PACP Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts |
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Comité permanent des comptes publics |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
FEDERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR INTENDED PURPOSES EFFICIENTLY
Ottawa, June 17, 2015 -
OTTAWA – Federal reporting requirements need to serve their intended purpose, be fulfilled efficiently and recognize the different capacities and risks of large and small organizations, according to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts’ report presented today in the House of Commons by Committee Chair David Christopherson.
Federal organizations must respond to an extensive list of reporting requirements, some of which are intended for internal management purposes and others which are intended for external accountability and transparency purposes. As there have been long-standing concerns about the burden created by federal reporting requirements, it is important that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Public Service Commission identify opportunities to modify reporting requirements so they remain relevant and can be met efficiently, without unnecessary effort or duplication.
In its spring 2015 reports, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) included a performance audit that examined whether selected reporting requirements for federal organizations efficiently supported accountability and transparency and generated information used for decision-making in policy development and program management. The OAG concluded that while the reports intended to support accountability and transparency were serving those purposes, greater attention could be given to efficiency by gathering information about the costs of reporting, taking into account the sizes and mandates of reporting organizations, and ensuring that reported information serves its intended purposes.
In its report, the Committee indicates that it expects that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Public Service Commission will continue to support federal organizations with adequate guidance when preparing reports, adjust required reporting based on effort, cost, value and organizational size, maintain an inventory of reporting requirements, ensure that organizations meet reporting requirements, and examine whether requirements serve their intended purposes.
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