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Management Response

The Treasury Board submission process is fundamental to the business of the Government of Canada. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as the administrative arm of Treasury Board, is a key stakeholder in the Treasury Board submission process. As such, the Secretariat appreciates the evaluation's findings and recommendations and welcomes the opportunity to work with federal organizations to improve this important process.

Management has observed that almost all of the evaluation's recommendations fall into two broad categories. The first, which includes recommendations 1, 2 and 5, relates to the importance of training, both internally at the Secretariat and externally in the public service as a whole. The other category, encompassing recommendations 3 and 6, speaks to the need to concretely manage knowledge transfer at the Secretariat so as to improve the submission process. Management wishes to note that several advances have been made on a number of the recommendations since the evaluation.

The Management Response was developed collaboratively through broad consultation within the Secretariat, which helped to both frame the Secretariat's Action Plan for further improving the Treasury Board submission process and position the Secretariat for the future.

Action Plan

Recommendation 1:

The Secretariat should finalize the logic model for the Treasury Board submission process to support performance measurement, clear communication of its ultimate outcome, and further study.

Agree. The Secretariat will finalize the logic model for the Treasury Board submission process, clarifying the purpose of Treasury Board submissions by building on the Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions.

The following actions have been taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date
Communicating the link between the Treasury Board submission process, the work of Parliament and the budget cycle; and Fall 2009
Updating internal training for program analysts. Fall 2009

The following actions will be taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Finalize the logic model for the Treasury Board submission process Summer 2010 Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs Sector
Update the Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions to include the logic model; Summer 2010 Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs Sector
Disseminate the logic model to program analysts through internal training; and Summer 2010 and ongoing Priorities and Planning Sector
Survey the effectiveness of training in disseminating the logic model to program analysts Winter 2011 Priorities and Planning Sector
An area of potential study could involve examining alternative expenditure management and policy decision-making models from other countries (e.g. Great Britain, United States, and Australia). Spring 2011 Priorities and Planning Sector, in consultation with the Expenditure Management Sector and Program Sectors

Recommendation 2:

The Secretariat should examine in detail, and address where necessary, survey results relating to the advice its analysts provide to federal organizations during the submission process.

Agree. Management will seek to increase federal organizations' satisfaction with the advice provided by the Secretariat.

As part of this commitment, the following actions have been completed:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
An extensive review, in the context of its Change Agenda, of how the Secretariat supports federal organizations; 2007  
A series of internal training sessions and facilitated learning events (e.g. to refine soft skills); and Fall 2008 and ongoing  
A shift in the focus of internal training to emphasize the role of Secretariat analysts as enabling and strategic partners of federal organizations in addition to their traditional challenge role. Fall 2009 and ongoing  
As well, the Secretariat has been liaising with federal organizations and holding tailored outreach sessions to build their capacity for Treasury Board policy implementation and the Treasury Board submission process-and will continue to do so. Ongoing Policy Centres of Expertise and Program Sectors

The following actions will be taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Engage in regular meetings with federal organizations to receive feedback on the advice provided by the Secretariat, and compile and share the feedback with analysts; and Fall 2010 and ongoing Program Sectors
Undertake additional outreach to assist federal organizations experiencing challenges in transitioning to new Treasury Board policies. Winter 2010 and ongoing Policy Centres of Expertise and Program Sectors

Recommendation 3:

The Secretariat should examine how human resources issues, especially the turnover rate among program analysts, affect the Treasury Board submission process and knowledge management.

Agree. Employee turnover is a government-wide issue and the Secretariat is no exception. The Secretariat has already taken steps to address the issue through recruitment and retention strategies such as the EC Analyst Development Program.

As noted in the evaluation, a proper governance structure and standardized risk framework for Treasury Board submissions are in place at the Secretariat and help ensure that Treasury Board ministers receive carefully considered and coherent advice.

The following actions have been completed:
Management Action Completion Date
Transition from the ES to the EC Analyst Development Program Management Committee; Summer 2009
Identification of recruitment and staffing needs through Sectors' annual business plans, which will continue to be done on an annual basis; and Fall 2009 and ongoing
Development of an action plan to respond to the Clerk of the Privy Council's Public Service Renewal initiative. Winter 2010

The following action is currently underway:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Development of a Secretariat staffing strategy. Winter 2010 Corporate Services Sector (HR)

In conjunction with the actions referred to in Recommendation 6, the following actions will be taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Integrate Secretariat employee results from the 2008 Public Service Survey into the Secretariat's recruitment and retention strategies; Spring 2010 Corporate Services Sector (HR), Recruitment Champion, EC Champion and AS Community Champion
Hold a best practices session for Executive Directors of Secretariat Program Sectors to share the specific knowledge management and knowledge transfer measures undertaken in their divisions. This best practices to be discussed will focus on, but will not be limited to, entry/exit protocols, internal hierarchy within divisions, file management, mentoring initiatives and cross-training opportunities; and Summer 2010 Program Sectors
Develop a plan to address knowledge management and transfer. This plan will be implemented consistently across all Program Sectors. Fall 2010 Program Sectors

Recommendation 4:

The Secretariat should account for the costs - at least for the department if not for the entire public administration - of managing the submission process.

Agree. In regards to the Secretariat's costs.

The following steps will be taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Hire an external consultant to determine the costs associated with the Treasury Board submission process; and Fall 2010 Office of the Comptroller General, in consultation with the Corporate Services Sector
Validate and share the consultant's findings. Summer 2011 Office of the Comptroller General, in consultation with the Corporate Services Sector

Recommendation 5:

The Secretariat should review, and improve where necessary, its professional development, training and outreach activities related to the Treasury Board submission process.

Agree. While deputy heads are responsible for training activities within their organization, including training related to Treasury Board submissions, the Secretariat does play a valuable role in this respect through the following outreach activities:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Liaising with federal organizations and holding tailored outreach sessions to build their capacity for the Treasury Board submission process; and Ongoing Program Sectors
Liaising with the Canada School of Public Service and participating in the regularly scheduled training it provides on the Treasury Board submission process (i.e. course F708). Ongoing Program Sectors

The following actions have already been taken:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Updating internal training for program analysts; Fall 2009  
Holding training sessions for Secretariat program analysts; and Fall 2009 and ongoing  
Holding Program Sector retreats with a view to developing a coherent approach for skills development and enhancing the program analyst role beyond its traditional challenge function to that of enabler and facilitator. Ongoing  

Recommendation 6:

The Secretariat should explore options for a more systematic approach to information and knowledge management in the Treasury Board submission process.

Agree. The evaluation suggests that a more systematic file management approach is needed across the Secretariat. The issue of overall knowledge management needs to be addressed

The following actions will be taken in response to the evaluation's findings:
Management Action Completion Date Office of Primary Interest
Hold a best practices session in collaboration with the Secretariat's Chief Information Officer; Fall 2010 Corporate Services Sector (Information Management and Technology Directorate)
Review the existing IT tools that support the Treasury Board submission process and consider possible cost-effective adjustments; Winter 2011 Corporate Services Sector (Information Management and Technology Directorate)
Prepare recommendations to be implemented across the Secretariat; and Spring 2012 Corporate Services Sector (Information Management and Technology Directorate)
Work with the IM/IT subcommittee of the Management Infrastructure Committee (MIC) to ensure that the expertise available is being used efficiently. Ongoing Corporate Services Sector (Information Management and Technology Directorate) and IM/IT subcommittee of MIC
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