Service and Quality Standards to Support Treasury Board Submission Reviews
Service standards support the shared goal of developing and reviewing quality Treasury Board (TB) submissions in a timely manner. The standards facilitate planning for federal organizations and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) by strengthening the content of TB submissions and supporting a clear and consistent approach to their review.
Prior to submitting a TB submission to TBS, organizations are to confirm through a senior official that specific quality criteria have been met and that the submission is ready for review.
Early engagement with program sectors to discuss planned submissions is highly recommended and will assist organizations in preparing TB submissions that meet the quality standards.
Service standards for TBS
Every effort will be made to meet these standards, but complex submissions requiring multiple consultations with a policy centre may take more time.
Quality review
Within five working days of receiving a draft TB submission, TBS will assess the overall quality of the submission and make one of three determinations:
- The due diligence review will proceed: the TB submission meets TBS’s quality standards.
- The due diligence review will not proceed: the TB submission does not meet TBS’s quality standards.
- The due diligence review will proceed on an exceptional basis: TBS may agree to proceed with the review of a submission that does not meet the quality standards, on an exceptional basis.
Substantive comments
Within ten working days of confirming that the due diligence review will proceed, TBS will provide substantive comments on the draft TB submission.
Quality standards for incoming submissions
The following requirements guide TBS in determining whether a TB submission is ready to undergo a due diligence review.
Authoritative review
- A senior official has reviewed the content and supports it prior to it being sent to TBS.
- The organization has completed a corporate review (that is, key groups, covering such areas as audit and evaluation and risk, have verified the accuracy of the content in their respective sections of the submission).
- The organization’s deputy chief financial officer has reviewed the TB submission and supports it.
Complete and relevant content
- The TB submission includes all required elements and appendices, based on the Guidance for Drafters of Treasury Board Submissions and consultation with Program Sector.
- Authorities (such as, project, program, policy, record of decision) and all sources of funds are in place, or will be in place, before the submission proceeds to the TB.
- The TB submission addresses each proposal, refers to the relevant TB policies, includes sufficient context and reflects the most recent Cabinet and TB decisions.
- Proposals are consistent with government priorities, and cost-containment measures have been considered.
Accurate and precise information
- Financial amounts in the proposals, the cost, funding requirements and source of funds text and tables, and all financial tables, including appendices, are accurate and consistent with the organization’s authorities.
Appropriate early engagement
- If necessary, the organization has consulted TBS well in advance of submitting a first draft on any exemptions being sought to TB policies, on any concerns with funding or other authorities, and on any other issue that has a high likelihood of affecting the review timeline.