2009-2010 Management Accountability Framework

Utility of the Corporate Performance Framework

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Effectiveness of the Corporate Management Structure

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Effectiveness of Organizational Contribution to Government-Wide Priorities

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Utility of the Corporate Performance Framework

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Effectiveness of the Corporate Management Structure

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Effectiveness of Organizational Contribution to Government-Wide Priorities

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Quality and Use of Evaluation

HRSDC is commended for maintaining an effective evaluation unit that has amalgamated resources and staff with Services Canada’s evaluation group. Program evaluations conducted by HRSDC’s evaluation unit continue to focus on program relevance and performance. HRSDC is also moving towards and assessment of all direct program spending, as per the new Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation (2009).

A senior management committee is in place to support, oversee and monitor the evaluation function and management accountabilities arising from evaluations. The organization has a demonstrated track record of completing planned evaluations and evaluation results are consistently brought forward for consideration in Treasury Board submissions and Memoranda to Cabinet.

Quality of Performance Reporting

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Quality and Use of Evaluation

The Department continues to plan and implement evaluations that will provide senior management with a comprehensive evidence base of all direct program spending to inform decisions on spending, policy and program improvement, as well as public reporting and accountability.

Quality of Performance Reporting

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Risk Management

The organization builds on past experience and pursues continuous improvement. Senior management regularly directs, participates in, and provides oversight of the organization’s integrated risk management (IRM) approach. Particular strengths of HRSDC with respect to IRM include the integration of corporate risk information into parliamentary reports, internal communication of IRM information, and the integration of risk information into various types of decision-making. Risk information is systematically gathered and is integrated into corporate decision-making, planning and reporting. Training and tools are available and promoted.

Excellence in People Management

The department has engaged employees, an organizational culture of excellence, demonstrated leadership and a strong workplace and workforce to assure its success and a confident future for the Public Service of Canada.

Risk Management

The department continues to strengthen integrated risk management with the development of a new IRM strategy and ensuring risk is a key element of the integrated business planning process. The department continues to offer training to employees.

Excellence in People Management

To create a Healthy and Enabling Workplace (HEW) is one of the Department’s key priorities under its Renewal Agenda. The HEW Strategy and action plan has been developed and approved and are currently being implemented. Through the HEW the employees’ learning needs are supported and they receive meaningful recognition for their work. Leaders provide and communicate clear direction to employees.

The Department is committed to equip managers to manage people and performance, and to engage employees. To that end, a departmental integrated Learning Strategy is being developed. Performance and learning Agreements for employees have been established. Ongoing discussion on performance and learning are occurring and a mid-year evaluation was launched.

The Department is committed to enhance and evolve HR integrated business planning and HR Performance measurement Analytics by implementing a departmental HR integrated business planning toolkit. A HR planning worksite pilot and People Management dashboard are in place. A people management performance measurement, monitoring and risk framework is being developed.

Effectiveness of Information Management

The organization is active in Government of Canada (GC) Information Management (IM) committees, working groups, workshops and is sharing and leveraging best practices across the GC. There is evidence of effective IM representation in corporate-wide governance and approval committees, and IM roles and responsibilities included in business plans or strategies, processes, or procedures. The organization has an IM strategy and implementation plan in development that may identify some business objectives and program and service outcomes, operational needs and IM policy requirements.

Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) recognizes the significant efforts that HRSDC has made since its previous MAF assessment to improve its administration of the assessed statutory and regulatory requirements of the Access to Information Act. HRSDC has revised the Institutional Functions, Programs and Activities section of its 2009 Info Source chapter and has ensured that most of its programs, activities and initiatives have been identified and described, and it has realigned the descriptions of its information holdings in accordance with the new approach established by TBS for Info Source.

Effectiveness of Information Technology Management

The senior official has responsibility and accountability for the full scope of information technology responsibilities (including web accessibility) and ensures that information technology supports organizational outcomes. The organization actively participates and contributes to international, inter-provincial and other interdepartmental committees and working groups. The organization shows progress in the past year towards an integrated Information Technology Plan and it demonstrates mature and integrated management practices in the areas of performance measurement and reporting to ensure continued delivery of value to the business by the Information Technology organization.

Effectiveness of Asset Management

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Investment Planning and Management of Projects

The essential management practices necessary to support effective investment planning and the management of projects, including organization-wide project governance, resource management and results based-based oversight are in place. As a result, there is a reasonable level of assurance that project risks will be mitigated and that results will be achieved and contribute to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC's) strategic program plans and priorities in an effective, efficient and economical manner.

Effective Procurement

Please note that there is no written assessment for this Area of Management as the rating is carried over from Round VI as one of the organization’s Rotational AoMs.

