Audit of GC Jobs Transformation: Phase 0

Introduction
Audit findings and recommendations
Appendix A: Management response and action plan

Introduction

Background

GC Jobs use

On an average business day, GC Jobs sends out about 83 000 email alerts and facilitates the posting of 51 job advertisements.

In 2017–18, 7 000 job advertisements were posted, producing over half a million job applications. Over 2 000 human resources professionals use the system.

The GC Jobs website receives nearly 9 million views a year. It has over 1.8 million active applicant accounts, out of which over 655 000 users logged in at least once in 2017–18.

1. The Public Service Commission (the agency) promotes and safeguards a non-partisan, merit-based and representative public service, and supports the recruitment of Canadians from across the country on behalf of departments and agencies. The agency’s mandate to appoint, or provide for the appointment of persons to, or from within, the public service is derived from the Public Service Employment Act. The agency offers enabling services to federal public service departments and agencies as per section 11 of the act.

2. Government of Canada Jobs (GC Jobs) was implemented in 2003 and is the current information technology system application used to manage recruitment and related staffing activities for over 100 departments and agencies. It is an online web-based system designed to provide human resources professionals and hiring managers with information and tools to assist them in filling advertised appointment processes using electronic recruitment. GC Jobs facilitates the process of recruiting for advertised positions to the public service.

3. The system allows applicants to search for and apply to jobs, and allows departments and agencies to advertise job opportunities and to screen, search and refer applications. Data contained in GC Jobs is used to fulfill reporting obligations to Parliament, including collecting and reporting public service workforce information.

4. In 2016, as part of the New Direction in Staffing, a renewed appointment policy and oversight framework was put in place to make staffing across the public service more efficient. The New Direction in Staffing provides departments and agencies with a greater ability to customize staffing approaches, based on their unique operating environments.

5. Between April 1, 2016, and July 30, 2018, the agency led the New Direction in Staffing interface project, which focused on reviewing the recruitment platform through extensive consultations with all system users and key stakeholders. The project team held over 100 outreach and engagement sessions with key stakeholders, resulting in over 1 400 pieces of feedback from over 50 organizations. The project concluded with the development of a prototype that formed the launching point for GC Jobs Transformation work. The complete New Direction in Staffing interface project documentation was provided to the GC Jobs Transformation project team in August 2018.

GC Jobs Transformation

6. GC Jobs Transformation is the initiative currently underway to modernize the recruitment system to better serve all user needs. Changes to recruitment across the federal public service are planned to take place over several years based on an iterative approach. Agency officials will thoroughly test and pilot the eventual new recruitment solution to ensure it is effective and reliable before departments and agencies deploy it. The planned phases, as of February 1, 2019, are listed below.

Phase 0 – Pre-project

7. This phase concentrates on collecting information from job seekers, hiring managers, human resources professionals and stakeholders on their needs. The active participation and involvement of stakeholders is key to establishing the parameters for the development of a potential solution. An options analysis will be conducted to determine the best way forward, whether it be to buy, build or a combination of both.

Phase 1 – Contracting and development

8. The agency may, depending on the option selected at the end of phase 0, request proposals from industry for potential software solutions. The project team plans to ensure that the solutions considered meet core requirements and can be piloted through tests with departments and agencies.

Phase 2 – Pilot implementation

9. Pilot testing will be conducted with a number of departments and agencies to ensure that the solution is working as intended before adding new elements.

Phase 3 – Deployment and post-implementation

10. The agency will deploy the solution for all departments and agencies within its jurisdiction, which includes those under the Public Service Employment Act and those with mobility rights. The agency plans to continue to obtain user feedback to ensure that the system continues to meet user requirements.

11. The above-noted phases are subject to change based on the results of the options analysis, due to be completed by March 31, 2019.

