Operating context and key risks: 2018–19 Departmental Results Report – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Delivery of results

Because of the number and complexity of priority initiatives, the Secretariat may not have the necessary capacity to deliver results in the expected timeframes

To manage this risk, TBS:

• supported the delivery of high-priority initiatives through a dedicated surge‑capacity team
• monitored core business and identified opportunities to reallocate resources to address emerging high priorities

In 2018–19, several priority initiatives led by TBS were completed. These included:

• improving the use of evidence in program evaluation, by working with departments to finish implementing the 2016 Policy on Results, which aims to improve how departments measure, evaluate, and report results
• making government data available digitally, by working with departments to add content (for example, datasets, digital records, consultations) to the Open Government portal, open.canada.ca
• improving reporting to Parliament, by:
  • simplifying Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports
  • improving GC InfoBase, a website that provides Canadians with access to the latest data on government finances, people and results

TBS will continue to align its activities and resources with the results it is trying to achieve.

Spending Oversight, Administrative Leadership, Employer

Capacity for delivery of Secretariat-led government-wide projects

Insufficient capacity to deliver government-wide projects may result in an inability to fully achieve project objectives

To manage this risk, TBS:

• provided oversight of projects through a senior management committee, project management offices, and project steering committees
• provided guidance and tools to project sponsors
• completed risk assessments to confirm the complexity level of TBS projects
• continued to engage with Government of Canada consultation bodies for TBS-led government-wide projects
• produced project dashboards to monitor the overall health of the project portfolio

Some TBS-led government-wide projects are still facing challenges. TBS is reviewing its approach to project oversight and governance as it implements the new Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes.

Administrative Leadership

Information technology capacity

Without enhancements to the Secretariat’s information technology infrastructure, the Secretariat may not be able to deliver on some key priorities

To manage this risk, TBS:

• continuously reviewed allocated server capacity and decommissioned unused applications to ensure optimal efficiency
• regularly met with Shared Services Canada to discuss IT‑related issues and new infrastructure requirements for IT-enabled projects at TBS

This risk is considered to have been mitigated because TBS is adopting a cloud‑first policy and will have its own Protected B cloud infrastructure, which will have appropriate controls in place to monitor performance.

All Core Responsibilities

Employee well‑being

The Secretariat may not be able to sustain the level and pace of work without affecting the well-being of employees and the wellness of the organization

To mitigate this risk, TBS continued to implement actions identified in its 3‑year departmental Wellness Action Plan, which was launched in 2017–18. In 2018–19, activities focused primarily on:

• promoting employee wellness and increasing awareness of available services through engagement activities, kiosks, networks, committees and the Wellness Champion
• delivering training sessions on topics such as stress management, employee resilience and mental health, which were attended by 193 participants
• promoting tools, such as workshops, to support and promote employee well-being

In the 2018 Public Service Employee Survey, 20% of TBS employees reported their work-related stress as high or very high, down from 22% in the 2017 survey. In addition, 67% of TBS employees said they would describe their workplace as being psychologically healthy, up from 62% the previous year.

TBS will continue to monitor the data related to well‑being that is collected from its employees through the annual Public Service Employee Survey.

All Core Responsibilities

Phoenix impacts

Issues with the Phoenix pay system may continue to impact the Secretariat’s ability to exercise its role as government-wide employer. This could adversely affect labour relations with bargaining agents, and employee morale and stress levels.

To manage this risk, TBS:

• worked closely with departments and agencies to establish standard timelines for common human resources transactions that lead to a pay action, and to establish performance indicators to assist in the tracking and reporting of pay actions
• engaged with bargaining agents to find solutions to address their members’ concerns related to Phoenix
• led efforts to identify options for a new human resources and pay solution, working with industry and stakeholders, including employees  

Problems with the Phoenix pay system continue to affect employees’ pay. They also continue to impact labour relations, talent management, and employee wellness.

Efforts continue to develop options for a new human resources and pay solution (NextGen HR and Pay), and at the same time, stabilize the Phoenix system.

In parallel, TBS will need to help departments prepare to transition to a new human resources and pay solution, by redesigning processes, defining standards and controls, managing and supporting change, and readying the human resources and pay communities.

Employer