The Government of Canada is committed to excellence in management. This is
essential in serving Canadians and in meeting their priorities through effective
program and service delivery. Integral to management excellence is a solid
foundation of ethical conduct and values-based decision-making.
Over the past several years, the Government has made significant
progress in modernizing and strengthening management. This progress is supported
by sustained leadership and commitment. It has also been attained through an
effective partnership between the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and
departments. This work is reflected in government-wide efforts in the area of
Values and Ethics, in advancing human resources reform and in implementing
modern comptrollership across government.
This commitment is also reflected in the government's leadership
in undertaking the Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) 2000
internal audit of sponsorships and by acting on its findings. When it became
apparent that there were further issues, PWGSC requested that the Auditor
General examine three Groupaction contracts awarded in 1996, 1998 and 1999. And
again, the government made every effort to get to the heart of issues through
the efforts of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services (PWGS) and
Minister responsible for Communication Canada in completing detailed reviews of
sponsorship files, in withholding and recovering monies, in bringing issues to
the attention of the appropriate authorities, and in addressing program design
and management issues. The Government has also looked to the future at the
request of the Prime Minister by fundamentally redesigning the Sponsorship
Program and advertising contracting through the work of the President of the
Treasury Board with the full support of the Minister of PWGS and Minister
responsible for Communication Canada.
A chronology of the main events related to the actions taken by
government, including those to strengthen and modernize management at a
government-wide level and those specifically related to sponsorship issues is
provided at Appendix 1.
Strengthening and Modernizing Management at a Government-Wide Level
Since the time of the Groupaction contracts in 1996, 1998 and
1999, the government has implemented a broad-based government-wide management
agenda to strengthen and modernize its management. The agenda is consistent with
a framework of ministerial accountability and responsibility, namely that
Ministers and departments are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the
actions of their departments. Efforts to strengthen management have focused on
providing Ministers and departments with a modernized legislative and policy
framework supported by tools and a clear regime of accountability so that the
government can effectively serve Canadians.
These modernization efforts will take time to show results, but
progress is being made. This work is guided by Results for Canadians with
its focus on citizens, the stewardship of public resources, in managing for
results and a clear set of public service values.
Modernization efforts were highlighted in the Prime Minister's
eight-point action plan, including:
- the publication of a Guide for Ministers and Secretaries of State advising
them on a wide range of issues including ethical conduct and management
priorities;
- New Appointment Procedures for the Ethics Counsellor as set out in the
Bill on the Ethics Commissioner tabled before Parliament October 2002; and
- strengthened Public Service Management and Accountability for Public
Funds.
Today, we have a new Management Accountability Framework for the
public service and Guidance for Deputy Ministers. Both documents emphasize the
responsibility of Deputy Ministers to ensure an appropriate foundation for
values and ethics in the delivery of results to Canadians. We also have a new
Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service. It recognizes that public
servants will be guided in their work and their professional conduct by a
balanced framework of public service values, including the need to work within
the laws of Canada; to ensure the proper, effective and efficient use of public
money; and to make decisions in the public interest and with regard to the
merits of each case.
These efforts are also reflected in the human resource
management reform through Bill C-25, the Public Service Modernization Act,
and key policy reforms including the 2001 Policy on Internal Disclosure of
Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace and the creation of an
independent Public Service Integrity Officer. And lastly, modernization is also
about government-wide implementation of Modern Comptrollership and is supported
by key policy changes such as the 2001 Internal Audit Policy and considerable
investment in the internal audit community.
Acting on Sponsorship Issues and Steps Taken to Strengthen Advertising and
Public Opinion Research
Over the past three years, crucial and significant steps have
been taken by the Government of Canada to address issues flowing from an August
2000 internal audit by PWGSC on sponsorships and in respect of further issues
that subsequently became apparent in the Groupaction contracts. A robust set of
measures and work have been undertaken to ensure all issues in the past were
identified and addressed. The Government of Canada also demonstrated leadership
in management improvement in the forward-looking review that the Prime Minister
asked the President of Treasury Board to complete. The President, in
collaboration with the Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for
Communication Canada immediately acted on the issues identified to improve the
management of sponsorships, advertising and public opinion research activities.
