Introduction
Definitions of the terms used in this appendix are provided in
the Glossary of this volume.
Departments submit for EPA before starting the project
implementation phase. For those projects where the Treasury Board has not
provided a PPA, the EPA must include all information required for PPA. The
formal Treasury Board approval process may be tailored to individual projects
and departments, depending on the nature of the risks involved in those
projects. Departments should plan and coordinate submissions for approvals to
minimize administrative overhead.
The EPA submission is to be prepared in accordance with the
Treasury Board Submissions Guide of the Treasury Board Manual and must
include information for each section as follows.
Proposal
1. The proposal must list all the Treasury Board
authorities being sought, including approval for implementing a particular
project.
2. The proposal must include the cost objective for the
project implementation phase.
2.1 The cost objective refers to the substantive estimate
(as defined in Appendix G) of the total resources to be approved by the Treasury
Board for implementing the project.
2.2 For multi-year undertakings, costs must be expressed
both in constant and current dollars and must include, the costs of employee
benefit plans (20 percent of salaries) for all salaries charged to the project,
the costs for government project management and normal contingencies such as for
inflation and foreign exchange.
3. The proposal must also include any other objectives that
have been deemed by the department, in consultation with the Treasury Board
Secretariat, to be sufficiently critical to require specific authority by the
Treasury Board.
4. Once approved, these objectives will serve as a project
baseline for monitoring by the Treasury Board.
Supporting Documentation
5. This information is included in either the body of the
submission or the project brief, when appropriate.
5.1 The outstanding issues section provides a final
assessment of issues that were outstanding at any previous stage of the Treasury
Board's consideration of the project, as well as any current issues. It must
include proposals for resolving all outstanding issues.
5.2 A section which provides further cost information
supporting the cost objective included in the proposal. Project cash flow
estimates must be included for information purposes. The cost estimate must
include separate line items for major risk factors. This is used to inform the
Treasury Board of potential future expenditures that might be difficult to avoid
without abandoning the project.
5.3 The formal risk assessment section provides an updated
formal risk assessment for the overall project.
5.4 The project management approach provides the Treasury
Board with the necessary assurances that the department has appropriate project
accountability, control and management systems in place to monitor the project's
progress and react to changing circumstances. The definition of these systems
must be consistent with the project management policies of this volume.
5.5 A description of agreements which provides full details
of agreements for international cooperation, federal-provincial arrangements or
agreements with other government departments. The description must distinguish
between existing agreements that affect the project and agreements entered into
specifically to further the project or required before progress can be made.
Copies of agreements and similar documents must accompany the project
submission.
5.6 The administrative requirements section describes the
possible impact of the project resulting from existing or potential legislation,
policy issues that may arise (including procurement policy when relevant), or
organizational or procedural changes required for or resulting from the project.
5.7 A communications plan must accompany the submission
whenever the project is likely to attract public attention that will require a
response from the government.
5.8 A detailed project objectives section. When, in
consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat, any of these objectives are
deemed to be sufficiently critical to warrant specific approval and ongoing
consideration by the Treasury Board, they should be included in the formal
proposal. Possible project objectives include:
5.8.1 a schedule objective, providing the proposed start
date, critical schedule dates and completion date of the implementation phase,
supported by the planned time-phasing of the work. The schedule takes into
account any time required for the contracting process itself;
5.8.2 a performance objective, describing the proposed
major outputs or deliverables of the project. If work is to be performed by
private contractors, a description of the deliverables and their relationships
to subsequent phases of the project must be included;
5.8.3 an industrial and regional benefits objective,
describing (when applicable) the proposed industrial benefits to be achieved
during the project's implementation. The objective is to be expressed in
quantitative terms, as established during procurement review or through other
interdepartmental consultations and agreements; and,
5.8.4 other national objectives, describing (when
applicable) other agreed objectives to be achieved during the project's
implementation. When feasible, these objectives are to be expressed in
quantitative terms, as established through interdepartmental consultations and
agreements.
5.9 Departments must estimate future ongoing operating and
maintenance expenditures directly attributable to the implementation of the
project, including grants-in-lieu of taxes. Departments must also indicate a
source of funds for these costs. The purpose of providing this information is to
ensure that there will be appropriate funding available to operate or maintain
the deliverables once the project is completed.
Approval
6. Treasury Board approval of the EPA will be in the form
of a decision letter. The letter may include changes to the proposed objectives
as well as other direction from the Treasury Board. Proposed deviations from
what has been approved by the Treasury Board should be discussed with the
Treasury Board Secretariat at the earliest opportunity to assess whether an
amended authority is required.
7. The department is accountable to the Treasury Board for
meeting the objectives and any other directions set out in the decision letter.
Appropriate internal accountabilities apply for the delivery of all project
objectives not specifically approved by the Treasury Board.
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