Management Practices Audit of the Regional Operations Sector - Follow-up Report Status Update as of March 31, 2014
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Action Plan Implementation Status Update Report to the Audit Committee - As of March 31, 2014
Regional Operations
| Project Recommendations | Action Plan | Expected Completion Date | Program Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations should ensure that the responsibilities and accountabilities of the Planning and Business Integration Directorate are clearly defined and communicated within the Sector and across the Department. | The sector has commenced activities which support the recommendation such as the recent re-organization within the Planning and Business Integration Directorate and the creation of the Sector Operations Branch. Additional activities planned/ underway: Revise Director, Business Planning and Implementation work description. Revise/communicate the mandate and roles & responsibilities of the Directorate. |
Fall 2013 | Status: Request to Close Update/Rationale: As of 31/12/2013: Work Description for the Director of the Business Planning and Implementation has been completed. Branch meeting was held on September 27, 2013 where the mandate and priorities of all three directorates and the overall branch was communicated. A summary report with finding from an engagement exercises was drafted. Action items were prioritized and necessary follow-up activities were identified. AES: Implemented. The recommendation will be closed. |
| 2. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations should assess how internal communication and feedback mechanisms are managed and practiced to identify specific opportunities for improvements to timely, two-way communication within the Sector. | The RO management team will develop a list of opportunities which would improve timely, two-way communication within the Sector. | October 2013 | Status: Request to close Update/Rationale: As of 31/12/2013: Management has identified opportunities to improve timely two-way communications with the sector. Several of these have already been implemented including DGs walk around, SADM speaking on sector events, informal social events (potluck for holidays, GCWCC event), email communication from the DG to teams, Regional Planners face to face, increased use of collaboration to share documents. In addition longer terms strategies have been discussed and will be implemented by the management group. AES: Implemented. The recommendation will be closed. |
| 3. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations should work in collaboration with the Policy and Strategic Direction and Chief Financial Officer Sectors to ensure that processes and procedures supporting the development/revision of policies and the design of programs within the Sector are documented and consistent with departmental approaches. | Regional Operations will partner with PSD and CFO to ensure that departmental processes and procedures are communicated to relevant staff and that departmental tools are accessible to employees. | November 2013 | Status: Ongoing Update/Rationale: Regional Operations is in the process of collecting departmental procedures and communicating these to staff. Work has been initiated to communicate to staff working on policy and program development the department's internal approval and vetting procedures, including the functions of Regional Operations Senior Management Committee (ROSMC) and Operations Committee. Revised expected completion date to Q2 2014-15. AES: Implementation ongoing. |
| Regional Operations will develop and communicate internal processes which ensure that documentation supporting the development/revision of policies and program designed are tracked, documented and accessible. | March 2014 | ||
| 4. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations should formally document the Sector's governance structure and formalize the role of any oversight body through documented Terms of Reference(s) that articulate its mandate, authority, responsibility, accountability and operating principles. Once completed, the governance structure and the roles and responsibilities of any oversight body should be communicated across the Sector. | The Sector is implementing a Management Board Structure which aims at establishing a collective decision making process, which will include all DGs reporting to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister RO. The following are activities which will be developed:
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October 2013 | Status: Request to Close Update/Rationale: As of 31/12/2013: RO has developed the RO Management Structure (to keep the name RO-SMC)
AES: Implemented. The recommendation will be closed. |
| 5. The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations should consider developing formal strategic directions and objectives that reflect the Sector's unique dual mandate of operational delivery and policy development/ program design. In light of the Sector's dynamic environment, it will be necessary to enforce regular re-assessment of strategic directions and objectives and ensure that alignment with operational objectives is maintained. | The sector is developing an integrated corporate business plan which would incorporate and support the delivery of program level objectives which would support the advancement of departmental strategic objectives. | March 2014 | Status: Request to close Update/Rationale: As of 31/03/2014: Regional Operations (both HQ and Regions) has developed the 2014-2015 Integrated Business Plan: A National Overview, in collaboration with Policy and Strategic Direction (PSD), Education and Social Development Programs and Partnership Sector (ESDPP), Lands and Economic Development Sector (LED). The purpose of the National Overview is to roll-up regional and HQ information to provide a national performance account of how well RO is responding to key issues impacting Aboriginal people and communities. In order to tell its strategic story, RO has identified and approved 6 key priority that reflect areas we would like to highlight and track, under which 20 key planning commitments will be monitored. The National Overview also focuses on how RO supports transformative initiatives that are cross-cutting, and provides a strategic document for discussion and decision making at senior management tables. In addition, Regional Operations has initiated a five year strategic planning process guided by ROSMC. The five year strategic plan will also help to unite the sector to work together on common priority goals, set the priorities of our work, align our resources behind these priorities, and help to coordinate internal planning and management, articulate andcommunicate our vision to staff, partners and stakeholders, build on existing plans, but focus on innovative, strategic visioning exercises to establish where we want to be as a Sector in five years and engage both staff and senior management throughout the process. AES: Implemented. The recommendation will be closed. |