Dealing with the Past
The Government of Canada candidly acknowledged the mistakes and
deficiencies of the past and set upon a determined course to expose and correct
them. Activities to deal with such issues included a number of internal and
external examinations and investigations that have been undertaken to pursue
program design and administrative errors, to identify options for the recovery
of public funds, and to identify legal issues that merit reference to police
authorities for their official consideration. All such legal issues have indeed
been so referred.
Remedial action on the Sponsorship Program began in the spring
of 2000, when PWGSC undertook an internal audit of the Program through a
proactive audit system. The findings were posted on the department's Internet
site after its completion in August 2000. The department subsequently took
concrete and timely actions to address all of the internal audit's findings and
ensure that the program met all financial and contracting policy requirements. A
follow up review completed in March 2002 found that, with very few exceptions,
all mandatory documents existed and were appropriately included in approved
sponsorship files.
In 2001, significant organizational changes were made in the
management of the Sponsorship Program through the creation of Communication
Canada. This led to improvements in management of the Program, such as in
separating the contracting function, which was retained by PWGSC, from the
program management function transferred to Communication Canada.
In early 2002, when it became apparent that there were other
issues that needed to be addressed concerning the Groupaction contracts awarded
in 1996, 1998 and 1999, the then-Minister of PWGS requested the Auditor General
conduct an audit of the three contracts valued at $1.6 million. He also launched
steps to clarify the program's structure and administration. The audit included
all associated files to determine if the government payments related to the
three contracts were made appropriately with respect to the Financial
Administration Act. Upon completion of the Auditor General's audit in May
2002, the government began two important tracks of work.
Under the first track, the new Minister of PWGS imposed an
immediate moratorium on future sponsorship initiatives until he was satisfied
that the basic management of the program was sound. He also terminated the use
of private advertising firms as administrative intermediaries. At the same time,
the department undertook a file-by-file review of all 721 sponsorship files in
the period between 1997 (when the program began) and 2000 (when the internal
audit was commenced) under the authority of the Chief Financial Officer. The
results of this work were announced by the Minister of PWGS on October 10, 2002
and posted on the department's web site with a five-point plan detailing all the
actions taken to-date on the recommendations.
In the fall 2002, the Deputy Minister of PWGS launched a formal
administrative review of 45 sponsorship files of primary interest by an
independent, third-party forensic accounting firm. The first report identified
issues of non-compliance with the Financial Administration Act and
Treasury Board contracting policies and regulations and was sent to the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to ensure that any further action would not
impact any criminal investigation. A second report will be completed this summer
to examine the remaining files of primary interest.
PWGSC recently undertook a review of advertising files covering
the same time frame as the 2000 Internal Audit of Sponsorships (1997-98 to
1999-2000). The review found that the management control framework lacked
sufficient controls during that period. PWGSC is undertaking a follow-up review
of advertising files for the period 2000-01 to 2002-03 and will consider the
extent to which conditions have been improving based on the changes being made
to the management of advertising.
Putting in a Strong Framework for the
Future
On the second track, at the request of the Prime Minister, a
forward-looking review of sponsorship, advertising and public opinion research
activities was undertaken by the President of the Treasury Board, in
collaboration with the Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for
Communication Canada to strengthen competition, transparency and accountability.
The review found that the management control framework lacked sufficient
controls to ensure advertising files were effectively managed during that
period. The results of the review were announced in December 2002.
At the same time, the Secretary of the Treasury Board wrote to
all Deputy Ministers across government asking them to review their
responsibilities and accountabilities in these areas of activity.
The review resulted in a number of significant changes including
a redesigned contribution Sponsorship Program at Communication Canada to be
implemented on a one-year trial basis. The redesigned program features clearly
defined objectives, application process and selection criteria; is available to
not-for-profit Canadian organizations holding events across Canada; and seeks a
regional balance. Third party delivery has been eliminated and specific measures
to support greater transparency and visibility in the program's day-to-day
management were incorporated. The new program is managed within the framework of
the Transfer Payment Policy, which provides a better program-level oversight
through a results-based management accountability framework and a risk-based
audit framework, than a procurement-based model. PWGSC and Communication Canada
continue to monitor the implementation of the changes made to the Sponsorship
Program.