Audit objective and scope

12. The audit objective was to provide reasonable assurance that an adequate governance structure, information to support decision-making, and risk management processes are in place to effectively support GC Jobs Transformation phase 0 administration and to establish a foundation for subsequent phases. Specifically, the audit assessed whether:

an adequate control environment, as well as appropriate processes, procedures and control activities, are defined, communicated and applied to enable effective phase 0 and subsequent phase administration
an adequate risk management framework is in place to support phase 0 and subsequent phase risk mitigation measures
mechanisms are in place to ensure that accurate, reliable and relevant data and information is generated and documented to support evidence-based decision-making and monitoring

13. The audit scope included the time period from January 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019. It covered most phase 0 activities, and focused on the management control framework developed to administer the initiative.

14. The development of the audit scope considered independent oversight work being performed during the audit planning and examination phases. The Project Sponsor contracted an independent consulting firm to perform a project readiness assessment in the fall of 2018. The final report was presented through the agency’s governance framework in January 2019. This audit considered the key findings of the work performed by the independent consulting firm as part of the examination and reporting phases.

Audit criteria and methodology

15. Audit criteria were developed based on Treasury Board policy instruments, Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Project Management Handbook, and guidance from the Project Management Institute and the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission Framework. In order to conclude on the audit objectives and criteria, the following activities were undertaken:

interviews with agency senior management and staff
review of relevant legislation, regulations, policies and directives
review and analysis of relevant documents
walkthroughs of processes and systems, and identification of key controls
analysis of financial and non-financial information

Statement of conformance

16. The audit was planned and conducted in conformance with the Institute of Internal Auditors International Professional Practices Framework, as supported by the results of a quality assurance and improvement program.

Audit findings and recommendations

17. This section presents the audit findings and recommendations under 3 general themes:

control environment, processes and control activities
risk management
communication and information

Control environment, processes and control activities

18. Criterion: The audit team expected to find that an adequate control environment, as well as appropriate processes, procedures and control activities, were defined, communicated and applied to enable effective phase 0 and subsequent phase administration.

19. Conclusion: An adequate control environment is in place for phase 0, including appropriate processes, procedures and control activities. An organizational structure establishing project team and oversight committee roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities has been defined, documented and communicated. Essential project management elements have been established to administer phase 0 activities. These include schedule, human resources, financial management, and risk management processes and procedures.

20. The audit team identified opportunities to improve the terms of reference of the main project governance committee (the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee) and project organizational structure documentation to ensure that they are current and consistent, and that they clarify reporting relationships and decision-making authorities. As well, quarterly budget and financial updates could be strengthened to include complete project costs and analysis, which would improve budget monitoring and reporting to oversight committees.

21. As the project moves into the next phase, the Project Director and Chief Information Officer should continue to work together in assessing project requirements related to Information Technology Services Directorate expertise, with a view to forming a project team that includes members with the appropriate skills. Also, the agency should continue to collaborate on related Government of Canada projects to ensure alignment and to identify opportunities to work together to achieve common objectives.

Organizational structure

22. A GC Jobs Transformation organizational structure is in place and includes an identified project sponsor, a project team made up of employees from all agency sectors, and an established governance committee structure with defined roles and responsibilities. These are described below.

23. Project Sponsor. The Vice-President, Service and Business Development Sector, reports directly to the President, and is the GC Jobs Transformation champion. The Project Sponsor provides guidance and advice to the project team, and is the co-chair of the Public Service Resourcing System Interdepartmental Steering Committee and the chair of the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee. Additional responsibilities include:

communicating with other business committees or groups that may be affected by the project
ensuring that the agency understands the value and importance of the project
resolving escalated problems and issues outside the responsibility and authority of the Project Director

24. Project Director and Business Owner. The Director General, Business Development System Directorate, reports to the Project Sponsor. The Project Director is responsible for managing the project through its phases and providing guidance and advice to project team leaders and members. A key role includes working closely with the Chief Information Officer, given that this project is an information technology enabled business transformation project.

25. Project Lead. The Project Lead reports to the Project Director and:

oversees business transformation and change management activities
provides direction to the Project Manager on the overall project roadmap and core delivery unit activities
provides direction on project communication and collaboration

26. Senior Project Manager. The Senior Project Manager reports to the Project Lead and is responsible for managing the project scope, risks and issues, schedule, and for delivering on project objectives.

