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ARCHIVED - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat - 2011-12 Departmental Performance Report

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Organizational Priorities

In its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities, the Secretariat established five organizational priorities that contribute to its Strategic Outcome, “Government is well managed and accountable, and resources are allocated to achieve results.

The results achieved under each priority are briefly summarized in the following section. Further information on these results can be found in the Performance Highlights section for each of the Secretariat's programs under Results and Performance.

Operating Environment

Throughout 2011–12, the Secretariat operated in a complex environment within the federal government that was characterized by significant, ongoing change.

The government continued to focus on securing Canada's recovery from the economic crisis, with the goal of returning to a balanced budget over the medium term. To this end, a review of departmental spending was announced as a key government-wide initiative, and departments and agencies shifted their focus to fiscal restraint as a means of helping to establish the conditions for sustainable economic growth.

The drive to reduce costs and improve efficiency presented opportunities to accelerate government modernization. Shared Services Canada was established with the mandate to streamline and reduce duplication in the government's internal information technology (IT) services for email, data centres and electronic networks. Efforts continued to standardize the government systems and processes underpinning human and financial management. The Open Government initiative advanced public access to government data and information.

Reducing red tape also remained a key focus in 2011–12. The Red Tape Reduction Commission completed its Recommendations Report to the government in January 2012. It recommended methods to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on business while ensuring the continued protection of the health, safety and security of Canadians and their environment and the economy. Also, efforts continued to reduce red tape within government, with an emphasis on simplifying administrative processes.

The public sector's aging workforce, along with the need for fiscal restraint, continued to drive modernization of the government's approach to people management. For example, in an effort to ensure that total costs of compensation are reasonable, the government took measures to bring public service compensation in line with the private and other public sectors. Public Service Renewal, as championed by the Clerk of the Privy Council in the Nineteenth Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada, remained a priority, with a focus on engaging employees in the drive to excellence and in the renewal of the workforce and the workplace.


Priority 1: Support the government in ensuring value for money and sound financial management
Type Linked to

* Note: A review of departmental spending replaced the Strategic Review process, which was an annual cycle of spending reviews that had been initiated in 2007.

Ongoing Program 3: Expenditure Management and Financial Management

The Secretariat followed through on plans identified in its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities to support this priority. The Secretariat, for example:

  • Continued to guide the implementation of government cost-containment measures;
  • Led a comprehensive review of approximately $75 billion of direct program spending by federal departments and agencies; See Priority 1 Note * and
  • Supported deputy heads in improving and standardizing the government-wide financial management system, in preparing financial reports, and in building capacity in the financial management community.

Efforts in this area supported the government's plan to return to balanced budgets, with a focus on ensuring value for money in government programs, services and operations and on providing sound management and accountability for government resources.

More details on related initiatives and results achieved in support of this priority can be found in the Results and Performance section of this report, under Program 3: Expenditure Management and Program 4: Financial Management.



Priority 2: Advance initiatives to modernize government operations
Type Linked to
Ongoing Management Frameworks, People Management and Financial Management

The Secretariat moved forward on a number of plans identified in its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities to support this priority. The Secretariat, for example:

  • Implemented initiatives to reduce regulatory red tape, including supporting the work of the Red Tape Reduction Commission;
  • Supported the government's efforts to consolidate internal and external services and to standardize government business processes, including financial and human resources business processes; and
  • Provided direction for a more strategic, government-wide approach to IM/IT management, infrastructure and investments.

In addition, the Secretariat made significant progress in advancing Open Government, including expanding the Open Data portal and supporting the government's participation in the international Open Government Partnership. It also mandated that institutions covered under the Access to Information Act publish monthly summaries of completed access to information requests.

Results achieved in support of this priority are contributing to greater effectiveness and efficiency in government operations, administration and services. Also, Open Government is leading to greater accessibility and transparency.

More details on related initiatives and results achieved in support of this priority can be found in the Results and Performance section of this report, under Program 1: Management Frameworks, Program 2: People Management and Program 4: Financial Management.



Priority 3: Crystallize and implement the new approach to people management
Type Linked to
Ongoing People Management

The Secretariat made significant progress on plans identified in its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities to address this priority. The Secretariat, for example:

These activities contributed to a more modern approach to people management across the federal government, which will enable a higher-performing and more productive workforce. The Secretariat also devoted resources in 2011–12 to support departments and agencies in conducting their workforce planning and management activities as they prepared to implement the results of the departmental spending review (announced in Budget 2012) and the Administrative Services Review (announced in Budget 2011).

More details on related initiatives and results achieved in support of this priority can be found in the Results and Performance section of this report, under Program 2: People Management.



Priority 4: Pursue continuous improvement of the operations of the Secretariat
Type Linked to
Ongoing Internal Services

The Secretariat made progress on plans identified in its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in its internal operations. The Secretariat, for example:

  • Effectively managed implementation of its 2010 Strategic Review results;
  • Strengthened integrated planning within the Secretariat by moving to a more strategic three-year planning horizon;
  • Continued to identify ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness within the Secretariat; and
  • Developed a long-term accommodations plan that includes plans to renew the Secretariat's workplace using Workplace 2.0, a government-wide initiative to modernize the workspace, update processes and systems that support public servants in their work, and provide new technologies that allow them to collaborate and communicate across government and with Canadians.

Through its 2010 Strategic Review, the Secretariat identified $11.5 million in savings over three years and successfully met its savings target for 2011–12. The Secretariat continued to identify opportunities to further streamline its internal operations, which will lead to future cost savings.

More details on related initiatives and results achieved in support of this priority can be found in the Results and Performance section of this report, under Program 6: Internal Services.



Priority 5: Embed the role of the Secretariat as an enabler, and simplify the oversight function
Type Linked to
Ongoing Strategic Outcome (supported by all of the Secretariat's programs)

Embedding the Secretariat's enabler role continued to be a priority. The Secretariat supported this priority through a series of initiatives identified in its 2011–12 Report on Plans and Priorities. The Secretariat, for example:

  • Used feedback from departments and agencies to strengthen its internal capacity to carry out its enabler role;
  • Made more effective use of existing data to enable oversight activities; and
  • Supported departmental implementation of policies and initiatives, including capacity building across government.

Work in this area strengthened the Secretariat's role as a strategic partner and trusted advisor, which is essential to delivering cost-containment objectives and sound management. It also enhanced the Secretariat's collaborative and inclusive approach in working with deputy heads and departments to advance government priorities, ensure the efficient management of their organizations, and reduce internal red tape and reporting burden. To that end, actions were also taken to further embed risk-based approaches to the Secretariat's central agency role, including its policy-making and challenge functions.

More details on related initiatives and results achieved in support of this priority can be found in the Results and Performance section of this report, under Program 6: Internal Services.