The review also resulted in key changes to advertising to
achieve better quality and cost-effectiveness and to ensure that advertising
contracts are managed in a manner consistent with other Government of Canada
contracting activities more generally. Improvements will be achieved through
greater competition for government advertising business with the elimination of
the practice of assigning a single communications agency to departments for all
their needs; a policy requirement for a mandatory single agency of record; the
highly restrictive Canadian ownership requirement, which was replaced by a
Canadian content provision so that work is performed in Canada by Canadians; and
the significant reliance on commission-based payments to implement a range of
payment methods including performance-based payments. The Treasury Board
approved changes in the Contracting Policy for the procurement of advertising
services and public opinion research to enable PWGSC to strengthen its
procurement tools in that area.
In April 2003, after consultations with stakeholders across
Canada, the Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for Communication Canada
announced measures to implement these changes, namely that a Canadian content
requirement of 80 per cent would be established, that a variety of contracting
tools would be used including competitive national and regional standing offers,
that a labour-based hourly remuneration would be used predominantly with
consideration for performance-based methods when warranted, that a competitive
process was launched to select an Agency of Record and that an annual report
should be issued on government advertising activities for fiscal year 2002-03.
The review also resulted in changes related to the management of
public opinion research activities. These address the need for increased
coordination across departments to ensure that government departments have
access to key public opinion research information through the most
cost-effective approach possible so government can better serve Canadians.
In June 2003 the Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for
Communication Canada announced further measures to strengthen the management of
public opinion research. To increase the efficiency of public opinion research,
three standing offers and three complementary supply arrangements for research
will be established, thereby providing more flexibility in contracting tools and
the choice of an appropriate supplier. The publication of clear procedures for
use by federal institutions will make the contracting process even more
transparent.
That when public servants engaged in contracting are being
considered for promotion, strict adherence to conduct and discipline regarding
contracting rules and regulations be one of the leading criteria taken into
account.
Response
The government agrees. Sound management practices, including
good contracting practices, are an element of good public administration and a
key consideration in human resources management decisions. Adherence to
legislation, regulations and policies indeed has an impact on careers and
promotion.
That public servants who have demonstrated a proven pattern
of disregard for the government of Canada's contracting rules and regulations
should be subject to administrative and disciplinary measures up to and
including termination of employment from the Public Service of Canada.
Response
The government has a clear framework that provides for a range
of measures through the Treasury Board Guidelines for Discipline, Contracting
Policy and Policy on Losses of Money, Offences and Other Illegal Acts Against
the Crown, including the recovery of funds, the revocation of authorities, to
termination of employment, among others. Sanctions are also provided for persons
guilty of a list of offences in Part IX of the Financial Administration Act.
Of particular note are sections 80 and 81 regarding indictable offences related
to the disbursement of public money for both public servants and others. These
indictable offences provide for a fine and imprisonment in the event that a
review of the conduct of officials leads to a demonstration and conviction of
wilful intent to defraud the government.
Deputy Ministers are responsible for disciplinary measures taken
in their department and accountable for taking action. The Deputy Minister of
PWGS is doing this through the administrative review under way in the
department.
Where disciplinary measures are required, it is recognized that
deputy ministers must respect individuals' rights to due process.
Contracting is subject to ongoing and extensive review across
government. Systemic disregard for contracting regulations and policies is not
evident. However, in individual cases where issues have arisen, steps are taken
to clearly understand the nature and scope of the issues.
When issues arise, the root causes and circumstances that led to
failure are rarely simple, nor are they consistently attributable to a single
cause. They can be due to lack of knowledge, gaps in oversight, difficulties in
interpretation and application of policies and regulation and, in more rare
instances, deliberate actions that must be addressed through disciplinary
measures.
That the report produced by the Audit and Ethics Branch of
Public Works and Government Services Canada focused on all of the Department's
sponsorship files from November 1997 to 31 March 2000 be tabled in the House
of Commons without delay following its completion.
Response
This review was completed in 2002 on behalf of the Minister and
Deputy Minister of PWGS. The Minister of PWGS has tabled the report in
Parliament on October 10, 2002. The report has also been in the public domain
since last fall as it was published on the Internet October 10, 2002.
The report made 5 recommendations and action was initiated on
all:
- Various files have been referred to the RCMP and Justice Canada;
- Time verification audits have been undertaken;
- Recovery of funds has been initiated and holdbacks are in place;
- An administrative review examining potential Financial Administration
Act (FAA) and policy breaches is in its second phase; the first report
was sent to the RCMP to ensure actions including potential disciplinary
measures that may be taken will not compromise ongoing investigations; and
- Past subcontracting practices are being examined; there is no opportunity
for subcontracting in the redesigned contribution program.