The project team

27. A whole-of-agency approach is being applied to ensure that this priority initiative has the required support from all sectors. The project team includes staff from:

the Services and Business Development Sector
the Information Technology Services Directorate
the Financial and Corporate Planning Division of the Corporate Affairs Sector
the Communications Division and the Strategic Directions and Partnerships Division from the Policy and Communication Sector

Oversight and Investigations Sector staff contribute on project committees, and have an important function in supporting the project team on identifying data and data management requirements. External consultants and third-party advisors supplement the project team as required.

28. The project team for the pre-project phase in fiscal year 2018–19 is composed of 4 units, with key activities allocated to team members:

initiation and audit
planning and risk management
design
business transformation and communications

As of February 6, 2019, a Responsible Accountable Consulted and Informed (RACI) matrix summarizing key roles and responsibilities was being finalized, and was expected to be complete on March 31, 2019. Finally, work has started on identifying delivery units that will be required in phase 1 to manage elements such as development and testing, as well as implementation.

29. The project team meets on a bi-weekly basis. Except for the month of September 2018, meeting minutes were not maintained. In October 2018 a decision was made to track action items but not records of decisions, as the meetings are viewed primarily as information sharing opportunities.

30. The audit found that project team roles and responsibilities have not been consistently updated to reflect ongoing staff changes caused by personnel movements and the on-boarding of additional consultants to support the work. There is also room for improvement with regards to documenting the roles and responsibilities of agency staff working on the project from the Communications Division, the Strategic Directions and Partnerships Division, and the Financial and Corporate Planning Division.

Oversight committees

31. The GC Jobs Transformation governance structure includes several corporate committees. These include the Meeting of the Commission, the Executive Management Committee, the Information Management / Information Technology Committee, and the Information Management / Information Technology Project Review Committee. The Internal Audit Committee plays an oversight role and is briefed quarterly on progress. The terms of reference for each of the committees are established, communicated and available to all agency staff on the intranet site.

32. There are also 3 dedicated committees supporting GC Jobs Transformation. Terms of reference for each committee have been developed and communicated to project team members. These committees are described below.

33. Service Recruitment System Interdepartmental Steering Committee. This committee meets quarterly and is co-chaired by the Project Sponsor. It consists of members at the Assistant Deputy Minister level from across the Government of Canada. It has existed for some time, and provides departments and agencies using GC Jobs as their recruiting platform the opportunity to participate in its management and administration. Regular updates on GC Jobs Transformation progress are presented to this committee.

34. GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee. The Project Sponsor chairs this committee. It was formed to be a governance body, consisting of agency executives, responsible for providing advice, direction and recommendations to the project team. According to its terms of reference, the committee meets monthly, reports to the Executive Management Committee, provides decisions on scope and makes recommendations on cost and schedule changes for decision by the Executive Management Committee.

35. GC Jobs Transformation Core Management Committee. The Project Lead chairs this committee, which meets monthly. It consists of directors from all agency sectors. Its purpose is to engage agency partners and stakeholders in GC Jobs Transformation on project activities, including start-up and project definition activities, planning and risk management, design, business transformation and communications, development and testing, and implementation, maintenance transition and close-out.

36. The audit found that there was an opportunity to improve the terms of reference of the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee to clarify decision-making authorities and reporting relationships. There was a lack of clarity among members as to the committee’s decision-making role. Along with the lack of clarity on reporting relationships, this presents a governance risk to the project that may be resolved through a review and update of the committee’s terms of reference and key project documentation.

37. Recommendation 1: It is recommended that the Project Sponsor review the GC Jobs Steering Committee terms of reference and project organizational structure documentation to ensure they are current and consistent, and that they clearly identify reporting relationships and decision-making authorities.

Independent oversight

38. There are a number of independent oversight mechanisms that exist as part of overall project governance. The first is the Government of Canada Enterprise Architecture Review Board, which is managed by the Chief Information Officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. This board reviews all Government of Canada information technology projects over a specified dollar value at specific points in time to provide feedback and endorsement to continue. The GC Jobs Transformation Concept Case was presented to this board in spring 2018 and received endorsement to proceed in October 2018.

