PACP Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts |
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Comité permanent des comptes publics |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
CANADIAN NORTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY WORKING TO IMPROVE ADMINISTRATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Ottawa, February 23, 2015 -
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) needs to ensure that it makes lasting improvements to its administrative processes and increase the number of positions located in its Iqaluit office, according to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts’ report presented today in the House of Commons by Committee Chair David Christopherson.
In order to help Canada’s three territories reach their full economic potential, the federal government created, in August 2009 and for the first time ever, a stand-alone agency dedicated to northern economic development, CanNor.
In its Spring 2014 Report, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) released a performance audit that examined whether CanNor managed and delivered the economic development transfer payments associated with its three key programs – the Targeted Investment Program, the Community Economic Development Program and the Northern Adult Basic Education Program – in accordance with the requirements of the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments. The audit also examined whether CanNor was established and had aligned its resources to carry out its overall mandate.
The OAG found that CanNor’s administration of contribution agreements was weak, monitoring of recipients was inadequate and CanNor had not measured and reported on whether its programs were meeting their objectives. The OAG also found that key corporate functions and senior management positions remain in the Ottawa liaison office instead of being located at the headquarters in Iqaluit, as planned when CanNor was created.
In its report, the Committee notes that CanNor has committed to make improvements in response to the OAG’s recommendations, and in fact, it has completed most of the steps outlined in its action plan. The Committee recommends that CanNor provide it with an update on the number of positions added to its Iqaluit office and its Inuit employment plan, and that it assess the administration of its economic development contribution programs.
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