Introduction

The Board of Management Oversight Framework (BoMOF) is a key accountability instrument that reports on the progress of key expectations by looking back at the Agency's main functions. These expectations address the oversight responsibilities granted to the Board of Management (Board) under the Canada Revenue Agency Act. BoMOF ensures that the Agency demonstrates good management and allows for the identification of areas that may require improvement.

The Governance and Sustainable Development Section in the Strategy and Integration Branch facilitates the collection of evidence on an annual basis and measures the Agency's organizational performance against the Board's expectations as set out in the BoMOF.

In 2016-2017, six expectations were identified by Board members to evaluate the Agency's overall management in the areas of: Service Management, Information Management, Information Technology Management, Qualified and Skilled Workforce, Financial Management, and Budget Implementation. Each expectation is supported by key questions that further define good management practices and provide the basis for the Board's assessment of Agency management.

New this year, the BoMOF was refocused to examine pre-approved plans, priorities, and strategies where the Board has oversight authority. The BoMOF report consists of streamlined indicators to align with initiatives and deliverables agreed upon and set out in existing strategic planning documents. There was also an increased focus on actual results by shifting focus from open-ended narratives to performance measures.

Service Management

Question: Is the CRA meeting its 2016-2017 commitments as outlined in the Service Management Strategy, Corporate Business Plan, and Budget 2016 to improve service to Canadians?

Summary:

The implementation of CRA's service commitments are progressing well. Out of the 20 initiatives underway, 12 are complete, and seven are on track to be completed on time. The public opinion research project to better understand root causes of low filing and benefit uptake among Indigenous Peoples, has been delayed in its implementation, owing to unforeseen circumstances that were outside of the CRA's control.

Among those commitments that are on track, it should be noted that the key milestone implementation dates for the service experience surveys related to My Account, My Business Account and Represent a Client were adjusted in Q2 to ensure their launches align. All are on track according to the revised implementation schedule. In addition, the CRA established a renewed service framework with greater emphasis on client-centred experience. The CRA also continues to be a partner in the design and development of the Government of Canada Clients First Service Strategy.

Information Management

Question: What progress has been made against the CRA’s 2016-2017 to 2018-2019 Information Management Strategy?

Summary:

The Information Management program is being managed well. Of the nine initiatives identified in the Information Management Strategy for implementation this year, three of them are complete and five are on track to be completed by their stated completion date. Only one initiative, ‘Formalize the IM Advisors’ role,’ is still in progress as of Q3 2016-2017. It is anticipated that this initiative will be completed by Q4 2016-2017.

Information Technology Management

Question: How does the CRA demonstrate that it is supporting key Agency and Government of Canada information technology priorities?

Summary:

The Information Technology Management program was well managed during fiscal 2016-17. Of the 37 initiatives included in this report, 15 were completed. For the remaining 22 initiatives, the CRA accomplished all of the 2016-2017 deliverables for the 15 multi-year projects and is on track to deliver the seven initiatives with partnering organizations. One Shared Services Canada (SSC) project, the Hosted Contact Centre Services (HCCS) initiative, to renew the underlying infrastructure in all Government of Canada (GC) contact centres, has encountered delays due to extended contract discussions between SSC and the HCCS vendor. The CRA has completed its preparatory work for this project and is well positioned to implement the new HCCS between December 2017 and July 2018.

Qualified and Skilled Workforce

Question: What steps is the CRA taking to ensure that it has the qualified and skilled workforce it needs to deliver its business priorities and long term vision?

Summary:

The Qualified and Skilled Workforce expectation is well managed, ensuring that the CRA has the required qualified and skilled workforce. Out of the 14 initiatives underway, seven are complete, and six are on track to be completed before the end of 2016-2017. In 2017-2018, work will continue on non-executive succession planning for the CRA’s EX feeder groups.

Financial Management

Question: Does the CRA achieve sound management of the financial authorities provided by Parliament?

Summary:

The CRA continued its strong performance in financial management. Lowest level budget managers have access to their approved budgets well within the Government of Canada expectation of 30 days of the start of the fiscal year, as assessed through the Management Accountability Framework. In addition, regular and accurate assessments of the CRA’s overall in-year financial performance take place, as do periodic reviews of the CRA’s mid- to long-term financial position and projected flexibilities.

Budget Implementation

Question: Does the CRA effectively implement federal budget decisions, thereby supporting effective management of financial resources and achievement of expected results?

Summary:

The Government of Canada is committed to enhancing the client-focused orientation of the CRA’s services, as well as combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Investment from Budget 2016 allows the CRA to continue to innovate and adapt its service model to Canadians’ needs and expectations, thus ensuring that the CRA achieves excellence in service, fairness, compliance, and integrity. In addition, the significant investments in compliance are allowing the CRA to recruit additional auditors and specialists to increase our verification, audit, and investigative activities targeting high risk non-compliance, both domestically and internationally. The CRA closely monitors these priorities to ensure that the implementation of these organizational changes will allow the CRA to meet its expected outcomes.