39. The President of the Public Service Commission requested that the Internal Audit Committee have an important oversight role with respect to GC Jobs Transformation. Since June 2018, the Project Sponsor and Project Director have provided briefings to the Internal Audit Committee at its quarterly meetings. In addition, telephone conference calls have been arranged as required to review important information.

40. The Project Sponsor contracted an independent consulting firm, which provided an assessment of the overall readiness of the project to move into the next phase. The final report concluded that the project was on the right track, and recommended 6 key initiatives for the Project Sponsor to consider in strengthening the foundation that will lead the project into the next phases. The 6 key initiatives related to:

streamlining project governance
increasing coordination with the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay System team, led by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
formalizing tracking and monitoring of risks and issues
maturing agile development capabilities
maturing data management capabilities
conducting a collaborative procurement process

41. The final report was presented to the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee and Executive Management Committee in January 2019. The independent consulting firm also presented the report to the Internal Audit Committee during the same period. As of January 2019, the Project Sponsor was developing a management response and action plan to address recommendations. The action plan, when finalized, will be tracked by the Executive Management Committee and presented at each Internal Audit Committee meeting as part of regularly scheduled project updates.

Schedule management

42. A high-level project plan was developed for phase 0 up to March 31, 2019, and is divided into 6 sections that identify key activities and timeframes. These include governance, initiation and audit, planning and risk management, design, business transformation and communication, and presentation and key deliverables. A master project schedule has also been prepared, detailing tasks to successfully implement the high-level project plan. A Senior Project Officer is responsible for preparing, updating and reporting on variances with respect to the master project schedule.

43. The project team has planned to complete several activities before the end of March 2019 in accordance with the high-level project plan. These include finalizing the GC Jobs Transformation business case, the initial draft of the project charter, and a solution architecture that matches business requirements to technology. The project team has not yet finalized detailed project milestones past March 31, 2019, but has prepared a draft work breakdown structure with main deliverables and supporting activities for each project phase, forming a baseline for planning future work.

44. The audit found that the project team developed an action log to track progress of planned activities and deliverables, as well as a decision log to monitor progress in implementing governance committee decisions.

Human resources management

45. A strategy was developed and is being implemented to assess available human resources on an ongoing basis, to staff required positions as needed, and to address potential risks by putting in place mitigation strategies to manage potential staff turnover. This includes creating a staffing pool and using an internal federal public service intranet site designed to match Government of Canada staff members seeking assignments with hiring managers. External consultants working on the project are being effectively managed.

46. The Project Director and Chief Information Officer have collaborated to ensure that the project team has the required skills and competencies. For phase 0, this meant that Information Technology Services Directorate staff with enterprise architecture expertise contributed as part of the project team. As the initiative progresses, the skill requirements may change, and it is important that this collaboration continue to ensure that the project team consists of people with the right skills, particularly if the project methodology includes agile elements in future phases.

Financial management

47. Prior to the start of fiscal year 2018–19, the project team identified a budget that included salary and non-salary estimated costs for all sector operational and support employees, as well as the information technology elements related to the Information Technology Services Directorate. This budget was approved at the start of the fiscal year based on the estimated amounts in the fall Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) proposal. The budget was fine-tuned at the start of the 2018–19 fiscal year, and the quarterly reports provide comparisons against the finalized budget. Details of adjusted estimated non-salary and salary expenditures, such as consultant per diems and rates, names of employees, estimated full-time equivalents and salary rates, are provided for project team personnel from the Business Development System Directorate, and for the Information Technology Services Directorate.

48. The budget is monitored on a monthly basis, with data and information being summarized in a financial report prepared by the Senior Financial Analyst. These reports include budget figures, actual expenditures, commitments, forecasts to year-end, annual forecasts and surplus/deficit for the Business Development System Directorate and Information Technology Services Directorate components. However, explanations of salary and non-salary budget variances and causes of low burn rate, when applicable, are not summarized in a project budget analysis that provides additional information on the use of funds and allows for a timely identification of any surplus (or deficit) in budget components.

