The Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of the Treasury Board Secretariat

Departments achieve measurable results

• % of departmental results indicators for which targets are achieved

Treasury Board proposals contain information that helps Cabinet ministers make decisions

• Degree to which Treasury Board submissions transparently disclose financial risk (on a maturity scale of 1 to 5)

Budget initiatives are approved for implementation quickly

• % of Budget initiatives included in the next available Estimates

Reporting on government spending is clear

• Degree to which GC InfoBase users found the spending information useful (on a scale of 1 to 5)
• Degree to which visitors to online departmental planning and reporting documents found the information useful (on a scale of 1 to 5)

Oversight and Treasury Board Support

The Secretariat considers and challenges spending proposals from federal organizations before presenting them to Treasury Board ministers. The Oversight and Treasury Board Support program performs due diligence reviews of Treasury Board Submissions and Memoranda to Cabinet in order to provide advice to Treasury Board regarding resource allocation, risks, and policy compliance. This work supports sound decision making, value for money, compliance with rules and policies, and alignment with Government of Canada priorities and objectives. In addition, this program provides strategic advice, guidance and support to federal organizations in their implementation and application of Treasury Board policies, and on government priorities, risk management strategies, and performance management.

Expenditure Data, Analysis, Results and Reviews

The Expenditure Data, Analysis, Results and Reviews Program has three core activities to support Parliament, namely: implementation of the Policy on Results; presentation of the government’s spending plan (expected and actual) through Estimates documents and GC InfoBase; and, ensuring that compensation decisions are informed by relevant analyses. Through these activities the Program exercises an oversight and challenge role to ensure that government spending is effective in achieving tangible results and of good value for Canadians. It also provides leadership to make data on spending and performance easier to discover and use, both for accountability purposes and to instill a results-based decision-making culture. The program works in partnership with financial, performance measurement, and evaluation communities in other government organizations.

Government-wide Funds

The Secretariat facilitates the functions of government programs through the transfer of resources to other organizations throughout the year. For example, this can include allowing funding continuity for programs and capital projects that span multiple fiscal years. The Government-wide Funds program represents funds that are held centrally to supplement other appropriations, from which allocations are made to, or payments and receipts are made on behalf of, other federal organizations. These funds are important tools for the Treasury Board, in its role as the general manager and employer of the core federal public administration.

Canadians have timely access to government information

• Number of new datasets available to the public
• % of access to information requests responded to within legislated timelines
• % of personal information requests responded to within legislated timelines

Government service delivery is digitally enabled and meets the needs of Canadians

• % of Government of Canada priority services available online
• Degree to which clients are satisfied with the delivery of Government of Canada services, expressed as a score from 1 to 100
• % of priority services that meet service standard
• % of GC websites delivering digital services to citizens securely

Government has good asset and financial management practices

• % of departments that effectively maintain and manage their assets over their lifecycle
• % of departments that have assessed all internal controls over financial reporting in high risk areas and annually realign, implement and monitor systems on internal control Government demonstrates leadership in making its operations low-carbon

Government demonstrates leadership in making its operations low-carbon

• The level of overall government GHG emissions

Digital Policy

In order to support its operations, the Government of Canada requires standardized direction and requirements concerning the management of its information, information technology, services, access to information, privacy and security. This is especially important as the completion of government processes are increasingly becoming digitally enabled.

The Digital Policy program sets the strategic direction and develops the policies in these areas for government institutions, departments and agencies, as applicable. The program is also responsible for GC wide plans and activities in support for/of Open Government.

The program supports its areas of management by establishing government wide governance, setting management requirements and expectations, overseeing compliance and performance, conducting research and providing strategic advice, and by providing departments with policy implementation guidance and support, training and development, and GC wide tools, systems and services.

Digital Strategy, Planning and Oversight

As the growth of processes conducted over information systems continues, the Government of Canada is responsible for setting strategic direction and enabling continual improvement of information technology, information management, and cyber-security for government departments and agencies.

The Digital Strategy, Planning, and Oversight program supports the achievements of the Government of Canada’s enterprise digital transformation objectives and enables departments to meet priorities by providing enterprise strategic planning and digital investment oversight and supporting cyber security and digital enablement initiatives and activities.

