PACP Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent des comptes publics |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
CIDA NEEDS TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION TO IMPROVE AID EFFECTIVENESS
Ottawa, September 20, 2010 -
In order to strengthen aid effectiveness, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) needs to address weaknesses identified by the Office of the Auditor General, such as complex approval processes and shifting priorities, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented to the House of Commons today.
In the fall of 2009, the Office of the Auditor General released a performance audit examining how CIDA is implementing its effectiveness commitments concerning alignment, harmonization, program-based approaches, and focusing of its resources. It also looked at the management processes in place at its head office to guide and sustain implementation of the commitments. The audit contained seven recommendations dealing with weaknesses that can, in part, be attributed to the Agency’s lack of a master plan for achieving its effectiveness commitments and the absence of processes to sustain implementation over time.
It is of particular concern to the Public Accounts Committee that CIDA’s ability to deliver aid effectively has been hampered by its lack of a legislative mandate, which contributes to its difficulty in setting a long-term orientation. While CIDA has made progress in narrowing its focus on three thematic priorities, it has not clarified in its strategy papers which specific programming areas would be funded under each priority.
In its report, the Committee noted that CIDA has taken significant steps in addressing the audit’s recommendations, but believes that further action needs to be taken to ensure that CIDA’s efforts to improve aid effectiveness, such as streamlining approval processes, moving employees from headquarters to the field, and narrowing aid to three thematic priorities, are properly implemented.
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