SECTION IV: OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

Program Activity - Corporate Services

Corporate Services provides services such as finance, human resources, information management / information technology, telecommunications, facilities, translation, strategic planning, communications, internal audit, general administration and security to the Courts and to the Service itself.

Significant Financial Issues in 2007-2008

The Service continues to work with its partners in attempting to secure funding for 2008-2009 and ongoing years for expenses related to Prothonotaries' salaries and travel as well as Deputy Judges' fees and travel. Funding for additional registry and judicial support for both prothonotaries and Deputy Judges are also required. It should also be noted that a Special Advisor on Prothonotaries' Compensation was appointed in 2007 to look at a broad range of issues related to Prothonotaries. A government response is expected in 2008-2009 and this may have an impact in resolving a portion of the ongoing funding problem identified above.

The Service was also expected to continue to save $0.29M in 2007-2008 (the same amount identified for 2006-2007) through procurement savings instituted by Public Works and Government Services. The cuts attributed do not necessarily represent the actual amount of savings that were generated by the Service.

Finally, the Service lapsed slightly more than 5% of its Main Estimates funding. It is apparent that two principal areas caused this carryforward. The first was related to significant delays in staffing positions and retaining employees (a problem also identified by the Clerk of the Privy Council as a Government-wide problem). The second difficulty was with contracting delays for various goods and services that were to be procured during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

People Capacity

In fiscal year 2007-2008, the Service received approximately $900,000 in funds under the Public Service Modernization Act Special Investment Framework. Human Resources (HR) undertook a project (that will be completed by March 2009) that consists of six initiatives:

1. Developing an overarching human resources plan for the Service that will reflect the principles of the Public Service Employment Act, and be fully aligned with the Service's Report on Plans and Priorities;
2. Implementing a reporting and monitoring initiative to ensure that appointments and other staffing actions are adequately monitored to manage and mitigate risks;
3. Developing a communications strategy to ensure that employees and delegated managers fully understand the benefits of the Public Service Modernization Act and their respective roles and responsibilities;
4. Ensuring that all policies affected by the new legislation are reviewed and that policy development activities are adequately planned and resourced, as well as developing new procedures to support such policies;
5. Ensuring that managers to be sub-delegated understand the impacts of the new legislation and, through the provision of education and tools, are able to assume their responsibilities with respect to HR planning, staffing, and career development;
6. Developing a competency-based management framework to support the use of competencies in support of staffing and career development.

Mandatory training in staffing to grant staffing delegations to managers commenced in June 2008 and is to be completed in November 2008.

Also during 2007-2008, the Service classification unit created the following 'classification' policies which are tools for managers as well.

• Classification Monitoring Framework;
• Organizational and Classification Guidelines;
• Organization and Classification Policy;
• Presentation of Classification Action Requests;
• Reorganization Procedures.

Records Management

In March 2007 all original records for operational files were centralized into one location, the Service's new Pink Road location for storage of dormant and semi-dormant records.

The Service is currently preparing for the move of the Ottawa file room to the location where Federal Courts Registry staff will be relocated. This will facilitate document tracking and ensure faster and better information sharing throughout the organization.

With regard to operational files the Service has put in place a disposition process for duplicate copies of court records and judges material. This ensures that around 15% of records shipped to the Service's Pink Road facility are eliminated 6 months after the final decision. Also, in the past 6 months, the Service has cleaned up a backlog which enabled it to free up space for around 4800 boxes of material. It also installed vertical shelving to maximize the use of the space.

The Service is in the process of signing a Service Level Agreement with Library & Archives Canada relating to their storage of 2000 boxes of Exchequer Court records which are of national interest. This would also help the Service with storage space.

The Service is still investigating, for administrative records, the possibility of implementing a document management system which would promote using electronic format instead of paper for information sharing and act as a central repository for all of the Service's documents of corporate value.