The program focuses on next generation technology, core technology, enterprise architecture of back office applications and infrastructure (including enterprise security architecture), IT expenditure, application portfolio management, IT planning, digital project oversight and project portfolio management, digital tools and ecosystems, digital identity, enterprise cyber security risk management, and cyber security event management. Through encouraging collaboration between government institutions, engaging other governments (domestic and international), providing leadership and establishing governance, developing, monitoring and overseeing departmental policy compliance and project management performance, and developing communities through learning and outreach activities, the program supports advancements in all these focus areas.

Management Accountability Framework and Policy Suite Integrity

The Management Accountability Framework and Policy Suite Integrity program aims to strengthen the ability of departments and agencies to deliver services and programs to Canadians effectively and efficiently and in accordance with modern management practices. This is accomplished through two mutually reinforcing components.

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) is a framework for management excellence, accompanied by an annual assessment of management practices and performance in most departments and agencies of the Government of Canada. Furthermore, the MAF is a key tool of oversight that is used by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) to help ensure that federal departments and agencies are well managed, accountable and that resources are allocated to achieve results.

Policy Suite Integrity seeks to ensure a consistent and disciplined approach to the ongoing development and revision of policy instruments in alignment with the principles of the Foundation Framework for Treasury Board Policies. These policy instruments and associated guidance contain the rules for management in the public service.

Financial Management Policies and Initiatives

The Financial Management Policies and Initiatives program plays a lead role in supporting the commitment of the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) to strengthening financial management, oversight, and reporting within the Government of Canada. The program leads efforts to ensure the availability of appropriate frameworks, policies, and guidance on financial management across the federal public service and is responsible for ensuring the use of appropriate accounting standards for timely, complete, and accurate financial reporting across government. The Financial Management Policies and Initiative program also strengthens the professional capacity of the financial management community throughout the public service through a range of capacity building initiatives.

Financial Management Transformation

The Financial Management Transformation (FMT) Program is modernizing the financial and materiel management (FM) business model across the Government of Canada, to provide more timely access to reliable, consistent GC-wide information, and ensure that FM services better enable the delivery of programs for Canadians and remain cost effective and sustainable. The Program does so by designing standard, streamlined processes and common data structures, building modernized common systems to replace departmental platforms, helping managers, employees and financial and materiel management specialists to adopt new processes and systems, and aligning financial management systems investments with government priorities.

Canadian Digital Service

The Canadian Digital Service works with partner organizations to improve government services for the people that use them; builds capacity across government for human-centred service design and iterative development; and provides advice to inform government decisions about digital investments.

Acquired Services and Assets Policies and Initiatives

The Acquired Services and Assets (ASA) program aims to strengthen the management of assets and acquired services within the Government of Canada through the development and implementation of policy instruments governing procurement, real property, materiel management, investment planning and project management. Through its policies, advice, support and oversight (monitoring, performance measurement and reporting), the ASA program assists federal departments and agencies in providing value for money and sound stewardship in the management of their assets and acquired services. The ASA program also strengthens the professional capacity of the Procurement, Materiel Management and Real Property Communities throughout the public service through a range of capacity building and community development initiatives.

Internal Audit Policies and Initiatives

The internal audit function, which is independent of departmental management, informs the oversight of public resources throughout the federal public administration providing assurance as to whether government activities are managed in a way that demonstrates responsible stewardship to Canadians.

The program is responsible for maintaining a modern internal audit policy suite and overseeing the function for the Government of Canada. Activities include monitoring of policy compliance, community outreach, conducting horizontal and core controls audits, provision of audit services to smaller departments, supporting recruitment, facilitating training and supporting the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) appointment process and tenure management.

These activities ensure that the internal audit function and the DAC provide Deputy Heads with assurance and advice to inform decision making in their departments and supports them in their role as accounting officer, as defined in the Financial Administration Act.

The activities also ensure that the Comptroller General of Canada receives assurance and advice from audit committees and internal audit functions to inform decision making in a broader government context and to build and sustain the capacity of an independent, professional, and innovative internal audit community with the GC that adheres to professional standards and delivers timely value-added services that address current and emerging risks and opportunities.