That the Government of Canada make every possible effort to
recover any and all funds paid out in connection with the three contracts
audited by the Auditor General of Canada that did not result in the receipt of
services that were contracted for, and inform Parliament of the outcome.
Response
The Minister of PWGS has committed to recover funds wherever
possible.
For example, the 2000 internal audit of sponsorships highlighted
the delay between the time the Agency of Record (AoR) received payment from the
Government of Canada and the time the AoR paid the communication agency.
Consistent with the advice of PWGSC internal auditors, this business practice
and administrative weakness was corrected in June 2001. The AoR voluntarily
remitted some $101,077 to the Government of Canada, which represents the amount
of interest attributable to the government that had accrued prior to the 2001
corrections.
Payments to several private sector communications firms are
being held back to safeguard taxpayers' monies while PWGSC continues to work
with Justice Canada in their work to recover public funds.
That Treasury Board Secretariat actively monitor
departmental contracting activity in accordance with section 5.1 of its
contracts policy placing a greater emphasis on a challenge function, and
intervene to correct problems as needed.
Response
Given the volume of government contracting (almost 540,000
contracts per year valued at approximately $12.3 billion in addition to the 1.5
million acquisition card transactions), the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has
established, in partnership with departments, a more robust and broad-based
system of monitoring than had been provided for in section 5.1 of the
Contracting Policy. TBS actively monitors departmental contracting through:
- Ongoing dialogue with departments;
- Work related to the Procurement Reform initiative;
- The monitoring of departmental audit plans, completed audits and working
with departments in ensuring the development and implementation of effective
management action plans - which are available to Canadians and Parliament;
- Work on the professional development and certification program for
contracting specialists;
- The review of cases at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal; and
- In the context of specific transactions that require Treasury Board
approval.
TBS is also developing an internal audit guide to help
departments further strengthen internal audits and their usefulness in improving
departmental contracting and the effectiveness of the management of this
function.
Departments are also monitoring contracting through several
mechanisms such as contract review committees and quality assurance systems,
including control mechanisms such as invoice verification and delegation
instruments.
In determining where monitoring resources are spent, TBS
considers the level of risk and expenditures.
That Treasury Board Secretariat provide Parliament with an
analysis of those instances in which contracting rules have been contravened
and of the corrective actions it and the department or agency concerned have
taken in its annual contracting activity report. The analysis should indicate
how many irregularities have occurred, in which departments and agencies, and
the amounts of money involved.
Response
The Treasury Board Internal Audit Policy requires that
departments:
- have an effective, independent and objective internal audit function;
- incorporate internal audit results into their priority setting, planning
and decision-making processes;
- issue completed reports in a timely manner and make them accessible to the
public; and
- ensure that management action plans are developed and included as part of
the completed internal audit report.
Government contracting is subject to ongoing audit and review
across government. The TBS reviews departmental internal audit reports and
ensures that appropriate action plans are in place to correct problems, and
intervenes as necessary. It works with departments in support of management
review work and in promoting practices consistent with modern comptrollership
and management. Parliament and Canadians are provided with information on the
broader work under way in modern comptrollership as well as on compliance with
Treasury Board Contracting Policy and Regulations through departmental internal
audits and responses. The information provided not only indicates where
improvements need to be made but also highlights measures undertaken to
strengthen departmental practices.
Key departments also report on their contract management through
their departmental performance reports to Parliament and Canadians.
That the Government of Canada restructure the departmental
internal audit functions in government so that they come under the authority
of the Treasury Board Secretariat Centre of Excellence for Internal Audit.
Response
The Internal Audit Policy established April 2001 provides that
"Departments [must] have an effective, independent and objective internal
audit function that is properly resourced to provide sufficient and timely
assurance service."
Deputy heads are responsible and accountable for managing their
departments in line with legislation, regulations and policy, including the
implementation of the Internal Audit Policy. Departments are actively
implementing the policy and the Treasury Board Secretariat provides leadership
in the area through its Centre of Excellence for Internal Audit.
The 2001 Internal Audit Policy further requires that Deputy
Heads ensure that their head of internal audit has an unimpaired ability to
carry out his or her responsibilities, including reporting audit findings to the
deputy head and, as appropriate, to the Deputy Comptroller General. Internal
auditors are provided with avenues of redress as are all public servants.