Government On-line

Improvements were made to the Service's internet site by applying the new Treasury Board Common Look and Feel Standards 2.0 (CLF 2.0). The standards were developed to reflect modern practices on the web, improve navigation and format elements, and to align departments' internet with the government's approach to public communication.

Furthermore, by tying the CLF 2.0 standards and its own redesign elements together, the Service was able to:

• improve accessibility and readability;
• enhance user-friendliness by creating a wider page format, applying a consistent approach to navigational menus, and employing "skip navigation" links at the beginning of each page which provides enhanced accessibility for persons with disabilities; and
• apply the Service's new "branding", update its institutional navigational elements, and create new linkable images for each of the Courts to which the Service provides administrative services.

A phased approach for implementing the new standards was followed, with a two-year deadline ending December 31, 2008. The Service launched its new site on March 31^st, 2008, nine months early. This effort ensured that it met the government's objective of providing a consistent and predictable presentation of government services and content.

Improved Strategic Management

During 2007-2008, the Performance Management Framework (PMF) was refined. This exercise involved reviewing the PAA which will be modified at the sub-activity level in the coming year. Service standards will be established during 2008-2009 and survey questionnaires prepared to allow for the collection and analysis of data.

The release of the Office of the Auditor General's findings in fall of 2007 guided the Service in improving its management practices. For example:

• The Service established a Contracts Review Committee to review contracts before they are signed to ensure that they comply with the Government Contracts Regulations, the Treasury Board Contracting Policy, and the Service's internal policies and procedures.
• The Service has accessed approximately $900,000 in funding from the Canada Public Service Agency' strategic investment framework for six initiatives under the Public service Modernization Act. A key initiative being funded is the development of a human resources plan across the organization. The Service is currently working with a consultant to develop an action plan to put in action. The provision of training and tools to senior management in order to ensure the sustainability of the process is a key component of the action plan.
• The Service's Human Resources Division reports on the quality of performance appraisals for executives to the Senior Management Committee. Training on drafting of performance appraisals has been provided to executives.

Security Services

The Service continues to maintain its commitment and efforts to improve the security of judges, prothonotaries, staff and members of the public using its facilities and to ensure the protection of assets and information.

The Service continues to develop its program aimed at heightening security awareness throughout the organization. Some of the activities this year include the delivery of security information sessions in most of the regional offices and the sessions will continue in headquarters in the coming year.

The Service maintains its Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Program to ensure the continued availability of essential services, programs and operations, in the event of interruptions caused by unforeseen events such as extended power failures and severe weather conditions. A Tabletop Exercise was conducted with senior management in May 2007 and plans have been updated to reflect the comments coming out of the exercise.

In addition, the Service continues to participate in the Continuity of Constitutional Government Steering Committee (CCGSC) by attending planning retreats and providing input to Public Safety Canada's overarching plan to ensure that the Courts' requirements are met.

Finally, the Service has put in place the procedures for Security in contracting to ensure that all contractors working for the Service who require access to protected or classified information or assets have the appropriate clearance.

Facilities Management

In order to consolidate the staff in the National Capital Region in fewer building, the Service worked with Public Work Government Services Canada (PWGSC). Replacement space to accommodate Registry Services was identified and offered to the Service. The planning and development phases were completed during the Spring 2008 and construction of the new space will be completed during the Fall 2008. Employees will be relocated thereafter. The new space will provide an ideal work environment for the employees as per the PWGSC space and fit-up standards. Environmental and physical issues that affected the employees in the Lorne Building will be a thing of the past. The project was developed in cooperation with a committee of employees to ensure the best results possible.

The Service did not reduce its accommodation portfolio during fiscal year 2007-2008. However, ongoing efforts to improve space utilization continue to be a priority. As leases expire, the Service's operational needs will be reviewed to determine if space can be reduced. The Service has also taken steps to review its space standards. This review should result in more efficient standards that will be applied in all future accommodation projects.

Offices of the Courts Administration Service

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION OFFICES