Action Plan

Having considered the findings and recommendations presented in this report, the steering committee is committed to implementing them. It has defined a working group that will be responsible for developing a detailed work plan to implement the recommendations, and monitoring progress against the plan.

Following are the steering committee's initial thoughts regarding:

The composition of the working committee;
Initiatives that are already in progress;
Recommendations that can be partially or fully implemented immediately to realize benefits right away; and
Recommendations that are longer term in nature.

Working Group

The steering committee recommends the establishment of a working group to develop a detailed work plan and monitor progress against the plan. The group should include representation from:

All regions;
All programs, including the Service Delivery Network;
Headquarters;
Director Generals;
M&P;
Finance; and
Audit and Evaluation.

The working group will provide regular status reports to the Executive Committee.

Initiatives in Progress

A number of recommendations will be addressed, at least in part, by initiatives that are already underway. These initiatives are summarized in the table following.

Initiatives in Progress to Address Recommendations
Recommendation	Initiative	Anticipated Completion
A. Department-Wide Risk Management Framework	Development of a corporate risk profile Development and implementation of an integrated risk management framework	March, 2004 TBD
B. Project Performance Measurement Function	Development of a performance measurement and evaluation strategy for WDP and ICIP programs Database collection of performance measures (Project Assessment Tool) Program evaluation of Service Delivery Network Program Renewal of contracts for Service Delivery Network partners (includes improvements to performance reporting) Renewal of Service Delivery Network Program, Community Futures Program, and Women's Enterprise Initiative terms and conditions	March, 2004 In use TBD March, 2004 March, 2005
C. Implementation of RMAFs and RBAFs	Development of a performance measurement and evaluation strategy for WDP and ICIP programs to drive implementation of program RMAFs Development of project audit policies and procedures for WDP and ICIP to drive implementation of program RBAFs Renewal of Service Delivery Network Program, Community Futures Program, and Women's Enterprise Initiative terms and conditions to drive development of program RMAF and RBAF	March, 2004 March, 2004 March, 2005
K. Service Delivery Partners	Renewal of contracts for Service Delivery Network partners and Community Futures Development Corporations (includes improvements to performance reporting) Renewal of Service Delivery Network Program, Community Futures Program, and Women's Enterprise Initiative terms and conditions	March, 2004 March, 2005

Planned Actions

Immediate Focus

The steering committee identified a number of recommendations that the working group can start to implement immediately, at least in part. These include:

Recommendation	Specific Sections of Recommendation
D. Standards for Monitoring and Claims Verification	Monitoring plans Documentation of monitoring activities
E. Standard Policies and Procedures for M&P	Sharing and standardizing practices among regions Documentation of current policies and procedures On-line distribution
F. M&P Involvement in Reviewing Contribution Agreements	All
G. Training Requirements	Immediate requirements
H. Central Coordination of M&P	Recommendations to be implemented by working group
L. Management Information	Immediate information requirements based on readily available information (e.g. management reports related to cashflows)

Mid to Long-term Focus

The working group will implement the remainder of the recommendations over the mid to long term. These include:

Recommendation	Specific Sections of Recommendation
D. Standards for Monitoring and Claims Verification	Defining and documenting standards
E. Standard Policies and Procedures for M&P	Documentation of revised policies and procedures
G. Training Requirements	On-going requirements
H. Central Coordination of M&P	Long-term definition of role
I. Operating Standards and Measures	All
J. Quality Assurance Review Process	All
K. Service Delivery Partners	All
L. Management Information	Broader information requirements
M. Project Management System	All
N. M&P Structure and Staffing	All

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