ARCHIVED - Results for Canadians : A Management Framework for the Government of Canada

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The Government of Canada aims to provide the highest quality of service to the public. To achieve this, it commits to excellence in four areas critical to a well-performing public sector:

• focusing on citizens
• embracing a clear set of public service values
• managing for results
• ensuring responsible spending

What is Results for Canadians?

Results for Canadians is about modernizing government management in order to respond to Canadians' changing expectations and priorities.

Results for Canadians

• provides a coherent framework for management in the Government of Canada;
• defines the government's management commitments;
• describes how the government's management board, and departments and agencies, must work together to modernize government management practices; and
• sets out a clear agenda for change.

What is the operating philosophy?

In June 1997, the Prime Minister designated the Treasury Board as the government's management board.

The management board philosophy recognizes that in an institution as big as the Government of Canada, one-size-fits-all management does not work.

In this context, the management board as well as headquarters units in departments and agencies must strive to achieve a balance. On the one hand, they must be flexible enough on the delegation of decision-making authority and on administrative rules to support initiative and common sense. On the other hand, they must be sufficiently rigorous on standards and control systems to ensure clear accountability.

This means moving toward a management regime based on leadership and values, well-defined standards and sound risk management, with the right systems in place at all times to ensure effective control.

What are the management board's responsibilities?

The Treasury Board and its Secretariat retain their traditional responsibilities:

• to negotiate union contracts and act as the employer of the Public Service;
• to set the form of the public accounts and establish financial, accounting, administrative and other management policies; and
• to approve departmental spending initiatives.

In addition to these traditional roles, the management board is also expected to provide a comprehensive view of government operations and to provide sustained leadership in the improvement of management practices.

Departments, agencies and the management board must work together to achieve government-wide priorities for management change.

What initiatives are promoting change?

Currently work is being done across government on the following medium-term initiatives:

• Citizen-centred Service Delivery - improving access to services and improving client satisfaction.
• Government of Canada On-Line - giving Canadians secure, reliable on-line access to federal services.
• Modern Comptrollership - integrating financial and non-financial performance information, implementing sound risk management, ensuring appropriate control systems, and updating related management policies.
• Improved Reporting to Parliament - improving the quality of information provided to parliamentarians on programs and results.
• Program Integrity - ensuring existing programs are adequately structured and resourced.
• Developing an Exemplary Workplace - creating a workplace that fosters the leadership and participation necessary to deliver on this agenda for management change.

Publication (2000-03-30)