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Section I - Accountability Capacity
This section contains the following: | Accountability Capacity | | Number of Capacity Criteria | Number of Capacity Issues | Number of Capacity Indicators | | 2 | 13 | 65 | What is Accountability Capacity? For the purpose of this Capacity Self Assessment, there are two main areas of accountability that will be addressed. The first area, primarily deals with financial accountability issues, such as financial controls, reporting, budgeting, expense control and qualified accounting personnel. The other area deals with the RBA/AHRDA's ability to monitor and evaluate its programs and services. Both areas are critical to ensuring that the program achieves its anticipated results, meets its stakeholders' expectations, operates efficiently and cost-effectively, and continues to be relevant to the goals and aspirations of Aboriginal people. Special Notes for this Section - Accountability Capacity may be greatly effected by whether or not an RBA/AHRDA is directly affiliated with an Aboriginal government or institution that assumes the overall accounting responsibilities for the RBA/AHRDA. In these cases, RBAs/AHRDAs are to respond to each capacity issue as though their parent organization's accounting department (personnel) were their own.
- Evaluation capacity is critical for RBAs/AHRDAs to be able to participate in the eventual RBA/AHRDA Self-Evaluation process, anticipated for the Year 2000 and beyond. Regardless of whether or not RBAs/AHRDAs do formal evaluations of their programs or services, they are encouraged to respond to each Capacity Issue under this Capacity Criteria, by discussing each Capacity Indicator and providing an appropriate response. If Capacity Self-Assessment Committees chose to respond N/A (Not Applicable), they must provide their rationale for their response in the "Comments" section of the Tool.
| Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 1 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 1 | Does RBA/AHRDA Maintain Centralized Control of it's Finances? | Centralized control of finances means that documents containing all transactions pertaining to expenditures and purchases are eventually recorded and stored in one centralized location and that there is one authority responsible to oversee the process. | Indicator | 1 | Financial accounting records are maintained at a central location. | | Accounting records at one central location gibes the organization better control over its finances. Better accessibility to financial data and can provide auditors and users with one location from which to retrieve vital financial information. | | Indicator | 2 | Program expenses are sent to central accounting for approval. | | Expenses associated with running RBA/AHRDA programs, such as wages, subsidies, contractor fees, travel, etc., even though they may be within the budget, should still be sent to central accounting to ensure they are legitimate expenses, they are paid/reimbursed quickly and are properly accounted for. | | Indicator | 3 | Cheques are issued from central accounting. | | Cheques are written and sent out from the central accounting office. This ensures that the organization keeps track of the money it spends by having all of its cheques issued and recorded from one location. This also implies that cancelled cheques are returned to the same central location for reconciliation purposes. | | Indicator | 4 | RBA/AHRDA maintains one general ledger. | | In a centralized accounting system, there is usually just one general ledger for the entire organization that shows revenue coming in and expenses going out and a running balance that will change after each transaction. This helps the organization to know at any given time what its bank account balance is. Some organizations may maintain more than one general ledger reflecting several different bank accounts which may be effective for their purposes. However, best practices show that one general ledger is more efficient. | | Indicator | 5 | Copies of Signed Contracts are kept at central accounting. | | Copies of signed contracts held at the central accounting office ensures that the finance people have the necessary back-up documentation needed to verify approved expenditures. This also allows the finance office to make scheduled payments as per each contract without necessarily having to have the program manager or LMD co-ordinator become involved in each transaction. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 2 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 2 | Does RBA/AHRDA have Qualified Finance /Accounting Personnel? | Qualified accounting personnel means that the individuals working in these designations have earned the certification necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the jobs that are being undertaken. Please Note: Depending on the size of the RBA/AHRDA, some accounting functions may be part-time or performed by outside contractors. Therefore, these indicators will apply to these individuals as well. | Indicator | 1 | Top financial manager has professional accounting designation. | | The financial manager who is ultimately responsible for all financial transactions has a professional accounting designation, such as: Chartered Accountant (CA); Certified General Accountant (CGA); Certified Management Accountant (CMA); or any other recognized professional accounting designation, will generally exhibit a high degree of reliability in their financial information as they will typically follow Generally Acceptable Accounting Practices (GAAP). | | Indicator | 2 | Top financial manager has at least 5 years related experience. | | Although having a professional accounting designation is recommended, it does not guarantee that financial information will be properly recorded for the purposes of the RBA/AHRDA program. It takes at least 3 to 5 years related experience for the top financial manager to be able to manage the financial affairs of the organization and maintain proper financial records and reports. | | Indicator | 3 | Bookkeeper has at least 3 years bookkeeping experience. | | Most RBAs/AHRDAs have one or more bookkeepers to record daily financial transactions and to generally assist in administering the financial obligations of the organization. Bookkeepers should have at least 3 years experience to reach the desired level of capacity to handle the bookkeeping function with minimal supervision. | | Indicator | 4 | All accounting staff are trained in RBA/AHRDA's accounting software. | | Most RBAs/AHRDAs have purchased accounting software to allow their finance/accounting staff to be able to easily record and maintain financial records. Like any other software, it takes a certain amount of training and practice to become proficient in its use. Best practices show that all finance/accounting staff are well trained and reasonably proficient in working with accounting software ensuring that the entire accounting department has the capacity to record transactions and retrieve financial reports if necessary. | | Indicator | 5 | All accounting staff understand RBA/AHRDA accountability framework. | | Accounting staff are aware of their responsibilities and obligations for ensuring the organization's management and Board have accurate and timely financial information to make appropriate decisions for running an efficient and effective program. The agreements sign by the RBA include certain types of reporting that has to be made to meet statutory obligations (information needed by parliament). Staff are aware of what these obligations are. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 3 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 3 | Does RBA/AHRDA have Financial Safeguards in Place? | Financial safeguards are the checks and balances that are established to ensure that proper accounting and reporting is made. These safeguards are usually spelled out according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. There are also policies established by the Board that ensure checks and balances. | Indicator | 1 | Accounting software is accessible by authorized password only. | | Only authorized RBA/AHRDA staff should have access to the organization's accounting software and thus its financial information and accounting records. This ensures that financial records cannot be tampered with nor information released without proper authorization. The best way to do this is to assign passwords to only those individuals responsible for finance/accounting and the RBA/AHRDA manager. | | Indicator | 2 | Cheques require at least two authorized signatures. | | The requirement to have two signatures on each cheque ensures that there is a dual accountability for the money being spent and ensures that one individual does not misuse the organization's funds. It also reduces the risk of unauthorized transactions as one signatory may catch an error or errant cheque that the other has missed. | | Indicator | 3 | Purchases are made by way of purchase orders. | | There is less likelihood of frivolous capital expenditures if organizations use purchase orders. Purchase orders, when properly used, usually requires a set of procedures be followed and the proper authorization obtained before the purchase can be made. Purchase orders also give comfort to suppliers who may have extended credit terms to the RBA/AHRDA, as they imply that proper clearance or authorization has been attained for the purchase and there is less likelihood that the purchase could be cancelled or returned. | | Indicator | 4 | Contract payments are supported by copy of signed contract. | | Best practices show that reviewing contract payments with a backup copy of signed contracts allows RBAs/AHRDAs management to ensure themselves that only contracted funding amounts, as per payment schedule, are actually being released. | | Indicator | 5 | Expenditure reports are checked/verified by Program Manager. | | RBAs/AHRDAs produce regular monthly expenditure reports and circulate them to program managers or LMD coordinators for verification. There are few surprises, virtually no cost overruns and program managers feel they have better control over program expenditures. