Audit of Nutrition North - 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
Northern Affairs Organization
| Project Recommendations | Action Plan | Expected Completion Date |
Program Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should clarify the purpose and role, membership, and meeting frequency required to implement an effective Oversight Committee and review the purpose and role of Advisory Board for the next phase of program implementation, taking into consideration the level of program resources available to support Advisory Board activities. | The purpose and role of the Advisory Board will be reviewed | February 2014 | Status: Completed Update/Rationale: As of 31/03/2014: The purpose and role of the Advisory Board was reviewed, leading to revised Terms of Reference being recommended to the Minister. The purpose, role, membership and meeting frequency of the NNC Oversight Committee was reviewed, and recommendations made to the Minister. AES: Substantially implemented. Recommendation to be closed. |
| Details regarding the purpose, role, membership, and meeting frequency of the NNC Oversight Committee will examined and clarified. | March 2014 | ||
| 2. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should support cost containment strategy measures undertaken by the program, and monitored by the Oversight Committee, in order for the program to remain within approved budget levels. | The manner in which the Oversight Committee carries out its role and fulfills its mandate, including application of the Cost Containment Strategy in a manner that respects authorities, will be reviewed and clarified. | March 2014 | Status: Completed Update/Rationale: As of 31/03/2014: The purpose and role of the Oversight Committee, including application of the cost containment strategy was reviewed. Recommendations were made to the Minister. AES: Substantially implemented. Recommendation to be closed. |
| 3. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should: document the risks and rationale used in selecting recipients for compliance reviews; create a compliance review plan based on this approach; retain the evidence gathered during the compliance reviews; and, ensure observations made in published reports specifically address the key risks and intended scope and approach. | The risks and criteria used to select recipients who will be subjected to compliance reviews will be documented. | December 2013 | Status: Completed Update/Rationale: As of 31/03/2014:
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| A compliance review plan will be established. The evidence is retained by the compliance audit form and available upon request. Options for retention and proper storage and disposal of working papers will be examined as part of the compliance review plan. |
March 2014 | ||
| 4. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should: request information on the claims processor quality assurance approach to determine whether an audit of the current claims processor is necessary; ensure payment review and approval procedures are adequately documented; develop a risk-based sampling approach for recipient claims; and, investigate appropriate contract requirements for future claims processor contracts (i.e. service monitoring and service auditor report). | The program will build on its current periodic site visits and make further inquiries to review quality assurance. NNC will request ongoing quality assurance reviews and/or internal audits ensure processes are working as intended. | ||
| Approval procedures and payment review processes for recording keeping, training and succession planning purposes will be documented. | March 2014 | ||
| A risk-based sampling approach will be developed. | March 2014 | ||
| Future contracts for claims processors will ensure appropriate requirements for quality assurance. | April 2014 | ||
| 5. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should establish a process for periodic review and policy discussion regarding food items and community eligibility. | A practice to examine the options and viability of bi-annual review of food items and community eligibility will be implemented. Key NNC governance bodies (Advisory Board and Oversight Committee) and partners such as Health Canada will be consulted. | March 2014 | Status: Completed Update/Rationale: As of 31/03/2014:
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| 6. The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization should implement tools/systems with access controls to effectively collect data, conduct trend analysis, and monitor changes in the price of food basket items, and complete awareness and retail surveys to obtain feedback on program progress and retailer costs. | Appropriate tools and systems to collect and analyze trends is being designed and will be implemented. | March 2014 | |
| A comprehensive study of northern retailing to obtain feedback from northern customers, communities, and retailers will be completed. | June 2014 |