
Summary
Throughout its study of labour shortages and working conditions in the Canadian economy-including but not limited to the care economy-the committee received a wealth of oral and written testimony from senior government officials, advocates, and labour and employer representatives on strategies to address labour shortages and improve working conditions in Canada. The committee heard that urgent action is needed to address current and future labour demands, particularly in the context of an aging population. It also heard that now is the time to invest in the care economy-to ensure Canadians have access to the care they need, to ensure workers are treated fairly, and to create good jobs for the future. The committee made 16 recommendations.
Read the full report.
ESDC's response and corrective actions
The federal government is well positioned with a suite of tools and partnerships to support the labour market in times of economic growth or downturn, and according to the diverse socio-economic needs across the country. Moving forward, the Government will continue to work collaboratively with all governments, partners, and key stakeholders to alleviate labour market pressures in high demand sectors, including the care economy, and drive continued economic growth for years to come.
Read the full response.
Report 8 - Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiatives
Summary
Over the course of the study, the committee became familiar with the design of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) and its approach to addressing discrimination faced by Black communities in Canada. The committee recognizes the potential of the program's objectives. As the Executive Director of the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities put it, the SBCCI offers the opportunity to shift "the relationship between Black communities and the federal government from one of transaction to one of transformation."
At the same time, the committee heard about concerns and constraints related to the SBCCI's capacity building stream under the program's second pillar, including the stated gaps in western provinces. ESDC can take this feedback as the department continues to adjust the program. The committee would also like to see the government build upon the successes of the SBCCI as it continues to work toward greater social inclusion for Black communities. Accordingly, the committee made 3 recommendations.
Read the full report.
ESDC's response and corrective actions
The Government is committed to Black communities in Canada and ensuring their inclusion in all aspects of society. This has been demonstrated through leadership and significant investments to supporting Black communities across the country through measures to empower Black communities and address systemic barriers, including anti-Black racism, in all its forms. The Government recognizes that this work is not over and will use the Committee's report in its work going forward and as a reference point in addressing next steps on the long-standing issues faced by Black communities in Canada. We look forward to continuing to work with the Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) Committee and Black communities in Canada to advance the social and economic inclusion of Black individuals in Canada and their well-being.
Read the full response.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Report 5 - The Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme
Summary
The Auditor General concluded that ESDC adjusted its approach to managing the implementation of the Benefits Delivery Modernization programme by changing the scope and schedule to prioritize the migration of Old Age Security to a modern system to ensure the continuity of benefits to recipients. However, this approach meant delaying the programme's transformation component, which is intended to improve the efficiency, service quality, timeliness, and accuracy of benefits delivery. The delay of transformation adds complexity to subsequent phases of implementation for Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, and Canada Pension Plan benefits modernization. Combined with rising costs and delays, this puts the modernization programme at risk of not being on track to deliver on its transformation objective to better meet the needs of Canadians who are eligible to access those benefits.
Read the full report.
ESDC's response and corrective actions
ESDC agrees with the recommendation to develop and implement a more realistic and precise approach to estimating and reporting costs for large, multi‑year information technology projects. As large information technology transformation programs inherently carry many risks and unknowns at initiation that are challenging to accurately cost, ESDC will continue to work closely with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to implement best practices.
The Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme will review practices from other large-scale initiatives to leverage lessons learned and strengthen costing capacity. The programme will work with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to develop approaches and methodologies that will be shared to support other departments and information management and information technology enabled initiatives with the help of the secretariat, such as through the Costing Community of Practice GCpedia site.
The programme will maintain a risk log at the programme and project level to manage and mitigate risks and unknowns using industry leading tools to quantify the contingency needed to address those risks as early as possible in the programme and project lifecycle.
ESDC will protect and prioritize the transformation component of the programme as it prepares for future programme releases. This will be evident in the tranche and project-specific plans and artifacts, which will be reviewed at the appropriate programme governance tables.
Read the recommendations and responses.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
There were no audits in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 requiring a response.
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