Rescinded [2019-10-11] - Policy Framework for the Management of Assets and Acquired Services

The Policy Framework for the Management of Assets and Acquired Services and its associated policy instruments set the direction for the management of assets and acquired services to ensure the conduct of these activities provides value for money and demonstrates sound stewardship in program delivery. A failure to effectively manage these activities can result in increased program and administrative costs and can compromise program outcomes.

Assets include a very broad range of resources ranging from land, buildings and major IT systems to furniture and equipment. Acquired services can be very simple, such as temporary help, or highly complex service delivery arrangements.

This framework sets out the principles for the management of assets and acquired services, which are consistent with the Management Accountability Framework. As with all areas of government management, it is firmly grounded in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service.

In addition, the framework identifies key legislation, policy instruments, community professional standards and requirements for integrated information systems that constitute the basis for the government's management practices and controls for assets and acquired services.

Finally, the framework supports the role of Treasury Board ministers in making effective management and expenditure decisions in the context of assets and acquired services while ensuring Parliamentarians have the necessary information for the oversight of management and spending in the Estimates process.

Deputy Heads are accountable to their respective Ministers and to Treasury Board for the management of assets and acquired services in departments. They are responsible for implementing an effective management framework, including departmental procedures, processes and systems, that demonstrates how the department is managing based on the principles identified above. The framework must demonstrate how the management of assets and acquired services is effectively integrated with program, expenditure, financial and human resources related considerations to promote value for money.

Deputy Heads are responsible for ensuring that the monitoring of assets and acquired services management practices and controls is in place within the department and for acting expeditiously when control failures are identified. Responses must be fact-based, get to root causes and respect due process when dealing with issues of personal conduct.

The specific responsibilities of departmental deputy heads for the life-cycle management of assets and acquired services are described in a suite of Treasury Board policy instruments.

The Treasury Board and its Secretariat are responsible for establishing a government-wide system of management and control for federal assets and acquired services pursuant to the authority given in the Financial Administration Act and Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act.

A key element of the Treasury Board's role is the review and approval of departmental investment plans, including assessment of the performance and cost of assets and acquired services from government-wide, horizontal, portfolio, departmental and program perspectives.

The Secretariat is responsible for providing appropriate policies, directives, tools and guidance necessary to support this framework and government-wide learning. It also performs a community leadership role by sharing information and fostering best practices.

The Secretariat establishes professional standards for communities of practice. This specifically includes support for the identification of core competencies and associated training and, where applicable, certification standards required of employees working in all areas of life-cycle asset management.

The Secretariat monitors the implementation of Treasury Board policies in and across departments. Where necessary, the Secretariat ensures that the appropriate remedial measures are undertaken by Deputy Heads in support of their responsibilities for the monitoring of asset and acquired services management practices and controls.

Common Service Organizations provide services to departments that support the effective management of assets and acquired services. Common Service Organizations are responsible for contributing to the achievement of value for money for Canadians by providing professional services that are responsive to the needs of client departments in the most cost effective way possible.