Concise Reporting and Lessons Learned

1. Concise Reporting and Lessons Learned Paula Folkes-Dallaire, A/Principal Analyst Parliamentary Reporting and Accountability Division Results Based Management Directorate Expenditure Management Sector Treasury Board Secretariat November 2008

2. Current Context of Public Reporting • Improved reporting to Parliament has been identified as an area of concern for Parliamentarians and the Auditor General. • Improved reporting is one of the key elements of enhancing government transparency and accountability, and is one of the pillars of the Expenditure Management System renewal. • Addressing concerns over departmental reporting burden is a priority for the Treasury Board Secretariat. • The Treasury Board Secretariat has developed a vision to improve whole-of-government and departmental reports that better support Parliamentarians in their consideration of the Main Estimates. A major challenge in moving forward on improving public reporting is the tension between Parliamentarians’ requirement for more information and the drive to produce more concise and readable reports.

3. Social Affairs Government Affairs Economic Affairs International Affairs Diverse Society Safe and Secure Communities Healthy Canadians Canadian Culture/Heritage Successful Integration of Newcomers… Maximum Contribution to the Economy… Reflection of Canadian Values… Integration Program Citizenship Program SA SSA Layered Reporting allows a continuous “drill down” from the most aggregate to the most detailed Slide on Layered approach Spending Areas (4) • Whole-of- Government – Layer • Aggregate information on Spending and on Plans and Performance in: • Whole-of-Government Overview for RPPs • Canada’s Performance Government of Canada Outcome areas (13) Citizenship and Immigration RPP • Departmental – Layer • High-level departmental information on: • Spending, Planning and Performance Indicators • in concise RPPs and DPRs (30 pages or less) SOs PAs Comprehensive, Layered, Continuous: User is able to continuously drill down from the Whole of Government level to detailed financial and non-financial information at the lowest level of the PAA Electronic – Layer Detailed information on specific programs and policies Links to databases and useful policy documents Expected and actual results Expected and actual resources Indicators and targets • Supplementary information (i.e. sustainable development strategies, audits and evaluations)

4. Activity / Output • First full roll out of Future State • Promote new Structure with Parliamentarians • Activity / Output • Pilot concise RPPs and DPRs with 4-6 departments • E-requirements determined • Inform parliamentarians of change in structure • Activity / Output • Enhanced Guidelines released • Share good practices with Departments • Create process for formal approval of content of reports 2007 2008 2009 Overview of the Three-year Plan Phase III: Full Implementation of Concise RPPs and DPRs Phase II: Piloting Concise RPPs and DPRs Phase I: Working with Departments • Result • Reporting regime closer to the ideal or vision – 09-10 RPPs and 08-09 DPRs • Continual improvements to reports shown through assessments • Result • Better understanding of future state -- of issues for producers and users • 08-09 RPP slightly shorter • Continual improvements to reports shown through assessments • Result • Printed copy of 07-08 DPR slightly shorter • Improvements in RPPs/DPRs as seen in DPR assessments

5. Concise RPP Pilot Project • In September 2007, the Treasury Board Secretariat worked with four departments to pilot test a concise RPP: • Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) • Indian Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) • Parks Canada Agency (PCA) • Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) • The concise RPP mock-up: • Was based on recognized public reporting principles; • Focused on expected results and planned resources for strategic outcomes and program activities; • Emphasized the need for less verbiage, and more performance measures and graphs; and • Encouraged the use of hyperlinks to provide additional details. • Concise RPPs were tabled in Parliament on March 31, 2008

6. Concise DPR Pilot Project • In April 2008, the Treasury Board Secretariat worked with eight departments to pilot test a concise DPR: • Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) • Canada Economic Development Agency for the Quebec Region (CEDQ) • Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) • Industry Canada (IC) • Indian Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) • Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) • Public Service Commission (PSC) • Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) • These concise DPRs were originally scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on October 23rd, 2008, but due to the recent election will now be tabled during the next sitting of Parliament in 2009.

7. Concise RPP – Expenditure Profile Forecast Spending Actual Spending Planned Spending

8. Concise DPR – Financial Highlights

9. RPP & DPR Pilot – Lessons Learned • Overall, all pilot departments agreed that the concise RPP and DPR pilot projects were a success, wherein senior management of the pilot departments were engaged and pleased with the end product produced; • Increased utility and relevance of the RPP & DPR within departments, reports are now more streamlined, meaningful, and strategic documents; • Clear presentation of financial information; • Built linkages between risks and expected results; • Added efficiencies; • On time, on schedule, and on budget; and • Opportunity to tell a coherent departmental reporting story.

