Office of Policy and Priorities; Treasury Board Office; and Executive Council Office Accountability Report

Transcription

1 Office of Policy and Priorities; Treasury Board Office; and Executive Council Office Accountability Report August 3, 2012

2 Table of Contents A. Accountability Statement...3 B. Message from the Minister...4 C. Priorities and Accomplishments...5 D. Financial Results

3 A. Accountability Statement The Joint Accountability Report of the Office of Policy and Priorities, Treasury Board Office, and Executive Council Office (the Offices) for the year ended March 31, 2012, is prepared pursuant to the Finance Act and government policies and guidelines. These authorities require the reporting of outcomes against the Offices joint statement of mandate for the fiscal year The reporting of the Offices outcomes includes estimates, judgments, and opinions by management of the three offices. The report is, to the extent possible, a complete and accurate representation of outcomes relative to the goals and priorities set out in the joint statement of mandate for the year The Honourable Darrell Dexter, President of the Executive Council, Minister of Policy and Priorities The Honourable Frank Corbett, Chair of Treasury Board David Darrow, Secretary / Clerk of the Executive Council Margaret MacDonald, Deputy Minister, Treasury Board Office Rick Williams, Deputy Minister Office of Policy and Priorities 3

4 B. Message from the President of the Executive Council, Minister of Policy and Priorities, and the Chair of Treasury Board We are pleased to present the joint accountability report of the Office of Policy & Priorities, Treasury Board Office, and Executive Council Office for the fiscal year The Office of Policy and Priorities focussed on the priorities of government and provided ongoing policy direction. The Treasury Board Office ensured we properly managed the province s finances and the Executive Council Office acted as secretariat to the Executive Council. This report outlines the accomplishments of the Office of Policy and Priorities, Treasury Board Office, and Executive Council Office with respect to its core business areas as well as its financial results for the fiscal year. The Honourable Darrell Dexter, President of the Executive Council, Minister of Policy and Priorities The Honourable Frank Corbett, Chair of Treasury Board 4

5 C. Priorities and Accomplishments Joint Accountability Report The Office of Policy & Priorities (OPP), Treasury Board Office (TBO), and Executive Council Office (ECO), (collectively referred to in this document as the Offices), identified four Core Business Areas for Measurement of Results It was intended to provide a client survey of members of Executive Council and its Committees to elicit indications of perceived service quality and possible improvements. However, it was decided to defer the client survey for since the Statement of Mandate measures and measurement tools were significantly revised. More targeted results measurement tools are anticipated to be developed for measurement during Core Business Area 1: Support to Executive Council and its sub-committees Outcome: Sound decisions by the Executive Council and its Committees Administrative Processes Efficient Distribution of Executive Council Documents In early 2011, ECO established procedures to circulate materials to members of the Executive Council one week in advance of a meeting to ensure more timely and comprehensive briefing for members of Cabinet and Committee meetings. These procedures resulted in a reduction of: the number of copies being made to distribute at each meeting, staff time required to prepare materials, and cost of paper and other charges. In 2011, ECO also commenced investigation into a means to automate and securely deliver Cabinet submission documents to the members of the Executive Council and support staff. ECO has received assistance from the Chief Information Office in determining what hardware and software are required to move to an electronic distribution environment and continue to work to find the most appropriate solution. In August of 2011, ECO began to electronically distribute copies of minute letters resulting in more efficient and timely distribution of the records of decision in addition to reducing staff time in this process. Submissions to Executive Council During , the Offices completed a review of Chapter 3 of Management Manual Submissions to the Executive Council including all templates/forms associated with submissions to Executive Council and its Committees. Consultation was conducted with Offices senior management, departments/offices and members of the Executive Council on recommended changes to the templates. 5