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 4 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 4 | Does RBA/AHRDA Prepare Regular Financial Statements? | RBAs/AHRDAs prepare regular financial statements, including Balance Sheet, Income Statements, Cash Flow Statements, and other information pertaining to their financial affairs. Regular can be monthly or quarterly. | Indicator | 1 | RBA/AHRDA financial statements are prepared and produced monthly. | | Most financial accounting software allows organizations to quickly and easily produce monthly financial statements by simply calling up and printing the reports. By preparing monthly financial statements, management and staff have the timely financial information they need to make any adjustments. To be most effective, programmers and supervisors should review the statements and question any discrepancies. | | Indicator | 2 | RBA/AHRDA variance reports show actual versus planned expenditures. | | Monthly variance reports show over expenditures, or under expenditures, of the organization. These reports are usually produced and reviewed monthly, but should not be produced and reviewed less frequently than quarterly. RBAs/AHRDAs who make regular use of variance reports tend to be more in control of their expenditures. | | Indicator | 3 | RBA/AHRDA statements/spreadsheets are checked against the general ledger. | | The Income Statement, which shows revenue and expenses, can be quite basic and will often roll up specific expense items into broader expense categories. (e.g., Administration would contain such expense items as salaries, benefits, office supplies, rent, etc.) It important, therefore, to produce a more detailed statement or spreadsheet that can be checked against the general ledger to ensure the accuracy of the Income Statement. Program managers and/or LMD co-ordinators, along with finance staff, should be involved in this exercise. | | Indicator | 4 | RBA/AHRDA year-end financial statements are audited. | | This will likely be an indicator that all RBAs/AHRDAs will say "Yes" to. Most, if not all, RBAs/AHRDAs are required by their Agreement to undertake an annual audit. In most instances, if financial information is properly recorded and financial statements are produced regularly, the audit process is fairly routine, requiring little effort from auditors to conduct the necessary tests and verify audit trails. Building capacity to provide clean and accurate accounting will ultimately reduce the cost of audits, which can otherwise be very expensive. | | Indicator | 5 | Annual reports/audited financial statements are made public. | | Year-end Financial Statements of RBAs/AHRDAs are made public through an Annual Report. The amount of detail in each statement is usually determined by the Board of Directors, but nonetheless, the accuracy of the information is there by virtue of the audit. Making financial statements public indicates transparency and suggests that the organization has nothing to hide. Notwithstanding, RBAs/AHRDAs should be prepared to respond to any questions concerning the statements they receive publicly. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 5 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 5 | Does RBA/AHRDA Control Travel Expenses? | RBAs/AHRDAs maintain tight control of their travel expenses in order not to exceed program budgets. Control over travel expenses means that there is an approval process in place, that authorized travel is covered by a particular budget, and that reports are made when travel is required. | Indicator | 1 | Travel advances require approval
by program head/supervisor. | | Because of the high cost of travel, the need for travel advances often cannot be avoided. Uncontrolled or unchecked travel advances can present a serious problem, in some cases even losses, if they are not properly recorded and authorized. The program head/supervisor should be required to approve all travel advances to avoid any such problems and to ensure that travel advance are available in the future. | | Indicator | 2 | Travel claims are supported by expense receipts/activity reports. | | Indiscriminate travel, which may not always be caught by the program head/supervisor, is both wasteful and unproductive. Although, it is generally standard practice to have original expense receipts accompany expense claims unless otherwise stated by policy, there should also be attached copies of activity reports to ensure that moneys are being spent on items that are necessary to the program. | | Indicator | 3 | Budgets for travel are established at beginning of the year. | | The travel budget tends to be the one area of expenditure in most organizations that is most susceptible to cost overruns. If travel budgets are carefully reviewed and established at the beginning of the year and tied to program objectives, there is less likelihood that indiscriminate travel will occur causing either cost-overruns or failed objectives due to lack of travel dollars. | | Indicator | 4 | Travel claims are checked/approved by program head/supervisor. | | If the travel was properly authorized and the travel claim was supported by legitimate receipts than there is little likelihood that a travel claim could be misused or abused. However, even though claims may include legitimate receipts, the expenditure itself may not