10. Good Practices – Parks Canada RPP 2008-09 Allocation of Funding by Program Activity

11. 2009-10 RPP Guidelines RPP Planning Summary Table – Section I

12. Good Practice – ACOA 2008-09 RPP

13. Good Practices - Parks Canada 2008-09 RPP

14. 2009-10 RPP Guidelines Reporting performance indicators and targets for PAs in Section II

15. Good Practices - ACOA 2008-09 RPP

16. Good Practices - Parks Canada 2008-09 RPP From pg. 20 From pg. 22

17. Good Practices – Performance Reporting • For good practices in Departmental Performance reporting, see the latest version of Performance Reporting Good Practices Handbook available online at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dpr-rmr/2007-2008/index-eng.asp

18. Improved Reporting – Next Steps • Full roll-out of concise reporting format across all departments for 2009-10 RPPs and 2008-09 DPRs. • To assist departments, TBS has produced a suite of products: • Guide to the preparation of Part III of the Estimates for Reports Tabled in Parliament in 2009, • Detailed Instructions for the RPP (and DPR – to be updated), • Step-by-Step PDF Technical Guide, • Revised concise RPP mock-up (version 2.0), • Revised concise DPR mock-up (version 2.0), • Good Practices Handbook. • Community of practice among pilot departments.

20. 2008-2009 Departmental Performance ReportBest Practices and Lessons Learned Presentation to the Financial Management Institute Office of the Chief Financial Officer Loretta L Scott Director, Planning and Reporting Division November 25, 2008

21. Table of Contents • Context • PHAC Processes • Challenges and Solutions • Efficiencies • Critical Success Factors • Senior Management • TBS • Innovation • Excellence • Best Practices and Lessons Learned

22. Context … • Agency was established in 2004 • Approximate total number of staff: 2400 • 2006-2007 – 2007-2008 PAA restructuring • RPP contained 357+ commitments

23. PHAC Processes … • Call letter • Solicit planner input though use of templates • Draft review with TBS and business case to enter Informal Pilot • Section II focused on current Fiscal Year; Section V captured the 3-year horizon information • Teleconference calls and interviews • Draft DPR and circulate for planner review (several times) vs limited number • August weekend for challenge process • Circulate to Executive Committee for review and commentary • Executive Committee approval • Chief Public Health Officer approval • Minister of Health debrief • Minister of Health approval

24. Challenges and Solutions … Which ones?

25. Challenges and Solutions …

26. Efficiencies … • DPR size / volume • Clear and focussed priorities and plans • Expected Results and resources for Strategic Outcome and Program Activities • Hyperlinks to support details • Number of drafts for review by planning community reduced • Lessons Learned - one summary section at the end of Section II for conciseness • Less verbiage • Financial efficiencies through highlights • Brief summaries/descriptions • Graphs, bar charts

27. Critical Success Factors … • Senior Management Support • TBS Support • Innovation • Excellence

28. Senior Management Support … • Support, support, and more support … for change, and for excellence • Creative advice – Communications on Vignettes - PHAC Facts • Timely turn around advice and guidance by Executive • Challenge process enabled by concise reporting for Legal, EC, Audit PHAC facts... The Agency has Canada’s foremost field epidemiology training program which has produced some of the country’s leading medical and public health professionals. This program has contributed to the investigation of outbreaks and environmental health risks across Canada and around the world.

29. TBS Support … • Provided the opportunity • Provided a challenge function • Delivered timely review, advice and guidance • Provided encouragement • Helped complement PHAC objective of achieving excellence

30. Innovative Approaches … • PHAC Facts • Concise facts to address evaluation, audits, …independent lines of evidence, regional input • Accountability Table • Tracks 357+ • PHAC MAF Rating and DPR Guidelines Checklist • Evaluation Checklist • Financial Highlights • Reader Attention – Retention • Based on detailed work at organizational level • “Briefing Note” form of methodology to simplify the story • Quality underlies format which supports public reporting principles

31. Excellence … • Tell the story in short, simple easy to read manner • Financials too! • Challenge Agency planners and Corporate Planning and Reporting Division Team to achieve excellence – go beyond status quo re MAF • Audit Committee challenge and advice • Evaluation advice • Risk Management advice, guidance • Executive advice, review and approval • Planning and Reporting Division challenge

32. Best Practices and Lessons Learned … • PHAC MAF-DPR Checklist – “Hold the feet to the fire” • Evaluations – Not done at Program Activity level, work is long term and ongoing thus impacting evaluation quality, highlighting the need for other sources of evidence • Critical Few Lessons – Summarize lessons learned in one section • Weekend Challenge through Cross Review - Road to excellence by identifying and addressing gaps, redundancies, and fine tuning • Section II vs Section V usage • Shortened calendar timelines

