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PACP Committee News Release

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Standing Committee on Public Accounts
house of commons
HOUSE OF COMMONS
CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES
OTTAWA, CANADA
K1A 0A6

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release


NEWS RELEASE


More needs to be done to assist small federal entities

Ottawa, June 10, 2009 -

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) needs to take further actions to ease the reporting burden on small federal entities and to help them share administrative services, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Federal government organizations have a number of reporting requirements in relation to such areas as official languages, financial management, procurement, and human resources management. An audit of the governance of small federal entities by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) found that small entities face a reporting burden in the time and effort required to provide these reports. However, central agencies have not taken substantive action to reduce this reporting burden.

Additionally, small entities often lack the capacity to provide sustainable administrative services, such as finance, human resources management, and information technology. The quality and efficiency of these services can be improved through shared services, but the audit found that TBS had not provided sufficient support to help small entities share services, nor had it developed a governance framework to resolve issues associated with sharing services.

In order to demonstrate a commitment to implementing the OAG’s recommendations, the Committee expects departments to provide the Committee with an action plan of what actions they intend to take in response to the audit, when the actions will be completed, and by whom. TBS did not provide an action plan to the Committee prior to the hearing and the Secretary to the Treasury Board questioned whether such an expectation created a reporting burden. The Committee believes that action plans are an effective management tool, and a straightforward means of demonstrating to parliamentary committees that the government is willing to be held to account and take specific measures to address the OAG’s recommendations. Given its position as a central agency, TBS should be a leader with respect to accountability, transparency, and good management practices.

The Committee recommended that TBS provide the Committee with an action plan with specific elements to address the reporting burden for small federal entities, as well as the need for shared administrative services.

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For more information, please contact:
Joann Garbig, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
Tel: (613) 996-1664
E-mail: PACP@parl.gc.ca