Spending and Operational Reviews
The Government of Canada is committed to modernizing public sector management
in order to provide better service to Canadians in the most cost effective and
efficient way. It is constantly looking at ways to improve services to Canadians
while providing good value for their tax dollars.
In March 2004, the government released details of its comprehensive plan to
modernize public sector management and review government spending. (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2004/0324_e.asp).
Building on this plan, in Budget 2005 the government renewed its commitment
to deliver integrated, easily accessible service to Canadians, and to ensure the
internal administrative operations of Government are run as efficiently and
effectively as possible. (http://www.fin.gc.ca/budtoce/2005/budliste.htm)
Two of the government's operational reviews -- the Corporate Administrative
Services and the Information Technology Services reviews - are now available
on-line at the Treasury Board Secretariat Web site (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/).
The Procurement and Contracting Review and the Capital Asset Management
Review were also completed and used in redesigning government procurement and
introducing a new approach to capital asset management as detailed in Budget
2005 http://www.fin.gc.ca/budget05/booklets/bkexpe.htm.
Additional findings from other reviews on operations and expenditures will be
released on this Web site over the coming months.
About Internal Service Transformation
The Corporate Administrative Services and the
Information Technology Services
reviews are looking at how the government delivers internal services with a view
to adopting shared or common services arrangements among departments and
agencies wherever greater efficiency, effectiveness or lower costs are
achievable.
Expected Results
The Government of Canada has been working to make corporate and
administrative services more effective for a number of years. In the mid-1990's,
the federal government rationalized its financial and human resources systems
from well over 100 to the 7 financial systems and 14 human resources systems
currently in use.
Internal Service Transformation is expected to improve the delivery of
services to Canadians by:
- Reducing duplication and waste;
- Ensuring effective management of internal operations; and
- Building a foundation for better service delivery for the future.
Shared corporate and administrative services have been implemented elsewhere
successfully. Numerous other government jurisdictions, including Canadian
provinces, some US states, the government of Australia and several major
private-sector companies have implemented similar changes. A report released in
February 2005 (by Accenture) gives an excellent overview of global experience in
public sector shared services. (Source: Driving High Performance in Government:
Maximizing the Value of Public-Sector Shared Services - http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/February2005/14/c3734.html)
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