Effectiveness of Financial Management and Control

Departmental compliance with the Policy on Financial Management Governance shows evidence of solid financial management practices. The Financial Statements are compliant with Treasury Board Accounting Standard 1.2 – Departmental and Agency Financial Statements and reporting deadlines were met. Departmental Financial Management System (DFMS) governance model completely supports the organization’s financial management business needs, completely supports the Chief Financial Officer’s (CFO’s) responsibilities, such that the CFO manages the DFMS budget, manages the functional configuration of the DFMS, and the CFO provides final approval on functional changes/ enhancements. There is an acceptable level in the nature and type of audit coverage of financial management practices. The organization has identified a number of financial management initiatives in areas such as policies, reporting, systems and community development and leadership. However, attention is required with respect to Departmental processes for informing those delegated with Section 33 authority of their responsibilities and dealing with requests for payments and with respect to Departmental systems for identifying and reporting on supplier payments.

Effectiveness of Internal Audit

HRSDC continues to meet the key expectations of the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit and is demonstrating progress towards results and capacity. The Department has implemented all opportunities identified in MAF VI. There is an Internal Audit (IA) governance structure in place including a Chief Audit Executive (CAE) and Departmental Audit Committee (DAC). The Department has implemented an Internal Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP); and an external quality assessment review (QAR) is planned for 2010-2011. The follow-up of management action plans is evident. HRSDC submitted an approved Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP) that meets expectations, including a risk assessment process and identification of audit engagements to be performed; and considers the impact of Budget 2009 Economic Action Plan (EAP). The quality of the audit reports generally meets key expectations; however; the completion rate of audit products against the RBAP is moderate; and timeliness of reporting should be improved.

Effective Management of Security and Business Continuity

Since MAF Round VI, the overall rating for this area of management improved from Opportunity for Improvement to Acceptable. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has in place a security program that comprises key policy elements and is managed in an integrated manner. The organization meets the three priority objectives which form the foundation of Management of Information Technology Security (MITS) requirements. The overall state of the BCP Program was not assessed in Round VII. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada has measures in place to provide for the continuity of critical business operations and services in the event of a pandemic.

Effectiveness of Information Management

HRSDC's IM Strategy was formally approved by the Deputy Minister at the department's Portfolio Senior Management Board on October 25, 2010. However, implementation of the strategy has been underway within the department since 2009.

The Department has actioned significant revisions to Info Source including its records and Personal Information Banks.

On September 28, 2010, TBS advised that they had reviewed the Department’s 2009-2010 Annual Reports to Parliament and reported that HRSDC met all of the mandatory reporting requirements.

Effectiveness of Information Technology Management

The Department continues its efforts to address the observations raised in MAF round VII and to maintain its "Strong" rating in the future MAF Round.

Effectiveness of Asset Management

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Investment Planning and Management of Projects

The department continues to strengthen investment planning and mature project practices through the enterprise-wide oversight of the Major Projects and Investment Board. The department has integrated the project complexity and risk assessments (PCRA) into the investment management process and will review the results of the Organizational Project Management Capacity Assessment (OPMCA) for additional opportunities to strengthen project management across the department.

Effective Procurement

The Department continues its efforts in this area.

Effectiveness of Financial Management and Control

The department has developed a standard report, which includes ‘Payment on due date’ compliance rate and amounts. Starting this fiscal year, the CFO will be updated on a quarterly basis of the results and subsequent action plan if corrective measures are needed. A 2010–2011 HR Plan is in place and is being actioned to stabilize and enhance indeterminate positions within the Chief Financial Officer Branch. The CFOB has developed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to set forth a framework for functional direction of the CFO over FI employees outside the financial management organization. The department ensures that for every transaction, it verifies that section 34 of the Financial Administration Act is completed. It also matches signatures to originals, ensures the proper delegation, verifies sufficient free balance and confirms the legality of contracts, all of which are section 33 functions.

Effectiveness of Internal Audit

Internal Audit Services Branch (IASB) will continue with the implementation of its road map to excellence and professional practices initiatives. Ten initiatives have been identified to make IASB fully compliant with the Policy on Internal Audit and implementation is on track for their completion by the end of fiscal year. IASB will also focus on the implementation of a monitoring system as well as build capacity to provide assurance on the fundamental controls around governance, risk, management and control.

Effective Management of Security and Business Continuity

The Departmental security program is in place, with established strategies, policies, procedures and practices that ensure coordination of key security policy functions and implementation of related policy requirements. The HRSDC departmental security plan (DSP) is undergoing a 3 year transformation process. A mature security organization is being implemented across the country. All security related functions in the regions have been realigned to report functionally through the DSO at National Headquarters. Taking TBS’s lead, this department is engaged in developing a DSP to become fully compliant with the new Policy on Government Security and related Directives/standards.