Implementation of the Policy on Transfer Payments Learning Strategy Stratgie dapprentissage pour la

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Implementation of the Policy on Transfer
Payments Learning Strategy Stratégie
dapprentissage pour la mise en oeuvre de la
Politique sur les paiements de transfert
Pierre Laflamme TBS/OCG Hélène Maurais CSPS
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Introduction

• Purpose
• Highlight key changes within the new Policy on
  Transfer Payments and Directive
• Highlight the training and development challenges
• Presentation
• Context
• Main changes Policy and Directive
• Implementation and transition
• Learning and development

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1. Context

• Review of the 2000 Policy and Audit reports (OAG)
• Treasury Board Policy Renewal - all policies to
  be renewed
• Federal Accountability Action Plan
• Blue Ribbon Panel on GsCs management
• 5 year review of ongoing GsCs program
• Streamlining the web of rules - Commitment to
  reduce the number of policies and rules by at
  least 50
• Public Service Renewal and its challenges
• New policy supports enhanced accountability, risk
  management and excellence in the management of
  the public service

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1. Context

• Blue Ribbon Panel Report on GC Reform
• Includes clear recommendations related to
  training of all relevant public servants involved
  in transfer payments, including program managers
  and officers, comptrollers, financial advisors,
  audit and evaluation personnel as well as senior
  managers responsible for the administration of
  transfer payments programs

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2. Policy on Transfer Payments Main changes -
from 2000 to 2008

• Objective To ensure sound management of,
  control over and accountability for transfer
  payments (Policy 2000)
• The objective of the Policy is to ensure that
  transfer payment programs are managed with
  integrity, transparency and accountability in a
  manner that is sensitive to risks are
  citizen-focused and are designed and delivered
  to address government priorities in achieving
  results for Canadians (Policy 2008)

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2. Policy - Expected Results

• Treasury Board Secretariat and departments will
  adopt a more risk tolerant approach to managing
  transfer payments, focusing oversight efforts
  where they are most needed
• Administrative practices will be streamlined to
  allow recipients to better focus transfer payment
  funding on the achievement of results, as opposed
  to compliance with non-value added administrative
  requirements
• The role of applicants and recipients in
  furthering the objectives of government and
  achieving results for Canadians will be respected
  through increased external engagement during
  program design and establishment of reasonable
  and practical departmental service standard
  targets
• Transfer payment programs will become
  increasingly harmonized within and across
  departments, and administrative practices will
  become more standardized.

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2. Main changes - new Policy
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2. Main changes - new Policy (ctd)
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2. Main Changes - Directive
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2. Main changes - directive
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2. Risk Management - Program Design

• Assessment of risk, leads to decisions on
• Program design
• Types of recipients
• Types of projects, activities to be funded
• Type of instrument to use (grant, contribution)
• Basis of funding
• Administrative requirements

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2. Risk Management - Funding Agreement

• Defined risk assessment factors, specific to a
  program, leads to decisions on
• Selection of recipients
• Choice of funding instrument
• Extent of monitoring
• Cash management
• Extent of reporting
• Recipient auditing

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3. Implementation transition

• Transitional considerations
• Guidance / guidelines for departments - key
  topics
• Clause by clause
• Approach for Ministerial increased authorities
• Summary of 3 year plan - linked to RPP
• Performance measurement in TsCs
• Official Language requirements in TsCs
• Communication and supporting activities and
  tools

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4. Learning Strategy

• Led by the CSPS in collaboration with OCG, the
  Center of Expertise (COE) and departments
• OCG for training on new policy instruments
• COE for cultural change
• Departments on specifics of their GC programs
  and internal practices
• Target population
• GC Program managers and officers
• Financial advisors
• TBS analysts
• Auditors and evaluators
• Senior managers
• 5 000 employees to be trained in NCR and in the
  regions

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Key Learning Objectives

• Provide participants with
• Appreciation of the new requirements for managing
  transfer payments
• Understanding of the cultural change needed to
  begin to adapt departmental practices
• New skills in
• Risk management
• Establishing service standards
• Engaging recipients

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Learning Strategy

• Phased-in approach
• Phase 1 - 2008-09
• Introduction to 2008 Policy New course F405
• Revise existing courses in Finance Curriculum
• Service standards - New course T177
• Phase 2 2009-10
• New learning products on special subject matters
• Risk management
• Recipient engagement

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G C Learning Strategy An Overview
Recommendation 28
Support the development of technical, managerial
and leadership competencies among all key
partners involved in the design and management of
G and Cs programs, with the target outcome of
facilitating the implementation of the new PTP
requirements.
Revised Courses Spring 2009
New Classroom Courses
1. Introduction F415 Fall 2008
2. Risk Management (April 2009)
3. Recipient Engagement (April 2009)
4. Service Standards T177 ( Fall 2008)
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Grants and Contributions Classroom Training

• F415 - Introduction to the 2008 Policy on
  Transfer Payments
• 2 days course
• 30 offerings in the NCR ? 400 seats
• Offerings are being scheduled in Regions
• F405 - Managing Grants and Contributions
• Under review to integrate new Policy requirements
• Pilot in December
• Revised version to be delivered starting in
  January

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Other Key Related Training

• New
• T177 Service Standards and Client Satisfaction
  Measurement
• Under Development New FI Curriculum
• Financial Management Control Framework (F111)
• Financial Management Lifecycle (F112)

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Key Advisory Role for FIs

• Choice of funding instrument (grant or
  contribution)
• Basis of funding
• Extent of monitoring
• Cash management
• Extent of reporting
• Year-end recognition of funding against authority
  
• Need for recipient audit ?