6 Amended templates (Report and Recommendation, Memorandum to Executive Council and Communications Plan) were approved by the Offices senior management team and came into effect July 1, During the fiscal year, a team representing the Offices conducted presentations to various departments, offices and government agencies, to discuss the changes to the templates and other Executive Council processes and procedures. The Offices have provided guidance and support to departments as they work through adapting to the changes. Core Business Area 2: Strategic planning, budgeting, and accountability Outcome: Plans and budgets which reflect Executive Council decisions and directions and lead to achieving the core priorities The TBO contributed to the core priorities by providing financial analysis to support Executive Council and its Committees, overseeing the budget process, and leading the business planning and accountability reporting processes for government. Government s commitment to Living Within Our Means necessitated TBO s continued focus on cost reduction strategies. In , TBO accomplished many priorities including: Internal Business Processes Improved the capital expenditure planning and decision process to ensure strategic and sustainable spending of capital dollars: o Developed and released a Fall Capital Plan pursuant to Government s commitment in this area. o Expanded monitoring, forecasting, and reporting for capital projects using Capital Planning System through SAP and Business Warehouse. o Enhanced capital oversight by the Tangible Capital Asset (TCA) Committee. o Prepared TCA Program Processes and Procedures for a consistent approach for capital spending. o Developed long term capital planning requirements and initiated 3-year and 10- year capital planning templates. o Developed business case, and evaluation and scoring templates to better evaluate and prioritize capital projects across government. Provided analysis and feedback to Departments, Agencies, and Crown Corporations for the Statement of Mandates and Accountability Reports. Efforts were made to streamline the performance measures included in these reports. Drafted a new Forecasting and Reporting Policy, draft report was circulated to Treasury Board Office staff and Finance staff for review and comment before finalizing. 6

7 Redesigned the forecasting templates for operating and capital expenditures in order to enhance the monitoring and control of spending and to enable better reporting to Treasury Board Committee. Monitored departmental spending and reported to Treasury Board Committee on results on a monthly basis. Redesigned budget templates improving internal tracking of pressures and the decisions from Treasury Board Committee. This project also enhanced the preparation and distribution of budget targets. Coordinated TAGR 1 functions as TBO supported multiple initiatives and on-going activities, including: o Released the first Provincial Update on Auditor General Recommendations (November 2011); o Supported Treasury Board Committee in the release of the Auditor General Directive (December 2011); o Implemented several enhancements in the TAGR system related to reporting and assignment of recommendations; and o Facilitated the release of responses to the 2009 Auditor General Recommendations to the Office of the Auditor General for their annual review (October 2011). In TBO pursued additional expenditure management measures: Established administrative controls on procurement of wireless devices, imposed travel restrictions, established office space standards, improved contract management and imposed reductions on consulting fees; Coordinated a comprehensive review of potential shared services and procurement practices internal to government as well as external MUSH sector components to identify substantial savings opportunities; Completed the Change and Innovation Fund project administration; Pursued regional cooperation initiatives related to expenditure management; 1 The Tracking Auditor General Recommendations (TAGR) System addresses a need for Government to have a corporate tool for tracking Auditor General Report recommendations and to have an efficient and timely means of tracking and reporting on the status of Auditor General Report Recommendations. The Department of Finance, Treasury Board Office and the Office of Policy and Priorities own the TAGR System. System administration resides with Treasury Board Office. 7

8 Continued developing a program review model and analysis of program information to identify cost effectiveness, current usefulness, and alignment with current priorities to achieve more efficient service delivery; Worked with Communities, Culture and Heritage and other departments to establish a community grants management framework and database approach; Assisted with analysis of potential government restructuring opportunities; Assisted with establishing the post-secondary education institutions Excellence and Innovation Fund; and Administered the Contract Advisory Group and Professional Services Review processes. Core Business Area 3: Provide leadership to advance the development of policy capacity and horizontal government Outcome: Stronger policy capacity and better cross departmental collaboration The OPP provides leadership in developing government policy. The Office facilitated communication and coordination across government departments on core areas and provided direction in managing emerging issues to make certain government priorities were addressed. Specifically, it: Provided project leadership for significant cross-departmental initiatives concerning service integration, for example, in community-based health care and housing for seniors and persons with disabilities, and for children aged 0-6; Led or coordinated the policy agendas in horizontal initiatives in, for example, areas of post-secondary education, natural resources, marine transportation and regulatory improvements for business; Provided direct project support for the development of inter-departmental initiatives concerning, for example, the fisheries sector, the voluntary and non-profit sector, and persons with disabilities; Provided direct and active support to the Jobs & Economy and Better Health Care Ministers, Deputies and Senior Officials Committees; Established the Public Engagement Support Unit in the Office of Policy & Priorities; and Facilitated departmental support for government s fiscal priorities such as Back to Balance. 8