That Treasury Board Secretariat conduct an evaluation of
the level of funding provided to the internal audit units to determine whether
that funding is sufficient and report the results to Parliament by 31 October
2003.
Response
TBS reviewed and amended the level of funding in the internal
audit function and provided additional funding directly to departments and the
TBS Centre of Excellence for Internal Audit for the periods 2001-2002 ($10.4
million) and 2002-2003 ($18.2 million). Further, the Treasury Board approved an
additional total investment of $15M in departments and the TBS Centre of
Excellence for Internal Audit for the periods 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.
The TBS Centre of Excellence for Internal Audit monitors the
internal audit function on an ongoing basis and an evaluation of the
implementation of the Internal Audit Policy will be completed in 2005-2006.
That the Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information
Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace be amended to place the authority for
its administration under the Office of Values and Ethics of the Treasury Board
Secretariat and the Public Service Integrity Officer.
Response
The Financial Administration Act gives the Treasury Board
the role and mandate to adopt policies related to the general administrative of
the government, including the management of its human resources. Deputy Heads
are responsible and accountable to manage their departments in line with all
Treasury Board policies.
This Policy was approved by the Treasury Board effective
November 30, 2001. As the Policy requires, Deputy Heads have been proactive in
appointing senior officers in the departments and agencies under TBS's purview.
Senior officers have been tasked with ensuring an expeditious process of
disclosure towards wrongdoing while respecting confidence. Public servants are
contacting these senior officers to disclose information concerning wrongdoing
in their organizations. A network group of senior officers meets on a regular
basis to foster a work environment of communication and openness.
Public servants can raise issues directly with the Office of the
Public Service Integrity Officer (PSIO) when they believe that their issue could
not be raised in confidence within their organization or when they believe their
disclosure was not dealt with appropriately. Under this Policy, the PSIO is
required to make recommendations on wrongdoings to the Deputy Head who in turn
will consider and act expeditiously on matters put forth. In cases where
departmental responses are not adequate or timely, the PSIO can make a report of
findings to the Clerk of the Privy Council in his role as head of the Public
Service.
The Policy is to be reviewed no later than three years after its
implementation; that is before November 30, 2004.
That the Public Service Integrity Officer monitor the
application of the Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning
Wrongdoing in the Workplace, taking note of the number of instances of
reported wrongdoing, their nature and outcome, and include this information in
their annual report to the President of the Privy Council for tabling in
Parliament beginning with the report for 2003.
Response
The Financial Administration Act gives Treasury Board the
role and mandate to adopt policies related to the general administrative of the
government, including the management of its human resources. As this policy is a
Treasury Board policy, the Treasury Board Secretariat has a responsibility to
monitor its application.
The TBS supports the spirit of Recommendation 10 as the TBS
Office of Values and Ethics is already actively monitoring the application of
the Policy in departments. Departmental senior officers responsible for the
Policy have been requested to provide statistical information, as identified in
the Policy, to the TBS Office of Values and Ethics for the first year of the
Policy's application. The Policy is to be reviewed no later than three years
after its implementation; that is by November 30, 2004.
Under the requirements of the Policy, the Public Service
Integrity Officer is to prepare an annual report to the President of the Privy
Council on his activities for tabling in Parliament. The release of this report
is planned for the fall of 2003 and will cover the first year of the office's
operation.
That the Government of Canada review its organizational
charts to ensure that the reporting arrangements that existed between the
former Communications and Coordination Services Branch and the Department of
Public Works and Government Services are not replicated in its other
departments and agencies.
Response
Departments must structure their organization to meet service
and program delivery needs of Canadians.
Deputy heads are responsible and accountable for managing their
departments in line with legislation, regulations and policy. Decisions about
organizational structure are guided by policies, notably the Treasury Board
Policy on Delegation of Authorities, which includes the requirements to:
- delegate and communicate financial authorities formally in writing thus
ensuring that persons with delegated authorities are well informed of their
responsibilities in that regard;
- to establish an appropriate segregation of duties in terms of program,
contracting and financial responsibilities, thus ensuring that appropriate
controls are applied in spending public money; and
- to establish policies and procedures to ensure an adequate level of
control over delegated authorities.
In the case of the Communications and Coordination Services
Branch, in September 2001, the program functions of that Branch were merged with
those of the Canada Information Office into a new department, Communication
Canada. Contracting responsibilities were transferred to PWGSC's contracting
operations, segregating program management from contracting responsibilities.