be allowable within Treasury Board guidelines. In addition, mileage claims can be problematic as they often tend to be overstated. If properly checked and approved by the program head/supervisor, these situations can be avoided. | | Indicator | 5 | Travel advances are reconciled prior to settlement of claim. | | RBA/AHRDA have standard procedures established within their accounting department since it is the only way for the organization to "settle up" its travel advances with the employees upon completion of the travel. A Travel Advance Reconciliation Form is completed upon receipt of travel and then reviewed and approved by the program head/supervisor before any out of pocket expenses are reimbursed back to the employee or any excess advance amount is collected back from the employee. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 6 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 6 | Does RBA/AHRDA Control Payroll Expenses? | Payroll expenses are the expenditures that are associated with what it costs to pay employees and includes pensions, benefits, and any costs that is related to payment for an employee. | Indicator | 1 | Employees fill out payroll time sheets. | | Payroll time sheets are printed forms completed by each employee that allows the finance department and the program head/supervisor to monitor the organizations's payroll expenses, particularly those associated with hourly wage employees. Not only is there evidence of the employees actual time spent on the job, but there is also a permanent historical record of the employee's attendance should this be required to correct employee tardiness/absenteeism or to reward employee punctuality. | | Indicator | 2 | Overtime is pre-approved by program head/supervisor. | | Hourly wage earners should be compensated appropriately for any overtime hours they are required to work. Compensation can be paid either in additional wages or in "time off" in lieu of wages. However, this can be costly to any organization if not properly controlled. In either case, employees should obtain approval from the program head/supervisor prior to commencing overtime work to avoid any disputes later. | | Indicator | 3 | Sick leave and doctor appointments are recorded on time sheet. | | Most organizations allow employees the privilege of paid leave for sickness and doctor's appointments. This, however, is an area that has great potential for abuse. If unchecked, organizations can lose valuable productivity. If other employees see this being tolerated it could encourage them to abuse the privilege as well. Recording sick leave and doctor appointments on employee time sheets, can effectively monitor use of privileges. | | Indicator | 4 | Holidays are pre-approved in advance by Program Manager. | | Most organizations have a policy regarding vacation time. There is, however, some potential for lost productivity and negative impact on payroll if holiday/vacation plans are not reviewed and pre-approved in advance by the program head/supervisor. Too many employees away at the same time may cause the organization to bring in part-time employees to cover those on vacation and "banked" vacations could adversely effect both productivity and payroll. | | Indicator | 5 | Payroll reports are checked/verified by Program Manager. | | The Program Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring the organization's payroll is managed properly. Best Practices suggest that regular payroll reports (weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly) be reviewed and approved by the Program Manager to ensure that discrepancies are dealt with promptly and that any potential for abuse is identified and dealt with as well. Payroll reports that include information concerning overtime, sick leave, doctor appointments and holiday/vacations tend to demonstrate efficiency. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Financial Controls | 7 of 7 Issues | | Issue: 7 | Does RBA/AHRDA Prepare Program Budgets? | Program budgets are set amount of moneys that will be spent to undertake certain initiatives. The budgets include all costs associated with undertaking the program or activities of the program. RBAs/AHRDAs who prepare program budgets annually exhibit a greater degree of financial control and program efficiency. | Indicator | 1 | RBA/AHRDA establishes annual budget prior to start of fiscal year. | | Establishing a budget prior to the beginning of each fiscal year for the RBA/AHRDA ensures that personnel have sufficient resources allocated to them to achieve the stated objectives of the program. Establishing budgets prior to commencement of the fiscal year, as opposed to establishing budgets after the fiscal year, avoids overspending that otherwise may occur in the first few weeks/months. | | Indicator | 2 | Budgets are set for each department/sub-agreement/program. | | Breaking budgets down into separate/individual allocations for each department, sub-agreement, and program, allows the RBA/AHRDA board and management to better track expenditures and relate them to specific targets and anticipated results. Should a problem arise which effects a specific department, sub-agreement, or program, decisions can