Evaluation Comment |
Management Response |
Lead Responsibility |
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1. Continue to financially support CFDC Network and Program |
Agree. WD will renew the Contribution Agreements for a longer term, to provide CFDCs, and CF Associations with funding stability consistent with WD's own financial situation. WD will continue its dialogue regarding renewal of core funding with CF Associations and CFDCs. (Renewal of CFDC agreements is conditional upon renewed Program Terms and Conditions. See Management Response to Recommendation #2 below). |
WD-Service Partnerships/ WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004
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| 2. Establish a long-term funding mechanism between the Federal government, WD and the Program |
Agree. WD will renew the funding agreements, taking into consideration CFDC core funding requirements as well as the past practice of contributing incremental funding on an annual basis. (See Management Response to Recommendation #3 below). |
WD-Service Partnerships/ WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
WD will work with CFDC's to ensure adequate notice of the requirement for submission of annual operating plans. |
WD-Regional Operations
Deadline: Ongoing |
Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) will renew Program Terms and Conditions, consistent with the new Transfer Payment Policy. |
RDA's (lead within WD = Service Partnerships)
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
RDA's will explore the renewal of Budget 2000 incremental CF Program funding which expires March 31, 2005. |
RDA's (lead within WD = Service Partnerships)
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
| 3. Provide for funding augmentation based on specific CFDC attributes |
Agree. WD's decisions on individual CFDC funding is, and will continue to be based on such factors such as anticipated interest revenue for investment funds, cost of serving remote communities and/or large geographic areas, economic hardship of communities served, and high numbers of targeted clients. The outstanding substantive issues include both the adequacy of core funding and WD's ability to meet the need for augmented funding for specific CFDCs. Any funding augmentation would be consistent with federal Transfer Payment Policy, which restricts federal funding to the minimum level required to meet objectives. |
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WD will pursue stable core funding for CFDC's, at appropriate levels. WD will also review incremental funding to establish stronger links with WD's new directions and government-wide priorities. |
WD-Service Partnerships/ WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
In renewing Contribution Agreements, WD will examine the feasibility of introducing an element of performance-based funding. |
WD-Service Partnerships/ WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
With regard to funding augmentation, RDA's will explore funding opportunities for Northern and remote CFDCs. |
RDA's (lead within WD = Service Partnerships)
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
With regard to funding augmentation, RDA's will explore funding opportunities for Northern and remote CFDCs. |
RDA's (lead within WD = Service Partnerships)
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
4. Establish a standard governance model that can be adopted by the CFDCs
a best practices model of governance should be developed by WD in partnership with the CF Associations and encouraged for adoption by the individual CFDC offices (ie structure, terms and composition of the Board, the role and mandate of committees and the relationship of the Board and its responsibilities for day to day management of the CFDC). |
Agree. This would build upon best practices that are presently being gathered by Pan West CF Associations. WD will contribute to this effort by identifying and sharing best practices. WD will also work with CFDCs to establish minimum standards in policy areas such as client confidentiality/ access to information, HR, investment funds, and conflict of interest, that allow for the greatest flexibility possible in implementation at the local CFDC level. |
WD-Service Partnerships WD-Regional Operations
Deadline: Ongoing |
Ensure that minimum standards are met by individual CFDCs. |
WD-Regional Operations |
Agree upon CFDC governance principles with CFDC representatives, as part of the process of renewing contribution agreements. |
WD-Service Partnerships WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
| 5. Streamline monitoring and reporting requirements for the CFDCs. |
Agree. WD will review and waive reporting requirements for specific performance measures (e.g. estimates of jobs created through business services, distinguishing between loans to new & existing firms, etc.) for the balance of 2003/04 as an interim step in reducing the CFDC reporting burden, pending a more formal review of performance measures. |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline:
June 30, 2003 |
Subsequently, WD will review the existing measures using a defined matrix of criteria, in collaboration with the CF Associations to determine frequency and content of reports requested. This would include revisiting the CF Program logic model as well as the WD performance measurement and reporting framework, which is under development. This review will occur concurrent with the renewal of the Contribution Agreements, and will ensure that the deliverables (as outlined in the agreement and annual operating plans) and the associated performance reporting requirements will be streamlined, as appropriate. |
WD-Service Partnerships WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
WD will examine the feasibility of automating of the performance reporting process by March 31, 2004. If automation proceeds, WD will work with the developers of the third party client management software used by CFDCs to ensure the software's performance report generator module is consistent with WD's requirements. |
WD-Information Management & Technology Branch
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
| 6. Provide for more regular and consistent feedback on CFDC performance |
Agree. WD will implement a consistent process for providing feedback on performance reports, based on the "CFDC, WEI, FEDO Contribution - WD Policy", in particular, the Staff responsibilities outlined in this document. WD is currently providing feedback to individual CFDC's regarding how WD uses CFDC performance data through performance definition training. |
WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
Ongoing |
Performance result summaries will also be posted regularly to WD's Extranet. |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline:
Ongoing |
BC Region's variance analysis tool will be examined to determine the feasibility of adopting it throughout the department. Variance analysis will be used to provide feedback on both CFDCs' successes and deficiencies. |
WD-Service Partnerships WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
June 30, 2003 |
WD will also review the adequacy of human resources dedicated to providing support and guidance to CFDCs. |
WD-Service Partnerships/ WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
| 7. Promote the investigation of opportunities for more proactive outreach among CFDCs, and by CF Associations |
Agree. WD will jointly develop with CFDC's a pan west and regional marketing strategy. The strategy will focus on raising visibility and awareness among target clients (both communities and SME's). Client profiling may be considered as part of the revised communications strategy. |
WD-Communications
Deadline:
Ongoing |
Outreach efforts are a central part of Pan West and Pan Canadian Association activities. WD supports these efforts through Pan West Funding. WD will explore with provincial associations and the pan west association, ways to better promote an understanding of their services to their member CFDC's and greater communication regarding roles and responsibilities of CFDC, CF Association, pan West Association, and WD. |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline: Ongoing |
| 8. Develop and distribute a general strategy to recruit retain and provide for the succession of the best and brightest Program personnel |
Agree. WD will work with the Pan West CF Association to ensure that the toolkit is produced and implemented. |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
WD will work with the Pan West CF Association to ensure that the CFDC Boards of Directors have the required tools to conduct effective succession planning. |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
| The evaluation also observes that CFDCs are no longer committed to serving as the lender of last resort |
WD will ensure that CFDC's lending practices are consistent with the Program terms and conditions, and that where irregularities are observed, measures are taken to ensure compliance. |
WD-Regional Operations
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
WD will also address the adequacy of core funding, in order to relieve pressure for greater return-on investment from the CFDC loans funds (see management response to #3, above). |
WD-Service Partnerships
Deadline:
March 31, 2004 |