49. As per the November 30, 2018, financial report, the audit team identified the burn rate of the Business Development System Directorate portion of the project budget to be 52.6%, and the annual forecast is expected to exceed the budget by $0.1 million. The burn rate of the Information Technology Services Directorate portion of the project budget was only 2.5%, and the annual forecast continues to be reported as equal to the project budget.

50. Recommendation 2: It is recommended that the Project Sponsor continue to ensure that all original and revised project budgets are supported by a detailed breakdown of salary and non-salary estimated costs of all directorates and divisions participating in the project, and that an adequate monthly analysis of budget components is performed to enable complete budget monitoring and reporting to governance committees. This will permit the agency to adjust budgeted amounts and reallocate them to other projects as required.

Project functionalities

51. This section focuses on the processes in place to adequately define required system functionalities in order to ensure a smooth transition to the development phase. As detailed below, the audit found that a process was in place to identify the required functionalities. Some areas for further consideration were also identified.

Current state of GC Jobs and expected business outcomes

52. From the outset of phase 0, the agency identified that the system may not be able, over the medium term, to adequately support flexible staffing and ensure quality and timely recruitment in a competitive marketplace for top talent. System replacement was expected to be a significant component of transforming the overall federal public service recruitment process.

53. An analysis performed in 2017 identified challenges to continuing to update the system in its current form to meet business requirements. The GC Jobs code has not only accumulated a technical debt because of multiple changes and upgrades, it is also only minimally modularized, which means that the Java code units are not isolated by function. Thus, if a function is added or changed, such as GC Key authentication, the effect on other Java units and on the entire system must be considered and tested, which makes it difficult to implement changes in a timely manner.

Design activities

54. Phase 0 design activities focused on internal consultations with various agency sectors and additional consultations with user groups to gather and prioritize requirements. All planned activities should have been completed by March 31, 2019. For example, consultation sessions with user groups have enhanced the agency’s understanding of business requirements. It should also be noted that the project team has benefitted from user experience information previously obtained through consultations with stakeholders for the New Direction in Staffing interface project.

55. A Request for Information was issued in October 2018 to better understand possible recruitment system solutions that exist in the marketplace. A number of responses were received, and in December 2018, the project team organized vendor demos of recruitment solutions, providing an opportunity for participants from all agency sectors to ask questions. Project team working sessions were also conducted in December 2018 to discuss required business capabilities based on the information gathered to date.

56. As phase 0 comes to a close, the focus is primarily on completing the options analysis. Next steps will include finalizing the project charter, further developing the business architecture, finalizing the business capabilities, identifying future processes that need to be developed further, and defining and piloting the minimum viable product for select recruitment processes. This will form part of the determination of the project scope that will be completed in the next phase of the project.

Compliance with Government of Canada policies

57. The audit found that the project team has identified the requirements to ensure the proposed solution and its implementation will align with Government of Canada legislation, policies, directives, and standards. These requirements were reflected in the Request for Information, where suppliers were asked to confirm how they could meet Government of Canada expected standards. The project team is aware that the proposed solution must take into account diversity and inclusion related requirements. Outreach activities with diversity and inclusion champions and key stakeholders have been planned.

Interdependencies

58. GC Jobs currently interfaces with multiple internal agency and external Government of Canada systems to support federal public service recruitment and staffing activities. The project team plans to update systems diagrams detailing the complete set of interactions in the next project phase.

59. As of January 2019, there are several related human resources information technology projects underway within the Government of Canada. Agency officials are collaborating with Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada officials for work being done on the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay project. The teams are collaborating to identify how they could work together to achieve their objectives. Discussions are also taking place with relevant stakeholders working on other projects including Talent Cloud, managed by the Treasury Board Secretariat, as well as the Department of National Defense’s Recruiting Project.

Options analysis

60. GC Jobs Transformation is in the early stages of development. An options analysis is planned to be completed by the end of phase 0, to determine the best way forward, whether it be to buy, to build or a combination of both. Whichever option is chosen, the project team will need to include collaboration with key stakeholders in its outreach and communications plans.