Communications and Federal Identity Policies and Initiatives

The Communications and Federal Identity Policy program is responsible for setting the requirements that enable departments to provide Canadians with information about Government of Canada decisions, policies, programs and services and support the use of a single, consistent, and coherent identity of the Government of Canada. The program provides guidance, interpretations and strategic advice; and monitors and oversees departmental policy performance. This includes community support and outreach and engagement activities.

Greening Government Operations

In December 2017, the Government announced the Greening Government Strategy. The Strategy includes the following elements: an enhanced target to reduce federal GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 relative to 2005-06 levels; new targets for new buildings and retrofits, including for water and waste, and for hybrid and zero-emission vehicles in the administrative and executive fleets; tracking and disclosure of a broader scope of emissions; integrating environmental considerations into procurement activities; and improving the resiliency of federal assets, services, and operations through departmental action to address the wide range of potential climate change impacts.

The Centre for Greening Government leads the implementation of the Greening Government Strategy. The Centre exercises its leadership through the setting of targets for the Government of Canada, alignment of Government of Canada policies to the Greening Government Strategy, implementation support and technical guidance to departments to facilitate compliance with the Strategy, brokering of targeted initiatives, developing communication products and learning events, and tracking and publically disclosing the government’s environmental performance.

Public Service Accessibility

As part of the Accessible Canada Agenda, the Public Service Accessibility program will support the government in preparing to meet the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act, should it receive Royal Assent.

The program will develop a federal Public Service Accessibility Strategy and Implementation Plan aimed at transforming the culture of the public service from one that views accessibility as an obligation to one that enables everyone to contribute and succeed to their full potential. It will play a coordination role in the rollout of federal activities under the Strategy, and will support departmental efforts to implement priority actions by providing strategic advice, highlighting best practices, and providing tools and guidance for the development of Multi-Year Accessibility Plans.

It will establish a Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund to invest in activities designed to enhance the employment of persons with disabilities within the public service, including research, assessment of best practices, pilot projects and experimentation with innovative approaches.

Aligned with the principle of “nothing about us without us,” the public service will work to become the gold standard of an accessible and inclusive workplace through extensive, targeted engagement that leverages the expertise of key stakeholders, including employees with disabilities, managers, bargaining agents, and partners from all sectors.

Public Service attracts and retains a skilled and diverse workforce

• % of indeterminate hires that are under the age of 35
• % of all employees who receive a sense of satisfaction from their work
• % of executive employees (compared with workforce availability) who are a member of a visible minority group
• % of executive employees (compared with workforce availability) who are woman
• % of executive employees (compared with workforce availability) who are Aboriginal persons
• % of executive employees (compared with workforce availability) who are persons with a disability
• % of institutions where communications in designated bilingual offices "nearly always" occur in the official language chosen by the public

Employee wellness is improved

• % of employees who believe their workplace is psychologically healthy
• % of employees who indicate that they have been the victim of harassment on the job in the past 12 months
• % of employees who indicate that the nature of the harassment experience is a sexual comment or gesture

Modernized employment conditions

• % of Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board outcomes that confirm that the Government of Canada is bargaining in good faith

People Management Policies and Initiatives

The People Management Policies and Initiatives program provides government-wide leadership through enabling policy frameworks, strategic engagements and infrastructure for human resources services, to achieve high performance and leadership excellence in people management and official languages. It establishes people management and official languages performance indicators; assesses and reports on organizations’ performance in people management and official languages; and collects and provides data and analysis on the public service. Its work includes community development, learning and outreach activities.

Compensation and Labour Relations

The program negotiates collective agreements and co-develops National Joint Council Directives with employee bargaining agents and oversees employer representation at recourse for labour relations, classification, pay equity, staffing and terms and conditions of employment. The program develops and interprets policy and standards for labour relations, compensation and classification. It also provides advice and guidance to departments on labour relations, classification, and compensation issues.

