Response to Parliamentary committees and external audits
Response to parliamentary committees
There were no parliamentary committee reports in 2023–24 requiring a 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 7 – Modernizing Information Technology Systems, Recommendation 7.25
Summary: In Report 7, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) examined whether the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and Shared Services Canada (SSC) supported the efficient and effective modernization of information technology for departments and agencies. The findings were that two thirds of applications were in poor health, and progress on modernizing infrastructure was slow. The AG also found slow progress on modernizing applications over the last 5 years, and slow progress in modernizing applications affecting the closure of legacy data centres.
SSC was implicated in Recommendation 7.25, which directed the department to:
- Part 1: Analyze the financial and non‑financial effects of continuing to operate legacy applications and infrastructure instead of migrating modernized applications to new or modernized infrastructure
- Part 2: In coordination with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and departments and agencies, undertake a review and prioritization exercise (including estimated timelines and budget) to modernize and migrate legacy applications to new supporting infrastructure and close the remaining legacy data centres
Corrective actions to address the recommendations: SSC agreed with the AG’s recommendation, and has undertaken to carryout the following corrective actions to address Part 1 and 2 of Recommendation 7.25:
- SSC will conduct an impact analysis of operating legacy applications and infrastructure to increase its understanding of the implications associated with maintaining these systems. This is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
- The analysis will inform SSC’s decisions, ensuring that the transition aligns with both cost effectiveness and modernization goals.
- SSC will support TBS in conducting a review and prioritization exercise.
- As reflected in Delivering Digital Together, SSC is committed to working closely with partners and clients towards shared modernization goals.
- SSC recognizes the need for efficient and cost-effective modernization and will identify and prioritize initiatives that respond to Government of Canada priorities, while aligning with digital modernization goals and the enterprise approach.
- SSC continues to collaborate with partners and TBS to advance modernization goals and ensure that outdated IT systems across government are replaced by modern and stable hosting solutions, as demonstrated through programs such as Application Modernization.
- By the end of 2023-24, SSC has closed 490 legacy data centres, facilitating a modern, agile, and secure digital government that meets the expectations of Canadians.
Report 8 – The Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme
Summary: In Report 8, the Office of the Auditor General examined how effectively Employment and Social Development Canada, with the support of the Treasury Board Secretariat, Shared Services Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada, has managed the implementation of the Benefits Delivery Modernization programme to ensure the uninterrupted, timely, and accurate delivery of benefits from Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance to Canadians.
There were no recommendations for Shared Services Canada.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
There were no recommendations for Shared Services Canada.