Appendix 1
Summary of Results of the Modern Management Practices Assessment
The basis of the Modern Management Practices Assessment is the self-assessment tool that assesses performance of federal departments and agencies against the three enablers (strategic leadership, motivated people and clear accountability) and four pillars (shared values and ethics, integrated performance information, mature risk management and rigorous stewardship) of the management framework. The rating system ranges from one to five, with a value of one indicating "not yet applicable" in the department or agency, and five indicating a model of best practice. A high rating does not necessarily mean that the organization has completed the assessed elements proficiently, but rather that it has a maturity of capability and a formal ability to do so.
The focus of the assessment within PWGSC was at a departmental level rather than a unit, branch, divisional or regional level. In total, 134 executives and managers from across the country participated, including all Executive Committee members.
The complete Modern Management Practices Assessment is available at this site.
Key Findings
The results of PWGSC's assessment, completed in July 2002, affirmed success in many areas, but also indicated that the department needed to strengthen some management practices.
The following is a brief synopsis of areas in which the assessment indicated that management practices are effective, and areas where there is room for improvement:
| Perceived Strengths |
Areas for Improvement |
- Senior management is committed to modern comptrollership.
- The department is seen as a strong steward of public resources.
- The values and ethics program is highly regarded.
- Both the internal and external audit functions are executed in a professional manner.
- The department values the work of employees.
|
- The department sometimes serves its clients at the expense of its people.
- The structure of the department makes it difficult to serve clients in an integrated manner.
- Departmental funding mechanisms and resource models do not always support department-wide priorities or decision-making.
- Information systems are not fully developed and integrated, and are therefore not always useful in supporting decision-making.
|
Areas of Focus
The results of the MMPA, as well as guidance received from the Executive Committee and the Performance Management Steering Committee, led to the development of three broad categories of areas of focus: primary, secondary and to be monitored.
These categories were used to set departmental plans and priorities, and to ensure that available resources were targeted as effectively as possible. Management practices were assigned to categories based on one or more of the following criteria:
- the score on the assessment;
- the importance of the elements and sub-elements in relation to PWGSC's business;
- the need to focus resource effort and achieve best value for investment;
- the extent to which projects already in progress were modernizing their management practices; and
- strategic considerations.
| Primary Areas of Focus |
Secondary Areas of Focus |
Areas to be Monitored |
- Integrated departmental performance reporting including:
- Operating information
- Measuring client satisfaction
- Service standards
- Financial information
- Cost management information
- Resource management
- Client relationship management
- Risk management
- Workforce sustainability
- Employee satisfaction
- Work environment
- Planning
- Integrated Management-Control Framework
- Clarity of responsibilities and organization 2
|
- Managerial commitment
- Modern management practices competencies
- Management tools and techniques
- Management of partnerships
- Values and ethics
- Specialist support
- External reporting
- Evaluative information
- Knowledge management
- Asset management
|
- Leadership commitment
- Employee appreciation
- Performance agreements and evaluation
- Business-process improvements
- Accounting practices
- Internal audit
- External audit
|
|