33. Best Practices and Lessons Learned - The ABCs • Accentuate the positive aspects of the experience • Build rapport and relationships • Challenge thinking and concepts • Discuss issues • Engage, and embrace the opportunity

34. Contact Information Loretta L. Scott Director, Planning and Reporting Planning and Reporting Divisions Office of the Chief Financial Officer Public Health Agency of Canada loretta_l_scott@phac-aspc.gc.ca 613-957-2457 (W); 613-219-4214 (C) Planning Team: Guus Saaltink – guus_saaltink@phac-aspc.gc.ca Daniel Hogan – daniel_hogan@phac-aspc.gc.ca

35. Streamlined RPP PilotParks Canada’s Experience FMI Conference November 25, 2008

36. Streamlined RPP- Overall Comments • Pilot was successful in meeting its primary objective: support from Minister’s Office • Streamlined RPP = primary audience is now clearly identified • Streamlined RPP now clearly corresponds to CEO’s accountability to Parliament • Streamlined RPP = less efforts spent on process and more on strategic planning

37. Streamlined RPP- Section I • Funding Profile: better integration of financial and non-financial information

38. Streamlined RPP- Section I • Priorities: reinforced the importance of priority setting as part of corporate planning exercise

39. Streamlined RPP- Section I • Risks and Mitigation Strategies: increased attention was paid to Integrated Risk Management

40. Streamlined RPP- Section II • Structure of the RPP makes it easier for managers to understand the purpose of MRRS related work and strengthens linkages between planning and reporting

41. Streamlined RPP- Staff Comments • RPP is easier to read • Clearer corporate direction • It makes our life easier (re: reduced workload)

42. Industry Canada’s Success with the Concise DPR Pilot FMI Conference November 2008

43. Purpose • Present the improvements to Industry Canada’s 2007-2008 DPR

44. TBS DPR Pilot • Participate with the following departments • ACOA • INAC • TBS • Produce a more concise DPR: • 30 pages maximum • Move to a layered approach (more online information)

45. Initial DPR Pilot Benefits • Gave the priorities that we had earlier identified more weight • Forced the department to tell a more concise performance story • Created a more user friendly document • New opportunity to showcase financial information and linking resources to results

46. Industry Canada’s Concise DPR Action Plan: Four Priorities Priority: Balanced Reporting – Lessons Learned Issue • Traditionally DPRs report that everything went well. Balanced reporting increases credibility and transparency by requiring DPRs to report where activities did not achieve expected results. Mitigation • Briefed key stakeholders within Industry Canada (Communications Branch, DMO, and MINO) to make them aware our goal was to bring a more balanced draft forward earlier in the process. • Held a one-day session with our network planners to discuss this issue (invited TBS officials to speak on this subject).

47. IC’s Concise DPR Action Plan: Four Priorities Balanced Reporting – Lessons Learned Result Clearly titled Lessons Learned Lessons Learned Industry Canada carries out its mandate in a fast-paced environment of continually shifting priorities. The department has responded to this environment by accelerating the implementation of some initiatives to meet tight deadlines and has learned that any failure to consult targeted stakeholders during accelerated initiatives results in the need to make modifications at a later date to ensure those stakeholders are well served. This is particularly true in the development of marketplace frameworks. In response, Industry Canada has renewed its commitment to using a measured and focussed approach to ensure that all stakeholder views are brought to the table prior to implementation. By following through on this commitment, Industry Canada will improve stakeholder satisfaction and reduce the number of modifications that are required. Lesson “Hot Box” makes the section stand out

48. IC’s Concise DPR Action Plan: Four Priorities Priority: Balanced Reporting – Trend Analysis Issue • In the 2007-08 RPP Industry Canada did not set targets against performance indicators. • Need to find a way to tell our performance story. Mitigation • Used the results reported in the 2006-07 DPR as a baseline to measure our performance in 2007-08.

49. IC’s Concise DPR Action Plan: Four Priorities Balanced Reporting – Trend Analysis Result Indicator information is centre stage following SO’s and PA’s Trend

50. IC’s Concise DPR Action Plan: Four Priorities Priority: Spending Variances Issue • In past DPRs the causes of significant differences in actual spending and planned spending were not discussed. • MPs cannot review DPRs to determine if the Department is budgeting correctly. Mitigation • Communicated that “telling an effective performance story” also meant discussing variances in spending.