be made to correct the problem and should not effect the other budget areas. | | Indicator | 3 | RBA/AHRDA Board and Management establish budget priorities. | | The Board of Directors along with the management team of the RBA/AHRDA should review, discuss and approve budget priorities. Priorities are the most important activities targeted by the organization, and are generally established in conjunction with program plans, and reflect the short and long term goals of the RBA/AHRDA, as well its fiscal funding allocation. RBAs/AHRDAs whose board and management work together to establish priorities generally operate successfully and cost-effectively. | | Indicator | 4 | Budgets are reviewed quarterly by management and staff. | | Management and staff should be encouraged to work closely together to achieve the organization's goals and objectives. Management and staff should review together the overall RBA/AHRDA budget as well as specific individual department/program budgets, where necessary, to ensure that everyone is aware of the budget allocation and the level to which the budget is being spent. Quarterly means every third month from the beginning of the fiscal year. | | Indicator | 5 | RBA/AHRDA staff have input into planning program budgets. | | All RBA/AHRDA staff should be given the opportunity to provide input into the budget planning process. All staff, collectively, are required to implement programs and services within stated/approved budgets and within their individual areas of responsibility. This requires a clear understanding of the goals and objectives as well as the resources available to achieve them. By involving all staff in the organization's budget planning process, RBAs/AHRDAs are better able to establish budgets that reflect realistic objectives and thereby stand to achieve the greatest impact. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 1 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 1 | Does RBA/AHRDA have clearly stated objectives for its activities/projects? | Evaluations include verifying if programs have met their objectives. It is therefore a pre-requisite to conducting an evaluation that clear, measurable goals exist for client, projects and activities, and for the community, if the RBA/AHRDA wishes to address community development. As the saying goes, if you don't know where you are going, how will you know if you got there? | Indicator | 1 | RBA/AHRDA has clearly stated objectives for each client. | | Clear goals need to be established for each client, in order to select interventions that will be more likely to be successful, and to then know if objectives were reached. For a client, it can be obtaining a high school diploma, for another it can be to complete a life skills training, etc. | | Indicator | 2 | RBA/AHRDA has clearly stated objectives for each project/intervention. | | In order to know if projects and interventions have been successful, there needs to be measurable, clearly stated objectives. Knowing if objectives were reached can be the basis for decision on using a certain project or not in the future, for modifying a training session, etc. | | Indicator | 3 | RBA/AHRDA has clearly stated objectives for its community. | | Some RBAs/AHRDAs have plans to develop their community as well as securing employment for individuals. Those plans should include measurable, clearly stated objectives that would allow to evaluate if those objectives were met. | | Indicator | 4 | RBA/AHRDA has defined success indicators specific to its clientele. | | All stakeholders know that the primary indicators, e.g. savings on EI and S.A, only show the short term impacts of the RBA/AHRDA activities. RBAs/AHRDAs are encouraged by HRDC to define their own success indicators, relevant to their communities. When defining an indicator, it should be decided what data will be available to show progress of the indicator. | | Indicator | 5 | RBA/AHRDA collects data to support its specific success indicators. | | RBA/AHRDA has defined indicators and has identified a source of data relevant to that indicator. Data is actually collected in support of the indicator. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 2 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 2 | Does RBA/AHRDA have a way of assessing different activities/projects? | In order to be able to conduct a self-evaluation, it is necessary to collect information. The information on client satisfaction, client results, etc. can then be analysed to know if objectives were met and if changes to programs would be necessary. | Indicator | 1 | Clients are asked for feedback on their intervention midway. | | Asking for clients to provide comments on the intervention before it is actually completed allows for change, if necessary. This way, objectives are more likely to be reached. An example, would be a trainer modifying the schedule of a course to allow some participants to complete their intervention. | | Indicator | 2 | Clients are asked to fill-out an evaluation form at the end of a training activity. | | Right after a training activity the client will be in a better position to evaluate a training session. Questions to ask the client may cover: the content of the training, appropriateness of facility, location, teacher, etc. | | Indicator | 3 | Trainers/employers are asked for feedback on activities/projects midway. | | Having good information involves getting it from different sources. If appropriate, trainers and employers may be asked for feedback, before an activity or a project is completed. If necessary, changes can be made before the activity or project is completed. | | Indicator | 4 | Trainers/employers are asked to fill-out an evaluation form at the end of interventions. | | More complete feedback may be asked from trainers /employers after completing interventions. Questions to ask them may include: preparedness and attitude of clients, whether objectives were reached, if improvements could be made to that training or project, etc. | | Indicator | 5 | RBA/AHRDA follows-up with clients 12 weeks after intervention completion. | | In order to know if interventions have helped clients to find jobs, it is necessary to follow-up with them. Follow-up information includes the type of employment, occupation, whether it is part-time or full-time, date of return to work and earnings. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 3 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 3 | Does RBA/AHRDA assess its different
activities/projects? | Assessing the different activities and projects means to not only collect the relevant information but also to analyse the information. The analysis allows to determine how effective projects are in reaching their stated objectives. It also can help in identifying improvements to the program and find ways to increase client satisfaction. | Indicator | 1 | RBA/AHRDA compiles client evaluation training forms. | | All the client evaluation forms are kept and tables are prepared to summarize the data and the qualitative information contained on the forms. Separate tables should be prepared for the various training activities offered. | | Indicator | 2 | RBA/AHRDA compiles feedback from employers and trainers. | | All the employers and trainers evaluation forms are kept and tables are prepared to summarize the data and the qualitative information contained on the forms. Separate tables should be prepared for the various project/activities or training courses. | | Indicator | 3 | RBA/AHRDA compiles results from client 12-week follow-up. | | RBA/AHRDA staff prepare tables with the various information collected from clients in the follow-up surveys. | | Indicator | 4 | RBA/AHRDA analyses information collected from clients/employers/trainers. | | Once all the information has been compiled, RBA/AHRDA looks at the information to identify opportunities for improving programs/activities/projects. Opportunities for improvement might be to devote more resources to an intervention type that has allowed more clients to find jobs, changing the content of a training course, etc. | | Indicator | 5 | If necessary, RBA/AHRDA changes programs/activities/projects. | | If the analysis shows that some changes would be necessary, RBA/AHRDA includes them in its operational planning. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 4 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 4 | Does RBA/AHRDA conduct its own program evaluation? | Some RBAs/AHRDAs already have experience in evaluation. About 15 organizations participated in Component 2 of the RBA evaluation, which focussed on the evaluation of individual client impacts for selected RBAs. Others may have conducted evaluations outside the RBA evaluation. | Indicator | 1 | RBA/AHRDA establishes an evaluation committee (EC). | | Evaluation Committees provide advice and guidance through the entire evaluation process. These committees typically represent a cross section of the key stakeholders. | | Indicator | 2 | EC develops evaluation plan. | | The evaluation plan identifies the terms and parameters of the evaluation, including the purpose, scope, objectives, issues to be addressed and methodology. It will provide sufficient detail to guide the evaluators through the evaluation process. | | Indicator | 3 | EC defines evaluation issues and indicators . | | Evaluation issues are the questions that the evaluation will address. Indicators are the parameters that will be measured to respond to the evaluation issues. Having the EC define the issues and indicators assures that all stakeholders needs will be addressed in the evaluation. The evaluation will therefore have credibility to all stakeholders. | | Indicator | 4 | RBA/AHRDA has staff capable of monitoring an external evaluation. | | When an evaluation is done by outside consultants, RBA/AHRDA staff still need to be able to oversee the work of the consultant. This would mean having a staff person reviewing the various reports produced by the consultant, verifying if the information in the reports about the RBA/AHRDA is accurate and verifying if the work meets the contract terms. | | Indicator | 5 | EC reviews results and follows up recommendations with management. | | Since evaluation committees are involved in all steps of the evaluation process, they are usually entrusted by the organization with the responsibility of reviewing the results and following-up on the recommendations with the board of directors and management. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 5 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 5 | Does RBA/AHRDA evaluation include key elements? | Evaluations usually address issues that are important to stakeholders. Evaluation will have more credibility if they include the elements reflected in the following indicators. | Indicator | 1 | Performance objectives to be measured reflect the operational plan. | | Performance objectives to be measured in the evaluation are generally derived from the organizations operational plan, since the operational plan typically sets out objectives to be achieved during the year. Other mandatory performance objectives may be contained in the RBA/AHRDA agreement itself. The RBA/AHRDA knows what the performance objectives are. | | Indicator | 2 | Performance indicators reflect performance objectives. | | In measuring the performance of programs or services, evaluators tend to break down each performance objective into a series of smaller, more readily identifiable performance criteria. Using this list of criteria, evaluators can then isolate certain performance results using a number of indicators that can be easily measured. Throughout the evaluation process, the key performance criteria and indicators are those that typically reflect the performance objectives/targets outlined in the organizations's operational plan. | | Indicator | 3 | Program success indicators reflect LMD targets. | | Since the entire RBA/AHRDA program is designed to assist the Aboriginal community to develop and promote labour market opportunities for Aboriginal people that can ultimately lead to employment, the success of individual RBAs/AHRDAs can somewhat be measured by how well it meets or exceeds its LMD targets. LMD targets are used as a gauge of success in the RBA/AHRDA. | | Indicator | 4 | Performance measurement reflects RBA/AHRDA objectives. | | A key ingredient in the overall success of the RBA/AHRDA program is the ability of RBAs/AHRDAs to meet the reasonable performance expectations of all key stakeholders. This means that RBAs/AHRDAs should not only be successful in meeting the EI & SA savings objectives of HRDC, but also meeting the training and employment objectives of its clients and the Aboriginal community in which it operates. An example, of a community objective is increasing economic activity in the community. | | Indicator | 5 | Evaluation includes quantitative and qualitative data, as appropriate. | | Evaluations typically include both quantitative and qualitative information. Quantitative information is easily measured, such as the number of jobs created. Examples of qualitative information would be client testimonials obtained through interviews. | | Capacity Dimension | Accountability Capacity | | Capacity Criteria | Evaluation Capacity | 6 of 6 Issues | | Issue: 6 | Does RBA/AHRDA Effectively Use Evaluation Findings? | RBAs/AHRDAs who conduct there own program evaluation usually use the findings to make necessary changes and improvements in the delivery of programs and services. The indicators below suggest that these activities can help to ensure that the findings are used to make improvements. | Indicator | 1 | Evaluation results are reviewed by the Board. | | The Board of Directors is well informed of the evaluation results. They are ultimately responsible for the delivery and performance of the RBA/AHRDA. The board ensures themselves and the public that all aspects of the evaluation have been conducted openly and honestly and that management and staff will be empowered to implement the necessary changes/improvements that have been recommended. | | Indicator | 2 | Evaluation findings are communicated to stakeholders/staff. | | Results of the evaluation, both positive and negative, must be communicated to all key stakeholders and staff of the RBA/AHRDA in order that meaningful dialogue can take place to discuss the results and to act on evaluation's recommendations. There are many ways to do this, including sending each stakeholder and staff a copy of the evaluation report and requesting feedback, conducting a formal presentation in a workshop setting, or publishing the results in a newsletter. | | Indicator | 3 | Feedback from stakeholders is reviewed by Board and Management. | | If the organization takes the time to inform the stakeholders of the results of the evaluation, then it should also take the time to review the feedback it receives from them. All stakeholders' views are equally valid and should be shared with the organization's board, management and staff to ensure that all viewpoints are considered when making changes or improvements based on the recommendations of the evaluation. | | Indicator | 4 | Management is asked to develop an action plan in response to evaluation results. | | To ensure that recommendations are implemented, management needs to develop an action plan that is specific and time framed. | | Indicator | 5 | If necessary, changes are made to the program. | | If necessary changes are made to the program as per the action plan. |
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