Risk management

61. Criterion: The audit team expected to find an adequate risk management framework in place to support phase 0 and subsequent phase risk mitigation measures.

62. Conclusion: A risk management framework, consisting of logs for tracking risks and issues, was developed as part of phase 0 planning activities. Although tracking of risk was limited early on, an in-depth risk assessment exercise was performed in December 2018. This was performed as part of the project team’s commitment to improve risk and issue management and related reporting to oversight committees.

Risk and issue management

63. The overall project goal, objectives, intended business outcome and benefits have been identified and documented. Phase 0 deliverables and timelines have been outlined to enable adequate identification and assessment of risks. A risk management framework was also developed, including elements related to risk description, assessment, date identified, staff assigned to address the risk, status and response details.

64. Between August and November 2018, use of the risk log was limited, with 3 risks consistently being monitored by the project team. This said, additional risks were identified in October and November status reports submitted to the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee and the GC Jobs Transformation Core Management Committee. Risks identified in the status reports include project resource availability, stakeholder expectations, and agile practices not well understood.

65. A more thorough risk identification exercise, completed in December 2018, led to the identification of 17 risks, with 15 being assessed and 10 having mitigating measures put in place. The audit identified potential risks not included in the risk log, such as data management knowledge and infrastructure risks, including the potential risk that Shared Services Canada may not be in a position to provide the required IT infrastructure support to enable the project. The project team will track and report on these risks as part of risk management activities.

66. Over the course of phase 0, the project team made progress on implementing the risk management framework, particularly in light of the recommended key initiative related to risks identified in the independent consulting firm project readiness assessment report.

Information, communication and change management

67. Criterion: The audit team expected to find mechanisms in place to ensure that accurate, reliable and relevant data and information are generated and documented to support evidence-based decision-making and monitoring.

68. Conclusion: The project team provides senior management and governance bodies with information on the status of GC Jobs Transformation to support decision-making. There was one opportunity for improvement related to enhancing financial and budget management and reporting to capture complete costs. In addition, outreach, communication and change management plans have been developed and updated to support the phase 0 objectives of understanding business requirements and conducting an options analysis. Finally, work has begun to identify the key performance indicators that will be used to measure, assess, and report on system performance post-implementation.

Information

69. The audit found that several presentations on GC Jobs Transformation were made to senior management and corporate governance committees in 2018. Monthly project status reports are provided to the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee and the GC Jobs Transformation Core Management Committee. The reports present deliverables with their status broken down into 4 categories — governance and planning, key milestones, discovery and design and business transformation — as well as key risks and issues, and an overall status assessment of scope, schedule and cost.

70. Project reports are submitted to the Information Management / Information Technology Project Review Committee as requested. Three reports were submitted in the past year. These reports provided project budget updates as well as status updates highlighting completed and upcoming activities, a schedule of key deliverables, risks and dependencies.

71. On a quarterly basis, an overall agency project dashboard containing a status update for all information technology projects is presented to the Information Management / Information Technology Committee and the Executive Management Committee. The dashboard includes individual project implementation indicators such as cost, scope, and schedule; it is used to assess the health of ongoing projects. The Information Technology Services Directorate also provides the Resource Management Committee a quarterly status report on IM/IT projects, including information on GC Jobs Transformation such as timeline, budget, actual expenditures and status.

72. The audit found that draft logic models, which include specific performance indicators for GC Jobs Transformation, were developed as part of phase 0 activities to be used to support future performance reporting. In January 2019, the project team reached out to the Results and Delivery Unit, Corporate Affairs Sector, and the Evaluation Division to enhance the draft logic models and the key performance indicators that will be used to measure, assess and report on system performance post-implementation. These metrics will be included in the project business case.