That the Government of Canada initiate a thorough review of
sections 39.2-39.6 of the Public Service Employment Act to ensure that
they are being applied properly.
Response
The Public Service Commission takes its responsibility to
monitor the application of these sections of the Act very seriously and does so
through ongoing review. The Commission will ensure it appropriately implements
and monitors all future obligations assigned to it in the Public Service
Modernization Act.
Chronology of Events
Strengthening and Modernizing Management at a
Government-Wide Level
2000 - Results for Canadians: A Management Framework
for the Government of Canada published
2001 - Modern Comptrollership is launched government-wide
April 2001 - New Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit
November 2001 - Treasury Board Policy on Internal
Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace, established a
government-wide review mechanism outside the departmental processes, the Public
Service Integrity Officer
June 11, 2002 - Prime Minister speech on an eight-point
action plan on government ethics highlighting key measures such as the Guide for
Ministers and Secretaries of State and New Appointments Procedures for the
Ethics Counsellor
February 2003 - Tabling of the Public Service
Modernization Act
June 19, 2003 - Values and Ethics Code for the Public
Service announced
June 20, 2003 - Guidance for Deputy Ministers and Management
Accountability Framework are made public
Acting on Sponsorship Issues and
Steps to Strengthen Advertising and Public Opinion Research
1996, 1998, 1999 - Groupaction Contracts
August 2000 - PWGSC Internal Audit on Sponsorship on
files between November 1997 to March 2000
October 2000 - PWGSC Management Action Plan on August
2000 Sponsorship Internal Audit
September 2001 - Creation of Communication Canada
February 2002 - Communication Canada introduced a new
management structure, program framework and guidelines for Sponsorship Program
March 2002 - Public Works and Government Services
Minister requested Auditor General to examine three Groupaction contracts
March 2002 - Follow-up review to PWGSC's 2000 Internal
Audit
May 2002 - PWGSC launches a detailed review of
sponsorship files from 1997-1998 to 1999-2000; a Quick Response Team reviewed
files and reported on findings in October
May 8, 2002 - Findings of Auditor General's Audit of
three Groupaction contracts released
May 23, 2002 - During an address on Ethics in the House
of Commons, the Prime Minister asked the President of the Treasury Board to
review sponsorship, advertising and public opinion research
May 27, 2002 - PWGS Minister imposed a moratorium on all
sponsorship activity, terminated business relationships with certain firms and
held back payments to these firms to protect taxpayers' money
July 2002 - PWGS Minister lifted moratorium on
sponsorship activity and eliminated the use of private sector advertising firms
as administrative intermediaries
Summer 2002 - Forward-looking review of sponsorship,
advertising and public opinion research based on four principles: value for
money, stewardship, flexibility and transparency according to the Prime
Minister's May 23, 2002 speech
October 10, 2002 - Minister of PWGS and Minister
responsible for Communication Canada announces results of the Quick Response
Team's detailed review of sponsorship files
October 2002 - Deputy Minister of PWGS launches an
administrative review to look into issues of non-compliance with the Financial
Administration Act and Treasury Board policies in sponsorship files of
primary interest
December 2002 - President of the Treasury Board and the
Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for Communication Canada announced the
result of the forward-looking review to strengthen competition, transparency and
accountability and achieve value for money. Key changes in terms of sponsorship
included a 1-year trial for the redesigned contribution Sponsorship Program at
Communication Canada. Key elements for advertising included the elimination of
the Canadian ownership requirement, the mandatory use of a single Agency of
Record and a consideration of payment methods beyond commission-based
remuneration and significant changes to policy and approach to contracting for
advertising and public opinion research. For more information, please see the
December 17, 2002 press release and backgrounder at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2002/1217_e.asp.
February 2003 - The Deputy Minister PWGS extends the
administrative review of the sponsorship files to include the balance of all
files of primary interest identified in the detailed file review
April 2003 - Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible
for Communication Canada announces implementation measures to strengthen
advertising practices as announced in December 2002. For more information,
please see the April 28, 2003 press release and backgrounder at http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp
June 2003 - Minister of PWGS and Minister responsible for
Communication Canada announces implementation measures to strengthen the
management of public opinion research. For more information, please see the June
12, 2003 press release and backgrounder at http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp
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