GOL is the Government of Canada's project to provide information
and services on the Internet by 2005. The goal of this initiative is to use
information and communication technology to provide Canadians with enhanced
access to improved citizen-centred, integrated services, anytime, anywhere and
in the official
language of their choice.
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) spearheads the GOL
initiative for the Government of Canada. A Government-On-Line Project Office,
set up within the Chief Information Officer Branch (CIOB) of TBS, works with
departments and agencies to put all commonly used programs and services on-line.
For more information about GOL, visit the Treasury Board
Secretariat's Government-On-Line
Web site.
This public report describes the progress made on GOL
initiatives within TBS, that is, within a particular government department.
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) is dedicated to helping the
Government of Canada manage its human, financial, information and technology
resources prudently and in a manner that best supports the government's
objectives and priorities. As the management board, the Secretariat is committed
to promoting management excellence in the federal government.
TBS is a central government agency. In this capacity, it has a
dual role: to support Treasury Board ministers by providing advice on policies,
directives, regulations, and program expenditure proposals; and, to act as a
general manager and employer of the Public Service of Canada.
The Secretariat's main areas of activity cover three broadly
defined business lines:
1) Human Resource Management: a modern, effective,
well-managed Public Service
The modernization
of human resources management is a priority for TBS and includes a
range of initiatives, such as changes in staffing, collective bargaining,
classification and compensation. It also includes measures to create a more
representative workplace, a strengthened core learning agenda for employees and
renewal of the official languages program.
2) Stewardship: sound public management of federal
resources
Stewardship relates to TBS's responsibility to manage and report
on financial and other resources in the federal government. It also includes
promoting better management practices in the federal government through modern
comptrollership and other initiatives.
3) Service Improvement: citizen-centred service delivery
Much of the focus of this area has been on the Government
On-Line initiative and the transformation of service delivery. It also includes
information management and the impact of technology on the operations of
government.
TBS is committed to ensuring that its on-line information is
accessible to all of its users and that the information is accurate, timely and
can be easily located.
As the management board, TBS works with departments and agencies
to improve management practices across government. Although most of the work
carried out by TBS does not directly affect the public at large, its policies,
directives and guidelines are followed by departments and agencies who deliver
programs and services to Canadians. In fact, departments and agencies rely on
information from TBS to carry out their activities. Public service employees are
also key users of TBS information, whether it is related to collective
agreements, employment policies or benefits.
1. Web Redesign
In an effort to ensure easier access to its on-line information
and to meet the Common
Look and Feel Standards for the Internet, TBS restructured and
redesigned its departmental Web site. The project's goal was to make the site
more user friendly by improving the way the information was organized, accessed
and displayed.
Here are some of the highlights:
- a consistent corporate look;
- improved functionality and user-friendliness;
- multiple ways to access the information (by Activity, Audience,
Organization and Topic A to Z);
- a comprehensive "What's New" section that links to recently
posted information on all TBS sites;
- an email notification feature, which advises users when selected documents
and publications are posted on the Web site; and
- improved searching capabilities.
The Web redesign positions TBS for future Information Technology
(IT) enhancements. Phase two will include web usability testing and new
features, such as a corporate web-based discussion forum and other interactive
services. TBS will also further integrate its information and business processes
on its Web site, exploit new communication media and offer automated web-based
application for reporting purposes to departments and agencies. The Secretariat
will identify key horizontal enablers that will enhance the level of service to
both internal to government and external clients.
For more information, please contact:
Stéphanie Durand
Communications and Executive Services
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R5
Telephone: (613) 957-2427
Facsimile: (613) 998-9071
e-mail: Durand.Stephanie@tbs-sct.gc.ca
2. Estimates On-Line
In an effort to enhance the information available to
Parliamentarians, it is planned that by 2005, Estimates documents will be
created in web-friendly versions, with paper formats as auxiliaries (pending
Parliament's approval). Departmental Performance Reports (DPRs) and Reports on
Plans and Priorities (RPPs) would move towards more electronic, evergreen
planning and performance information.
Highlights would include:
- improved results-based management and accountability in departments and
agencies;
- more usable format, timeliness, quality and usefulness of the documents;
- better quality planning and financial performance information;
- ability to analyze information across departments and gain new knowledge
about the government's overall plans, costs and programming; and
- a web-based means to review this information on a government-wide basis
for use in research, planning, resource allocations and other
decision-making.
Ultimately, this project will enable remote entry and editing by
departments so that information can become more relevant, timely, dynamic and
responsive. The remote entry and editing feature will be tested with a few
departments in 2003. A risk assessment was undertaken that not only focussed on
information integrity but also pointed out the difficulties of gaining
acceptance for electronic formats of Parliamentary reports.
This year's DPRs are being posted in HTML format, compliant with
the latest Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet. They are
being incorporated in an on-line database of planning, cost and performance
information based on departmental Strategic Outcomes and interdepartmental
horizontal issue clusters. Recent legacy DPRs and RPPs are also being converted
to the new standard.
For more information, please contact:
John Batchelor
Results Management and Reporting
Comptrollership Branch
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R5
Telephone: (613) 957-7179
Facsimile: (613) 957-7044
e-mail: batchelor.john@tbs-sct.gc.ca
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