Communications and change management

73. A communication strategy highlighting key messages and key planned activities by audience was developed in March 2018. It was updated in October 2018 to address, among other things, communication objectives and key messages for each project phase, as well as internal and external communication activities. This also included an external outreach strategy to build awareness of, and strengthen communication flows regarding, GC Jobs Transformation among stakeholders from other government organizations, central agency partners, the human resources community, employment equity groups and official languages groups. The project team plans to review this strategy on a regular basis to ensure it is adequately and effectively reaching the wide variety of external stakeholders needed.

74. A change management strategy was also developed in April 2018, followed by a draft organizational change management plan in September 2018. A schedule of activities and budget forecast will be added to the final organization change management plan. A conceptual overview of the change management strategy, aligning with the overall communication strategy, was also prepared.

Conclusion

75. In conclusion, an adequate control environment is in place for phase 0, including appropriate processes, procedures and control activities. An organizational structure establishing project team and oversight committee roles, responsibilities, authorities and accountabilities has been defined, documented, and communicated. Essential project management elements have been established to administer phase 0 activities. A risk management framework, consisting of logs for tracking risks and issues, was developed as part of phase 0 planning activities. Although tracking of risk was limited early on, an in-depth risk assessment exercise was performed in December 2018, as part of the project team’s commitment to improve risk and issue management and related reporting to oversight committees.

76. The project team provides senior management and governance bodies with information on the status of GC Jobs Transformation to support decision-making. There was an opportunity to enhance financial and budget management and reporting to capture complete costs. In addition, outreach, communication and change management plans have been developed and updated to support the phase 0 objectives of understanding business requirements and conducting an options analysis.

77. There were 2 opportunities for improvement identified. First, the Project Sponsor should review GC Jobs Steering Committee terms of reference and project organizational structure documentation to ensure they are current and consistent, and that they clearly identify reporting relationships and decision-making authorities. Also, quarterly budget and financial updates could be strengthened to include complete project costs and analysis, which would improve budget monitoring and reporting to oversight committees.

78. As the project enters the next phase, the Project Director and Chief Information Officer should continue to work together in assessing project requirements related to Information Technology Services Directorate expertise, with a view to forming a project team that includes members with the appropriate skills. The agency should also continue to collaborate on related Government of Canada projects to ensure alignment and to identify opportunities to work together to achieve common objectives.

Appendix A: Management response and action plan

The Services and Business Development Sector and the GC Jobs Transformation Team welcomes this report and its observations and recommendations. We strive to ensure that the Public Service Commission is building and maintaining a strong base to deliver the project objectives. When this report was received, and following the Gartner Pre-project Readiness Health Check recommendations received in December 2018, we reviewed the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee terms of reference and governance structure documentation and clarified reporting roles and responsibilities. These documents were presented to the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee at the February 2019 meeting. Efforts are underway to provide more detailed information on budget and actual expenditures and document variance explanations, for this fiscal year and ongoing. We will work with the Corporate Affairs Sector to identify and acquire better tracking and reporting mechanisms and tools for fiscal year 2019–20.

We are looking forward to our next steps — finalizing the options analysis, the business architecture, business capabilities and future processes and starting to work on a procurement strategy and pilot strategy — and to the continued strong support and collaboration of the agency as a whole.

Recommendation 1

It is recommended that the Project Sponsor review the GC Jobs Steering Committee terms of reference and project organizational structure documentation to ensure they are current and consistent, and that they clearly identify reporting relationships and decision-making authorities.

Management response and action plan

Management agrees with this recommendation.

The Project Sponsor will:

document GC Jobs Transformation project governance, including a summary of roles and responsibilities of the project oversight committees, and identify any overlaps
present clarified governance to the GC Jobs Transformation Steering Committee, including changes if necessary

Office of Primary Interest

GC Jobs Transformation Project Lead

Completion date

March 31, 2019

Recommendation 2

It is recommended that the Project Sponsor continue to ensure that all original and revised project budgets are supported by a detailed breakdown of salary and non-salary estimated costs of all directorates and divisions participating in the project, and that an adequate monthly analysis of budget components is performed to enable complete budget monitoring and reporting to governance committees. This will allow the agency to adjust budgeted amounts and reallocate them to other projects as required.