9 Core Business Area #4 Supporting effective corporate administration and governance Outcome: Effective and efficient corporate administration and governance Governance & Accountability ECO provides policy support and guidance in respect of the governance and accountability of provincial agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs). It also oversees the process of appointment of citizens to ABCs. In , ECO s work in this area included: Publication of the 2011 edition of Governing in the Public Sector: A Guide for Nova Scotia Government Agencies; Facilitation of a training session for agency board members entitled Fitting the Pieces Together: Working with Responsible Ministers and their Departments ; Development and implementation of improved templates for submissions to Cabinet in respect to appointments to provincial agencies, boards and commissions; Facilitation of training sessions for ABC administrators and Department of Justice legal counsel regarding the use of the new templates; Amendments to the Personal Services Contract Regulations and the Personal Services Contracts Policy designed to strengthen agency governance of personal services contracts and compensation frameworks; Advice and assistance in respect to the creation or restructuring of provincial agencies, including the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, Arts Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Creative Leadership Council; and Advice and assistance to departments, offices and agencies with respect to other governance and accountability issues as needed; for example, advice with respect to proposals to restructure the delivery of some government services and the governance of advisory bodies. The TBO provided guidance and coordination to departments on operational and capital budgeting requests, budgetary adjustments and supporting analytics. It provided support in developing business cases; analyzing strategic and operating initiatives as well as capital projects; and redesigning financial processes. 9

10 All Core Business Areas: Client Service Joint Accountability Report Outcome: Effective leadership, service and support to all departments and agencies The three Offices work closely together to ensure Executive Council and its Committees have the information they need to make sound decisions. To support Executive Council and its Committees, OPP works with TBO to analyze proposals and help departments and agencies develop comprehensive decision and information submissions to Executive Council. 1,167 Memorandums, Report and Recommendations (R&Rs) and other documents were submitted to Executive Council during the year. The OPP and TBO prepared staff assessments for approximately 95% or 436 of the 458 eligible for such review. OPP and TBO also provide advice and support to departments in fulfilling their obligations resulting from decisions and directions of the Executive Council or one of its Committees. 10

11 D. Financial Results Estimate Total - Gross Current ($000's) Actual Variance Office of Policy & Priorities $2,217 $1,787 ($430) Treasury Board Office $15,464 $10,140 ($5,324) 1 Executive Council Office $2,411 $2,067 ($344) Total $20,092 $13,994 ($6,098) Salaries and Benefits ($000's) Office of Policy & Priorities $1,756 $1,687 ($69) Treasury Board Office $2,149 $2,071 ($78) Executive Council Office $1,630 $1,590 ($40) Total $5,535 $5,348 ($187) Funded Staff (FTEs) Office of Policy & Priorities (1.3) Treasury Board Office (3.1) Executive Council Office (1.3) Total (5.7) 1 This variance was primarily a result of unallocated funds within Treasury Board Office related to the Change in Innovation Fund. 11

12 Annual Report Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act The Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act was proclaimed into law on December 20, The Act provides for government employees to be able to come forward if they reasonably believe that a wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed and they are acting in good faith. The Act also protects employees who do disclose from reprisals, by enabling them to lay a complaint of reprisal with the Labour Board. A wrongdoing for the purpose of the Act is: a) A contravention of provincial or federal laws or regulations b) A misuse or gross mismanagement of public funds or assets c) An act or omission that creates an imminent risk of a substantial and specific danger to the life, health, or safety of persons or the environment, or d) Directing or counseling someone to commit a wrongdoing. The Offices have no items to report for Information Required under Section18 of the Fiscal Year Act The number of disclosures received 0 The number of findings of wrongdoing Details of each wrongdoing (insert separate row for each wrongdoing) Recommendations and actions taken on each wrongdoing (insert separate row for each wrongdoing) 0 n/a n/a 12