Pension and Benefits Management

The Pension and Benefits Management program manages the public service pension and group insurance benefit plans, including the disability insurance, public service health care and dental care plans, and supports the funding and financing of the public sector pension and benefit plans. It does so by conducting studies, reviewing plan provisions, monitoring the financial status of the plans, leveraging technologies, streamlining processes and aligning more effectively with the Government of Canada’s priorities and best practices. The program engages bargaining agents and key stakeholders on plan improvements, through various Boards and Committees. In addition, the program manages stakeholder relations, providing information to plan members on entitlements and communicating changes to the plans.

Public Service Employer Payments

The Secretariat holds funds centrally to supplement other appropriations, from which allocations are made to, or payments and receipts are made on behalf of other federal organizations. These funds provide payments for the employer’s share of health, income maintenance and life insurance premiums, payments to or in respect of provincial health insurance plans, payroll taxes, provincial taxes, and the reimbursement of employment insurance premium rebates, and payments of administration costs.

Executive Policies and Initiatives

The sector fosters government-wide excellence in executive leadership and management through enabling policy frameworks on the management of executives. It offers strategic direction and oversight in areas of executive performance, leadership and talent management, terms and conditions of employment, classification, and compensation, as well as collective management and resourcing of Assistant Deputy Minister positions. It also enables effective and strategic management of senior leaders through the recruitment, training and development, management and retention of high performing executives.

People Management Systems and Processes

The People Management Systems and Processes program is responsible for the TBS response to the Phoenix crisis, which includes participating in the PSPC/TBS integrated team effort to address stabilization across the existing HR-to-Pay landscape, undertaking HR Readiness activities, and ensuring TBS fulfils its mandate as Employer, in preparation for an eventual transition to a Next Generation HR-to-Pay solution.

The Sector’s scope of responsibilities for stabilization include: focus on continued participation in the integrated HR-to-Pay stabilization team with PSPC and to support departments and agencies with Data Analytics and reporting via an HR and Pay based Business Intelligence tool, continued support to departments in the area of change management for both stabilization and for HR readiness for Next Generation HR-to-Pay solution.

In addition to HR-to-Pay stabilization, the Sector also contributes to the Next Generation HR-to-Pay solution to ensure that the human resources needs of users (e.g. employees and managers of departments and agencies) are incorporated into the new solution, this includes: Engaging government stakeholders to capture user needs and business requirements; Setting a common, enterprise vision of HR, pay, and benefits; Provide a challenge function for HR needs throughout the project; Identify capabilities and functional requirements; Identify service levels for operation and support for end users; and, Assess readiness of departments and agencies for new solution.

Government regulatory practices and processes are open, transparent, and informed by evidence

• Ranking of Canada's regulatory system by the OECD
• % of regulatory initiatives that report on early public consultation undertaken prior to first publication
• % of regulatory proposals that have an appropriate impact assessment (e.g., cost benefit analysis)

Regulatory cooperation among jurisdictions is advanced

• Number of federal regulatory programs that have a regulatory cooperation work plan
• % of significant regulatory proposals (e.g., high and medium impact) that promote regulatory cooperation considerations, when relevant

Regulatory Policy Oversight and Cooperation

The Secretariat supports Treasury Board (TB) Ministers in their role as a committee of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada by providing advice on regulatory and Order-in-Council (OIC) matters. The Regulatory Policy, Oversight, and Cooperation program provides leadership and management of the Government’s regulatory function, federal regulatory policy including the Cabinet Directive on Regulation (the Directive), and regulatory reform agenda by: providing regulatory policy guidance to departments; reviewing Governor in Council submissions; providing central oversight, assessing and reporting on the regulatory system; supporting horizontal policy management; representing Canada in international and domestic regulatory policy fora; establishing policies and strategies to advance regulatory cooperation; supporting and coordinating efforts to foster regulatory alignment in key sectors between Canada and key trading partners; negotiating regulatory provisions in trade agreements; supporting Canada's international and domestic trade priorities and furthering international regulatory cooperation; and leading targeted reviews of regulatory requirements in key sectors. Engaging stakeholders, such as the Canadian public, business, and other groups also plays an important role in the delivery of program objectives. TB Ministers and federal departments and agencies are the primary clients of the program.